INCA Education around the world
USA : Internal school organisation
- 4.4. Third phase: High School (upper secondary), age 14/15 - 17/18 [see 3.2.4]
- 4.4.1 Organisation of teaching groups
- 4.4.2 Student progression through the phase
- 4.4.3 Class size
- 4.4.4 Teacher specialisation
4.4. Third phase: High School (upper secondary), age 14/15 - 17/18 [see 3.2.4]
4.4.1 Organisation of teaching groups
General/national
High schools are normally comprehensive, that is non-selective,23 and teaching groups are organised at the local level. Consequently they vary widely in structure.
4.4.2 Student progression through the phase
General/national
Multiple-choice standardised testing is almost universally used to determine Grade promotion.91 However, in many states, the practice of 'social promotion' - moving students on regardless of their ability - does seem to take place. Students often progress through the Grades simply by 'putting in time' because of pressure from parents, determined their child will not suffer the stigma of staying down a year, and because many principals are reluctant to halt their progress and make the school look bad. A small, but growing minority of districts are however acting to reduce this practice. Chicago, with 425,000 students, required 42,000 to enter summer courses in 1997 in reading or mathematics or face being failed. It is estimated that between 15 and 20 per cent of American students are held back in the same Grade in any year. In urban districts, more than 50 per cent of children will be retained at least once15.
In New York, since 2000, any student aged over 9 who has not reached the required standard to proceed to the next year, has been required to attend summer school until they meet new minimum academic standards. In order to be promoted to the next Grade, they are then required, at the summer's end, to pass a proficiency examination and demonstrate a 90 per cent attendance record. Those who then fail the end of summer exam have to repeat their last Grade, and spend an extra hour in class after school or attend evening classes.51
One of the factors which appears to facilitate the practice of social promotion is that there are no agreed national standards which define what students should know and be able to do at various Grade levels; some states do now have these, however, and many are in the process of developing them, although they vary immensely. One school in Nevada, for example, requires only that student advancement through the curriculum should be 'according to the student's demonstrated ability'. In Long Beach, California, promotion to the next Grade requires students to 'demonstrate sufficient growth in learning required basic skills'.15
Wisconsin
Students in kindergarten to Grade 12 can be retained in Grade if they are not considered to have made sufficient progress in the course of study established by local school boards. Generally, a student can be retained in Grades 9-12 (aged 14+ to 18) if, at the end of any year, he or she has a deficit of equal to or more than one seventh of the district's high school graduation requirements. For example, a high school student in a district that requires 21 credits for graduation will be considered retained if that student, at the end of any year, is three credits short of where he or she should be. Most state high schools do not, however, actually retain students in Grade.119
4.4.3 Class size
Kentucky
In Kentucky, maximum class sizes are in force for every academic course requirement in all Grades except in vocal and instrumental music, and physical education classes.
As a result, the maximum number of students generally enrolled in a class is as follows:
- 24 in primary Grades (kindergarten to Grade 3, children aged 5+ to 8/9);
- 28 in Grade 4, children aged 9/10;
- 29 in Grades 5 and 6, children aged 10-12; and
- 31 in Grades 7 to 12, students aged 12+ - 17/18.
These maximum class sizes became effective in April 1998.31
Massachusetts
Maximum class size may not exceed 35.
The teacher:pupil ratio in public high schools in San Francisco is 1:27.28
