Re: School Grades in the USA

We have a relatively simple system here. Kindergarten is optional and
generally for 5-year-olds. At age 5 or 6, children enter first grade.
It used to be that school always started in the fall, i.e. August or 
September, with 3 months off in the summer. But now with more crowding
of classrooms, many areas have switched to a year-round system, where
some students are on vacation at any given time.
  In any case, after entering first grade children progress through the
grades until they graduate from high shool by completing the 12th grade.
At this point, they are generally 17 or 18.  By law in most states, 
children must remain in school until their 16th birthday.  After that,
they are free to drop out if they desire.  Recently, there has been a
trend toward "home schooling," where parents teach their children at home.
For children under 16, this type of schooling is monitored by the government.
   The only confusing part about our system is the different names that
are given to the institutions depending on what grades they teach.  The
following little table should illustrate this.

K-5 or K-6   Elementary school/Primary school/Grade school
6-8          Middle school/Intermediate school
7-8          Junior High school
9-12         Senior High school/High school

And here's a handy-dandy age reference:
1st grade    5-6 years old
2nd grade    7-8
3rd grade    8-9
4th grade    9-10
5th grade    10-11
6th grade    11-12
7th grade    12-13
8th grade    13-14
9th grade    14-15
10th grade   15-16
11th grade   16-17
12th grade   17-18

Hope this clears things up!

Joe Simpson
MADSci Admin