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Dictant
Dictant
In the United States, there is no national education system, so the functions of the
federal Department of Education include only gathering information, consulting, and
assisting in funding certain educational programs.
Since the U.S. Constitution does not specify that the federal government should
oversee education matters, the legislative bodies of each of the fifty states have the
right to set their own requirements for teaching and teachers. State constitutions provide
for the existence of school boards, which oversee the operation of public secondary
education institutions in each district.
Education in the United States has traditionally been seen as a means to better oneself
and rise in the world; hopes for a better life have always been tied to a good education.
Most American children attend public schools funded by the state. Some American
children attend private preparatory schools that prepare them for college entrance.
Approximately one million children are homeschooled: primarily children of minority
religious denominations.
To obtain a high school diploma, which is necessary for college admission in most
states, students must earn a minimum number of credits for successful completion of
courses.
For admission to a prestigious university, students need to earn more credits and have
good grades on written exams. Some universities and colleges require students to take
the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) for assessment of abilities.
In some higher education institutions in the USA, early admission of students
with special abilities is practiced. Some colleges and universities give seniors the
right to early desicion, meaning they can find out at the beginning of their final
academic year about their chances of admission to a particular institution of
higher education. In this case, the student must choose either the "first-choice
plan" or the "single-choice plan." The first plan allows applicants to submit
applications to several colleges, but after being admitted to the first college, they
must decline any other offers. Under the second plan, a student who applies to
one college is not allowed to apply to another college until receiving a response
from the first one.