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Elementary school
Many students in the United States use school buses. Elementary school, also
known as grade school or grammar school, is a school of kindergarten through
fifth grade (sometimes, the first eight grades or up to fourth grade or sixth
grade), where basic subjects are taught. Sometimes it includes kindergarten as
well. Elementary school provides a common daily routine for all students except
the most disadvantaged (those having singular needs or disabilities). Students
do not choose a course structure and often remain in one or two classrooms
throughout the school day, with the exceptions of physical education ("P.E." or
"gym"), music, and/or art classes.
Typically, the curriculum within public elementary education is determined by
individual school districts. The school district selects curriculum guides and
textbooks that are reflective of a state's learning standards and benchmarks for
a given grade level. Learning Standards are the goals by which states and school
districts must meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) as mandatated by No Child
Left Behind. This description of school governance is simplistic at best,
however, and school systems vary widely not only in the way curricular decisions
are made but in how teaching and learning takes place. Some states and/or school
districts impose more top-down mandates than others. In many schools, teachers
play a significant role in curriculum design and there are few top-down
mandates. Curricular decisions within private schools are made differently than
in public schools and in most cases without consideration for NCLB.
Public Elementary School teachers typically instruct between twenty and thirty
students of diverse learning needs. A typical classroom will include children
with identified special needs as listed in Individuals with Disabilities Act
IDEA to those that are cognitively, athletically or artistically gifted. At
times an individual school district identifies areas of need within the
curriculum. Teachers and advisory administrators form committees to develop
supplemental materials to support learning for diverse learners and identify
enrichment for textbooks. Many school districts post information about the
curriculum and supplemental materials on websites for public access. Teachers
receive a book to give to the students for each subject and brief overviews of
what they are expected to teach. In general, a student learns basic arithmetic
and sometimes rudimentary algebra in mathematics, English proficiency (such as
basic grammar, spelling, and vocabulary), and fundamentals of other subjects.
Learning standards are identified for all areas of curriculum by individual
States, including those for math, social studies, science, physical development,
the fine arts as well as reading. While the concept of State Learning standards
has been around for some time, No Child Left Behind has mandated standards exist
at the State level.
Elementary School teachers are trained with emphases on human cognitive and
psychological development and the principles of curriculum development and
instruction earning either a Bachelors or Masters Degree in Early Childhood and
Elementary Education. The teaching of social studies and science are often
underdeveloped in some elementary school programs and some attribute this to the
fact that elementary school teachers are trained as generalists. However,
teachers attribute this to the priority placed on developing reading, writing
and math proficiency in the elementary grades and the amount of time needed to
do so. Reading, writing and math proficiency greatly affect performance in
social studies, science and other content areas. Certification standards for
teachers are determined by individual States, with individual colleges and
universities determining the rigor of the college education provided for future
teachers. Some states require content area tests as well as instructional skills
tests to be certified as a teacher within that state. Social studies may include
key events, documents, understandings, and concepts in American and world
history and geography and, in some programs, state or local history and
geography; science varies widely. Most States have predetermined the number of
minutes that will be taught within a given content area. As No Child Left Behind
focuses on reading and math as primary targets for improvement, other
instructional areas have received less attention. There is much discussion
within educational circles about the justification and impact of singularly
focusing on reading and math as tested areas for improvement.
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