Hauptschule
Encyclopedia
A Hauptschule is a secondary school
in Germany
and Austria
, starting after 4 years of elementary school
ing, which offers Lower Secondary Education (Level 2) according to the International Standard Classification of Education. Any student who went to a German elementary school
can go to a Hauptschule or Gesamtschule afterwards, whereas students who want to attend a Realschule
or Gymnasium
need to have good marks in order to do so. The students spend five to six years at the Hauptschule, from 5th to 9th (or 10th) grade. They finish at about age 15-16.
in 1950 and are now a part of secondary education in Germany, the other schools being the Gymnasium
for the university-bound and the Realschule
for the future technicians.
and Gymnasium, but at a slower pace. Subjects that are taught at a Gymnasium, but not at a Hauptschule, include Latin and Ancient Greek. A subject that is taught at a Hauptschule, but not at the Gymnasium, is "introduction to the world of work" (Arbeitslehre).
Subjects taught at the Hauptschule also include mathematics, physics/chemistry, biology, geography, history, religion (or a substitute subject), music, art, politics, sport and language. From the first year of Hauptschule, all children learn English. Once students have obtained their leaving certificate at the age of 15/16, they can go into practical vocational training, start work in the public service at basic or secretarial level, or attend a Berufsfachschule (full-time vocational school). The jobs for which they apply consequently do require practical skills rather than academic knowledge. They also can qualify for further education in a Realschule or Gymnasium if their marks are good enough.
Most Hauptschulen are public schools and do not cost any money, however some private Hauptschulen exists. Because Article 7, Paragraph 4 of the German constitution forbids segregation of students according to the means of their parents (the so called Sondierungsverbot), Hauptschulen have lower tuition fees and/or offer stipends. The "youth welfare office" may also cover the costs of the student attending a private Hauptschule.
The German States spends more money on students attending public Hauptschulen than it spends on students attending public Realschule
n or Gymnasien and the Hauptschule has a more favourable student-teacher-ratio than those schools.
The Hauptschule has a very diverse student body in terms of ethnic groups, languages spoken at home, religions, social classes, and students' abilities. The school faces many challenges, because it sometimes has to educate students of average abilities alongside with students that have learning difficulties and need special attention. In some States of Germany, such as Bavaria, Hauptschulen offer different classes to their students. It offers the so called M-classes for it advanced students, regular classes and the so called P-classes for students who are struggling.
Percentage of jobholders holding Hauptschulabschluss
, Realschulabschluss or Abitur
in Germany
Historically, a vast majority in Germany went to Hauptschule and in 2000 still 54,5% of jobholders have an Hauptschulabschluss, indicating they graduated from one. However in the 1970s an educational expansion started and parents started sending their children to better schools. Thus younger jobholders are less likely to hold a Hauptschulabschluss
than older ones.
closed Hauptschulen, replacing them with comprehensive schools. In these areas, in many cases, the Hauptschule is not a school of first choice for a student and is attended by students, of whom is believed that they for a number of reasons may not profit from the more competitive environment of other schools.
In some areas, where few students attend the Hauptschule, and those who do often suffer from learning disabilities, Hauptschule students have come to be increasingly stigmatized
over the last years, the opinion of the general public often being that Hauptschulen only harbor the bottom end of society. Stereotypes of dysfunctional family
backgrounds, absent and/or unemployed
parents and domestic violence
and alcohol abuse
are often cited when describing what is believed to be the typical social origin of these students. Teachers often complain about ongoing difficulties in trying to properly educate them and parents refusing to take responsibility. Moreover, and based on these problems, in some areas it has become very hard for Hauptschule graduates to find qualified work or begin an apprenticeship
, even in professions which traditionally welcomed them and in some areas have now shifted their focus to better qualified applicants, e.g. mechanics, construction or sales. In some areas, an overwhelming majority of each graduating class is therefore forced to accept low-paying unskilled labor or live on welfare indefinitely; many choose to stay in school for another year to obtain their diploma, which slightly, but not fundamentally, improves their career prospects. In 2006 a debate about violence at German Hauptschulen was sparked after teachers of the infamous Rütli School
wrote a letter to the senate
office demanding the school to be closed down. The letter stated:
Baumert, Stanat and Watermann did a report on so called "problem schools" in 2000. "Problem schools" according to the scientist were:
The number of "problem schools" that could be identified varied greatly be State of Germany. In Bavaria
no "problem school" could be found. In Baden-Württemberg
only 4,8 percent of Hauptschulen and in Rheinland-Pfalz 8,7 percent of Hauptschulen must be called "problem school". In contrast 60 percent of all Hauptschulen in Berlin
, 68,8 percent of Hauptschulen in Hamburg
and 95,7 percent of all Hauptschulen that existed in Bremen
must be called "problem schools". (Berlin and Hamburg have abolished the Hauptschule since then.)
The graduation certificate is the Hauptschulabschluss
, which like the assignment to other types high schools is less valuable than the Realschulabschluss or university-bound Abitur
.
Furthermore, persons holding a Hauptschulabschluss may go to night school in order to earn their Realschulabschluss or Abitur
.
However in some States of Germany students that do well enough in Hauptschule receive the Mittlere Reife
. Students holding a Mittlere Reife are allowed to participate in classes at the Gymnasium. They can get their Abitur there.
most students attended a polytechnical school, and only select few attended a specialist school. Nowadays, all Eastern German States offer some kind of "Intermediate School" (which may be called Regelschule, Mittelschule
, or Regionale Schule
). It has to be pointed out that while those schools are called "intermediate schools", they actually are no "intermediate school", because no school called "lower school" exists. Intermediate schools do not select students on aptitude. All States of Eastern Germany also offer Gymnasien, while all but Saxonia also offer comprehensive schools.
In the German state of Saarland, the Hauptschule has been abolished, and Hauptschulen have been merged with Realschule
n to form "Erweiterte Realschulen", however those "Erweiterte Realschulen" still do stream by ability after 7th grade. They offer a fast and a slow track. The state of Schleswig-Holstein also abolished the Hauptschule and mainstreamed students into the Regionalschule.
The state of Rhineland-Palatinate
has merged Hauptschulen and Realschule
n to form a new type of school called "Realschule plus", which offers offers general education classes (that resemble classes hold at the normal Realschule) as well as remedial classes.
n and Gesamtschulen to form a new type of comprehensive school called Stadtteilschule in Hamburg and Sekundarschule in Berlin (see: Education in Berlin
, Education in Hamburg).
s which educate students of all ability ranges as the concept of tracking by test score was largely abandoned there by the 21st century. However, some school districts such as the Renton School District
maintain separate schools for students who do not succeed in the comprehensive school, usually students who get the lowest test score results. Although most US students get uniform diplomas, some states are adopting high school graduation examination
s with very high standards. Although Marc Tucker of the NCEE
designed the Certificate of Initial Mastery
around the German education model, most US states expect all students to meet one high passing standard, and tests are used to insure success for all rather than sorting between types of high schools. High school is mandatory to age 17-18 in most states, but those who leave before receiving a diploma are considered to be dropout
s with a dismal future. All students must graduate with skills necessary to succeed in college even if not college bound. It is thought that the incentive of losing a diploma will provide enough incentive to make this a reality, though some critics doubt that this was ever a practical idea. Students who do not pass these tests either will receive no diploma, or alternate documents indicating that they did not meet minimal state standards for graduation.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, starting after 4 years of elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
ing, which offers Lower Secondary Education (Level 2) according to the International Standard Classification of Education. Any student who went to a German elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
can go to a Hauptschule or Gesamtschule afterwards, whereas students who want to attend a Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
or Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
need to have good marks in order to do so. The students spend five to six years at the Hauptschule, from 5th to 9th (or 10th) grade. They finish at about age 15-16.
History
Hauptschulen were first introduced in West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
in 1950 and are now a part of secondary education in Germany, the other schools being the Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
for the university-bound and the Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
for the future technicians.
Basics
The main aim of the Hauptschule is to offer young students with average grades or below, most of whom will not attend a university, an adequate general academic education (however some of the graduates will attend a University later in life, see below). It teaches mostly the same subjects as the RealschuleRealschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
and Gymnasium, but at a slower pace. Subjects that are taught at a Gymnasium, but not at a Hauptschule, include Latin and Ancient Greek. A subject that is taught at a Hauptschule, but not at the Gymnasium, is "introduction to the world of work" (Arbeitslehre).
Subjects taught at the Hauptschule also include mathematics, physics/chemistry, biology, geography, history, religion (or a substitute subject), music, art, politics, sport and language. From the first year of Hauptschule, all children learn English. Once students have obtained their leaving certificate at the age of 15/16, they can go into practical vocational training, start work in the public service at basic or secretarial level, or attend a Berufsfachschule (full-time vocational school). The jobs for which they apply consequently do require practical skills rather than academic knowledge. They also can qualify for further education in a Realschule or Gymnasium if their marks are good enough.
Most Hauptschulen are public schools and do not cost any money, however some private Hauptschulen exists. Because Article 7, Paragraph 4 of the German constitution forbids segregation of students according to the means of their parents (the so called Sondierungsverbot), Hauptschulen have lower tuition fees and/or offer stipends. The "youth welfare office" may also cover the costs of the student attending a private Hauptschule.
The German States spends more money on students attending public Hauptschulen than it spends on students attending public Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
n or Gymnasien and the Hauptschule has a more favourable student-teacher-ratio than those schools.
The Hauptschule has a very diverse student body in terms of ethnic groups, languages spoken at home, religions, social classes, and students' abilities. The school faces many challenges, because it sometimes has to educate students of average abilities alongside with students that have learning difficulties and need special attention. In some States of Germany, such as Bavaria, Hauptschulen offer different classes to their students. It offers the so called M-classes for it advanced students, regular classes and the so called P-classes for students who are struggling.
Percentage of jobholders holding Hauptschulabschluss
Hauptschulabschluss
The Hauptschulabschluss is a school leaving certificate in Germany. The Hauptschulabschluss may be awarded to students who graduate from a Hauptschule or Abendhauptschule...
, Realschulabschluss or Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
in Germany
| 1970 | 1982 | 1991 | 2000 | |
| Hauptschulabschluss Hauptschulabschluss The Hauptschulabschluss is a school leaving certificate in Germany. The Hauptschulabschluss may be awarded to students who graduate from a Hauptschule or Abendhauptschule... |
87,7 % | 79,3 % | 66,5 % | 54,9 % |
| Realschulabschluss | 10,9 % | 17,7 % | 27 % | 34,1 % |
| Abitur Abitur Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as... |
1,4 % | 3 % | 6,5 % | 11 % |
Historically, a vast majority in Germany went to Hauptschule and in 2000 still 54,5% of jobholders have an Hauptschulabschluss, indicating they graduated from one. However in the 1970s an educational expansion started and parents started sending their children to better schools. Thus younger jobholders are less likely to hold a Hauptschulabschluss
Hauptschulabschluss
The Hauptschulabschluss is a school leaving certificate in Germany. The Hauptschulabschluss may be awarded to students who graduate from a Hauptschule or Abendhauptschule...
than older ones.
Problems
The percentage of children attending a Hauptschule differs very much by region (it may be as high as 60% or as low as 4%). Most Hauptschulen reside in conservative areas (like Bavaria), because conservative parties want to strengthen the Hauptschule, while the SPDSocial Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
closed Hauptschulen, replacing them with comprehensive schools. In these areas, in many cases, the Hauptschule is not a school of first choice for a student and is attended by students, of whom is believed that they for a number of reasons may not profit from the more competitive environment of other schools.
In some areas, where few students attend the Hauptschule, and those who do often suffer from learning disabilities, Hauptschule students have come to be increasingly stigmatized
Social stigma
Social stigma is the severe disapproval of or discontent with a person on the grounds of characteristics that distinguish them from other members of a society.Almost all stigma is based on a person differing from social or cultural norms...
over the last years, the opinion of the general public often being that Hauptschulen only harbor the bottom end of society. Stereotypes of dysfunctional family
Dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
backgrounds, absent and/or unemployed
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
parents and domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
and alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...
are often cited when describing what is believed to be the typical social origin of these students. Teachers often complain about ongoing difficulties in trying to properly educate them and parents refusing to take responsibility. Moreover, and based on these problems, in some areas it has become very hard for Hauptschule graduates to find qualified work or begin an apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
, even in professions which traditionally welcomed them and in some areas have now shifted their focus to better qualified applicants, e.g. mechanics, construction or sales. In some areas, an overwhelming majority of each graduating class is therefore forced to accept low-paying unskilled labor or live on welfare indefinitely; many choose to stay in school for another year to obtain their diploma, which slightly, but not fundamentally, improves their career prospects. In 2006 a debate about violence at German Hauptschulen was sparked after teachers of the infamous Rütli School
Rütli School
The Rütli School was a Hauptschule in Neukölln, one of Berlin's poorest neighbourhoods. The school made news in 2006 when teachers wrote a letter to the senate office demanding the school be closed down, as they were no longer able to deal with violent youngsters.The letter was made public and...
wrote a letter to the senate
Senate of Berlin
The Senate of Berlin is the executive body governing the city of Berlin, which at the same time is a state of Germany. According to the Constitution of Berlin the Senate consists of the Governing Mayor of Berlin and up to eight Senators appointed by the Governing Mayor, two of whom are appointed ...
office demanding the school to be closed down. The letter stated:
- We must realize that the mood in some classes currently is marked by aggressiveness, disrespect, and ignorance towards adults … The tendency toward violence against property is growing … In most of the families of our students, they are the only ones getting up in the morning. For them, school is a stage and battleground for attention. The worst culprits become role models
Baumert, Stanat and Watermann did a report on so called "problem schools" in 2000. "Problem schools" according to the scientist were:
- Hauptschulen that exist in a underprivileged environment. There is a cummulation of risk factors. Half of all students have repeated a grade. [...] 40 percent of parents do not have learned a trade. One third of parents is out of job. The percentage of students, who destroyed school property is high. The level of aptitude and performance on test is very low. 16 percent of Hauptschulen must be called a problem school.
The number of "problem schools" that could be identified varied greatly be State of Germany. In Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
no "problem school" could be found. In Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
only 4,8 percent of Hauptschulen and in Rheinland-Pfalz 8,7 percent of Hauptschulen must be called "problem school". In contrast 60 percent of all Hauptschulen in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, 68,8 percent of Hauptschulen in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and 95,7 percent of all Hauptschulen that existed in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
must be called "problem schools". (Berlin and Hamburg have abolished the Hauptschule since then.)
The graduation certificate is the Hauptschulabschluss
Hauptschulabschluss
The Hauptschulabschluss is a school leaving certificate in Germany. The Hauptschulabschluss may be awarded to students who graduate from a Hauptschule or Abendhauptschule...
, which like the assignment to other types high schools is less valuable than the Realschulabschluss or university-bound Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
.
Furthermore, persons holding a Hauptschulabschluss may go to night school in order to earn their Realschulabschluss or Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
.
However in some States of Germany students that do well enough in Hauptschule receive the Mittlere Reife
Mittlere Reife
The Mittlere Reife is a school leaving certificate in Germany that is roughly comparable with the American high school diploma. It is regularly awarded after ten years of schooling....
. Students holding a Mittlere Reife are allowed to participate in classes at the Gymnasium. They can get their Abitur there.
The existence of Hauptschule in different States of Germany
Some States of Germany do not have a Hauptschule. In most Eastern German States, Hauptschulen never existed and still do not exist. In the German Democratic RepublicGerman Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
most students attended a polytechnical school, and only select few attended a specialist school. Nowadays, all Eastern German States offer some kind of "Intermediate School" (which may be called Regelschule, Mittelschule
Mittelschule
Mittelschule is a term in German education that may refer to different schools. In some States of Germany a school similar to a Hauptschule may be called Mittelschule, while in other States of Germany a combination of Hauptschule and Realschule is called Mittelschule...
, or Regionale Schule
Regionale Schule
In Germany, a Regionale Schule or Regionalschule ist a secondary school that allows attaining "Berufsreife" or Mittlere Reife. It exists only in some states of germany....
). It has to be pointed out that while those schools are called "intermediate schools", they actually are no "intermediate school", because no school called "lower school" exists. Intermediate schools do not select students on aptitude. All States of Eastern Germany also offer Gymnasien, while all but Saxonia also offer comprehensive schools.
In the German state of Saarland, the Hauptschule has been abolished, and Hauptschulen have been merged with Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
n to form "Erweiterte Realschulen", however those "Erweiterte Realschulen" still do stream by ability after 7th grade. They offer a fast and a slow track. The state of Schleswig-Holstein also abolished the Hauptschule and mainstreamed students into the Regionalschule.
The state of Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
has merged Hauptschulen and Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
n to form a new type of school called "Realschule plus", which offers offers general education classes (that resemble classes hold at the normal Realschule) as well as remedial classes.
Abolishment of the Hauptschule in Berlin and Hamburg
Starting in 2010/2011 Hauptschulen were formally abolished in the German States Berlin and Hamburg. They were merged with RealschuleRealschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
n and Gesamtschulen to form a new type of comprehensive school called Stadtteilschule in Hamburg and Sekundarschule in Berlin (see: Education in Berlin
Education in Berlin
Education in Berlin covers the whole spectrum from kindergarten, primary education, secondary education, and higher education in Berlin. The German states are primarily responsible for the educational system in Germany.-Schooling in Berlin before 2010/2011:...
, Education in Hamburg).
Similarities to other countries
In the United States, most schools are comprehensive high schoolComprehensive high school
Comprehensive high schools are the most common form of public high schools in the United States and are meant to serve the needs of all students, as compared to the common practice in other nations in which examinations are used to sort students into different high schools for different populations...
s which educate students of all ability ranges as the concept of tracking by test score was largely abandoned there by the 21st century. However, some school districts such as the Renton School District
Renton School District
Renton School District 403 is a public school district serving Renton, Washington, USA and southern portions of the adjacent cities of Seattle and Newcastle...
maintain separate schools for students who do not succeed in the comprehensive school, usually students who get the lowest test score results. Although most US students get uniform diplomas, some states are adopting high school graduation examination
High school graduation examination
A high school graduation examination is a test that students must pass to receive a diploma and graduate from high school. These are usually criterion-referenced tests which were implemented as part of a comprehensive standards-based education reform program which sets into place new standards...
s with very high standards. Although Marc Tucker of the NCEE
NCEE
The National Center on Education and the Economy is a not-for-profit, policy analysis and development organization based in Washington, DC...
designed the Certificate of Initial Mastery
Certificate of Initial Mastery
The Certificate of Mastery was created by report "America's Choice: High Skills or Low Wages". The CIM has been called an outcome-based education diploma as it would be either be necessary to receive or replace the high school diploma, and was characteristic of education reform legislation in many...
around the German education model, most US states expect all students to meet one high passing standard, and tests are used to insure success for all rather than sorting between types of high schools. High school is mandatory to age 17-18 in most states, but those who leave before receiving a diploma are considered to be dropout
Dropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
s with a dismal future. All students must graduate with skills necessary to succeed in college even if not college bound. It is thought that the incentive of losing a diploma will provide enough incentive to make this a reality, though some critics doubt that this was ever a practical idea. Students who do not pass these tests either will receive no diploma, or alternate documents indicating that they did not meet minimal state standards for graduation.