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Houston - School System

In the United States, tax money and government funding provide every citizen with a basic education. This includes basic training and knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics, sciences, history, literature and languages
In addition, fine Art and physical education classes are part of the public school curriculum.
The Federal Government can guide and advise public schools, but the true structure and content is controlled by the state and local government.

In Texas, school districts are required to teach a basic curriculum, a quality indication test, TSS, is administered by the state to insure the curriculum is effective. On a local level, the districts are free to expand school programs.

Policies differ from state to state, but most states require twelve years of public school education. Beginning with elementary school, middle school and ending with high school.
It is legal for a student to withdraw from school at 16 years of age. The last four years of school, grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 are known as High School. At the end of the12th grade, and if the student has met all the requirements, a diploma is awarded at a graduation ceremony.

Following public school, there are three basic options for further training:

Technical school
- allows a child to learn a useful trade or skill; i.e. nursing, auto-mechanics, carpentry, art, computing,
beautician etc.
Military school
- again, the ability to learn a trade and possibly gain eligibility for financial assistance for entering a
university whilst still fulfilling the commitment to the Forces (Army, Navy, Air Forces, Marines,
National Guard or Coast Guard).
University/College
(the terms are used interchangeably in the USA). However, technically, a “college” is more limited in scope than a “university”. Entry into university is governed by the meeting of the academic requirements of the chosen establishment. i.e. high school grades and course work, as well as passing an examination such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which is taken at the beginning of their final year of High School. Completion of an average university course of study requires four to five years and then the student receives a Bachelors degree. Following this, one can pursue more specialized forms of study in graduate school. A Masters degree takes between one and three years, and a total of about five years is needed to get a "Ph.D."(Doctor of Philosophy). Universities may be privately owned, such as Baylor University, Rice University, Princeton, Harvard or Yale; or publicly owned, such as the University of Texas, The University of Houston or Texas A & M University.
Nowadays, a high school education isn't enough to get a professional job in the U.S. A higher degree from college is needed.

The H ouston I ndependent S chool D istrict (HISD) provides parents with a wide variety of choices in public education through two special programs: Magnet and Vanguard.

HISD Magnet program
3830 Richmond Ave
Houston
Texas
USA
Tel: + 1 (713) 892 6262
In Magnet programs , students are developing their special talents, while enhancing their
learning capacities.
HISD Vanguard program office at
3830 Richmond Ave
Houston
Texas
USA
Tel: + 1 (713) 892 6000
Vanguard programs serve students who have been identified as potentially gifted or talented.
Vanguard requires testing.