美国教育的现状及其特点

美国教育的现状及其特点

美国是一个重视教育的国家。独立后，联邦政府即授权州政府管理教育，各州先后颁布法令，要求设立市镇学校。1820年后，在美国兴起了公款办学活动。1873年马萨诸塞州率先成立州教育委员会，各州纷纷效仿，并通过立法征收教育税。教育经费的增加，使得大批公立学校开始出现，1852年马萨诸塞州又率先通过《义务教育法》，推行免费普及中小学教育。1860年前后，在美国各州相应建立起公立教育制度，至19世纪末，美国初等教育制度基本定型。

美国的高等教育产生于美利坚合众国诞生之前，哈佛大学(当时为哈佛学院)成立于1636年。美国联邦政府成立后，适应工业革命的需要大力发展教育，各州相继成立了一大批公立学校，并且鼓励创办私立学校。据1998年资料统计，全美拥有大学3688所，在校学生达1430万人。

美国的教育经过长时间的发展，已形成了一套完整的教育体系，并有如下特征：

(1)"分级管理，责权在下"的管理体制美国的教育管理实行的是"分级管理，责权在下"的管理体制。美国联邦政府设有教育部，主要负责管理和分配联邦政府的教育经费，为学校提供咨询服务，收集有关资料，并进行统计分析。其任务是对学校实行宏观指导性管理。美国的教育主要是由州负责管理，各州设有教育委员会或教育局，全面负责本州的教育立法和教育管理工作。与教育管理体制相适应的是学区管理体制。学区为美国地方政府教育行政机构，它分两种类型：一种是与普通行政区域相一致的学区，另一种是专为教育划分的独立学区，跨行政区域，目前美国除夏威夷州和华盛顿特区各为一个学区外，其余各州都划为若干学区，其数目不等。学区由地方教育委员会领导，地方教育委员会由学区内公民选举产生，地方教育委员会聘任学区总学监，总学监任命副总监及学校校长。

(2)公立和私立学校并存，学校多，条件好在美国既有公立学校，公立学校的经费来源于政府和各州的财政收入；又有私立学校，经费主要来源私人和私人公司，以及社会组织和校友的捐赠和赞助。在美国中小学实行免费义务教育，因此一般为公立学校，私立学校较少。高等学校为非义务教育，私立学校所占比重较大。据1998年的有关资料统计，全美共有3688所大学，其中公立学校1641所，私立学校2047所；在校学生共1430万，其中公立大学1110万人，私立大学320万人。公立大学尽管数量少，但规模一般都较大；私立学校尽管数量较多，但一般规模都较小。在美国无论是公立学校还是私立学校一般经费都比较充足，学校环境和条件较好。

(3)学校科系门类齐全，学制多样在美国，高等学校对全日制、半日制；有两年制专科，也有四年制本科；大学普遍实行学分制，学生在二年制专科毕业，既可以由学校推荐到社会上就业，也可以将学分转到本科院校继续深造，只要完成在学校规定的课程，拿到应得的学分，即可毕业，国家承认其学历。有些社区学校还从事职业技术教育、终生教育等。

(4)美国前克林顿政府教育政策的特点前克林顿政府注重教育，提出美国2000年教育目标为：8岁能够独立阅读，12岁学会使用国际互联网络，18岁普遍接受大学教育。为了保证上述目标的实现，前克林顿政府采取了以下措施：①强调全国教育素质标准；②建立中小学教师教学质量认证制，对优秀教师进行奖励；③提高儿童阅读能力；④加强儿童早期教育；⑤继续改革公立教育；⑥加强品德教育；

⑦改善教学基本设施；⑧普及大学两年制教育；⑨增加联邦奖学金项目，改进学生贷学金制度；⑩加强职业培训。

（上海市欧美同学会提供）

The United States is an emphasis on education in the country. After independence, the federal government to empower the state government managing education, the states have enacted laws requiring the creation of municipal schools. In 1820, after the rise of the public funds in the United States school activities. 1873, Massachusetts established the first State Board of Education, the states followed suit, and education tax imposed through legislation. Increase in funding for education, making a large number of public schools began to appear in 1852, Massachusetts led the way through "Compulsory Education Law", the implementation of free and universal primary and secondary education. Before and after 1860, the corresponding states in the United States to establish public education system, to the late 19th century, the U.S. primary system, the basic shape.

Of higher education in the United States stems from before the birth of the United States of America, Harvard University (then Harvard College) was founded in 1636. After the founding of the U.S. federal government to meet the needs of the industrial revolution and vigorously develop education, states have set up a large number of public schools, and encourage the creation of private schools. According to 1998 statistics, the 3688 American with a university, school students reached 14.3 million people.

Education in the United States after a long period of development, has formed a complete education system, and has the following characteristics:

(1) "classification management, responsibilities and rights in the next" management system, education and management of the implementation of the United States is "classification management, responsibilities and rights in the next," the management system. The U.S. federal government with the Ministry of Education, is responsible for the management and allocation of federal education funding to provide advisory services to schools to collect information and conduct statistical analysis. Its task is to guide the school to implement macro-management. The United States, education is mainly responsible for the management by the state, the state Board of Education or the Bureau of Education has overall responsibility for the state's education legislation and education management. Compatible with the education management system is the school district management system. School district for the U.S. local government education administration institutions, it is of two types: one is administrative regions is consistent with the common school district, and the other is designed for educational division of Independent School District, cross-administrative regions of the U.S. except Hawaii and Washington, DC each school district as a Special Administrative Region, the remaining states are classified into a number of school districts, their number ranges. School district Board of Education by local leaders, local citizens of the Board of Education elected by the school district, the local school district Board of Education appointed general superintendent, general superintendent appointed deputy director and school principals.

(2) the coexistence of public and private schools, schools and more conditions, both good news is the U.S. public schools, public school funding comes from government and the state's revenue; there are private schools, the main source of funding for private and private companies, as well as social organizations and alumni donations and sponsorship. Is free and compulsory primary and