NORTH AMERICA


he United States has, for many years, remained one of the top international relocation destinations. Some studies suggest that this is owing to the quality of life it offers, especially for families. According to HSBC’s Expat Explorer survey, most expatriates move to the US to improve their career prospects, but it’s thanks to the quality of life they find there that many never leave. However, families relocating to the US and looking for places in state schools (known there as public schools) are struck by how significantly the education systems and end-of-school measurements of achievement vary from state to state, and even between districts within the same state. In 2009, state leaders, including governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, two territories and the District of Columbia, launched the Common Core State Standards in an effort to reduce the disparity in education standards across states, districts and schools. However, a complete reversal could be on the cards, the new Republican


T with President, Donald Trump,


frequently quoted as saying, “Get rid of Common Core. Keep education local.” Academic standards are, however, under the control of individual states. It remains to be seen whether Mr Trump will try to coerce states into abandoning Common Core and, if he does so, how successful he will be.


PUBLIC SCHOOLS


Publicly funded schooling usually begins in Grade K (kindergarten) at age five to six, followed by middle/junior high school (Grades 6–8), and finishing with high school (Grades 9–12). This is known as the K-12 curriculum. The K-12 curriculum is likely to result in a US Diploma


on satisfactory completion of Grade 12, the requirements for which are set by individual states. The state will typically set a number of required courses, including core subjects such as English, maths, science and a foreign language.


Left: British International School of Chicago Keep Informed | relocateglobal.com | 223


CONSIDERING THE NEXT MOVE There is no national exam like the French Baccalaureate or the English A Level at the end of secondary school in the US. With this in mind, parents will need to think carefully about their children’s education in the context of eventual repatriation or their next relocation.


“A surprising number of families arrive here without understanding the US education system very well,” says Elizabeth Sawyer, CEO of Bennett Schoolplacement Worldwide, “and how enrolling their children in a given school or district will affect their repatriation or next assignment in two or three years.”


Parents need access to information and a range of educational options if they are to make the best decisions for their children and feel comfortable knowing that they can move overseas with the least amount of disruption to schooling. Curriculum choice will play a central part in making this decision, and here the options are as varied as the number of schools available.


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