Should the 12th grade be done away with in the US?

I can't see how anything would be gained by just doing away with 12th grade.  I do think there should be a variety of courses offered to allow for differing abilities and interests.  In many cases these already exist (as bookgrl mentioned with tech schools) and can be improved.

Nope. I took AP US history in 11th grade.

I did the same.

AP US history in 11th grade.

In 12th grade I took AP English, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus and AP Physics (I took two separate AP physics classes, one was relativistic physics and one was Newtonian physics.)

The kids I know who had lighter courseloads were made to get part-time jobs by their parents for the hours they didn't have classes. They didn't have time to slack off.

ETA: When I was working in New York in the US, you needed a university degree to get a simple office job.

I agree. I think if there were sort of apprentice programs set up for kids who didn't want to go on to higher education, that would make sense. I just feel pretty strongly that university isn't for everyone and shouldn't really be pushed on everyone.

It use to be and I don't if you can still do it but a 16 year old boy could join the Royal Air Force to enter an apprenticeship program.

You can join the US military at 17 with your parent's permission and you can join the military here at 16, with your parent's permission. 

I agree. I think if there were sort of apprentice programs set up for kids who didn't want to go on to higher education, that would make sense. I just feel pretty strongly that university isn't for everyone and shouldn't really be pushed on everyone.

In my HS, they had a work-study program where you did any HS classes you needed in the morning (like English, since you have to have 4 years of that and you can't do Sr English in 9th grade or something) and then after you finished any classes you HAD to have you could either go on to a community college and take some courses (basically starting college early) or get a job. I know people who did this.

I enjoyed my Sr year since I took 3 foreign languages, AP Bio (so fun! Great teacher) and then English and Math which I had to take. I had a PT job on the weekends (which got me to France that summer). The US already has enough issues with (lack of) education. Shortening the school reqs is not going to help. Plus, anyone who really wants to can still just quit school at 16. So how would this hurt anyone who "doesn't need the benefits of school"?

Plus, anyone who really wants to can still just quit school at 16. So how would this hurt anyone who "doesn't need the benefits of school"?

You can always get a GED and stop taking up space in the classroom.

ETA: Gottogotolondon is right.There are some subjects where you need X number of years before you can graduate. The way some students get through them early is by taking extra classes in the same year - for example, taking 10th grade English + 11th grade English in the 10th grade.

I was able to skip  8th grade through a program that New York State has had (not sure if they still do it) where you take 1/2 of the 8th grade courses in the 7th grade and 1/2 in the 9th grade (in addition to the normal 7th and 9th grade courses).

Not every student is able to take extra classes. So you would have to get rid of some course requirements to enable all the students to graduate before 12th grade.

American students really don't need less of an education.

Don't most places have Vo-Tech schools?  I guess I never thought about it.

We had morning or afternoon vo-tech and then you went to school the rest of the time.

Nope.  Not my high school.

Last I heard, they were getting (or had gotten) rid of Vo-tech (in Georgia anyway) because they didn't want to 'differentiate' too much between students.

For example, they didn't want one student to be deemed less capable or educateable than the next.  The 'stigma' that comes with vocational education was deemed problematic so they scrapped the system and brought those students back into the 'fold'.

I think it also has to do with SAT scores and their connection with government funding or whatever creditation.  Fewer students taking the SAT, lower scores were going to mean that a school system gets dinged by the government.  The school I worked for was doing back flips to try to up the SAT scores - offering Latin, teaching SAT preparation, bringing the SAT prep curriculum into each and every classroom and subject.  I was the Ag teacher, on the vocational/tech prep track,  but had to do 10 SAT vocabulary words each week.

Sorry I'm vague on the technical terms - this is information that I have been actively wiping from my memory banks since I left the Georgia school system almost two years ago.

Instead of having a separate vocational  system, they offered students pathways (agriculture, automotive etc) that prepared them for jobs after high school .  There was college-prep and tech-prep, but the tech-prep students would blow off the SAT and lower the overall scores.  So they got rid of tech-prep and everyone had to go down the same track.

I have no idea what the current 'trend' in high school education is, I'm just really glad it is no longer my concern. 

Holly Berry... it's still the same here in GA. I'm in a MS now so it doesn't matter as much at our level, but since I teach foreign language we still deal with it a little. Oh and all those stupid "initiatives" they still carry on! I'm going to be so happy when I don't have to teach (at least in public school) anymore!

Holly Berry... it's still the same here in GA. I'm in a MS now so it doesn't matter as much at our level, but since I teach foreign language we still deal with it a little. Oh and all those stupid "initiatives" they still carry on! I'm going to be so happy when I don't have to teach (at least in public school) anymore!

I hear ya GGTL.  Currently I'm teaching adults at college and am experiencing much of the same BS.  Not quite as bad, but the potential is there!  Apparently, next year we have to include literacy, numeracy and computer skills in the curriculum - in a Horticulture course.  I get the reason why it's important, but ya know - isn't that supposed to be what primary education is for?   

I hear ya GGTL.  Currently I'm teaching adults at college and am experiencing much of the same BS.  Not quite as bad, but the potential is there!  Apparently, next year we have to include literacy, numeracy and computer skills in the curriculum - in a Horticulture course.  I get the reason why it's important, but ya know - isn't that supposed to be what primary education is for?   

Yeah I have to show that I teach a Science, Math, Reading and Writing lesson every 9 weeks in my French classes! They also have to tie in with that year's curriculum. Oddly, they don't have to teach a French lesson every 9 weeks!!! I hope that once I make it to London I can get out of teaching!! I am burnt out, I suspect.