Although there are some technical, vocational, and specialized high schools in the United States the typical high school is comprehensive in nature. The objectives of the comprehensive high school are to provide: 1) general education for all students; 2) subjects useful to those who will leave high school for employment or marriage, and 3) necessary preparatory education for those planning to enter colleges and universities.
No one high school is exactly like another. Both public and private schools possess a high degree of autonomy in organizing and developing their educational programs. In some private schools there are strict rules about the dress of students, addressing one’s teacher as ‘Sir’, compulsory physical education or athletics, regular attendance at chapel services, and no choice in the curriculum. In contrast, there are very permissive private schools where there are few rules of any kind and students work at their own pace with no examinations and little supervision. Public secondary schools offer the same contrast.