Secondary educationin the United States is the responsibility of junior and senior high schools. It is designed to help students become responsible members of the community and to prepare them for a job or for advanced studies after graduation. High school graduates receive a diploma to show that they have completed their secondary education. Almost all the young people in the United States enroll in high school. About 75 per cent remain through graduation.
Many communities have separate junior and senior high schools. Most junior high schools include grades 7 through 9, Most pupils enter junior high school after attending a six-year elementary school. They continue the general education begun in elementary school and also prepare for the type of training they will receive in senior high school. Most junior high school graduates attend a three-year senior high school, which consists of grades 10 through 12. Some communities have a six-year, or combined junior and senior, high school.
Many communities have four-year high schools consisting of grades 9 through 12. These schools enroll graduates of eight-year elementary schools, two-year junior high schools, or middle schools. Some high schools are non-graded and operate in a way similar to that of non-graded elementary schools.
Most high schools offer both general and professional courses of study. These schools are called comprehensive high schools. Students who plan to continue their education after graduating from high school will probably take a general, or college preparatory, course of study. If they intend to get a job immediately after graduation, they may choose a professional course of study. Some large school systems operate separate professional high schools