Current Events > How old are people who go to American middle schools?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I was never clear on this. Also, I always thought having middle school was a bit pointless in the first place.

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around 11 years old
Usually middle school begins when students are around 11 years old, and junior high at age 12. Both typically last for three years. Middle school is free of charge in the United States and covers both compulsory and elective subjects.

I thought middle school and junior high were the same thing?


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Middle School is like grade 6-8 or so right? Its the right-before high school section. That would be like ages 11-13 or so.

My middle school was only grade 7-8, but it was also the only one that wasn't also an elementary school (so K-8). I'm also in Canada so I'm not 100% sure what the idea is either.

Middle school covers grades 6-9 depending on the county/state. Students are generally between 11-14.
My county only had grades 7 and 8 as middle school.

MeIon Bread posted...

I thought middle school and junior high were the same thing?

They are. Jr. High is an older term.

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Varys depending on district. Mine was 6th 7th and 8th grade. Another district near here has 7th-9th in middle school and 6th is in elementary school with K-5th.

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High school is usually between the ages of 14 and 18, right?

Also, isn't it true that at high school, students of completely different ages are educated together? I couldn't believe it when I found this out.

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Its grades 6-8. The kids' ages range from 10 (if your birthday is late in the year) to 14. After that you go to high school which is grades 9-12.

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MeIon Bread posted...

Also, isn't it true that at high school, students of completely different ages are educated together? I couldn't believe it when I found this out.

Depends on the class. The required gen ed classes for each grade only have that grade of students in there. Non required classes that the students chose to sign up for can have a mixture of grades in there.I took Keyboarding in 9th grade and there was a 12th grader along with a couple 11th graders in my particular class.

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When I went in the early/mid 90s in south carolina, our middle school was just grades 7 and 8. Middle school was god awful, lol.

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BlazinBlue88 posted...

Depends on the class. The required gen ed classes for each grade only have that grade of students in there. Non required classes that the students chose to sign up for can have a mixture of grades in there.I took Keyboarding in 9th grade and there was a 12th grader along with a couple 11th graders in my particular class.

It happens in required classes too. There were 10th graders in my 9th grade algebra class and I think I was the only senior in my chemistry class

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Feline_Heart posted...

It happens in required classes too. There were 10th graders in my 9th grade algebra class and I think I was the only senior in my chemistry class

You know what? You're right.
In my school, the grade of English you were in determined your overall grade. So if someone passed 9th grade English but failed 9th grade Algebra, they'd have to take Algebra again and will be considered a 10th grader.

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Where I live schools that are grades 6-8 are middle school. 7-8 are junior high.

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MeIon Bread posted...

High school is usually between the ages of 14 and 18, right?

yes. but i graduated when i was 17. birthday is in the summer.
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Each state is different.

In my state, middle school was just grades 7 and 8. 6th grade was elementary school.

I graduated high school at 17, just because I started earlier. Each state determines the cut-off age/birthday for enrolling in school and California's was pretty generous from what I remember.

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We had a middle school for about 20 years until they built a bigger junior high for 6-8. 8th grade was my only junior high year proper because they moved 7th to junior high and 9th to high school that year.

Hexenherz posted...

In my state, middle school was just grades 7 and 8. 6th grade was elementary school.

I think 6th was technically considered elementary in my state/district too. My elementary was K-6 until they built the middle school.

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As to the reasoning behind middle schools, I believe it's mostly used as a buffer to help acclimate kids to the high school environment. At least, that was my experience.

There were many elementary schools in my hometown and the grade sizes were like... maybe 80-90 students?

Then you go to Middle School where we learned how to navigate class schedules like they have in high school, except it was still more controlled like in elementary school. There were only two middle schools, too, so you were getting used to a larger campus and more kids.

Then high school had the largest grade sizes and a lot more freedom.

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