There is no single educational system in the USA – instead, each of the 50 states has its own system. In most states, however, children go to school from about the age of six until at least age sixteen. Each year of school is called a ‘grade’, all American students must successfully complete 12th Grade.
In a typical case, a student attends seven years of primary education, which is often divided into four years of Elementary school (Grade 1-4) and three years of middle school (Grade 5-7). This is followed by secondary school, split into Junior High (Grade 8-9) and Senior High (Grade 10-12). After finishing Senior High, graduating students receive the high School Diploma. If they choose to, tey can then go on to higher education at college or university.