High School

The constant stream of small, self absorbed, streetwise social soldiers careening cavalierly through the halls is the kind of atmosphere that only the most patient and peaceful adult can enjoy. So there you stand, scanning the smiling faces for the one the belongs to you, but after a few moments your head gets very dizzy and every kid starts to look the same, saggy pants and all. The term "high school" originated in Scotland with the world's oldest being Edinburgh's Royal High School in 1505. The Royal High School was used as a model for the first public high school in the United States, the English High School founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1821. In the United States, individual states, counties, and school districts have considerable leeway in how they choose to divide their school levels. Students will generally graduate from high school in the year of their 18th birthday if they were born between January 1 and August 31, but this varies by state depending on the kindergarten cut-off date, which ranges from August 1 in Missouri to January 1 in Connecticut. A few American schools still incorporate grades 7 through 12, but it is usually either grades 9–12 or grades 10–12. As a practical matter, while laws in most states mandate school attendance at least until graduation or age 16, many require attendance until age 17 or 18 (unless the student earns a diploma earlier, usually around age 16). Conversely, students who have failed a grade may remain in high school past the age of 18. In general, students over 19 attend remedial classes to receive a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate.