As an American, I can say I don't really get the American education system either.
So each state in the US has its own regulations for school. By this I mean what material is covered, and what is required on the big end of year test (not the final exam). Each state calls these end of year tests something different. My state, Virginia, calls them Standards of Learning, or S.O.L.s for short. You generally have to pass this to go to the next year of schooling If you fail, in elementary school, which is Kindergarden-5th grade, you parents have to sign a piece of paper saying basically "Yeah we know our kid is stupid, but just let him go to the next grade" and they pass the kid. Middle school is 6-8th grade and if you fail an SOL they usually just make you retake it until you pass, and same with high school with is 9-12. All of that is particular to my state because thats how it is here. So much freaking crap changes state to state it isn't even funny. This isn't a perfect analogy by any means because there are some differences, so keep that in mind; the states in the US are sort of like countries in the EU. Each has their own laws rules and regulations.
If the federal government, meaning the office headed by the president and friends, doesn't like how a particular state is conducting things, at least in terms of education, since that is the topic right now, the worst the government can do is cut federal funding. This would be done by the department of education (I am guessing), which is a branch of the federal government's executive power.
Now I will go on to the consistencies across the country in the education system. Math. It is beautiful. Turns out algebra is the same in all 50 states and most countries. On a more serious note, here we go!
Elementary school is Kindergarten through fifth grade. It goes kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade and then fifth grade. The school year starts in August or September, this part is up to the states, and ends in May or June, depending on when you started. If your state starts in August, you get out in May, and similarly, if your state starts school in September, you run until June.
Middle School is 6-8th grade. Old people call it Jr. High because it used to be called that when they were in the school system (for reference old people is 30+). Jr. High was 7-9th grade because back then Elementary school was K-6, but 9th was technically part of high school despite being in Jr. High. At least that is what I gathered from my father's stories. This is one of those things that I am honestly not sure 100% about.
High School is 9-12th grade. Each grade has names. Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior. These names also apply to the first-fourth years of undergraduate college students. In my high school I was required to take 3 sciences classes, a math class each year, any math class, the appropriate level English class. For example, 9th graders took English 9 and all the way to English 12. And to be honest, I am not sure the social studies requirements. I took a social studies course each year. I know government was required. So real quick, my high school career:
Freshman Year: English 9, AP Human Geography (My social studies class), Algebra II/Trig, Biology, a general elective, another general Elective, PE and Latin I
Sophomore Year: English 10, AP European History, Chemistry, Pre Calculus, Health?Driver's Ed (same course), general elective, another elective, and Latin II
Junior Year: English 11, AP US History, Calculus I and II, Physics: Mechanics and Physics: Electricity and Magnetism, Junior Research
Senior Year: AP Comparative Government, English 12, Modern Physics, Multivariable Calculus
Now there is a lot of customization in high school. I cannot explain my high school experience to other Americans that aren't familiar with my local school district because each school district can be so vastly different from the next, especially from state to state. Oh and really quickly, a school district is usually just the city the schools are apart of. For example, London City Schools would be a school district, containing all schools in London.
So to quickly explain my situation. I went to an advanced school for my math and science classes my Junior and Senior years. So my schedule had less classes. I would spend the morning at this advanced school and ride the bus at 10:30 to go to my other school and start my afternoon classes at 11:30. First school was 7:10 -`0:25 and the second one was 11:30 to 3:09, but since I didnt have a class for the last block, I stayed from 11:30 to 1:30. At this advanced School I took Calc I and II my Junior Year along with Physics I and II, all college level, called dual enrollment, so I got college credit and didn't have to take the courses in college. I also did Modern Physics and Multivariable Calculus my senior year there, same thing about the college credit. I explain that story because that was my situation, and there are similar programs all across the US, but every single place is different. This advanced school I went to pulled the best 100 students from 6 school districts, that is a small radius, so the next closest advanced school probably did things similarly, but differently because they aren't required to be synchronized.
I am too
sleep deprived and tired to make a table like you did so Ill just explain it in a run on sentence if you don't mind, well even if you do mind; fight me. Kindergarten is usually started at age 5. I started at age four because my birthday was October, close enough that I was 5 for most of the year. I had to pass a test though, a really freaking easy test. So easy a four year old could pass it. It wasn't a written test it was more a behavior test to make sure I could behaviorally handle kindergarten. In Virginia, they have since discontinued this. You must be 5 before the first day of Kindergarten now. This is different for each state. School is mandatory and free for Kindergarten-12th grade. Private school options do exist, so you can pay for "better" education but those schools are still regulated by the state and must meet the state requirements. Usually private schools offer additional teaching in the ways of something like religion or discipline (military school). In concept the subject material should be the same for a private school and a public school in the same school district. Students are usually 18 when they graduate High School and begin College. I was 17 because of the reason mentioned above. College in the states is interchangeable with University in the UK. Whenever I hear someone mention the word Uni or University, I substitute it with college. You do usually live on campus with a housing and meal plan, and get all fat because you're a lazy student with too much time to eat and not enough time to hit the gym. College is 4 years typically starting at 18 and going to 22, but you can attend at any age and go for any duration. I started at 17 and should be done in three years, so the standard mold doesn't apply to everyone.
Sixth form or College is not a thing in the US. The closest I can think is your High School Diploma that is basically your certificate saying "I am a functioning member of society" because if you cannot get a high school diploma there is a problem. It is the bare minimum requirement to be an adult. There is no specialization. Every single high school diploma is the same nation wide. There is no vocational training done in high school or license earning in high school. With that said, the advanced school I attended did have programs for high school students to get those trade school certificates, but it is not too common.
We do have trade schools, they would be on the same level as college. You typically attend after High School and have to be 18+. Usually you get paid to attend on the stipulation that you work for the school's sponsor after graduating. Sometimes people live there, but I dont think it is too common to board at the trade school.
College is not mandatory. I refuse to use the word Compulsory. It is too damn big.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksRmL0SDKhYWatch this video for the differences between Colleges and Universities in the states. It is pretty much just Nomenclature. The differences that the video highlights are all minute and irrelevant in practice.
Every single college is subject to its own rules and regulations. They receive state (and maybe federal???) funding, which means the state (and federal?
) government have some say in what goes on, but not much, so this means each college is soo freaking different from the next it isn't even funny. Transferring colleges is a
nightmare. I am exaggerating a little, but do not expect too many similarities in the colleges. All the
compulsory mandatory schooling is pretty similar in terms of the base way they operate across the states. I mean the entire country has the K-12 system with elementary middle and high school.
I hope this all made sense because I tired. I am struggling to see what I am typing because its all soooo very blurry to me. On that same sentiment, I would like to apologize for any mistakes and typos in the preceding essay. I am happy to answer any questions or to clarify anything.
Edit: I just realized how long my reply was and I am sorry you have to read all that.