What is a US style graduation?

[pengolodh_sc]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter, "alhewison" wrote:
> This is a bit of a confession. It annoys me when I see posts
> about Harry's graduation, or about any Hogwart's Graduation.
> In England, Graduation ceremonies only take place for degrees,
> in tertiary education, and not for secondary education.
> Students don't get their results for weeks after term has
> ended, and the way our exam system works, you can pass a
> whole stack of subjects - or none, so what would you be a
> graduate of?  
> 
> BUT,
> 
>  a couple of weeks ago, I read an article about how some
> British  schools are now having a US style "Prom" - forgive
> me if this isn't  the right wording. In Britain this could
> equate to nothing more than  a celebration without exam results
> being involved. Well, it then  occured to me that as the WW
> doesn't seem to have a University, then  they could perhaps
> have some kind of ceremony to mark the  official
> "Qualification" of the young wizards- AKA a "graduation". We 
> have not been told how the OWL or NEWT system works, so I
> suppose  that to be a "fully qualified" wizard as opposed to
> a an "of age" wizard, there might be a requirement for a
> certain number of exam passes.
> 
> Anyway, sorry for all that waffle, it's just made me wonder
> how the US system works. Are there a standard number of
> subjects that have to be passed? Is the standard set across
> States or across the Country as a whole? can true comparisons
> be made from one school to another - for instance, With our
> A'Levels: the standard is arguably the same for whatever
> subjects you choose to take wherever you take them (In England
> & Wales). 
> 
> 
> Ali
> 
> Who doesn't think that Harry would ever have gone trick-or-
> treating. 
> It's still in its infancy here as we have Bonfire Night only
> a few days later. Some kids do go out, but 10 years ago I think
> it would have been quite rare. When I was growing up, Halloween
> was "celebrated" by eating toffee apples, having apple-dunking
> competitions and blindfold tasting tests. I don't remember any
> sinister links to satanism, but just a low key bit of fun.

I spent almost a year in highschool in Kentucky, so I will attempt to 
provide a few answers based on the Kentucky way.  Systems differ in 
detail from state to state, and are the responsibility of the states -
 I suspect any attempt by the Federal government to introduce a 
unitary nationwide educational system would be doomed to failure.  
Nevertheless, standards aren't too different, as there are nationwide 
standardised tests, mostly used by universities and colleges to 
decide who should be admitted.  Schools measure themselves by these 
tests, and compare themselves to other schools.

First, prom and graduation are not directly linked - at least, in 
Kentucky they were not.  Prom is a formal dance event, similar to the 
Yule Ball - for male students, lounge suit was the barest minimum of 
expected attire, and dinner jacket/tuxedo or evening outift 
(tailcoat, white starched vest, white starched shirt with attachable 
collar, white bowtie, black patent pumps with black silk bows, etc.) 
outfits were preferred.  In Kentucky only students of the last two 
years (juniors and seniors) could go alone to prom, younger students 
could only go as the date of a junior or a senior.  

Graduation was a separate event.  I'll give some description of what 
I observed, as a service to non-US members who've not seen one.  It 
takes place a few days after the end of term - the finals at my 
highschool (and across Kentucky, as the school was not a private 
school) were one-period affairs, with mostly multiple choice answers, 
and marked/graded locally.  The affair took place in the gym, so that 
a maximum number of people would be present - the extended family and 
friends of the graduates would be present, as well as a number of 
lower-year students, and all teachers and staff at the highschool.  

When the time arrived, the schoolband starts playing the last part of 
Edgar's Pomp And Circumstance No. 4 (the singing part, called "Land 
of Hope and Glory" (or "Rand of Hopp and Gurolly" for some non-
anglophones)) on cycled repeat, while the Seniors, wearing gowns and 
those bizarre caps looking a bit like Polish czapkas, file in from 
the entrance-doors to the stand of seats at the opposite end of the 
Gym.  Then some speeches followed, by the principal Mr North (a 
bastard who beat up students, and cheated on his wife with his 
secretary), the Valedictorian (best student, if I got things right), 
and the Salutatorian (second best student, as I understood).  

Then diplomas were handed out.  In Kentucky, there were three or four 
different diplomas.  The basic diploma simply required that one had 
passed the quivalent of 22 one-year subjects (some subjects only 
lasted one semester).  One couldn't take more than seven subjects per 
year, so unless there was a special case, skipping years was not 
common.  The core subjects, including four years of English, maths up 
to Algebra I(I think), Geography, PNC (basic Science-subject), US 
History, World History, etc., had to be passed to get a diploma.  
Beyond this there was the honour's diploma, which required more 
subjects, and more advanced subjects, and I think there was a higher 
level honours diploma as well, which was even harder.  In addition 
there was the Kentucky Governor's Diploma, with requirements for a 
high number of subjects, including many Advanced Placement subjects 
(subjects at the level of first year in college - these subjects are 
chosen by the students), including several year of at least one 
foreign language, and a requirement for grades above a certain level.

Results of the standardised tests mentioned on top have no bearing on 
graduation.

Note that it is almost eight years since I was in Kentucky, so I may 
have misrembered some things, and some things may have changed.  
Still, I hope this helps.

Best regards
Christian Stubø