K–12 students
K–12 students are learners enrolled from kindergarten through grade 12, spanning primary and secondary education before postsecondary study.
Kindergarten: Kindergarten is the first formal year of schooling, usually for children around five or six. It marks the entry point of the K–12 span.
Differentiated instruction: Differentiated instruction adapts teaching methods, materials, or tasks to students’ readiness, interests, or learning needs. It offers ways to address differences within one K–12 classroom.
Academic achievement: Academic achievement is a learner’s demonstrated attainment of knowledge and skills, often measured through assessments or coursework. It is one major outcome used to evaluate K–12 learning.
Homeschooling: Homeschooling is education directed primarily by parents or guardians outside conventional school enrollment. It is a major alternative to attending a K–12 school.
Primary education: Primary education is the early stage of formal schooling, typically focused on foundational literacy, numeracy, and broad learning. It covers the early grades when foundational skills are established.
Individualized Education Program: An Individualized Education Program is a U.S. legal document specifying special education services and goals for an eligible student. It formalizes legally required supports for eligible students with disabilities.
School attendance: School attendance is students’ presence in school or class, commonly tracked to identify absence patterns and meet legal requirements. Attendance affects instructional time and is closely monitored by schools.
Charter school: A charter school is a publicly funded school operating under a charter that grants defined autonomy and imposes accountability requirements. It is one school type in which K–12 students may enroll.
Secondary education: Secondary education is the later stage of schooling, typically including middle and high school. It describes the later grades through which K–12 students progress.
English-language learner: An English-language learner is a student developing proficiency in English while receiving instruction in a school system. This designation can shape language instruction and access to grade-level content.