| Grade | 7th Primer Grado Secundaria 1er, 1° | 8th Segundo Grado Secundaria 2do, 2° | 9th Tercer Grado Secundaria 3er, 3° | 10th Primer/Segundo Semestre Bachillerato/ Prepataria | 11th Tercer/Cuarto Semestre Bachillerato/ Prepataria | 12th Quinto/Sexto Semestre Bachillerato/ Prepataria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics Matemáticas | *Algebra 1 *Should have both 7th & 8th grade records with satisfactory performance in mathematics | Algebra 1 *Geometry | Geometry *Algebra 2 | Algebra 2 *Statistics | Statistics | |
| Sciences Ciencias: Biología, Química, Física Science order may differ | IPC/Ciencias Enfasis en Química Consider: IPC | Biology, Chemistry, Physics Blended Consider: Biology | Biology, Chemistry, Physics Blended Consider: Physics | Chemistry/ Química Consider Chemistry | ||
| History Historia | World Geography | Country- Specific History (Geography of Mexico) Consider: SPTSS | Country- Specific History (Mexican History Civics & Ethics Consider: SPTSS | World History | ||
| Spanish (Considered core subject) Español | **Spanish 2 | Spanish 2 or 3 | Spanish 2 or 3 | Consider: Placement in AP | Consider: Placement in AP | |
| English (Foreign Language 3 hours a week) Segunda Lengua – Ingles | ***Speaking, Writing, Vocabulary Consider: English 1 | Speaking, Writing, Vocabulary | Speaking, Writing, Vocabulary | Speaking, Writing, Vocabulary | ||
| Technology (3 hours a week) Tecnología | BUIM 1 | BUIM 1 | BUIM 1 | BUIM 1 | ||
| Fine Arts (2 hours a week) Artes (Teatro/ Música/Arte) | Theater/ Music/Art | Theater/ Music/Art | Theater/ Music/Art | Theater/ Music/Art | ||
| P.E. Educación Física | P.E. | P.E. | P.E. | P.E. |
*Mathematics order will shift by one year if A1 is awarded during 8th grade
**Should have had consistent schooling with minimal gaps in education
***Assuming English is at a Novice Mid to Novice High Level
School Year: August/September to June | Compulsory Education: 1st-9th | Graduation: 1st – 12th
| School | School Type | Grade | Age | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool/Pre-escolar | Federally funded program encouraged by the government | PK | 4 to 5 years old | |
| Primary Education/ Primaria | Schools with grades 1-6 and at least one teacher per grade. Mutigrados: One-room schools with one teacher for grades 1-6 or multi-grade schools with several teachers, each teaching more that one grade | 1st-6th | 6 to 11 years old | Year 6 Certificate of Primary Education |
| Secondary Education Middle School/ Secundaria | Technical/Tecnica: Schools that provide vocational training for non college-bound students Distance Learning/Telesecundaria: Rural schools offering a televised curriculum, which enroll a majority of rural students | 7th – 9th | 12 to 14 years old | Year 9 Certificate of Secondary Education |
| Secondary Education High School/ Prepatoria or Bachillerato | “Preparatorias and Bachilleratos”: Schools for college bound youth, where students must choose one of 4 professional areas: physical-mathematics, chemical biological, economic-administrative, or humanities “Tecnnologicas and Comercios”: Schools for students who have a particular vocational career in mind | 10th – 12th | 15 to 18 years old | Year 12 “Bachillerato” Diploma Graduation represented by six complete semesters on a transcript |
| Mexico Scale 1 | Mexico Comments | U.S Equivalent | U.S. Numerical Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 100 | A+ | 100 |
| 9 | 90-99 | A | 95 |
| 8 | 80-89 | B | 85 |
| 7 | 70-79 | C | 75 |
| 6 | 60-69 | D / Pass | 70 |
| 1 – 5 | 0-59 | F | 69 |
Mexico Education Practice:
There can be a vast difference between the educational experiences of urban and rural children. Even as the population of Mexico becomes more urban, the number of small communities increases. These communities are isolated and economically poor, and they have many daunting educational problems, such as the difficulty of finding teachers willing to travel long distances to teach there, students’ inability to attend school due to impassable roads or family responsibilities, and the need for children to work. Rural students may have to leave their communities after elementary school to attend school in a nearby town, and some families cannot afford to pay for travel, textbooks, uniforms, and other school costs after sixth grade. The same is true of poor urban students, although they have more school choices where they live (Monroy and Trines 2019).
Despite these problems, rural students should not be viewed as deprived. A lack of computers, telephones, and even electricity does not equate with a lack of culture. Also, urban youth and some rural youth have access to Internet cafes, which are booming, especially in the cities. Although most rural schools do not have computers, it would be a mistake to assume that Mexican students are technologically illiterate (Monroy and Trines 2019)
U.S. Educator Implications:
Understanding students’ educational background will provide insight regarding academic opportunity and access to education. With the multiple school types available throughout Mexico, knowing which specific school type they attended will aid in understanding the curriculum to which they were exposed. Don’t assume that limited resources or access limits student talent and/or understanding.
Strategies for Transition
