Top secret!

An assignment for class:

Attention Martians ; we are flattered that you have selected us to conduct some research based on our educational system. Below are following figures regarding our public education system.

What are our schools like and how did they get that way? A school is a building that students attend to learn general information concerning our world. Students (the learners) are taught by teachers, who are older and more knowledgeable of the subject areas. These subject areas include language, mathematics, and our county's history, among other things.
Our schools are broken down based on districts; which neighborhood children live in determines where they attend classes. About 35% of our districts teach less than six hundred districts, while the 2% of districts with the highest number of kids teach a full third of all students.
How can we tell if the students have learned? America(our country) does not have a nationwide test to determine this, but some states (sections of the country) do. Also, as of 2001 our country has annually tested school district students to weigh and evaluate their progress.
Public schools got to where they are through out history and ethics ; America has had schools throughout most of its history. As a society, we've valued the the education of our young citizens ; after all, by passing on our knowledge to our youth, we can hope to keep our planet running well into the future.

Who are our students? In American society, our students range from age three to nineteen. Sixty percent of them belong to the majority race, meaning that they are of Caucasian descent. (Because the United States was originally founded by white Europeans, anyone living in the country who is not of white heritage is referred to as a minority). A full forty percent of public school students are minorities (Hispanic, black, and Asian heritage...)

Eighty eight percent of American children are enrolled in public schools (Public schools are learning institutions set up by the government and, usually, funded by the state). The remaining percentage of school children go to a privately owned school. Also, more than one third of our students belong to a low income family (In the United States, low income students are those whose families don't own as much as others).

Who are our teachers? The overwhelming majority of our public school teachers are female, and many of them are white. 58% of them have been in the profession for ten or more years, and half of our teachers hold degrees in their certification subject (meaning that they have studied their area intensively). Teachers working in poorer districts, however, tend to be less knowledgeable in their field. (for example, 16% of science teachers in poor areas are out of field, as compared with 5% in richer areas). It's also worthy to note that 33% of teachers leave the profession within the first three years.

Hopefully, this information can be of some use to the Martian race. Any questions...tell us what you think!