Ninth grade

Ninth grade is the ninth post-kindergarten year of school/education. Usually, it is the first year of upper secondary school and the students are 13 to 15 years of age.

Australia

In Australian states other than New South Wales, Australian Territory, Tasmania and Victoria, ninth grade is the second year of high school. In mathematics, the classes focus on geometry, substitutions and formulas, measurements and equations.

France

In France, the equivalent grade is the troisième and is the final school year before high school

Ireland

In Ireland, it is the first year of Secondary School (for 12-13 year olds) which is year 9 of school.

New Zealand

In New Zealand it is also called Year 10 or form 4, with students being from 13 to 15 years of age

United Kingdom

In the English and Welsh education system the equivalent is Year 10, a relatively new terminology, replacing the 20th century traditional term Fourth Year being the fourth year of secondary education. In Northern Ireland, fourteen to fifteen year-olds are in Fourth Form (Year 11). In Scotland, it is equivalent to third Year, or S3.

United States

In the United States, ninth grade is usually the first year in high school (called "upper secondary school" in other countries). Grades are used in determining a student’s GPA, and become part of a student’s official transcript. Future employers or colleges may want to see steady improvement in grades and a good attendance record on the official transcript. Therefore, students obtain much more control of their education and may even choose their core classes.

Ninth graders are also sometimes referred to as freshmen.

In the mathematics curriculum, ninth graders are usually taught Pre-Algebra or Algebra I. Advanced courses (such as Geometry in the US) are usually available to ninth graders who are prepared for a more rigorous curriculum, depending on the school district. In some cases, the upcoming ninth graders may have taken Algebra I in 7th, and Geometry in 8th, therefore in 9th grade, they take Algebra II. Some districts across the country allow their 9th graders to take Trigonometry or AP Statistics, or even Calculus if the district provides.

In the English curriculum, ninth graders are taught the basic fundamentals of Literature and touches the fundamentals of speech and debate. They may also read Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare as it correlates with current teenage life and issues.

In the social studies curriculum, ninth graders are typically taught geography, government, and history. In most areas, students are open to taking more advanced history courses like world history or U.S. history with the consent of the pupil's previous social studies teacher.

In the science curriculum, ninth grade students are required, in most areas, to take earth science. Physical science may be taught as well in some schools. It is often a pre-requisite for most other lab sciences available at the high school level, and is often a requirement for graduation. In some cases, the upcoming ninth grader maybe choose to take the tenth grade course, Biology.

Sweden

In Sweden, ninth grade is the last year of compulsory comprehensive school (elementary school). The students are usually 15 -16 years old. This grade is where students get their final grades that they apply to the next step in the Swedish school-system with. That makes ninth grade an important grade for most students.

Denmark

In Denmark, ninth grade is around the same thing as in Sweden. Afterwards you can choose to go through tenth grade but it is not required.

Canada

In Canada, Grade Nine can be either the first or second year of high school, or the last year of middle school (usually called Junior High), depending on the region.

See also

• Tenth Grade
• Eleventh Grade
• Twelfth Grade