School Attendance

School attendance is compulsory for most but not all children in the United States, but the age range for which school attendance is required varies from state to state. It begins between the ages of five and eight and ends between ages sixteen and eighteen. Some states allow students to leave school between ages 14–17 with parental permission, before finishing high school. Other states require students to stay in school until age 18. Many states do however allow gifted and talented students to accelerate their education so as to finish all educational requirements early.