Selected characteristics of the American educational system are briefly described. This paper is intended for the specific use of the German-American Educational Equivalency Project, a cooperative effort between educators of the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States to clarify certain aspects of their respective educational systems. The paper examines aspects of American education which have particular importance in programs of student exchange, but may be misunderstood by non-American educators. They include: (1) the philosophical assumptions underlying American education, (2) the organization and control of primary, secondary, and post secondary education, (3) the variety of types of institutions and the programs they offer, (4) methods of measuring student performance, including both grades and test scores, and (5) quality control mechanisms, such as accreditation. (Author/BW)