(North America, Philippines, education) through 12th grade (US) / grade 12 (Canada and the Philippines).
04. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%E2%80%9312#cite_ref-5 "Jump up")**Finn, Chester Jr. (March 14, 2013). ["Short History of K–12 Reform \| Hoover Institute"](https://www.hoover.org/research/short-history-k-12-r…
49. [↑](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%E2%80%9312_education_in_the_United_States#cite_ref-49)["TLEEM \| Networking for K-12"](https://tleem.org/). _TLEEM_.
(North America, Philippines, education) through 12th grade (US) / grade 12 (Canada and the Philippines).
Lunchables, made by Kraft Heinz, took its packaged ready-to-eat kids meals directly into K-12 school lunchrooms nationwide through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) for the first time last year.
"K-12" means through 12th grade (us) / grade 12 (canada and the philippines). It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "K-12".
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with K.
(Canada, Philippines) Twelfth grade.
(US, education) through twelfth grade.
Grade twelve is the final year of secondary school in Canada and the Philippines — the finish line of high school, equivalent to Year 12 in the UK or senior year in the US. It's the year dominated by university applications, final exams, graduation preparations, and the dawning realisation that adult life is incoming fast. In Canadian and Filipino school culture, grade twelve is a major milestone with its own rituals, stress, and nostalgia built around it.
(Canada, Philippines) Eleventh grade.
But a [new NPR/Ipsos poll of K-12 teachers](https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/teachers-concerned-about-impact-ai-students-critical-thinking) found that nearly 3-in-4 believe AI has bigger implications for education than pas…
"K-12" means through 12th grade (us) / grade 12 (canada and the philippines). It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"K-12" is informal English meaning through 12th grade (us) / grade 12 (canada and the philippines). It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "through 12th grade (us) / grade 12 (canada and the philippines)" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "K-12" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
“04. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%E2%80%9312#cite_ref-5 "Jump up")**Finn, Chester Jr. (March 14, 2013). ["Short History of K–12 Reform \| Hoover Institute"](https://www.hoover.org/research/short-history-k-12-reform). _www.hoover.org_.”
“49. [↑](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%E2%80%9312_education_in_the_United_States#cite_ref-49)["TLEEM \| Networking for K-12"](https://tleem.org/). _TLEEM_.”
“But a [new NPR/Ipsos poll of K-12 teachers](https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/teachers-concerned-about-impact-ai-students-critical-thinking) found that nearly 3-in-4 believe AI has bigger implications for education than past innovations like the internet or computers.”
(Canada, Philippines) Sixth grade.