It has frequently been argued that freeing schools from the rigid rules, regulations, and statutes that have traditionally fettered them would have a revolutionary effect on academic achievement. For instance, it has been suggested that schools embodying this idea could develop more effective teaching methods that could then be replicated in other schools. Charter schools-public schools that operate under a contract, or "charter"-were given just such an opportunity beginning in 1991, when Minnesota passed the first charter school law. At that time, many critics warned of deleterious rather than beneficial effects that such freewheeling schools could have on the academic achievement of students. Thus, while public opinion differed concerning the social desirability of charter schools, most agreed that there would be a pronounced effect.
Surprisingly, educators who study educational reform now seriously question the degree to which charter schools have made an impact. They conclude that freedom from many of the policies and regulations affecting traditional public schools and the concomitant control over decisions that guide the day-to-day affairs of the school have not resulted in equally dramatic changes in students' academic performance. In some states, charter schools are less likely to meet state performance standards than tradi-tional public schools. It is, however, impossible to know whether this difference is due to the performance of the schools, the prior achievement of the students, or some other factor.
Metrics for educational accountability have changed considerably in the past decade, moving increasingly to performance as measured by state mandated tests of individual student achievement. Fundamentally, however, the challenging conditions under which schools operate, be they traditional or charter, have changed little: the struggle for resources, low pay for teachers, accountability to multiple stakeholders, and the difficulty of meeting the educational requirements of children with special needs all persist.
It has frequently been argued that freeing schools from the rigid rules, regulations, and statutes that have traditionally fettered them would have a revolutionary effect on academic achievement.
For instance, it has been suggested that schools embodying this idea could develop more effective teaching methods that could then be replicated in other schools.
rigid 法律制度或體系嚴(yán)格的，刻板的，不可改變的
statutes
fetter? n.腳銬，束縛v.束縛，羈絆，
embody? v.代表(思想或品質(zhì))，嵌入
replicate? v.復(fù)制，重做
argue 認(rèn)為
人們經(jīng)常認(rèn)為，將學(xué)校從傳統(tǒng)上一直束縛它們的刻板的規(guī)則，規(guī)章和身份中解放出來，將會對學(xué)業(yè)成就產(chǎn)生革命性影響。
例如，有人建議，擁有這一思想的學(xué)校會發(fā)展出更有效的教學(xué)方法，然后這個方法可以被推廣給其他學(xué)校。
Charter schools —— public schools that operate under a contract, or "charter" were given just such an opportunity beginning in 1991, when Minnesota passed the first charter school law.
At that time, many critics warned of deleterious rather than beneficial effects that such freewheeling schools could have on the academic achievement of students.
charter? n.章程，許可證，包租v.發(fā)給特許執(zhí)照
contract? n.合同，v.收縮
deleterious? 有害的
freewheeling? 隨心所欲的，靠慣性滑行的
特許學(xué)校——根據(jù)合同或“特許”經(jīng)營的公立學(xué)校，從1991年開始就獲得了一個這樣的機會，當(dāng)時明尼蘇達(dá)州通過了第一個特許學(xué)校法案。
當(dāng)時，許多批評家警告說，這種自由發(fā)展的學(xué)校可能會對學(xué)生的學(xué)業(yè)成績產(chǎn)生有害的，而不是有益的影響。
Thus, while public opinion differed concerning the social desirability of charter schools, most agreed that there would be a pronounced effect.
Surprisingly, educators who study educational reform now seriously question the degree to which charter schools have made an impact.
differ? v.不同，有分歧
desirability? 吸引人之處，稱心的東西
pronounced? 明顯的，顯著地
reform 改革，改良
因此，雖然在特許學(xué)校的社會可取性上，公眾意見有分歧，但是大多數(shù)人認(rèn)為這個改革會有明顯的效果。
令人驚訝的是，研究教育改革的教育者們現(xiàn)在嚴(yán)肅質(zhì)疑特許學(xué)校已產(chǎn)生的效果的程度
They conclude that freedom from many of the policies and regulations affecting traditional public schools and the concomitant control over decisions that guide the day-to-day affairs of the school have not resulted in equally dramatic changes in students' academic performance.
conclude? v.推斷出，總結(jié)，終止
affect? v.影響，使悲傷，假裝
concomitant? adj.伴隨的n.伴隨物
他們總結(jié)到，從各種影響傳統(tǒng)公立學(xué)校的政策和規(guī)章制度中解放，以及解除指導(dǎo)學(xué)校日常事務(wù)的控制，并沒有對學(xué)生的學(xué)業(yè)表現(xiàn)產(chǎn)生同樣大的改變
In some states, charter schools are less likely to meet state performance standards than traditional public schools. It is, however, impossible to know whether this difference is due to the performance of the schools, the prior achievement of the students, or some other factor.
prior 先前的，更重要的
在一些州，特許學(xué)校比傳統(tǒng)公立學(xué)校更不可能達(dá)到國家標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。然而，我們不可能知道這種差距是因為學(xué)校本身——學(xué)生們之前的成績，還是因為其他因素。
Metrics for educational accountability have changed considerably in the past decade, moving increasingly to performance as measured by state mandated tests of individual student achievement.
metric? 米制的，公制的，指標(biāo)
accountability? 有責(zé)任的，應(yīng)作解釋的，效果
considerably? 相當(dāng)多的，相當(dāng)大的
mandated? 授權(quán)，委托，頒布，強制執(zhí)行
在過去的十年間，教育效果的評價標(biāo)準(zhǔn)已經(jīng)發(fā)生了相當(dāng)大的改變，逐漸以國家強制測試的每個學(xué)生的成績作為對教育效果的評價。
Fundamentally, however, the challenging conditions under which schools operate, be they traditional or charter, have changed little: the struggle for resources, low pay for teachers, accountability to multiple stakeholders, and the difficulty of meeting the educational requirements of children with special needs all persist.
stakeholder? 利益相關(guān)者，股東
persist? v.繼續(xù)存在(尤指不喜歡的事物)，頑強堅持
然而，從根本上說，無論是傳統(tǒng)方式還是特許方式，經(jīng)營學(xué)校是有挑戰(zhàn)性的這一點沒怎么變：爭奪資源，教師報酬低，對利益相關(guān)者的責(zé)任，以及滿足有特殊需要的兒童的教育的困難，這些問題都仍存在。
Which of the following statements best summarizes the main point of the passage?
A：Charter schools, despite their merits(優(yōu)點，價值), fail to overcome the long-standing problems in public education.
B：Recent studies have shown that charter schools have had a revolutionary effect on student achievement.
C：Freeing schools from some of the restrictions that govern them has caused a change in education since 1991.
D：Charter schools have created a whole new way of educating children that did not previously exist.
E：Assessments of charter schools` performance have reinforced(加強) the position that rigid rules and regulations are stifling(令人窒息的) academic achievement.
答案是A
