VOA新闻杂志2022 美国多州留级学生人数大幅增加（在线收听）

Some American children struggled to keep up with schoolwork in the first half of the COVID-19 pandemic.

在新冠疫情的前半段，一些美国儿童难以完成功课。

As a result, many states saw large increases in the number of students who had to repeat grades.

因此，许多州不得不留级的学生人数大幅增加。

Traditionally, experts say that repeating a grade can hurt a child’s social life and academic future.

传统上，专家表示，留级一年会对孩子的社交生活和未来的学业产生不利的影响。

But many parents have asked for their children to repeat grades to help them recover from the difficulties of online learning, quarantines and school worker shortages.

但许多家长要求他们的孩子留级，以帮助他们从在线学习、隔离和学校员工短缺的困难中恢复过来。

The Associated Press examined data from 26 states plus the District of Columbia on the most recent academic year.

美联社研究了26个州和哥伦比亚特区最近一学年的数据。

It found that 22 of the states, plus D.C., saw an increase in the number of students who were retained, or held back a year.

研究发现，在22个州和华盛顿，留级一年的学生数量有所增加。

Three of those states — South Carolina, West Virginia and Delaware — saw the number of retained students more than double.

其中三个州——南卡罗来纳州、西弗吉尼亚州和特拉华州——留级的学生人数增加了一倍多。

Pennsylvania passed a law during the pandemic permitting parents to let their children redo classes.

宾夕法尼亚州在疫情期间通过了一项法律，允许父母让他们的孩子重修课程。

The following year, the number of retained students in the state increased by about 20,000.

第二年，该州留级学生人数增加了约2万人。

Kristi Price is the mother of a student in Pennsylvania who repeated a grade.

克里斯蒂·普莱斯是宾夕法尼亚州一名留级一年的学生的母亲。

She said it was a great decision for him.

她说这对他来说是一个重大的决定。

“At first I didn’t really want to do it,” said her son Braylon, now 13.

她13岁的儿子布雷隆说：“一开始我并不是真的想留级”。

“But then later in the year I thought it would probably be better for me if I did.”

“但在今年晚些时候，我想留级可能会对我更好。”

While the family's two daughters were able to keep up with school even with limited classroom time, Braylon struggled.

虽然家里的两个女儿在有限的课堂时间里能完成功课，但布雷隆却难以完成功课。

When he went back to in-person school for the first full academic year of the pandemic, he did not perform well.

当他在疫情后的第一个完整学年回到学校接受面对面授课时，他的成绩并不好。

And that winter, Braylon suffered an injury that forced him to return to remote learning.

那年冬天，布雷隆受了伤，被迫重新进行远程学习。

On his repeat of sixth grade, Braylon had an individualized education program that helped him be more focused.

在他六年级复读的时候，布雷隆接受了一个个性化的教育计划，帮助他更专注。

Having more one-on-one attention from teachers helped too.

从老师那里得到更多一对一的关注也是有帮助的。

Socially, he said the change was easy.

在社交方面，他说这一变化很容易。

Most of his friends had been in lower grades or attended different schools already.

他的大多数朋友都已经在低年级或者去了不同的学校。

Education research, however, has been critical of making students repeat grades.

然而，教育研究一直对学生留级这种情况持批评态度。

Arthur Reynolds is a professor at the University of Minnesota.

亚瑟·雷诺兹是明尼苏达大学的教授。

He said students who are retained are twice as likely to drop out of school.

他说，留级的学生辍学的可能性是非留级学生的两倍。

Kids see it as a punishment, Reynolds said.

雷诺兹说，孩子们认为这是一种惩罚。

“It reduces their academic motivation, and it doesn’t increase their instructional advancement.”

“这会降低他们的学习动机，也不会促进他们学习进步。”

But supporters of retention say none of the research was done during a pandemic, when many children attended online classes or did not attend at all.

但支持留级的人表示，没有一项研究是在疫情期间进行的，当时许多儿童参加了在线课程或者根本没有参加。

In most places, parents can ask for children to be held back.

在大多数地方，父母可以要求孩子留级。

But the final decision is made by school leaders, who make decisions based on factors like academic progress.

但最终的决定是由学校领导做出的，他们会根据学业进步等因素做出决定。

California and New Jersey also passed laws that made it easier for parents to demand their children repeat a grade.

加利福尼亚州和新泽西州也通过了法律，让父母更容易要求他们的孩子留级一年。

But that choice was only available last year.

但这种选择直到去年才有。

In Pennsylvania's Fox Chapel Area School District, two students were retained at the request of educators.

在宾夕法尼亚州的福克斯礼拜堂学区，应教育工作者的要求，两名学生留级。

Eight other families decided their students would repeat a grade.

另外8个家庭决定让他们的学生留级一年。

Another six discussed the new legislation with the school but decided against holding their students back.

另有6个家庭与学校讨论了新法规，但决定不让学生留级。

“As a school district, we take retention very seriously,” said Mary Catherine Reljac, who is the head of the district.

该学区的负责人玛丽·凯瑟琳·雷贾克说：“作为一个学区，我们非常重视学生留级的问题”。

She said the district involves parents, a team of educators, school counselors and school leaders to help decide what is best for each child.

她说，该学区的家长、一组教育工作者、学校顾问和学校领导共同帮助决定什么是对每个孩子最好的。

Price says Braylon's retention helped him receive an individualized education program.

普莱斯说，布雷隆留级帮助他接受了个性化的教育计划。

The special education plan gave him more support as he attended sixth grade again.

当他再次上六年级时，特殊教育计划给了他更多的支持。

Braylon said he felt like the extra support was very important.

布雷隆说，他觉得额外的支持非常重要。

He said he likes having one-on-one help from teachers sometimes.

他说他有时喜欢老师的一对一帮助。

“I think because of the pandemic, we, as parents, were able to see how much he was struggling,” Price said.

普莱斯说：“我认为，由于疫情，作为父母的我们能够看到他有多么艰难。”

“And we were able to recognize…that he needed more help in order to be successful on his own.”

“我们能够意识到……他需要更多的帮助才能靠自己取得成功。