EDUCATION REPORT - Some American School Systems Prepare to C

EDUCATION REPORT - Some American School Systems Prepare to Cut Middle Schools
By Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Thursday, October 20, 2005

This is Shep O'Neal with the VOA Special English Education Report.

Millions of American children between the ages of ten and fifteen attend middle schools. Middle school is the level between elementary and high school. Different middle schools have different numbers of grade levels. The first middle school opened in nineteen sixty.

The National Middle School Association¹ is a group that advises and represents² schools. One issues³ that concerns the group today is public school systems that are preparing to stop educating students in middle schools. Recent reports put the number at about twelve.

New York City is to close up to seventy-five percent of its middle schools. It plans to place those middle school students in either elementary schools or high schools.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has already started to reduce its number of middle schools. Officials say the number will go from forty-six to eight by two thousand eight. They say students will learn more in their new schools than in the middle schools.

They say studies show that sixth graders in an elementary school perform better on tests than do sixth graders in a middle school. They also note research showing that by the sixth grade, students show signs that they will or will not finish high school. These signs are low attendance⁵, bad behavior, failing in mathematics⁶ and failing in English.

The officials say that placing sixth grade students in a middle school is not good for their learning⁷ or their future development.

Other education experts do not agree. They say a middle school can help students get used to the many changes between elementary school and high school. They also say middle schools can offer more classes and greater teacher attention than can larger schools with more students.

National Middle School Association official Sue⁴ Swaim says successful education is a result of what is done in a classroom, not what kind of building it is in. She says research has shown what is needed to effectively⁸ teach young people. This includes active learning, interesting subjects, teacher planning time, professional⁹ development and strong links with families.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach.  I'm Shep O'Neal.

1 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

2 Represents   

v.表现( represent的第三人称单数 )；代表；体现；作为…的代表

参考例句：

• This represents a volte-face in government thinking. 这代表着政府观点的彻底转变。
• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history. 俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 issues   

（水等的）流出( issue的名词复数 )； 出口； 放出； （特别重要或大众关注的）问题

参考例句：

• Let's start with the more easily addressable issues. 我们先从较容易处理的问题着手。
• Employment and taxation are the bread-and-butter issues of politics. 就业和征税是很重要的政治问题。

4 sue   

vt.控告，起诉；vi.请求，追求，起诉

参考例句：

• If you don't pay me the money,I'll sue you.如果你不付给我钱，我就告你。
• The war criminals sue for peace.战犯求和。

5 attendance   

n.出席，出席人数，护理，照料

参考例句：

• The attendance of this class never dropped off.这个班的出席人数从未下降。
• The young man danced attendance on his rich aunt.这个年轻人小心侍候他有钱的姑妈。

6 mathematics   

n.（用作单）数学；（用作单或复）计算(能力）

参考例句：

• He has come out in front in the study of mathematics.他在数学方面已名列前茅。
• She is working at a difficult problem in mathematics.她在做一道数学难题。

7 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

8 effectively   

adv.有效地，有力地，实际上

参考例句：

• This method worked effectively.这方法很见效。
• The public should be educated to use resources more effectively.应该教育大众更有效地使用资源。

9 professional   

adj.专业的；职业的；n.专业人员；职业运动员

参考例句：

• He is a professional tennis player.他是一名职业网球运动员。
• I need a professional to sort out my finances.我需要专业人士为我管理财务。