voa慢速英语听力原文

2024年3月17日发(作者：有关于冬天的诗句)

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Americans are considering national education standards recently

developed by teachers and other education experts. The National

Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers

led the effort.

The United States, unlike other nations, has never had the same school

standards across the country. The reason? Education is not discusd

in the Constitution. That document limits the responsibilities of the

federal government. Other responsibilities, like education, fall to the

individual states.

Local control of education probably was a good idea two hundred years

ago. People stayed in the same place and schools knew what students

needed to learn. But today, people move to different cities. And some

people work at jobs that did not exist even twenty years ago.

Many American educators say that getting a good education should not

depend on where you live. They say that some states have lowered their

standards in order to increa student scores on tests required by the

No Child Left Behind Act.

Kara Schlosr is communications director for the Council of Chief State

School Officers. She says the new standards clearly state what a

student should be able to do to be successful in college and work.

The standards deal with language and mathematics in every grade from

kindergarten through high school. For example, in first grade, students

should be asking and answering questions about something they read.

In mathematics, students should be working with shapes in kindergarten

and angles in fourth grade.

Forty-eight states have already shown approval for the standards. Two

states reject the idea. Critics say that working toward the same

standards in every state will not guarantee excellence for all. Some

educators in Massachutts say adopting the proposal will hurt their

students becau the state standards are even higher. Others say the

change will be too costly, requiring new textbooks and different kinds of

training for teachers. Still others fear federal interference or control.

Supporters say the standards are goals and do not tell states or teachers

how to teach. They also say the federal government is not forcing

acceptance. However, approving the standards will help states qualify

for some federal grant money.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy

Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember