Question

Fairview Elementary School, Modesto, California, with some 1,000 students from kindergarten through sixth grade (about 80 percent of them Latino), has long suffering from discipline problems, poor test scores, and a near total lack of parental involvement. The difficulties aren't surprising given that many of the parents -- immigrants who work on farms or in factories -- speak little or no English.

    Since 2002, Fairview Elementary School has been a First Amendment School, one of 97 developed across the country by the First Amendment Center. The idea behind the five-year-old program: To keep America strong, children must be trained to respect many points of view, weigh complex issues, and understand the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution(憲法) .As students learn good citizenship, the theory goes, they'll develop the skills and attitude to do well academically.

    Fairview students enjoy "freedoms" other kids might envy (they voted to abolish school uniforms, for example). But the children don't just exercise rights. They also accept such responsibilities as speaking up during class discussions, and keeping the school clean and safe (Fairview is rated the cleanest of 33 schools in its district). In one departure from tradition, there's no hand-raising in class. "Instead," says teacher Deborah Supnet, "we teach them to listen for when the other child stops talking," Call it an exercise in respect.

     Last year, the number of students evaluated advanced in math increased, from 15 to 30 percent. And Fairview graduates in their first middle-school mid-term exam averaged B grades; 96 percent passed all subjects. Particularly encouraging to Principal Rob Williams, the school now has an active parents' group, Parents With a Voice. One of those parents, Laura Malagon, praises the program for convincing her to play a more active role in her children's school life.

Answer 1

71. Theme/Outline        72.   degree     73. differences       74. forced            75. whenever

76. silently                   77. Avoid       78. Note-taking      79. colors              80. actively