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閱讀理解
Most American students go to traditional public schools．There are about 88,000 pub-lic schools all over the US．Some students attend about 3000 independent public schools called charter schools．
Charter schools are self-governing．Private companies operate some charter schools．They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools．They receive tax money just as other public schools do．Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning．These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate．
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing tra-ditional public schools．Local, state or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach．Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them．Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools．
The Bush Administration strongly supports charter schools as a way to re-organize pub-lic schools that are failing to educate students．But some education agencies and unions op-pose charter schools．One teachers' union has just made public the results of the first nation-al study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools．
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government's delay in releasing the results of the study, which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress．U-math education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse on math and reading tests the students in regular public schools．
Some experts say the students is not a fair look at charter schools．because students in those schools have more problems than students in teaditional schools．Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand improved student progress．
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