Charter schools are independent public schools. They are publicly financed but privately operated. Education reform efforts led to charter schools in the United States in the early nineteen nineties.

特许学校是独立的公立学校。它们都是公共资金，但私人运营。二十世纪九十年代早期，教育改革的努力导致了美国的特许学校。

Now there are more than three thousand five hundred such schools and more than one million students. These numbers are small, however, compared to traditional schools.

现在有超过三千五百所这样的学校和一百多万的学生。然而，与传统学校相比，这些数字很小。

But charter schools have more freedom. They generally do not have to deal with teachers unions. And the local school system cannot tell them how to teach. But charter schools must prove their students are learning.

但是特许学校有更多的自由。他们通常不需要与教师工会打交道。而当地的学校系统无法告诉他们如何教学。但特许学校必须证明他们的学生正在学习。

A recent study examined test scores in the fifth grade last year at a group of charter schools. The researchers say the gains were greater than what is considered normal. The results, in their words, "suggest that these schools are doing something right."

最近的一项研究在去年的一所特许学校里测试了五年级的考试成绩。研究人员说，这些收获比正常情况下要大得多。用他们的话来说，结果“表明这些学校正在做正确的事情。”

The study by a private group, the Educational Policy Institute, involved KIPP charter schools. KIPP is the Knowledge Is Power Project. Two teachers began this program in nineteen ninety-four to help students from poor families. It has expanded to thirty-eight schools. As many as ten more are expected to open this fall. Almost all KIPP students are black or Hispanic.

私立学校教育政策研究所的研究涉及KIPP特许学校。KIPP是知识就是力量项目。为了帮助贫困家庭的学生，两名教师在1994年开始了这个项目。它已经扩展到38所学校。预计今年秋季将有多达10家公司开业。几乎所有的KIPP学生都是黑人或西班牙裔。

The schools start in the fifth grade. Students are in school for more than nine hours a day Monday through Friday, and a half-day on Saturday. They also attend classes for three weeks in the summer.

学校在五年级开始学习。周一至周五，学生每天在学校的时间超过九小时，周六则是半天。他们还在夏天上了三个星期的课。

But the first thing they learn is how to act responsibly. Each week, students get what is called a "paycheck." They can use it to buy things in the school store. Teachers reduce the amount if a student does not finish work or violates rules. Students with high paychecks get to take part in fun activities like trips at the end of the year.

但他们学到的第一件事就是如何负责任地行动。每周，学生都能得到所谓的“薪水”。“他们可以用它在学校商店里买东西。”如果学生没有完成工作或违反规定，教师就会减少数额。有高额薪水的学生可以参加一些有趣的活动，比如在年底旅行。

The KIPP Foundation trains its own teachers. The teachers tell students to call them on the phone if there is ever a problem.

KIPP基金会培训自己的老师。老师告诉学生如果有问题，就打电话给他们。

But what if schools have a problem? Another new study shows that charter schools often receive a lot less money than other public schools, especially in big cities. 

但如果学校有问题怎么办?另一项新研究显示，特许学校的收入通常比其他公立学校要少得多，尤其是在大城市。