读写1册第六单元A.docx

To work or not to work---that is the question There are numerous and reliable ways by which one can measure the impact of employment on student achievement, and we used several in our research. We compared the grades of students who work a great deal with those who work in limited amounts or not at all. We also contrasted workers with non-workers, on different indicators of their commitment to education. Additionally, we followed students over time as they increased or decreased their work hours, and we assessed how different patterns of employment altered school performance and engagement. We have simplified and classified the data and the results are clear: The stakes are high. A heavy commitment to a part-time job during the academic year, say, working 20 hours per week or more, undermines and significantly interferes with school achievement and commitment. Overall, our study offers proof that students who worked more than 20 hours weekly were not comparable to their classmates. They earned lower grades, spent less time on homework, cut class more often, and cheated more frequently. And they reported lower levels of commitment to school and more modest educational aspirations. On the other hand, we also detected a different pattern. Working for approximately 10 hours per week or less seemingly does not take a consistent toll on school performance. Nevertheless, given that half of all employed seniors, about one-third of all juniors, and about one-fifth of all second-year students work above the 20-hour limit, indications are that a large number of students are at risk of compromising their school careers with their part-time jobs. Whereas it is true that more disengaged students are more likely to work long hours to begin with, it appears that working makes a marginal situation worse. In other words, over time, the more students work, the less committed to school they become. When students withdraw from the labor force or cut back on their work hours, however, th