Question

the school choice hoax: fixing americas schools
the argument that schools must be independent to engage in reform simply does not hold up. in recent years school districts have experimented with preschool programs, middle schools, year - round calendars, magnet schools, alternative education, school - based management, individual instruction, before - and after - school interventions, nongraded instruction, team teaching, smaller schools, and work - study programs—to mention only a few of the countless reforms. the bizarre idea that they are unreceptive to new forms of schooling exploits a false sense of hopelessness. while it is probably true that most school reforms havent lasted for long, the same can be said of reforms adopted by businesses. reform is a trial and error process. however, that doesnt mean that school districts are impervious to change. it means that most reforms require structural modifications and other institutional supports, which they usually do not get. this failure of institutional follow - through is partly, if not largely, because most reforms are imposed by outsiders who have little day - to - day stake in schools—college professors, politicians, and government officials.
convin, ronald and e. joseph schneider. the school choice hoax: fixing americas schools. praeger, 2005.
which of the following is the main argument of the passage presented abl e?
public schools can only fail when attempting to implement reform.
it is false to believe that only independent schools are receptive to reform.
only independent schools are receptive to, and capable of, reform.

Explanation:

The passage starts by stating that the argument that schools must be independent to engage in reform is not valid. It then lists various reforms that school districts have experimented with, showing they are receptive to new forms of schooling. It also explains that the failure of many reforms is due to lack of institutional support (often imposed by outsiders) rather than the districts being unreceptive to change. So, it refutes the idea that only independent schools are receptive to reform.

Answer:

It is false to believe that only independent schools are receptive to reform.