Reflection on
Shanghai’s Result in PISA 2009
Lingshuai Kong
Shanghai Normal University
konglingshuai@yahoo.cn
2012.11.12
Outline
 1.A Snapshot of Education in Shanghai
 2.Shanghai’ s Results and Problems in PISA 2009
 3.Shanghai’ s Attitude to the Result
 4.Un-testified Reasons for Shanghai’s
Performance(main)
 5.Follow-up Study
1. A Snapshot of Education in Shanghai
1. 1 Shanghai is a modern megalopolis.
(2009 Data)
Territory: 6340 sq. km.
Population： over 20 million
Education： 18.1％ with higher education
24.8％ with senior secondary ed.
51.6％ with junior secondary ed.
Sub-area： 19 districts and counties
GDP:
RMB 1300 Billion
GDP per Cap.:
66,367 RMB (US$9085.65)
1. A Snapshot of Education in Shanghai
1.2 The condition of education
Institution
Number
Enrollment
1,058
299
328,760
63,850
19.4％
Primary school
private
672
87
590,561
82189
13.9％
Secondary school
private
774
119
617,724
86,913
14.1％
Vocational school
private
Univer. & College
private
Special school
101
5
61
21
29
168,671
3,107
598,397
95,498
9,074
Kindergarten
private
%
1.8％
15.95％
4
1. A Snapshot of Education in Shanghai
1.3 Education development
Basic Education: 1) 9-year compulsory education is
universalized in 1993;
2) 99.9% children graduated at primary
school;
3) Senior secondary education is generally
universal in 1997;
4) Enrollment rate of senior secondary
education raised over 98%;
Higher Education: Gross rate of higher education reached
57% of age group;
Diversification： 1) Over 5 million of Guest-workers, with
nearly 500 thousand of children;
2) 50 thousand foreign children
3) 37 thousand of overseas college students
5
2. Shanghai’ s Results and Problems in PISA 2009
 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) is
an international test survey for educational policy
improvement.
 PISA is composed with two parts: tests and questionnaire.
PISA testes every 3 years, and every round of PISA includes
1 main test and 2 minor tests in the fields of reading, math
and science.
 PISA started in the year of 2000, and Reading is the main test
and math and science tests are minors in 2009.
 PISA does not assess knowledge nor skills simply, but it
tries to assess the capacity of the students’ knowledge
and skills they learned to solve the problems in real life
and work situation（Literacy).
 Testers of PISA are the students of 15-years-old at the
end of compulsory education, 470 thousand students
in 65 countries and economics joined the PISA 2009.
 According to the requirements of OECD(The
Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development), after rigorous sampling, 152 schools in
Shanghai and 5,115 fifteen-year-old school students
represented 10 million students from various schools
in the city to take the test for the first time in 2009.
 Within 65 participating countries and regions, this was
the first time for China had taken part in PISA.
2.1 Shanghai’s result
 On December 7, 2010, OECD formally
announced its results of PISA 2009, in Doha,
Qatar.
 Chinese students from Shanghai far outscored
their international peers in all three test fields—
reading, mathematics and science.
Basic Situation of Result in PISA 2009
Subject
First
Second
Third
Reading
Shanghai(5 South
Finland(536)
56)
Korean(539)
Mathematic Shanghai(6 Singapore(5 Hong
s
00)
62)
Kong(555)
Science
Shanghai(5 Finlan(554) Hong
75)
Kong(549)
 In addition, grade distribution of different schools
and students in Shanghai were far below the
OECD average.
 The proportion of high level students was the
highest and low level students was the lowest;
there were small differences among schools（校
间差异）.
 In reading achievement differences among the
students in Shanghai, the ratio of differences at
school level was 31%, while the OECD average
ratio was 39%(Figure 2).
Figure1 Difference between schools among countries &
regions
 At the same time, the influence of family
economy and social background on student’s
achievement was also lower than the OECD
average(Figure 2).
•Figure2 Family ESCS and reading performance
•
 Xue Mingyang（薛明扬）, director of Shanghai
Municipal Education Commission, said about the
result of PISA in 2009:
 “what excited us were not results, but the scores
that expressed the small difference between both
ends of the students and the high balance
among schools and areas. It proved that longterm hard work have been very effective” (Xie,
2011, March 4).
2.2 Shanghai’s Problems
A372
A056
A554
A076
A158
AAVG
A250
A446
A764
A203
A752
A208
A170
A858
A031
A780
A484
A642
A410
A616
A788
(1)Strengthen reading in non-continuous text
（非连续性文本）and digital text(数字文本）
15
10
5
0
continuous text
non-continuous text
-5
-10
-15
15
-20
（2）Reduce heavy study load and long learn hours for
students
A784
A616
A344
A446
read
A788
A076
math
A031
A642
science
A158
A554
other
A056
A250
readoutsch
A764
A858
A203
mathoutsch
A170
A372
scieoutsch
A484
A780
otheoutsch
A410
A752
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
 (3)Strengthen attention to information-retrieving
abilities
 (4)Strengthen Self-control and meta-cognitive
learning strategy
 (5)Find ways, time and space for the
development of students’ personal potential and
talents
 (6)Establish a new concept of evaluation and a
school monitoring system with multidimensioned criteria.
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
A…
Another challenge：Large gender difference
600
550
500
All Students
Boys
450
400
350
Girls
3.Shanghai’ s Attitude to the Result
3.1 Motivations for Shanghai to join the PISA
(1) To know the quality and equity of basic education in the
global comparison.
(2) To learn the evaluation technical approaches and to see
the shortcomings, problems and even blindness in basic
education in Shanghai.
(3) To learn to improve education policies on the base of
data, evidence and research.
(4) For our reform and development in education, to keep
learning the successful experience from other countries.
19
3.2 Attitudes to Shanghai PISA “top” results
(1) PISA is not an Olympic Game, nor a competition for First or
Golden Medal; PISA is not to select one or two best examinees
or “zhuang yuan”(状元); but PISA is an international testing
survey!
(2) Shanghai is only a city, yet most participants are counties;
and China is a country with imbalanced development.
(3) Some countries know that reading, math and science are their
weak areas after their realization of free compulsory education,
therefore, Shanghai might compare our strength with other’s
weakness.
(4) What are student’s costs for the top results? Could Shanghai
do something to reduce the costs for Shanghai’s students?
20
4. Un-testified reasons for Shanghai results
 The Shanghai students’ performance produced a
strong public reaction by domestic and
international scholars and journalists.
 Although scholars and media have made a
number of interpretations of PISA 2009, they did
not summarize reasons for Shanghai’s leading
position. Even now, there is no clear conclusion as
to why Shanghai performed so well.
 Shanghai was asked time and again: “What are
secretes for PISA results and successful basic
education?” Therefore, we considered about it and
Our answer might be simple— “3+6”:
3 for three strong traditional believes
and mechanism(Traditional Factors):
 （1）high parental expectations,
 （2）students’ belief in the power of effort,
 （3）China’s personnel selection mechanism.
 6 for six new modern reforms and
developments in last 30 years(Modern
Factors):
 （1）the openness of Shanghai’s education,
 （2）curriculum and teaching reform in Shanghai,
 （3）teacher training in Shanghai,
 （4）improvement of comparatively poor schools
in Shanghai,
 （5）financial resources allocation mechanism in
compulsory education in Shanghai,
 （6）reform of high school enrollment in
Shanghai.
4.1 Traditional Factors
 With over five thousand years of history, Chinese
society has always strongly valued education and
learning.
 While Shanghai is a modern city, its parents and
students in Shanghai have the same traditional
expectations and beliefs with people in other parts
of China.
4.1.1 High Parental Expectations for Education
 All parents in China, no matter if they are from
Shanghai or rural provinces, no matter their
profession or wealth, have high long-term
expectations for their children’s education.
 Common idioms: “long to see one’s son become
a dragon” （望子成龙）and “long to see one’s
daughter become a phoenix.” （望女成凤）
4.1.1.1 Long-term Educational Expectations
 Generally speaking, Chinese parents expect
their children to improve their social status and
income level through graduation from top
universities.
 Parents expect their children to learn diligently
and perform well in examinations.
 In a survey on the learning objectives of children,
64.5% declared their objectives were “to meet
the expectations of my parents” (Song, Cai, &
Yang, 2003, p. 155).
4.1.1.2 The “American Dream” and Chinese
Ambitions
 The American dream is the ideal of a better life
that people believe they can obtain as long as they
work hard.
 Chinese ambitions are different in that they have
traditionally come true through learning in order to
secure an official position.
 Confucian educational thought is the mainstream
of educational thinking in China. Zi Xia, a student
of Confucius also said: “he who excels in study
can follow an official career” .（学而优则仕）
Confucius

4.1.1.3 Examples of Parental Expectation
 If parents have positive expectations of their
children for education, children will adjust their
learning and life goals in the direction of these
wishes.
 There are two stories of Mencius, one of China’s
famous sages, to show the influence of parental
expectations on children’s growth.
 （1）Mencius’s Mother Moved Three Times(孟
母三迁）
 （2）Mencius’s Mother Cut the Fabric（断机教
子）
Mencius
4.1.2 Students’ Belief in the Power of Effort
 Chinese students are known to be hard working,
believing that diligence can make up for any
shortfalls in intelligence, change fate, and
improve quality of life.
 Chinese students are regularly told fables about
education by their parents and teachers.
 When Chinese parents and teachers introduce
Thomas Edison, the American inventor, they
always remind students of Edison’s words:
“Genius is one percent inspiration and
ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
4.1.2.1 No Essential Distinction between People
 From 1949, “Marxism and Mao Zedong Thought”
became the guiding ideology of China. Mao
Zedong followed Karl Marx in stressing the lack
of distinction between people.
 Mao Zedong, who advocated labor and equality,
said, “The lowly are the most intelligent; the
elite are quite ignorant” .（“卑贱者最聪明，
高贵者最愚蠢” ）
4.1.2.2 Belief in Success through Hard Work
 Since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, many scholars
have regarded “persevering for 10 years of
studies in spite of hardships,” （“十年寒窗苦
读”） to have their names “published on the list
of successful candidates” （“一旦金榜题名”）
 Even today, the majority of the Chinese people still
believe that they can change their destiny and
enhance the quality of life by studying hard.
 Under the influence of mainstream views and
typical events, Chinese students (especially
disadvantaged students) study extremely hard.
They believe that they are likely to succeed if they
study hard.
4.1.2.3 Examples of Learning that Changes Fate
in China
 There are many examples of how learning can
change fate. In China, these cases are promoted in
the classroom, and have a strong impact on
parents and students.
 （1）Trying one’s Hair from a Beam（头悬梁，孙
敬）
 （2）Pricking one’s Thigh with an Awl（锥刺股，
苏秦）
 （3）Digging a Hole on the Wall to Borrow the
Neighbor’s Light（凿壁偷光，匡衡）
4.1.3 The Traditional Personnel Selection
Mechanism
 Why do Students in China believe that there is no
difference between people and they can succeed
and change their fate as long as they make an
effort?
 It is closely related to the personnel selection
mechanism which makes the upward mobility
possible for people in the lower ranks of society.
4.1.3.1 The Imperial Examination System
 The imperial examination system was
established in feudal times as a method of
selecting government officials. It is called the
keju examination（科举考试）, meaning the
selection of officials by separate subjects (where
ke means subject and jiu means selection).
 605 AD marked the birth of China’s imperial
examination system. The system lasted 1300
years until Qing Dynasty, 1905 AD.
 Hu Shi(胡适）, Chinese philosopher,
considered the imperial examination
system as one of the historical
foundations of modern China.
 He said:This system is really
objective and fair, if students are
frustrated in the examination hall,
they rarely complain about the unfair
examination system. It is a fair
system, even the boy from the
most humble family can climb to
the most glorious and powerful
position in the empire through the
normal competitive process. (Liu,
2005, p. 6)
4.1.3.2 The Examination System
 Although the imperial examination system was
abolished in 1905, the examination method was
here to stay.
 Both National Colleges Entrance Examination
and civil service examination system in China
go back to the imperial examination system in
form to some extent. They have inherited
competition, the spirit of equality and meritocratic
principle of personnel recruitment.
4.1.3.3 Idioms Derived from the Imperial
Examination
 The imperial examination has not only influenced
China’s socio-political and educational structure, but also
had a deep impact on the Chinese psychology and
mindset.
 It has generated familiar expressions: passing the
examination（金榜题名）, winning the first places in
three examinations in a row（连中三元）, “falling
behind Sun Shan” on the list （名落孙山）, passing
an imperial examination with the highest score（状元
及第）, becoming a favorite pupil of a great man（得
意门生）, studying 10 years in spite of hardships（十
年寒窗） , becoming famous overnight after the
imperial examination（一朝成名）, etc.
4.2 Modern Factors
 Besides the above-mentioned three traditional
factors, the outstanding performance of Shanghai
in PISA 2009 is closely related to the following
modern elements in Shanghai:
 (1)The openness of education system,
 (2)Curriculum and teaching reform,
 (3)On-the-job teacher training,
 (4)Improvement of comparatively poor schools,
 (5)Special allocation mechanism of financial
resources of compulsory education,
 (6)Reform of high school enrollment.
4.2.1 Openness of the Shanghai’s Education System
 As one of world’s major metropolises, Shanghai is
very much concerned about foreign educational
theories and educational information, and teachers
in Shanghai have learnt to grasp foreign
educational theories thoroughly.
4.2.1.1 International Educational Exchange
 Shanghai’s scholars, teachers and students have
been sent abroad to visit, study and engage in
advanced studies since the start of the reform and
opening up period.
 Meanwhile, In recent years, exchange opportunities,
joint research projects and international student
dialogues have seen huge growth.
 In addition, a large number of foreign teachers now
teach in universities and schools in Shanghai.
4.2.1.2 Introduction of Overseas Educational
Theories
 Many educational theories, ideas and methods from the
developed world have been introduced into China since
reform and opening started.
 As Professor Zhang Minxuan(张民选）, President of
Shanghai Normal University (SHNU) , said, “we know
the well-known experts in the United States, Britain,
Japan and other countries and what is new in their
ideas and theories on contemporary education;
sometimes we even know them better than people
from their own country” (Ma, 2010, December 20).
 Table 1 lists foreign educators who have influenced
education in Shanghai and other parts of China in recent
years.
Table 1 Foreign Educators who Influenced Education in Shanghai and Other Parts of China
Educator
Nationality
Main concepts
Field of study
John Dewey
The United States
Learning from practice
Democracy and education
Jerome Bruner
The United States
Discovery teaching
The process of education
Benjamin Bloom
The United States
Mastering teaching
Taxonomy of educational objectives
Howard Gardner
The United States
Multiple intelligences theory
Frames of mind: The theory of multiple
intelligences
Andrey Markov
Former Soviet Union
General development
Teaching and development
Jurij Babanski
Former
Optimization of teaching
Optimization in teaching process from the
Soviet Union
Vasyl Sukhomlynsky
Former Soviet
aspect of general teaching theory
Harmonious teaching
One hundred suggestions to teachers
Union
Johnson O'Connor
United States
Analytical philosophy of education
An introduction to philosophy of education
Martin Wagenschein
Germany
Model teaching method
Understanding learning
Sato Manabu
Japan
Transform
classroom
learning
Quiet revolution
approach
Michael Fullan
Canada
Education reform theory
Change forces: Probing the depths of
educational reform
Maria Montessori
Italy
Teaching method
Montessori teaching method
In addition, five major journals on foreign
education have been founded in China
since 1980, advancing China’s depth of
knowledge:
(1)Comparative Education Review issued
by Beijing Normal University
(2)Global Education by East China Normal
University
(3)Foreign Education Research
by Northeast Normal University
(4)Elementary and Secondary
Schooling Abroad by Shanghai
Normal University
(5)World Education Information
by the Education Management
and Information Center (EMIC)
of the Ministry of Education
4.2.1.3 Teachers Equipped with Educational
Theories
 Teachers have been learning and practicing
western theories, ideas and methods introduced
into China from developed countries, with a
resulting positive impact on teaching practice.
4.2.2 Curriculum and Teaching Reform in
Shanghai
 The PISA test proved the effectiveness of
curricula and teaching reforms in Shanghai
over the past 20 years.
4.2.2.1 Curriculum Reform
 Shanghai is a pioneer in education reform, while
curriculum reform is the key.
 Based on the first phase of curriculum reform
(1988–1998), Shanghai began developing the
second phase of curriculum reform in 1998(二期
课改) and had a significant impact on primary
and secondary schools in Shanghai.
 Table 2 Characteristics of the Second Phase
of Curriculum Reform in Shanghai
Table 2
Characteristics of the Second Phase of Curriculum Reform in Shanghai
Training objective
To emphasize “innovation” and “practical ability”
Curriculum objective
To
establish
modern
curriculum
system
that
adapts and contributes to the development of
every student.
Three types of main curriculums
1. Compulsory curriculum,
2. Elective curriculum,
3. Extra-curricular,
Four basics
1. Basic knowledge,
2. Basic skills,
3. Basic ability,
4. Basic attitude.
Five kinds of learning experience
1. Experience of moral formation and personal
development,
2.
Experience
of
potential
development
and
cognitive development,
3. Sports and fitness experience,
4. Artistic culture and development experience,
5. Experience of social practice.
Eight learning fields
1. Language and literature,
2. Mathematics,
3. Natural science,
4. Social sciences,
5. Technology,
6. Arts,
7. Physical education,
8. Practicum.
4.2.2.2 Teaching Reform
 After the resumption of the National College
Entrance Examination in 1977, Shanghai
encouraged bottom-up educational reform.
 The “Experimental Reform of Mathematics
Teaching in Qingpu County”（青浦数学教改实验）
was one of the most influential tests of reform
education.
 Since 1980s, schools in Shanghai carried out
diversified experimental reforms in education
with their own characteristics and features.
 （1）“successful education” reform in No. 8
Secondary School of Zabei District (闸北八中）
 （2）“developing students’ intellectual potential”
reform in Shanghai Experimental School （上海
实验学校）
4.2.3 On-the-job Teacher Training in
Shanghai
 In the U.S. and Europe, teaching is more about
teacher’s personal behavior.
 However, Shanghai attaches great importance to
on-the-job teacher training and professional
development in primary and secondary schools.
 There are five main forms of training.
4.2.3.1 Teaching and Research Group (TRG，教
研组), Grade Group (GG，年级组)
 Lesson planning (LP，备课) is not only a task
but also an important way to promote the
professional development of teachers.
 TRG and GG play a role in LP capability and
classroom teaching skills of teachers, and thus
can contribute to the sustainable development of
teachers’ professional standards.
4.2.3.2 Classroom Observation and Classroom
Evaluation
 There are classroom observation and classroom
evaluation systems on basic schools in Shanghai.
 First, the heads of TRG observed classroom
teaching, then teachers in the same TRG observed
and evaluated each other’s classes, and finally
they carried out classroom observation and
evaluation concentrating on a common problem.
 Besides classroom observation and evaluation in
TRG, each school would open up school level
courses（校级公开课）.
 Classroom observation and evaluation are
important ways of improving teaching skills, and
have become the main form of teacher training and
professional development.
4.2.3.3 Projects 240 and 540
 Shanghai lays considerable emphasis on in-service
training of teachers and launched projects 240 and 540
in 2007.
 New graduate teachers were set a target of 240 hours of
training in their first five years of teaching. After five
years，if they want to apply for senior professional titles,
they must spend 540 hours for training.
 Project 240 and 540 provided Shanghai teachers with
institutionalized training guarantees at teacher training
colleges to enable new teachers to adapt to their new
work and senior teachers’ to have the chance of
professional development.
4.2.3.4 Teachers’ Research Activities
 Since the implementation of the new curriculum
reform, research has become a required activity in
primary and secondary schools.
 The majority of teachers in schools participated in
regular teaching and research activities organized
by schools.
4.2.3.5 Training Project of Famous Teachers
and Famous Principals
 In 2005, Shanghai Municipal Education
Commission started a “Training Project of Famous
Teachers and Principals in Shanghai’s General
Teaching System.” (名师名校长培训工程）
 The project trained 500 key teachers to be as
“famous teachers”, and 100 principals to be as
“famous principals”.
 Shanghai Municipal Education Commission issued
a series of measures to promote the project, trying
to build a group of teachers with international
competitiveness.
4.2.4 Improvement of Comparatively Poor
Schools in Shanghai
 OECD noted the improvement of comparatively
poor schools in Shanghai as a contributing
factor in Shanghai’s PISA performance.
 Comparatively poor schools were improved
through hardware improvement and soft
improvement:
4.2.4.1 Hardware Improvement
 At the beginning of 1990s, Shanghai launched many
important projects, such as：
 （1）“project of updating comparatively poor school,” (薄
弱学校更新工程)
 （2）“project of reaching the standard of primary and
secondary schools,”(中小学达标工程)
 （3）“project of strengthening secondary school
construction”(加强初中建设工程)
 （4）“project of strengthening the construction of
informationized environment facilities of rural primary and
secondary schools”(农村中小学信息化环境设施建设)
 make the hardware construction basically achieve balance,
providing equal education opportunities for students.
4.2.4.2 Software Improvement
 Shanghai’s series of projects and measures
helped diminish hardware differences between
urban and suburban schools, and between high
quality and comparatively poor schools. However,
Software issues remained.
 This included comparatively backward
administration, overstaffing at managerial level;
outdated and inefficient teaching methods, and
shortcomings in the performance evaluation
mechanism resulting in loss of key teachers
and students.
(1)Mandatory Administration（委托管理）
 High quality educational resources in rural
schools suffered from shortage, while urban
schools gathered abundant high-quality
educational resources.
 In this context, Shanghai developed mandatory
administration. Municipal Educational
Commission entrusted high-quality urban
schools to manage comparatively poor rural
primary and secondary schools in order to
bring these schools up to an acceptable level
of efficiency.
(2)Inter-county Assistance(区县一帮一）
 There is a clear difference between the quality of
basic education in urban and suburban parts of
Shanghai.
 In 2005, under the co-ordination of Shanghai
Municipal Educational Commission, nine urban
and nine rural areas signed “Cooperation and
Exchange between Related Counties Education
Agreement” and began a three-year period of
joint development.
(3)Teachers Preferential Policies in Suburban
and Rural Primary and Secondary Schools（郊
区农村中小学教师优惠政策）
 Since 2007, the Shanghai Municipal Educational
Commission determined that teachers with
experience teaching in rural areas would have
priority to senior teacher assessment in key city
and district secondary school.
 In order to encourage outstanding college
graduates to teach in rural schools, the Municipal
Education Commission granted 30,000 yuan
allowances for graduates who accepted position
in remote rural primary and secondary schools for
three consecutive years.
 From 2009, Shanghai implemented a merit-based
pay system(绩效工资) in compulsory schools,
unifying city standards and giving teachers in
rural and urban areas balanced incomes.
(4)Information Training of Teachers in Rural
Primary and Secondary Schools（农村中小学教
师信息化培训）
 Shanghai Municipal Educational Commission
launched modern educational technology training
of teachers in rural primary and secondary
schools in 2007.
 In 2009, more than 400 primary and secondary
schools carried out the practice of educational
informationization in rural primary and secondary
schools.
4.2.5 Special Allocation of Financial Resources
for Compulsory Education in Shanghai（义务教
育财政资源配置机制）
 In order to ensure investment in educational
appropriation funding in rural compulsory
education in Shanghai, Shanghai improved the
special allocation mechanism of financial
resources for compulsory education.
4.2.5.1 Establishing a Financial Transfer
Payment System（义务教育财政转移支付制度）
 This financial transfer payment system refers to
government financial assistance through transfer
payments for counties that have below average
educational achievements. The amount is 2 billion
a year.
4.2.5.2 Establishing a Dynamic Adjustment
System for Students’ Average Public Fund
Appropriation Criteria（生均公用经费拨款标准动
态调整制度）
 The average level of funding for students in
primary and secondary school students increased
to 1,400 yuan and 1,600 yuan from 2008, and to
1,600 yuan and 1,800 yuan from 2011.
 The increased funds helped subsidize school
water, electricity, gas and other expenses and to
carry out quality education and other activities in
schools after adjustment.
4.2.5.3 Establishing a System of Investment,
Use, and Supervision in Compulsory Education
Funding（义务教育经费投入、使用和监督检查制
度）
 Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau and
Shanghai Municipal Educational Commission
check the compulsory education funding levels of
each district and county every year.
4.2.6 Reform of High School Enrollment
in Shanghai（高中名额分配改革）
 In order to reduce excessive competition for
places in the best high schools, and to promote a
balanced distribution of educational resources,
 Shanghai has experimented with a new
admissions policy in 2007: a quota allocation
system at senior high schools, making a pro-rata
distribution of model high schools to secondary
schools in the area.
 The quota allocation of senior high schools means
allocating part of the quota of high-quality senior
high schools to junior high schools according to
the number of junior high school students in the
area.
 After the implementation of the quota system,
regardless of the strength of the school, it had an
equal quota of places in high-quality senior
schools. As long as students achieved good
results in their schools, they are likely to succeed.
 Since 2008, the quota allocation in Shanghai
experimental model high schools increased from
10% in 2008 to 12% in 2009, to 15% in 2010, and
18% in 2011.
 A large quota of good quality senior high school
places was allocated to secondary schools,
effectively alleviated the problem of school
selection.
Conclusion
 In summary, the three traditional and six modern
factors not only came together to affect the
development of basic education in Shanghai, but also
enabled Shanghai to achieve an outstanding
performance in the PISA project.
 Although the above nine factors cannot be measured,
they unconsciously influence education in Shanghai,
and its teachers, parents and students. The three
cultural factors show the influence of traditions on
individual motivations, and the six policy-governed
modern factors can be attributed to the guiding role
that Shanghai government has played in basic
education since reform and opening up.
5. Follow-up Study
 I got one project of Shanghai Education Scientific
Research Projects in 2012（2012年上海市教育科学研究
项目）：An Empirical Study of the Reasons for
Achievements of Shanghai’s Basic Education :Based
Shanghai’s Performance in PISA 2009（上海基础教育成
就原因的实证分析：基于上海在PISA中的表现）
 This project will choose some schools, such as Jianqing
Experimental School(建青实验学校）and Kangcheng
School (康城学校），visit these schools and survey
some contents with questionnaire to sum ​up their
achievements and shortcomings.These contents include
the concept of students and parents, educational theory
and philosophy of teachers, school curriculum and
teaching reform, teacher training, teaching and research
group and grade group, weak schools transformation.
谢 谢！
Thank you !
konglingshuai@yahoo.cn