School Turnaround in Shanghai

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School Turnaround in ShanghaiThe Empowered-Management Program Approach

to Improving School Perormance

Ben Jensen and Joanna Farmer May 2013

www.americanprogress.o


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School Turnaroundin ShanghaiThe Empowered-Management Program Approach

to Improving School Perormance

Ben Jensen and Joanna Farmer May 2013


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1 Introduction and summary

5 Why ocus on Shanghai?

9 The empowered-management program in Shanghai

11 Identiying low- and high-perorming schools in Shangh

15 Establishing contractual agreements with schools

19 The steps to turning around low-perorming schools

27 Measuring outcomes: Evaluation and accountability

arrangements

31 Costs, impacts, and indings

33 Conclusion

35 About the authors

37 Appendix and reerences

39 Endnotes

Contents


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Introduction and summary

Public-school sudens in he worlds larges ciy, Shanghai, China, are academi-

cally ouperorming heir counerpars across he globe and becoming he alk and

envy o educaion expers worldwide.1 Using an innovaive parnering approach

ha maches successul schools wih low-perorming schools, Shanghai has

valuable lessons o each on urning around public-school sysemslessons ha

ranscend several o he unique characerisics o he Chinese educaional sysem,

as well as he counrys rich pedagogical radiions.

In developmen or more han a decade, Shanghais empowered-managemen

program aims o improve suden achievemen in all o is schools by conracing

high-perorming schools o urn around he academic oucomes o low-perorm-

ing schools.2 Chinese ocials regard he program as highly successul and have

exended is reach across school disrics and o oher pars o China.

For a number o years now, he Shanghai approach o schooling has garnered

worldwide atenion due o is sudens impressive perormance on inernaional

assessmens. Resuls rom one o he mos respeced o hese assessmens, he

Program or Inernaional Suden Assessmen, or PISA, ranked Shanghai as he

worlds highes-perorming educaion sysem in 2009. Te suden assessmen,

which is conduced every hree years, evaluaes he mah, reading, and science

skills o 15-year-old sudens rom more han 70 counries. According o he mos

recen resuls available, rom he 2009 adminisraion, he average 15-year-old

suden in Shanghai perorms a a mah level ha is 33 monhs ahead o he aver-

age 15-year-old suden in he Unied Saes. Te perormance gap in science is 23

monhs, and he perormance gap in reading lieracy is 17 monhs.3

Admitedly, some have quesioned Shanghais perormance on he evaluaion, claim-ing ha he resuls are alse, misleading, or he resuls o selecive sampling o su-

dens o ake he PISA ess. Tere is, however, no evidence o suppor such claims. 4

Jus as impressive is he ac ha Shanghais high academic perormance is

mached by greaer equiy. Tis means ha here is litle dierence in suden


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2 Ceer r Amerca Prre | scl trard saa

perormance across economic sraa. While a suden rom a poor amily or com-

muniy in he Unied Saes is more likely o all behind academically han his or

her peers, he same isn rue o poor sudens in Shanghai.5 In ac, he poores

10 percen o sudens in Shanghai perorm a a level in mah ha is on average 28

monhs ahead o he poores 10 percen o sudens in he Unied Saes.6 Whas

more, he achievemen gap beween he lowes- and highes-perorming sudens

in Shanghai is smaller han he achievemen gap in he Unied Saes.7

Te dierences beween he perormances o sudens in Shanghai schools and

sudens in U.S. public schools are sark. Wha, hen, can be learned rom successul

pracices in Shanghai? Te answers are many and complex. Cerainly, no all Shanghai

pracices could or should be replicaed in oher counries, and conex clearly maters.

In his paper we discuss and closely examine Shanghais empowered-managemen

program, an imporan educaion iniiaive ha has markedly improved low-

perorming schools in Shanghai. We discuss he program and is implemenaion

in deail in order o help our readers beter undersand i and o deermine hoseaspecs o i ha would bes sui school sysems in he Unied Saes. Imporanly,

his paper argues ha culural dierences would no preven he bulk o his pro-

gram rom being successully reproduced in he Unied Saes, alhough we ully

acknowledge ha he program canno be replicaed wihou some atenion o

dierences across sysems.

School-improvemen debaes in he Unied Saes are complex and conesed, no

leas because school urnaround has wo disinc meanings. As par o Presiden

Barack Obamas eors o implemen school reorm, urnaround is one o our

approaches ha school disrics can ake o improve an underperorming school

paricipaing in he School Improvemen Gran program.8 More broadly, school

urnaround reers o he process o improving a poorly perorming school.

Te seps aken in Shanghai o successully urn around schools will be clearly

recognizable o anyone amiliar wih he school-urnaround process in he Unied

Saes and oher counries. Te principles o school improvemen remain consis-

en across he globe.9

In Shanghai here are ve main acors ha are criical o urning around low-perorming schools:

School leadership and sraegic planning ha raise expecaions o sudens

and eachers


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School culure ha suppors and promoes suden learning

Eecive eaching ha emphasizes proessional collaboraion

Measuremen and developmen o suden-learning and eecive-learning

behaviors

Srong communiy relaionships ha promoe suden learning

Te empowered-managemen program conracs high-perorming schools o

work wih low-perorming schoolsusually or a wo-year periodin order o

urn around heir perormance. eachers and school leaders rom boh schools

move beween he wo schools building capaciy and developing eecive prac-

ices o urn around he low-perorming school.

School-disric ocials in Shanghai mach he low- and high-perorming schools.

Once wo schools are mached, he high-perorming school is conraced o urnaround he perormance o he low-perorming school. Exensive monioring and

evaluaion ensures ha he high-perorming school is only paid under he erms

o he conrac i hey are deemed o have been successul in urning around he

perormance o he lesser-perorming school. Te conrac can be erminaed and

paymens can be wihheld i hey are no successul.

A lack o deailed school- and suden-perormance daa can make i dicul

or ouside observers o quaniy he success o he program. As a consequence,

his paper does no atemp o quaniy he eeciveness o he program, as daa

needed o do so were no available and because here is no ye conclusive quan-

iaive evidence o he impac o he program on suden progress. Tere are no

sudies, or example, ha measure he impac o he program using school-level,

value-added daa, which measures he conribuion ha schools make o suden

progress. (For an explanaion o how addiional inormaion was gahered or his

repor, please see he Mehodology.)

Tis repor is hereore more descripive, highlighing he apparen srenghs

o he program ha align wih inernaional evidence on eecive schooling. In

Shanghai he evaluaion o he program isel is more qualiaive, analyzing inschools he behaviors ha inernaional research has shown o be imporan o

eecive learning and eaching and he assessmen o parens reacions. Furher

empirical research is required o assess he eeciveness o he program, bu i is clear

ha key decision makers a every level o Shanghai school educaion consider he

empowered-managemen program o be key o improving perormance and equiy.


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A number o contextual dierences should be considered in

discussing how an education program in Shanghai can inorm

programs in Western countries such as the United States. Cultural

dierences clearly play a role in school education, but they are too

oten overemphasized in explaining dierences in perormance or

as a reason why meaningul reorm cannot occur.10 The evidence

rarely supports such arguments.

We should always consider how cultural dierences aect policies

and programs and how they should be adapted to suit local contexts,

but it is easy to exaggerate dierences that do not directly relate to

the key issues. Still, a number o contextual dierences do need to be

considered. There are important dierences, or example, in the way

that schools are nanced in Shanghai versus in the United States. Most

schools in the United States are unded by state and local revenue. Only

about 10 percent o education in the United States is ederally unded.11

At the school-district level, much o the unding in the United

States comes rom local property taxes. Schools in areas with higher

property values have larger budgets, which generally means that

schools with an enrollment o students with higher socioeconomic

statuses also have more and better resources.12 A recent analysis o

U.S. Census Bureau data ound that unding ranges rom a low o

slightly more than $8,000 per student in Barbourville, Kentucky, to a

high o almost $27,000 in Scarsdale, New York.13 This school-unding

variance puts the United States in the minority o countries studied

in the Program or International Student Assessmentone o onlythree, in actwhere schools in richer areas have greater resources

than schools in poorer areas.14

In contrast, unding or the public-education system in China has

traditionally been highly centralized. In recent years, however, Beijing

has granted greater autonomy to provinces. And while Shanghai is

a municipality, it has been granted specic status as an innovative

school-education area, meaning that it has been granted even more

autonomy than other provinces in China. This has allowed Shanghai

to pursue specic policies such as increased autonomy to local school

districts and the empowered-management program.15

Shanghai has beneted rom this increased autonomy. This is il-

lustrated by the act that more innovation and subnational decision

making has been encouraged in Shanghai than in most o Chin

other provinces. This has helped Shanghai become a pioneer in

education reorm, which has improved key aspects o its schoo

instructional practices in ways that improve outcomes in the a

curriculum, teaching, and leadership.16

Other changes in Shanghai are also important in understandin

empowered-management program. Key schoolselite scho

exclusively or high-perorming students that once received a d

portionate share o resourcesare being abolished.17 Addition

schools in Shanghai have the autonomy to work in clusters or

partnerships, which enable them to share resources.18 Schools

a greater proportion o disadvantaged students, such as those

a high concentration o migrant students or students with low

socioeconomic proles, need more resources in order to provid

equitable standard o education.19

It is also important to understand some undamental elements

public-school education in Shanghai. Compared to most other

systems around the world, Shanghai makes large investments

ollowing our aspects o teachers work that are considered un

mental or eective schooling:

Proessional collaboration

Proessional learning

Induction and mentoring

Research and lesson groups20

These our areas are key to understanding the empowered-

management program, as they are oten central to turning aro

low-perorming schools. These areas have had an increased im

on classroom learning and teaching due to eective implemen

programs that ocus on continually improving learning and tea

in classrooms. Eective implementation o each o these aspec

been shown to be critical to improving schools in numerous ed

tion systems around the world.21

Contextual dierences in school education between the United States and Shanghai


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Why focus on Shanghai?

Shanghai demonstrates high per formance and high equity

On average, public-school sudens in Shanghai perorm a a level consider-

ably ahead o public-school sudens in he Unied Saes, according o he

Organisaion or Economic Co-operaion and Developmens PISA program. Ye

Shanghais high perormance does no come a he expense o equiy, which is no

achieved by levelling down high-achieving su-

dens bu insead by enlising he bes-perorm-ing schools o deliver high-qualiy insrucion

across he enire educaion sysem.22

Shanghais educaion sysem is based on he

premise ha all sudens mus perorm well

regardless o heir socioeconomic background.23

Eecive programs buil on his premise mean

ha here is lower perormance inequaliy

beween sudens in Shanghai han beween

sudens in he Unied Saes and ha academic

perormance is less driven by sudens socioeco-

nomic saus. (see Figure 1)

Te gap beween he lowes- and highes-

perorming sudens is signicanly smaller

in Shanghai han i is in he Unied Saes and

across member counries o he Organisaion

or Economic Co-operaion and Developmen,

or OECD, which is comprised o 34 indusrial-ized naions.24 Te gap beween he lowes- and

highes-perorming sudens in Shanghai is 204

PISA poins compared o a 253 PISA poin

dierence beween he highes- and lowes-

Figure 1

Academic-perormance gap measured in months

Dierences between PISA perormance in Shanghai, the Unit

States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, 2009

Note: *Unweighted average. Figures represent the diferences in 2009 PISA perormances exprein the number o months o school education. On average, one international school year corresto 39 points in reading, 41 points in math, and 38 points in science across OECD countries on thscale. Other countries such as EU 2121 countries in the European Unionhave been include

illustrate Shanghais success.

Source: OECD, PISA 2009 Results: What Students Know and Can Do (2010).

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

One to two years behind More than two years behind

17

33

23

32

20

30

19 19

United States United Kingdom European Unio

Read. Math Sci. Read. Math Sci. Read. Math


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perorming sudens in he Unied Saes.25

(see Figure 2)

Shanghais low-perorming sudens also

perorm a a higher level han low-perorming

sudens in oher inernaional school sysems.Te botom 10 percen o mah sudens in

Shanghai, or example, perorms a a level ha is

28 monhs ahead o heir U.S. equivalens.26

As in he Unied Saes and every school sysem

around he world, he socioeconomic back-

grounds o Shanghai sudens impac heir

perormances. In Shanghai, however, he rela-

ionship beween economic saus and academic

perormance is much less signican. Shanghaisudens rom poorer socioeconomic back-

grounds are more likely o succeed han heir

counerpars in oher educaion sysems around

he globe. Te exen o which suden peror-

mance is associaed wih a sudens socioeco-

nomic background is clearly shown in Figure 3.

Te seeper curve or he Unied Saes indicaes

ha U.S. sudens rom poorer socioeconomic

backgrounds all arher behind in heir aca-

demic perormance on average han sudens in

mos OECD counries and Shanghai.

Shanghai also has higher numbers o individual

sudens rom disadvanaged socioeconomic

backgrounds who exceed he perormance o

wha heir poor backgrounds would predic. In

Shanghai 76 percen o disadvanaged sudens

achieve a a higher level han hey would be

expeced o given heir socioeconomic back-ground. In he Unied Saes ha gure is 29

percen.27 A child rom an impoverished background in Shanghai is less likely o

all behind or drop ou o school han a poor child in he Unied Saes.28

Figure 2

Comparing low- and high-perorming students acrossthe globe

Dierences between the bottom 10 percent and the top 10

percent in PISA scores in 2009 in the United States, industrialized

countries in the OECD, and Shanghai

180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250 260

United

States

OECD

average

Shanghai

253

241

204

Source: OECD, PISA 2009 Results: Overcoming Social Background: Equity in Learning Opportunities and

Outcomes (Volume II) (2010).

0

10

20

30

40

50

United States

OECD average

Shanghai

42

38

27

PISA score

0 1PISA index of economic, social, and cultural status

Figure 3

Accounting or socioeconomics

PISA-score point dierence associated with one unit increase

in the PISA index o economic, social, and cultural status in

the United States, OECD countries, and Shanghai

Source: OECD, PISA 2009 Results: Overcoming Social Background (2010).


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I is imporan or policymakers o diereniae beween so-

called wihin-school dierences in perormance and beween-

school dierences in perormance. Shanghai demonsraes less

variaion han he Unied Saes on boh o hese measures. Tis

means ha no only is here less perormance inequaliy beween

sudens wihin schools in Shanghai bu also ha here is less per-ormance inequaliy beween schools in Shanghai. Tis indicaes

ha here is less variaion in school eeciveness across he board

ha impedes suden progress. (see Figure 4)

Shanghais empowered-managemen program aims o direcly

address beween-school variance by conracing high-perorming

schools o help low-perorming schools. Te program may also

help address wihin-school dierences, as high-perorming

schools in Shanghai end o beter address he issues aecing

heir own low-perorming sudens han educaion sysems in hedeveloped world. (see box)

Figure 4

Measuring equity within and acros

school systems

Variance in reading perormance as a

percentage o average variance across OEC

countries, the United States, and Shangha

the 2009 PISA scores

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

United States Shanghai OECD

Between schools Within schoo

42 42

75

29

47

Source: OECD. Pisa 2009 Results: What Students Know and Can Do (

Across the developed world, countries are pouring money into theireducation systems with little demonstrable eect on perormance.29

It might intuitively seem that improvements to the equity o an edu-

cation system will come at a high cost or that trade-os need to be

made between helping low- and high-perorming students. Neither

is true. The evidence shows that eective programs, rather than more

money, are the answer.

High-perorming education systems need to invest a minimum

amount o money in their students, o course, but countries with

larger education budgets do not necessarily have better education

systems.30 Shanghai demonstrates efcient perormance on PISA

evaluations, spending $42,064 on a students education between

the ages o 6 and 15.

The United States invests more than double this amount at $10per student.31 But this high spending does not produce an efc

or equitable outcome. Luxembourg is the only OECD country th

spends more than the United States, yet the United States nis

17th place in the latest PISA reading-literacy rankings, and Lux

bourg nished in 38th place.32

Across PISA countries, spending per student explains less than

cent o the variation in student perormance.33 Gains in efcien

equity result rom how an education system spends the resour

that it has available, not how much it spends.34 The policies tha

provide genuine improvement to education are not necessarily

most expensive ones.35 It is important that governments with l

resources prioritize spending on the programs that make the m

dierence to students.

Eective programs are the answer


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The empowered-management

program in Shanghai

Shanghai has grown considerably in recen years, rom a populaion o 16.7 million

people in 2000 o a populaion o more han 23 million people in 2010.36 Tis grea

populaion inux has signicanly expanded he municipaliy, puting considerable

pressures on is inrasrucure and services. Tis rapid growh has creaed challenges

or all governmen services, and educaion is no excepion. As wih any growh,

qualiy conrol o increased services or a larger populaion is crucial.

Shanghais growh has led o concerns ha dierences in he eeciveness oschools were widening. In paricular, here were concerns abou he eecive-

ness o schools in he newer suburbs o Shanghai as compared o he ciys more

esablished schools. Te empowered-managemen program has developed and

expanded a leas in par o address hese concerns. (See box)

The rapid population growth o Shanghai has put considerable pres-

sures on its schools. Large numbers o migrants rom other parts o

China have settled mainly in Shanghais suburban areas. About 12

million people now live in Shanghais urban areas, with another 11

million people living in the wider municipality.37

Many o these migrants oten do not have access to the established

schools in central Shanghai, and concerns have grown about the

quality o education in the suburbs being provided to the students

rom these migrant amilies. The empowered-management program

has evolved at least in part to help address these concerns.

In most parts o China, migrant students oten must overcome

hurdles to access the high-quality education received by students

particularly those living in wealthier neighborhoodsin their home

province. In the past decade, however, Shanghai has tried to ad

the inequities that arise with mass migration.

Migrant amilies living in suburban areas are included in the Sh

education municipality. Although temporary migrant students

are dened as having lived in the city less than six months with

a residence permitstruggle to achieve a regular place in Shan

schools, migrant students staying longer than six months or wh

have a residence permit can attend Shanghai schools.

All migrant students attending schools are included in the PISA sa

Shanghais high PISA scores include migrant students, just as the would do in the PISA samples o other countries. At the time o th

PISA sample in 2009, there were 112,000 15-year-old students in

hai, and about 96 percent o them were covered in the PISA samp

This sampling percentage is similar to that o other PISA countries

PISA scores and migrant students in Shanghai


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Te empowered-managemen program is a school-level program ha helps

low-perorming schools improve suden learning. Te program conracs high-

perorming schools, ypically or wo years, o improve he eeciveness o low-

perorming schools.

Te program is relaively new; i was developed in he decade preceding his one.Alhough i is growing, i currenly conains ewer han 100 schools. Te 2009

PISA assessmen ook a sample o all o he schools in Shanghai, no jus hose

schools in he empowered-managemen program. I is hereore no comprehen-

sive across he educaion sysem o he ciy bu is insead currenly argeed o lif

he perormance o he lowes-perorming schools, which are normally chosen by

school disric leaders.

Like mos innovaive educaion programs, he empowered-managemen program

is evolving in response o sakeholders and specic circumsances. Saisical

analyses o he programs impac have ye o be underaken, bu policymakers aall levels o educaionschool, school disric, municipaliy, and even naional

consider i o be eecive in addressing educaion inequaliy and improving low-

perorming schools.39

o illusrae how he empowered-managemen program operaes, as well as how i

could be used eecively in oher public-school sysems, we will deail he ollow-

ing key aspecs:

Ideniying low- and high-perorming schools

Esablishing conracual agreemens wih schools

aking he necessary seps o urn around low-perorming schools

Measuring oucomes hrough evaluaion and accounabiliy arrangemens

In he ollowing secions o he repor, we will examine each o hese key aspecs

in urn based on our exensive research o he Shanghai educaion sysem. For a

descripion o our research mehods, see he Mehodology box in he appendix.


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Identifying low- and high-

performing schools in Shanghai

A key iniial sep in he empowered-managemen program is o ideniy low- and

high-perorming schools. Te crieria or choosing schools are no sringen, and

hose looking or a quaniaive perormance measure se by a cenral adminisraion

will be disappoined. Insead, responsibiliy or ideniying high- and low-perorm-

ing schools lies mainly a he school-disric level, as he school disric is considered

o have a comprehensive undersanding and knowledge o is own schools.

Given he lack o hard quaniaive measures available o ideniy low- and high-perorming schools, i is imporan o consider evaluaion and accounabiliy

arrangemens. One hing o consider is he quesion o how cenral policymak-

ers can ensure ha he righ schools are chosen. Te answer lies no in specic

accounabiliy arrangemens wihin he empowered-managemen program bu

raher in broader evaluaion and accounabiliy pracices.

School-disric leaders, or example, have he responsibiliy o ideni y low- and

high-perorming schools, and hey will be held accounable or heir deci-

sions. Likewise, school-disric leaders are rewarded or eecive pracices ha

improve school perormance. Tere are several acors ha are used o ideniy

schools or he empowered-managemen program. Les examine some o hese

acors in greaer deail.

School data and knowledge

Inormaion is gahered hrough a number o mechanisms ha connec policy

and policymakers o wha is happening in schools. Tese include sandardized

and school-level daa on suden perormance and school operaions. Tese daacover all schools, bu hey are no readily available o he public, and hey do no

easily permi sric quaniaive analysis o he eeciveness o he empowered-

managemen program.


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School-disric adminisraors mus know heir schools. Knowing and undersand-

ing heir schools is a key componen o heir job descripion and heir evaluaion

o school-disric-level employees. Tis includes no only perormance measures

bu also wha is happening on a day-o-day basis in each school in he disric.

School-disric-level educaion ocials are in coninual conac wih schools

atending meeings and conducing school visis, among oher hingsand heywork wih hem o improve perormance. ime and energy is invesed in monior-

ing, developing, and mainaining eedback loops beween schools and he school

disric and in urn he municipaliy.

School evaluaions, paricularly hose o low-perorming schools, provide ur-

her inormaion on perormance. Evaluaions include analysis o suden-per-

ormance daa complemened wih school visis rom school-disric ocials o

observe eaching and learning. Proessional-developmen awards, connecions

o he communiy, and exracurricular aciviies or sudens are also consid-

ered o be imporan.

Evaluation and monitoring

As our paper shows, he deailed evaluaion o individual agreemens beween

schools in he empowered-managemen program is an example o he ype o

inormaion ha is coninually colleced on school perormance. I is more quali-

aive han quaniaive, including aspecs o a schools operaions ha are criical

o increasing suden learning and eachers proessional developmen, collabora-

ion, and eeciveness as measured hrough classroom observaions.

A key aspec o he Shanghai educaion sysem, which many oher sysems sruggle

o mach, is ha programs, and hereore resources and expendiures, are coninually

moniored and evaluaed, wih resources being reallocaed when necessary.

Skills match

Te o he wo schoolsone high perorming and he oher low perormingis imporan. Do he necessary skills exis in he high-perorming school o sup-

por and improve he perormance o he oher school? Tis analysis varies wih

he ype o agreemen exising beween he wo schools and he specic issues

ha need o be addressed. Bu i is ofen up o he principal o he high-perorm-


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ing, or suppor, school o decide wheher he school possesses he necessary skills

o help he low-perorming school.

In his respec, suppor-school principals have he chie responsibiliy or improv-

ing he low-perorming school. Among oher roles, suppor-school principals are

responsible or developing an improvemen sraegy and plan, improving leader-ship in he low-perorming school, creaing srucures o improve learning and

eaching, and managing he relaionship beween he wo schools.

Capacity

Capaciy consrains are always considered when esablishing arrangemens

beween schools. Tis is a paricularly imporan issue when a high-perorming

school has muliple arrangemens o help several schools.40 Te suppor school

mus have he abiliy o help anoher school wihou compromising is ownperormance. As such, i mus have he capaciy across key areas such as eacher

developmen and eecive pedagogy ha improves suden learning, as well as in

he skills o senior managemen and advanced eachers.

Te goal is o ensure ha any assisance o anoher school doesn reduce he per-

ormance o he high-perorming school. A parnership beween schools, however,

is no a zero-sum game. In ac, here have been numerous repors o boh schools

beneing rom he arrangemens. Exchanges beween eachers and school princi-

pals increase he ow o inormaion and he sharing o ideas and good pracices.

Te eeciveness o school principals, oher school leaders, and eachers ofen

improves when hey are exposed o dieren environmens, ace new challenges,

and ake on he ask o improving learning and eaching in heir school sysem.

Similarly, eecive eachers and school leaders who are close o reiremen have

moved o he low-perorming school in some agreemens, where hey have been

able o provide vial skills and experience.


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Establishing contractual

agreements with schools

Te high-perorming school signs a conrac wih he jurisdicion responsible

or he agreemen beween he schools, which is normally he school disric,

in which he low-perorming school is locaed. Bu i he agreemen is beween

schools ha cross school disrics in he Shanghai municipaliy, hen he munici-

paliy is a signaory o he agreemen. More recenly high-perorming schools

have ormed some agreemens wih schools ouside he Shanghai municipaliy,

alhough he later sill iniiaes and signs he conrac wih he high-perorming

school. Te objecive is o spread he pracices and programs in Shanghais high-perorming sysem o oher pars o China.

Te conrac sipulaes he requiremens o he high-perorming school and he

suppor ha he jurisdicionnormally he school disricwill provide. Te

requiremens include some perormance arges or he low-perorming school

and some descripion o how he high-perorming school will work wih he low-

perorming school. Te descripion is illusraive raher han overly specic, as

ofen he problems o be addressed in he low-perorming school have ye o be

idenied a he ime o he conrac signing.

Addiionally, he conrac or agreemen will speci y he imeline, cos, and moni-

oring and evaluaion mechanisms ha will be used. Te conrac duraion is nor-

mally or wo years, bu some can las or as long as ve years i all paries involved

conclude ha addiional ime is needed o urn around a paricular school. A

conrac can be exended or anoher wo-year erm i boh paries hink ha an

exension would be benecialha is, i hey agree ha he rs round has been

posiive, ideniying improvemen in he low-perorming school bu acknowledg-

ing ha urher gains are necessary and could be achieved. A school may be in

he process o urning around is perormance, or example, or specic issues mayremain ousanding ha can be addressed hrough exending he agreemen.

Te lengh o a conrac depends on wo acors. Firs, wo years is considered he

ime period in which a school can normally be urned around. Second, wo years


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is he period in which a high-perorming school can oer he mos assisance. I is

believed ha a limied wo-year ime period pushes he suppor school o ac in a

proacive manner. Bu he posiive impac o an exernal inervenion in a school is

no limiless. A suppor school can oer new programs, new learning and each-

ing mehods, and a new culure, bu a poin o diminishing reurns is evenually

reached.41

Hence, conracs can only be exended or an addiional wo o hreeyears i all paries conclude ha urher subsanial improvemens will be made in

ha ime period.

As discussed below, he monioring and evaluaion o he conrac is exensive.

Clear eedback loops beween he schools and he signaory school disricand

hus he municipaliyprovide comprehensive inormaion abou he progress

and oucomes o he agreemen. A ormal evaluaion akes place a he end o boh

he rs year o a wo-year agreemen and he end o he conrac.

Te rs evaluaion can lead o he erminaion o he agreemen, bu his isno common. I more ofen leads o changes o improve he uncioning o he

agreemen and a schools perormance. A miderm evaluaion, or example, may

ideniy he need or greaer pedagogical developmen o key eaching sa or

improved peer observaion and eedback. An evaluaion a he end o he agree-

men could lead o he paymen o he suppor school being ully or parially wih-

held, bu his is very uncommon.

Different types of agreements

Mos agreemens are beween schools a he same level, be ha secondary or pri-

mary. Bu some schools ener ino an agreemen ha has wo disinc key eaures.

Tese ypes o agreemens closely link schools on a long-erm basis ha exends

beyond he conrac period. Tey also link high-perorming secondary schools

wih low-perorming primary schools.

Tese agreemens pu a low-perorming primary school under he umbrella o a

high-perorming secondary school. Te primary school may change is name so

ha i is clearly associaed wih he high-perorming secondary school. Sudenswho graduae rom he primary school may go o he secondary school, even

when he secondary school is in a dieren par o he ciy. Tis immediaely raises

he prole o he primary school.


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As here is some school choice in Shanghai, posiive changes o schools enroll-

men levels or waiing liss are a good measure o school improvemen. I parens

are no enrolling heir children in a school or are aking heir children ou o a

school, i may be a sign o poor perormance. aking a new name signals ha

change is occurring a he school and sends a powerul message o amilies and

communiies.

Tis has been paricularly imporan in some insances. Parens and communiies

can resis change, paricularly i hey ear ha heir local school will be labeled

as weak. Bu explici links o a high-perorming school are a clear signal o he

poenial or angible improvemens. Te name change heighens he appeal o

he agreemen o he local communiy and indicaes he level o invesmen ha is

being made o improve he perormance o he school.

Te name change also sends a powerul message o eachers and oher employ-

ees. I makes i very clear ha heir school is undergoing an exensive process ochange in order o become a high-perorming school. I also increases he presige

o heir jobs, as hey now belong o a school associaed wih high-perorming

educaion. All o his makes change easier. I primary-school educaors can see

ha a commimen has been made o susainable reorm, hey are more likely o

inves in i.

Te name change also bonds he high-perorming school wih he low-perorming

school. Te ormer will no wan is brand arnished. On he conrary, is brand

can bene rom urning around a low-perorming school. Te high-perorming

school also benes rom spreading is brand across more schools. Firs, i has

been publically recognized as a high-perorming school. Second, i has been recog-

nized or successully urning around he perormance o low-perorming schools.

And hird, muliple aliaions win i more recogniion around he municipaliy.

Addiionally, a high-perorming school will wan o enroll capable sudens who

come rom wha is now one o is eeder schools. Since more o is sudens

will come rom he low-perorming primary school, i has a greaer incenive o

improve he learning o he primary-school sudens.


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The steps to turning around

low-performing schools

Anyone amiliar wih he evidence on urnaround schools will know he key

changes required in schools.42 While dieren schools address problems in dier-

en ways, he undamenals o school improvemen remain consan. Tese are

discussed laer in his repor, in he conex o how agreemens beween schools

operae in he empowered-managemen program.

Te high-perorming school is regularly given he responsibiliy o run he school

wih which i has parnered. Trough he conracual agreemen, i can eecivelyexercise ha responsibiliy. In pracical erms, i is common or he high-perorm-

ing school o have an empowered-managemen eam, which is ofen comprised

o wo o hree senior eachers who are saioned every day in he low-perorming

school. Te eam has access o considerable resources rom is paren school.

(More inormaion on coss can be ound on page 31.) Te eam members are

change leaders wihin he suppored school. Tey may be responsible or imple-

mening new programs or assuming key leadership posiions wihin he school

during he change period.

In some insances, eachers and leaders in he low-perorming school can eel

hreaened or anxious abou being old how o improve. Tis has ofen been suc-

cessully addressed by placing a greaer emphasis on high-perorming schools

working wih low-perorming schools as peers o improve learning and eaching.

School principals have a crucial role o play as well. Some principals rom he

high-perorming school spend considerable amouns o ime in he low-perorm-

ing school, while ohers ocus more on providing regular eedback o he sup-

pored school on progress being made and how o deal wih specic issues as hey

arise.43

School sa members regularly move beween he high- and low-perorm-ing schools o share resources, skills, and abiliies.

A high-perorming school will on occasion engage ouside expers or consulans.

Tese ouside expers are ofen reired eachers or school principals who sill wan


26/48


o play some role in educaion. Tese exernal expers are normally used in a simi-

lar manner o school personnel involved in urning around school perormance.

Te high-perorming school is expeced o use he levers ha evidence has shown

o be eecive in urning around school perormance. Tese levers include:

School leadership and sraegic planning

School culure and organizaion

Eecive eaching

Suden-learning behaviors

A schools relaionship wih he local communiy

Les discuss each in more deail.

School leadership and strategic planning

Te high-perorming school is expeced o ake responsibiliy or lifing he

perormance o he school ha is seeking assisance. Sa members o he high-

perorming school are expeced o be he key decision makers in he urnaround

process; hey can esablish a senior-managemen working group wih he powers

and responsibiliies o lead he urnaround. Te eam mus ensure ha he low-

perorming school becomes a dynamic learning environmen. Tey are expeced

o ac decisively in all levels o he school, providing eedback ha allows or quick

acion. Te leadership eam should be insrumenal in promoing he growh o

he leading eachers in he suppored school.

Te responsibiliies o he high-perorming school eamled by heir princi-

palwill dier beween agreemens. In he agreemen ha i signs, i may ake

on specic responsibiliies such as resource allocaion and eacher appraisal and

developmen. Mos imporanly, however, he suppor school is responsible orimproving he perormance o he low-perorming school, and i is empowered o

ake he seps required o do so.


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High-perorming schools are evaluaed on he qualiy o he sraegic plan ha

hey develop or heir parner school. Te sraegic plan should ollow some basic

undamenal seps. I should rs analyze he curren siuaion o he schoolis

place on he developmen pah and he sae o learning and eaching wihin i.

Te plan hen needs o map he pah rom he acual o he desired. Te plan

should also ideniy major problems and provide clear goals and objecives orovercoming hem.

Addiionally, he plan should conain well-dened sysems or school improve-

men. I mus exhibi he qualiies o high-perorming schools and sill be aligned

o he pracical siuaion o he school ha is seeking assisance. Is objecives

mus be scienic in he sense ha hey are suppored by evidence, and hey mus

be measurable, a leas o some degree.

Finally, he plan should allow exibiliy in is implemenaion so ha improve-

mens can be made and issues can be addressed as hey arise. Imporanly, hehigh-perorming school is expeced o gain accepance and suppor rom he sa

in he low-perorming school. Tis is ofen a dicul process, and i is one ha

highlighs he imporance o he wo schools working ogeher o urn around

perormance. While he high-perorming school is, or insance, ulimaely

responsible or he qualiy o he sraegic plan, i will regularly develop he plan in

conjuncion wih sa o he low-perorming school. (see box below)

School culture and organization

In Shanghai and around he world, high-perorming schools are marked by

he srengh o he school culure and he qualiy o he learning environmen.

Shanghais high-perorming schools are expeced o creae a school culure ha

encourages producive learning.

Tis includes clearly and horoughly ariculaing wha learning behaviors are

accepable or eachers, sudens, and he school communiy. I also includes

a srong and nururing school culure. Exracurricular and social aciviies are

imporan aspecs o eecive schooling and can oser eecive learning andeaching behaviors. Such aciviies can also be imporan or orming srong

relaionships wih he local communiy, and hey are normally a eaure o he

sraegic plan or he urnaround school.


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The empowered-management program in Shanghai ollows evidence

rom around the world about the ve key steps or successully turning

around a schools perormance. We discuss these steps in detail below.


Strong and consistent leadership has been ound to be vital in many

countries.44 Low-perorming schools lack shared agreement about

what is expected rom teachers and students.45 Thereore, rais-

ing expectations is critical to creating high-perorming schools.46

Improving low-perorming schools is not a top-down process rom

government. It is one that works better i the change comes rom

within through the development o a culture o improvement that is

agreed upon by sta, students, and parents and drives the work thatthey do.47 Achieving a common mission is vital to turning around

low-perorming schools with disadvantaged students, who may lack

enthusiasm or education.48 School management can adopt specic

programs and curriculum reorms that address specic areas in which

students are ailing to receive support, such as literacy or additional

extracurricular activities.49


Changing the culture o the schoolmaking a school a place where

students want to be and learnis vital.50 Schools can provide emo-tional support or students through nonacademic programs, such as

mentoring schemes, community service, and peer-support pro-

grams.51 Turnaround schools need to enorce a positive discipline cul-

ture, which is unequivocal on what behavior is acceptable while also

recognizing that the causes o behavioral problems in these schools

are oten complex and may need long-term work.52 Schools can take

short-term remedial action to reduce truancy and should work

amilies to emphasize the importance o staying in school.53

Efective teaching

The impact o eective teaching is well established.54 For turna

schools in education systems around the world, improving teac

is what drives student learning. Appropriate teacher developm

and proessional learning equips educators with the pedagogic

approaches that they need to address students needs in line w

schools ocus.55

Student-learning behaviors

Continuous assessments and analyses o student progress are e

sential. They provide teachers or teams o teachers with a mean

identiying where improvements can be made.56 Schools and te

ers can only improve student perormance i they can identiy w

and why it is hindered.

A schools relationship with the local community

High-perorming schools have a strong relationship with their

communities.57 Schools need the support o parents and their c

munities in order to enact change.58 An important indicator thaschool is turning around is when it becomes a magnet school t

attracts a growing number o amilies.59 This status is oten ach

through working with the community to determine its needs a

wants.60 Community engagement is also necessary to make sur

school reorms are not resisted at home.61

International evidence on turnaround schools


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Effective teaching

Developing eaching wihin he low-perorming school is a crucial elemen o he

empowered-managemen program. Suppor schools are expeced o develop a

plan or improving eaching, developing sa, and improving eaching resources

such as curriculum and pedagogy oulines, exs, and workshees, which are ofenshared beween schools.

In agreemens beween schools, he developmen o eecive eaching begins

wih a clear and deailed descripion o wha eecive eaching should be in he

suppored school. In he sraegic plan, his is conrased wih he curren sae o

eaching in he school. Each sa member is given an individual developmen plan

ha is aligned o he sraegic objecive o eecive eaching. Developing leaders

among he principal senior-managemen eam and eachers a he low-perorming

school is imporan. Te goal is o develop eecive eachers who can lead and

develop oher eachers in he school.

School sa ha move beween he high- and low-perorming schools ofen paric-

ipae in shared aciviies such as hose ocused on proessional learning. eachers

may also orm research and lesson groups. (see box below)

All o hese aciviies orm closer links wihin and beween schools. Tis is impor-

an. Many policies and programs in educaion sysems around he world have

ried o orm closer relaionships beween schools in order o share bes prac-

ices.62 Neworking brings obvious benes. I allows he clusering o resources,

which is paricularly useul or smaller schools wih limied means.63 I enables

schools o learn rom oher schools wih specic skills in addressing problems

such as suden-learning diculies. Proessional collaboraion beween eachers

can also help promoe inegraion and reduce polarizaion beween schools.64

Ye he evidence shows ha collaboraion alone will no improve suden learning.

Tere is limied evidence as o wheher parnerships improve he educaion ou-

comes o sudens.65 While some sudies have shown improvemens, collaboraion

does no necessarily ranslae ino resuls. Te OECDs eaching and Learning

Inernaional Survey program disinguishes beween wo levels o eacher-proes-sional collaboraionexchange and coordinaion and deeper proessional col-

laboraion ha includes eam eaching and oher aciviies direcly associaed wih

eaching and learning.66 Collaboraion alone is insucien. I mus be mached

wih a ocus on improving he qualiy o eaching.67


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Teaching is a research-oriented proession in Shanghai. All teachers

are involved in research groups that analyze and produce evidence

on how to increase student learning. Research is a critical component

o a teacher s job. Teachers are expected to produce research paperso sufcient quality to be published and improve pedagogy in their

school and ultimately throughout the school system. Exemplary

groups o teachers present research ndings in open lessons to other

teachers at the school-district level. Promotion to advanced- and

master-teacher status requires that a candidate has published papers

reviewed by an expert committee.

Research groups oten contain teachers in the same subject area. At the

start o each year, research groups identiy a particular aspect o learn-

ing. They examine theory and evidence, and then they try dierent

teaching practices based on their ndings. Research reports in higher-

perorming schools are published, creating a record o pedagogical de-

velopment at each school. This process is an essential part o teachers

proessional learning, and it is actored into promotion decisions.

Teachers work together in lesson groups to plan lessons, examine

student progress, and prepare teaching content. Lesson groups are

vital to combating inequality. Students who are alling behind

students whose learning needs are not being addressed are qu

identied and assisted.

Both research and lesson groups involve regular classroom obs

tions, ollowed by constructive eedback, proessional learning

mentoring. Such collaboration is shown to have signicant imp

on student learning.

Research and lesson groups are an important part o a teacher

week. The groups meet or one to two hours each week in som

schools, and teachers in these groups observe each others clas

improve learning and teaching.

Increasing the eectiveness o research and lesson groups has

considered critical in turning around a number o low-perorm

schools in Shanghai.

Source: Ben Jensen and others, Catching Up: Learning rom the Best School Systems in East As(Victoria, Australia: Grattan Institute, 2012), available atp://raa.ed.a/pblca/repcac-p-lear-rm-e-be-cl-yem--ea-aa/.

Research and lesson groups in Shanghai

Tereore, he evaluaion o agreemens beween schools ensures ha coopera-

ion wihin and beween schools is ocused on suden learning. Neworks are no

esablished or heir own sake, bu insead o produce specic improvemens in

learning and eaching ha are moniored and evaluaed.

Te evaluaion o agreemens beween schools assesses he exen o which high-

perorming suppor schools increase eecive proessional collaboraion in heir

parner schools. Tese assessmen mehods are discussed in deail below. Tey

reec Shanghais view ha proessional collaboraion is a undamenal aspec

o eecive schooling. From inducion and menoring programs o research andlesson groups, a number o undamenal programs in Shanghai increase acive col-

laboraion among eachers o enhance suden learning.68
http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/


31/48



Te main objecive o he empowered-managemen program is o improve

suden learning. Assessmen o sudens progress is moniored o orm a criical

elemen o he evaluaion o agreemens beween schools.

Te evaluaion also ocuses on learning behaviors. o become high perorming,

a school mus develop he habis and behaviors o eecive learning and each-

ing. eachers mus build on suden assessmens in order o improve coninu-

ous learning. Sudens learning habis can hen be developed hrough a posiive

school and classroom environmen.

A schools relationship with the local community

Agreemens beween schools in he empowered-managemen program begin wihbroader sraegic planning ha includes a cooperaion plan beween amilies and

he suppored school deailing how amilies will become more engaged in he

school and have some orm o ownership o he urnaround process.

Muliple sraegies are developed o srenghen links wih he communiy and

include amilies in he school. Examples include social and exracurricular aciviies

ha suppor childrens learning by providing avenues or eachers, sudens, and par-

ens o communicae and work ogeher on improving each childs learning. Schools

also increase home visis and seek o make hese visis more meaningul.

Home visis are a eaure o schooling in Shanghai. Homeroom eachers visi he

home o each suden and discuss his or her developmen and learning objecives.

Depending on he school, his is normally done one or wo imes a year. Low-

perorming schools increase he requency and eeciveness o home visis and

have more deailed discussions wih parens abou heir childs educaion. Tis is

considered o be an eecive mehod o srenghening a schools links wih ami-

lies and he communiy.

Te ve broad areas oulined on page 22 are consisen wih he evidence onurning around low-perorming schools.69 Te exen o which each area is he

ocus o an agreemen beween schools diers on he conex and he naure o

he issues ha need o be addressed. Bu each componen is considered imporan

no only in improving perormance bu also in ensuring ha change is susainable.


32/48


Tere is litle poin in invesing resources and increasing perormance in a school

i i revers o previous behaviors and oucomes afer he agreemen ends. High-

perorming schools are expeced o inves in changes and programs ha will have

a lasing impac on suden learning. Sill, i is recognized ha his is dicul o

evaluae, and he conracs wih high-perorming schools are paid ou beore long-

erm impacs are apparen.


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Measuring outcomes: Evaluation

and accountability arrangements

Exensive evaluaion o he empowered-managemen program sends clear signals

o is imporance. I also demonsraes he emphasis ha he program places on

specic aspecs o school improvemen.

Evaluaions are conduced a he midpoin and he endpoin o agreemens

beween schools and prior o he disbursemen o paymens. A hird pary

conducs he evaluaions using guidelines esablished by he Shanghai municipal-

iy, and i recommends wheher a conrac should be cancelled or coninued orconcludes ha i has been successully compleed.

Te midpoin evaluaion is essenial. I someimes reveals ha reorms have ailed

o address low perormance, and i poins o improvemens ha need o occur and

changes ha need o be made. Criical issues can be idenied and appropriae

acions can be aken o improve school perormance a his juncure. Problems

such as insucien planning or he resisance o key sa are quickly idenied,

and evaluaors ensure ha changes are made o reciy he siuaion.

A number o ools are used o monior and evaluae agreemens beween schools,

and hey should be employed in he areas considered levers o school improve-

men. Specically, agreemen evaluaions should consider:

School leadership and sraegic planning

School culure and organizaion

Eecive eaching

Suden learning

Relaionship wih he communiy


34/48


We explore each o hese evaluaion areas in more deail below.


Evaluaion o he sraegy documens and planning underaken by he high-perorming school requires ha evaluaion eams analyze documenaion and

inerview sakeholders. Te eams inerview members o he high-perorming

schools working group who have aken he main roles in he agreemen. Teir

work in he school is observed wih a ocus on how well he sraegic plan has

been implemened. Te leadership eams mus be well srucured, sable, and have

clear responsibiliies or implemening reorm.

An analysis is made up o documenaion and writen records, including an assess-

men o he use o unds, school regulaions, records o meeings wih eachers and

heir represenaives, and oucomes o meeings wih he schools leadership group.

eachers, sudens, and parens are surveyed o assess he impac o he sraegic

plan and wheher i has been properly communicaed o all sakeholders. Tis

allows or a more comprehensive evaluaion o he plan and is implemenaion, as

well as idenicaion o he srenghs and weaknesses o he leadership eam rom

he high-perorming school.


Evaluaors nd i easy o ideniy and monior exracurricular and social aciviies

such as sporing or music evens, which help o develop a srong school culure.

Bu he level o communiy paricipaion and he alignmen o aciviies wih

school objecives require deeper analysis.

Te evaluaion eam analyzes documens and conducs inerviews o ensure ha

he high-perorming school has developed clear and eecive eaching and learn-

ing behaviors reinorced by programs and aciviies ha develop a srong school

culure. Te eam uses inerviews and survey daa o assess he exen o whicheachers, sudens, and he school communiy have acceped hese new behaviors.

Accepance could be greaer i he managemen approach o he high-perorming

school is seen as eecive and air.


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Te evaluaion eam also measures and observes eaching pracices and suden-

learning behaviors, as well as wheher he high-perorming school is improving

inerpersonal relaionships in he urnaround school.

Effective teaching

Evaluaors assess a number o aspecs o eecive eaching. Tey analyze docu-

menaion showing eaching plans, curriculum schedules, exbooks, and oher

eaching maerials. Tey assess he sandard and qualiy o classroom eaching

and sudens learning habis hrough exensive classroom observaion. And hey

survey and inerview eachers and sudens o urher analyze he eeciveness

o eaching and he eedback mechanisms used in he school, such as eedback o

eachers ollowing peer observaion.

Addiionally, inerviews and observaion o school pracices are used o assesssa-developmen plans and he eeciveness o eaching and research groups.

eacher inerviews ofen ocus on eachers proessional developmen and school-

based eaching, research, and raining sysems.

I is ineresing ha no direc quaniaive measures o eacher perormance are

used. Tere are no quaniaive measures o eacher eeciveness or oher similar

indicaors o suden achievemen used in he evaluaion or in Shanghai school

educaion more broadly.


Evaluaors use a number o measures o assess improvemens in suden learn-

ing. Tey analyze changes in suden perormance on boh sandardized and

school-based suden assessmens, as well as indicaors o suden conduc such as

ruancy and suden academic awards. Classroom observaions and eacher and

suden inerviews and quesionnaires complemen quaniaive daa o assess he

developmen o sudens learning behaviors and sudy habis boh in and ouside

o he school.


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Relationship with the local community

Inerviews and surveys o parens and oher communiy sakeholders provide impor-

an daa o assess changes in he relaionship beween he school and he communiy,

as well as he involvemen o parens in he school and heir childs learning.

Evaluaions also include quaniaive measures such as dropou raes and waiing

liss or sudens rying o ge ino he school. Tere are subsanial posiive shifs

in many schools in he number o amilies seeking o enroll; his is seen as a key

measure o improvemen in Shanghai.

Survey daa are used o develop a number o indicesincluding school-sais-

acion raesha build on raes o paren, eacher, and suden saisacion.

Paren-saisacion raes ocus on parens saisacion wih he school and, more

specically, on parens saisacion wih eachers proessional ehics and working

atiudes and he progress o heir children. Suden-saisacion raes show su-dens saisacion wih he school and he qualiy o classroom eaching. eacher-

saisacion raes ocus more on eachers impressions o he involvemen o he

high-perorming school, as well as he changes ha i implemened.

Te evaluaion also assesses scal probiy, or he resources ha he high-perorm-

ing school has devoed o he agreemen and any changes in he allocaion o

resources in he suppored school.

Comprehensive evaluaion improves he enire empowered-managemen program. I

provides inormaion on how elemens o he program srenghen or weaken produc-

ive relaionships beween schools. In he early years o he program, or example,

some evaluaions highlighed problems semming rom a disinc power imbalance

beween schools. Te low-perorming school was being old how o improve or

address problems. Tis led o eelings o persecuion and reduced opporuniies or

meaningul exchange and learning. Poor media coverage made he problems worse, as

newspapers highlighed schools idenied as needing help as weak schools.

As a resul, changes were made o ensure ha schools worked more producively

ogeher on he program and ha he principals o and eachers in he low-per-orming schools were empowered or susainable change raher han jus old

wha o do. Te problems were no severe, however, and hey were no eviden in

all agreemens beween schools. Neverheless, good eedback loops and ongoing

monioring and evaluaion have enabled quick improvemen o he program.


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Costs, impacts, and findings

Costs

Te main coss o he program are he sums paid o high-perorming schools each

year o cover he coss o heir agreemens wih low-perorming schools. Te cos

o he program varies wih he agreemens beween schools and he magniude o

he asks or high-perorming schools. Some relaionships beween schools, or

example, ocus on specic issues or even jus one issue. Te cos o he agreemen

reecs he size o he ask.

High-perorming schools in general are ofen paid 500,000 yuan a year in an

agreemen. Tis is equivalen o abou $118,650.70 Te body responsible or he

agreemeneiher he school disric or he municipaliypays he sum o he

high-perorming school. Over he course o he agreemen, he high-perorming

school will incur coss, such as eacher salaries and he amoun paid or a school

principals working ime.

Bu hese coss are expeced o be less han he amoun o be paid o he suppor-

ing school under he agreemen. Te dierence beween he income rom he

conrac and he cos o he urnaround process is a pro ha provides a nancial

incenive or high-perorming schools o ener ino hese agreemens.

Impacts and findings

Precise and ransparen quaniaive measures o how he empowered-manage-

men program impacs suden learning are no available o help ouside observ-

ers discern he eeciveness o he program. I is clear, however, ha all levels oschool educaion and governmen in Shanghai suppor he program and believe

ha i has played an imporan role in reducing educaional inequaliy. Having

begun in a ew school disrics, i has been expanded o address equiy concerns


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in suburban areas o Shanghai. More recenly a ew Shanghai schools have been

conraced o assis schools in oher Chinese provinces.71

Te expansion demonsraes he widespread belie in he imporance o he

program in urning around low-perorming schools. Te program has improved

links and relaionships beween schools. Tis is somehing ha is ofen dicul oachieve. I has spawned greaer knowledge o school improvemen, paricularly a

he lower end o he perormance specrum, srenghening policy developmen a

all levels o he educaion sysem.

Many schools in he program repor improved suden perormance, as well as

improvemen in oher measures such as suden reenion and progression o

higher levels o educaion. And evaluaions o empowered-managemen program

agreemens beween schools have shown improvemens in exracurricular acivi-

ies and engagemen wih he communiy.

Moreover, here is some amoun o school choice in Shanghai, so a key measure

o success is paren demand or a place or heir child wihin an empowered-man-

agemen program school. Beore he empowered-managemen program, many

schools were considered o be ailing because hey were losing sudens and ami-

lies. Bu he ransparen rise in suden perormance in empowered-managemen

program schools, as well as heir sronger connecions o he local communiies,

has creaed waiing liss, wih amilies rom oher local areas rying o ge heir

children ino he school. Unorunaely, precise daa on hese schools and heir

waiing liss are unavailable.


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Conclusion

Te empowered-managemen program or urning around low-perorming

schools in Shanghai is considered eecive, and i is being expanded. Based on is

PISA perormance, educaion leaders in Shanghai believe ha i has helped make

Shanghai he worlds highes-perorming educaion sysem.

Clearly, opporuniies exis or educaors and policymakers o learn rom he

Shanghai program and apply wha is useul in heir local conex. Moreover, ew

aspecs o he program appear o be applicable only in Shanghai. Te evidence onhow o creae urnaround schools is remarkably consisen around he world. Te

empowered-managemen program provides a model or implemening he hings

ha we already know mater in improving low-perorming schools.

Te program uses exising srenghs in he Shanghai school sysem o help low-

perorming schools. Raher han applying a op-down approach, i ges schools

working wih one anoher. Educaors everywhere should consider wheher he

mehods oulined in his repor o improve school perormance could be eec-

ively used o improve oher areas o educaion.

Finally, i is again worh noing he srenghs o educaion in Shanghai and consid-

ering he dierences beween eachers work and careers here and eachers work

and careers in he Unied Saes and mos oher OECD counries. Shanghai makes

signicanly larger invesmens in eecive proessional learning, classroom obser-

vaion and eedback o eachers, proessional collaboraion, and he developmen

o eachers research skills o creae schools ha are learning organizaions. Tese

areas are emphasized in he empowered-managemen program and hroughou

he educaion sysem in Shanghai.


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About the authors

Ben Jensen is direcor o he School Educaion Program a he Gratan Insiue,

an independen public policy hink ank ocused on Ausralian domesic public

policy. His recen work a Gratan has ocused on educaion sraegy and eecive

implemenaion o educaion policy; policies and programs o improve school andeacher eeciveness; how o measure school perormance; and cos eeciveness

o various educaion reorms. He has underaken exensive inernaional compara-

ive work, paricularly on high-perorming school sysems in Eas Asia. Beore

joining Gratan, Jensen spen ve years in he educaion direcorae o he OECD,

where he analyzed educaion policies in OECD counries and led an exper group

examining how o measure school perormance. Prior o joining he OECD, Jensen

worked or he Vicorian Governmen in Ausralia, where his research ocused on

axaion, governmen reorm, and regional policy. He also worked a he Melbourne

Insiue o Applied Economic and Social Research, where he led he secion ocus-

ing on educaion-policy analysis and was involved in projecs relaed o social andeducaion policy, inequaliy, and neighborhood eecs on educaion. Jensen also

augh economics in he Unied Saes. He has a docorae rom he Universiy o

Melbourne in Ausralia, where he was a Ronald Henderson scholar.

Joanna Farmer is an associae a he Gratan Insiue, an independen public

policy hink ank ocused on Ausralian domesic public policy. She has experi-

ence in a number o public policy areas. Prior o joining he Gratan Insiue,

Joanna worked as a policy ocer or he peak body represening public hospials

in Vicoria, Ausralia. She has also worked on urban renewal in regional Ausralia,

disabiliy, aging, and end-o-lie care projecs a Demos, a U.K. hink ank, and

communiy healh projecs in rural Scoland. Joanna has a bachelors degree in

modern hisory and poliics rom he Universiy o Oxord.


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Appendix and references

Methodology

Tis repor builds on he ndings o previous repors and analyses o high-perorm-ing school-educaion sysems in Eas Asia auhored and conduced by he Gratan

Insiue, an Ausralian public-policy hink ank where he auhors are employed. All

o hese repors analyzed boh inernaional and local evidence on school peror-

mance and included exensive daa collecion in high-perorming sysems.

For his repor, we ranslaed and analyzed exensive documenaion provided by

he Shanghai educaion sysem. We made several visis o Shanghai, which yielded

a signican amoun o inormaion and local documenaion. We inerviewed

policymakers in various roles a all levels o governmen. We conduced numerous

school visis o observe schooling and inerview school principals, eachers, andsudens. We veried he inormaion where possible and only included i in his

repor when i was suppored by a number o sources.


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Endnotes

1 oECD, PisA 2009 Rel: Wa sde kw adCa D (2009).

2 see oECD, sr Perrmer ad sccel Rerm-er Edca: Le rm PisA r e uedsae (2011). Fr a bre dc e develp-

me ad er eqy prram saacl edca.

3 Be Jee ad er, Cac up: Lear rme Be scl syem Ea Aa (Vcra, Arala:graa ie, 2012), avalable a p://raa.ed.a/pblca/repr/p/cac-p-lear-rm-e-be-cl-yem--ea-aa/.

4 Le all a ad yem parcpa e PisAprram, a repreeave ample 15-year-ldde wa radmly eleced rm saa cl 2009. Mre a 5,000 15-year-ld de wereampled by e oECD rm a repreeave ample e 112,000 15-year-ld saa. A a p cmpar, 5,115 15-year-ld de were ampled saa cmpared 5,233 de e uedsae. i ld al be ed a cl-levelexcl are le w oECD dele ere

a e ample rema repreeave. tere evdece a e ample wa repreeave 15-year-ld de saa, r ere evdece ay ample ba a wld cme rm, r example,ly ampl elecve cl. see oECD, PisA 2009Rel: Wa sde k w ad Ca D.

5 oECD, PisA 2009 Rel: Wa sde kw adCa D.

6 oECD, PisA 2009 Rel: overcm scal Bac-rd(2010).


8 Deparme Edca, scl imprvemegra, avalable a p://www2.ed.v/prram//dex.ml.

9 oECD, sr Perrmer ad sccel Rermer Edca: Le rm PisA r e ued sae.

10 ibd.

11 naal Ceer r Edca sac, Revee adExpedre r Pblc Elemeary ad secdaryscl Drc: scl Year 200809 (Fcal Year 2009)Fr L (2011).

12 Dape A. key, te Prpery tax-scl FdDlemma (Plcy Fc Repr) (Pex: Lclie Lad Plcy, 2007).

13 24/7 Wall s., Amerca Rce scl Drc, aval-able a p://247wall.cm/2012/06/06/amerca-rc-e-cl-drc/ (la acceed sepember 2012).

14 oECD, PisA 2009 Rel: overcm scal Bac-rd.


16 ibd.

17 ibd.

18 Ceer ieraal Edca Becmar,saa-Ca: syem ad scl oraa,avalable a p://www.cee.r/prram-alae/ceer--eraal-edca-becmar/p-perrm-cre/aa-ca/aa-ca-yem-ad-cl-raza/ (la acceed A

2012).


20 Jee ad er, Cac up: Lear rm eBe scl syem Ea Aa.

21 Be Lev, hw Cae 5,000 scl. i Adyharreave ad er, ed., Second International Hand-book o Educational Change (Drdrec, neerlad:sprer, 2009); Be Lev, Apprace Eqy Plcy r Lel Lear (Par: oECD, 2003); M-cael Barber, Instruction to Deliver: Fighting to TransormBritains Public Services (Ld: Mee, 2008); BeLev ad Mcael Flla, Lear ab syemReewal, Educational Management, Administration andLeadership 36 (2) (2008): 289303.


23 Be Jee ad er, Cac up: Lear rme Be scl syem Ea Aa (Vcra, Arala:graa ie, 2012), avalable a p://raa.ed.a/pblca/repr/p/cac-p-lear-rm-e-be-cl-yem--ea-aa/.


25 ibd.

26 ibd.

27 PisA e a meare relece ae dew exceed expeca baed er cec-mc a. A dadvaaed de claed a

rele e r e e bm qarer e PisAdex ecmc, cal, ad clral a ecry aeme ad perrm e p qareracr de rm all cre aer accr cecmc bacrd. see oECD, PisA 2009Rel: Wa Mae a scl sccel? (2010).


29 oECD, Edca a a glace 2011: oECD idcar(2011).

30 oECD, De mey by r perrmace PisA?(2012).

31 oECD, PisA 2009 Rel: Wa Mae a scl sc-cel?


33 Adrea sclecer, PisA Ce Expla ieraalscl Ra (Par: oECD , 2010).

34 Lev, Apprace Eqy Plcy r LelLear.
http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/index.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/index.htmlhttp://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/index.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/index.htmlhttp://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/http://grattan.edu.au/publications/reports/post/catching-up-learning-from-the-best-school-systems-in-east-asia/


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36 Yya Y ad gx Wa, saa: PplaPla ad urba saably. i Yya Yad gx Wa, ed., Human Settlement Development,vl. 2 (new Yr: ued na Pbl, 2006);naal Brea sac Ca, Cmmq e naal Brea sac Peple Repblc Ca Majr Fre e 2010 Ppla Ce-[1] (n. 1), avalable a p://www.a.v.c/e-l/ewadcmeve/20110428_402722244.

m (la acceed sepember 2012).

37 saa hl, saa Fac, avalable ap://www.aal.cm/eeal/ (laacceed nvember 2012).



40 i cmm r -perrm cl beeaed mlple areeme w er cl.

te saa Expermeal scl, r example, abee eaed ve areeme elp ve dferecl.

41 i ere cmpare e pracce

sapre, aer cry w a -perrmcl-edca yem. scl prcpal sa-pre are raed bewee cl every ve eveyear. n ly de prvde e cl prcpalw brad experece r r er career,b al cdered be e me perd wca cl prcpal wll ave e maxmm mpac acl. Jee ad er, Cac up: Lear rme Be scl syem Ea Aa.

42 see, r example, Ber P. M. Creemer ad er, E-ecve scl imprveme - irede r scce:

te Rel a ieraal Cmparave sdy Be Pracce Cae sde. i ty twed, ed., Inter-national Handbook o School Efectiveness and Improve-ment, vl. 17(Drdrec, neerlad: sprer, 2007);u.s. Deparme Edca, Innovations in Education:Successul Charter Schools (2004); Davd hp, JMr, ad Waye Cra, Powerul Learning: A strategy

or systemic educational improvement(Melbre,Arala: ACER Pre, 2011).

43 iervew w cl prcpal empazed eaddal demad er me a a ey e deerm weer eer e areeme elpr ard a lw-perrm cl. Addal medemad ave reled me cl prcpaldecl ppre eer crac. Depycl prcpal ad er er maaemep wll e ame addal repblea e ppr cl. ta be ad, ld be re-membered a we c cl parcpae areeme, cl-drc cal ce cla ey beleve ave e capacy acvely mprvea lw-perrm cl wle maa er w perrmace. t clde jdme ab eable e prcpal ad er maaeme b cl.

44 Crper Day ad er, sccel sclLeaderp: L W Lear ad Aceveme(Berre, Elad: Mcgraw-hll ieraal, 2011);nrma hecey, scl ta Mae a Dferece:Fal Repr. twelve Caada secdary scl Lw-icme se (kelwa, Br Clmba:scey r e Advaceme Excellece Edca-, 2001); L ace. t. izm, Wa Wr: ide MdelCarer scl (Lcl, ill: Ceer iva

ad imprveme, 2008); Rcard F. Elmre, kw- e R t D: scl imprveme adPerrmace-Baed Accably (Wa: na-al gverr Aca, 2003); oECD, Mearimprveme Lear ocme: Be Pracce Ae e Vale-Added scl (2008).

45 Elmre, kw e R t D: sclimprveme ad Perrmace-Baed Accably.

46 Adam gamra, Alerave ue Ably grp secdary scl: Ca We Br h-Qaly

irc Lw-Ably Clae?, Amerca Jral Edca 102 (1) (1993): 122; Adam gamraad er, uprad h scl Maemacirc: imprv Lear oppre r Lw-Acev, Lw-icme Y, Edcaal Evalaad Plcy Aaly 19 (4) (1997): 325338; Lee Jmad ke D. harber, teacer Expeca ad sel-Flll Prpece: kw ad uw, Relvedad urelved Crvere, Peraly ad scalPycly Revew 9 (2) (2005): 131155.

47 Creemer ad er, Efecve scl imprveme -irede r scce: te Rel a ieraalCmparave sdy Be Pracce Cae sde; u.s.Deparme Edca, iva Edca:sccel Carer scl; De, key a- ccel cl rard; hp, Mr,ad Cra, Pwerl Lear: A raey r yemcedcaal mprveme.

48 Day ad er, sccel scl Leaderp: LW Lear ad Aceveme.

49 hp, Mr, ad Cra, Pwerl Lear: Araey r yemc edcaal mprveme; izm,Wa Wr: ide Mdel Carer scl.

50 Mcael Flla, Prcpal a Leader a Clre Cae, Edcaal Leaderp specal i e (May2002): 116.

51 De, key a ccel cl r-ard.

52 Vve Cler, hbry grve - Frm Decrc Recrc. i Le sll ad kae Myer, ed.,n Qc Fxe: Perpecve scl Dcly(Ld: Rlede, 1998).

53 Remary Papa ad Fewc El, trardPrcpal r uderperrm scl (Laam,Marylad: Rwma & Lleeld Pbler, 2011).

54 Dael Aar, La Barrw, ad Wllam sader,teacer ad sde Aceveme e CcaPblc h scl, Jral Labr Ecmc 25 (1)(2007): 95135; Erc A. hae ad er, te Mar-e r teacer Qaly. Wr Paper 11 154 (naalBrea Ecmc Reearc, 2005); Ala B. kreer,Ecmc Cdera ad Cla sze. WrPaper 8875 (naal Brea Ecmc Reearc,2002); Ja E. Rcf, te impac idvdal

teacer sde Aceveme: Evdece rmPael Daa, Amerca Ecmc Revew 94 (2) (2004):247252; oECD, Crea Efecve teac ad Lear- Evrme: Fr Rel rm tALis (2009).

55 Wll Dbbe ad Rlad g. Fryer, Jr., ge Beeae Vel Efecve scl: Evdece rm newYr Cy. Wr Paper 17632 (naal Brea Ecmc Reearc, 2011); De, key accel cl rard; J Mr, scce-l cl mprveme eed pwerl preallear. i hp, Mr, ad Cra, ed., PwerlLear: A raey r yemc edcaal mprve-me.


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56 Dbbe ad Fryer, Jr., ge Beea e Vel Efec-ve scl: Evdece rm new Yr Cy; De, key a ccel cl rard; Alma har-r ad er, imprv scl Excepally Cal-le Crcmace: tale rm e Frle (newYr: Cm ieraal Pbl grp, 2006);izm, Wa Wr: ide Mdel Car er scl.

57 Jyce L. Epe, scl, Famly ad Cmmy Par-erp: Prepar Edcar ad imprv scl(Blder, Co: Wevew Pre, 2001).

58 De, key a ccel cl r-ard; harr ad er, imprv scl Excepally Calle Crcmace.

59 Rcard D. kaleber, trard scl ta Wr:Mv Beyd separae b Eqal (new Yr: teCery Fda, 2009).

60 harr ad er, imprv scl ExcepallyCalle Crcmace.

61 ibd.

62 Dael Mj ad er, Collaboration and Networkingin Education (Drdrec, neerlad: sprer, 2011).

63 Jefrey Je, te develpme leaderp capacyr cllabra mall cl,School Leader-ship and Management29 (2) (2009): 129156.

64 Cr Capma ad Mcael Flla, Cllabraad parerp r eqable mprveme: warda ewred lear yem?, School Leadership andManagement27 (3) (2007): 207211. . 3 (2007

65 ibd.

66 oECD, Crea Efecve teac ad Lear Ev-rme: Fr Rel rm tALis.

67 ibd.


69 see, r example, hp, Mr, ad Cra, PowerulLearning: A strategy or systemic educational improve-ment.

70 ieraal Meary Fd, 5. Repr r selecedCre ad sbjec, avalable a www.m.r/exeral/pb//we/2012/02/wedaa/werep.apx?y=2010&ey=2017&m=1&cm=1&d=1&r=cry&d=.&br=1&pr1.x=68&pr1.y=14&c=924%2C111&=PPPEX&rp=0&a (la acceed ocber 2012).

71 Ca gel, ervew w ar, May 17, 2012.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2017&ssm=1&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=68&pr1.y=14&c=924%2C111&s=PPPEX&grp=0&ahttp://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2017&ssm=1&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=68&pr1.y=14&c=924%2C111&s=PPPEX&grp=0&ahttp://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2017&ssm=1&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=68&pr1.y=14&c=924%2C111&s=PPPEX&grp=0&ahttp://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2017&ssm=1&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=68&pr1.y=14&c=924%2C111&s=PPPEX&grp=0&ahttp://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2017&ssm=1&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=68&pr1.y=14&c=924%2C111&s=PPPEX&grp=0&ahttp://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2017&ssm=1&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=68&pr1.y=14&c=924%2C111&s=PPPEX&grp=0&ahttp://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2017&ssm=1&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=68&pr1.y=14&c=924%2C111&s=PPPEX&grp=0&ahttp://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2017&ssm=1&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=68&pr1.y=14&c=924%2C111&s=PPPEX&grp=0&ahttp://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2017&ssm=1&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=68&pr1.y=14&c=924%2C111&s=PPPEX&grp=0&ahttp://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2017&ssm=1&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=68&pr1.y=14&c=924%2C111&s=PPPEX&grp=0&a


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