Shanghai, China

What problem is being addressed?

In the 1960s, China’s education system was completely dissolved. In the aftermath of political change, cities were left to rebuild school systems from the ground up.

What is the innovative solution?

Shanghai has been strengthened by traditional Chinese educational standards, but has been called the number one education system in the world for its more modern techniques:

    • An open-door policy that welcomes the latest knowledge, approaches, and scholars from around the world, not just internally.
    • Tackling low-performing schools in various ways, including “empowered management” and teacher mobility: An idea first discovered in the U.S. when private companies took over schools. Instead of private companies, Shanghai leaders asked successful schools and principals were asked to manage lower-performing schools, and share teaching staff and strategies.
    • Transformation of local educational levy from rich districts to poor districts.
    • Three rounds of curriculum reform in the last three decades, leading to greater decentralization and more innovation-focused curriculum.
    • New teaching and learning approaches: Coupled with the new curriculum, new pedagogical strategies were rolled out to strengthen instruction.
    • Teachers’ professional development upgraded with various in-service training and stimulation devices: Shanghai is particularly well-known for its outstanding system of teacher professional learning, with extensive career ladders in place, in-school trainings, action research groups, and ongoing supports.
    • 30% of students in the best high schools must be the top students from low-performing districts. Shanghai is striving for all of its schools to be high-performing but recognizes there is a gap. They are holding spots in high-performing schools for top students from other lower-performing schools to give them an opportunity for success, while simultaneously focusing on strategies to improve lower-performing schools.

How can this be applied to Meadville?

Like most American school systems, Meadville would benefit from being open to teaching innovations from outside the United States. Meadville would greatly improve in a more equitable allocation of resources across communities of different income levels.