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In some ways， grade-school education in China and the United States couldn’t be more different. American parents enviously view the high-test scores in math and science achieved at Chinese schools， while Chinese educators admire the critical thinking and problemsolving skills displayed by American students. But while the methods may be different， both countries have committed to improving and broadening their education system and are looking halfway around the world for best practices.
For two days in early April in Boston， state and provincial education leaders from China and across the United States met to share ideas and discuss efforts to improve teacher quality and performance at weak or underachiev- ing schools. The forum was held by the U.S. Department of Education and Chinese Ministry of Education.
Hao Ping， Vice Minister of Education， attended the forum and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. “Education dialogue is an important measure of exchange and cooperation between China and the United States，” Hao said， adding that people-to-people exchange in the education field of the two countries has strong potential and broad prospects at the provincial and state level.
Backed by the Council of Chief State Schools Officers， the Asia Society and Harvard University， Mitchell Chester， Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education， hosted leaders from nine provinces and 13 states to build on and deepen a dialogue that started in Beijing last year， said Maureen McLaughlin， Director of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education.
“While education efforts are huge and highly diverse between and within the United States and China， there are many common challenges. The challenges—especially how to educate all children to high levels—and the desire to learn from each other bring us together. Learning from other countries to improve U.S. education and advance U.S. international priorities is a key objective of the department’s international strategy，” writes McLaughlin.
“One consensus we have reached through this conference is the government’s responsibility for education equalization， which refers to the balance between different regions such as the west and the east， during the stage of compulsory education，” Cen Jianjun， Education Counselor of Chinese Consulate General in New York， told Beijing Review.
“Most of the delegates agreed that China and the United States have much to learn from each other on education. China has rigorous educational standards and a much tighter curriculum than the United States， which helps improve instructional quality in schools， especially in math and science. The United States is the leading country all around the world in higher education. Its educational system encourages creativity， which makes the United States one of the most advanced countries in terms of technological innovation，” Cen added.
‘Turnaround schools’
Improving student education at underperforming schools was a key topic for the delegates， who visited two Boston-area schools highlighted for their successes in improving performance. One， Boston’s Orchard Garden Pilot School， was once one of the lowest performing schools in the state of Massachusetts. After opening in 2003， the school burned through five principals in seven years and had a teacher turnover rate of more than 50 percent every year. The approximately 800 students—25 percent of whom were designated English as Second Language （ESL） scholars—turned in dismal test scores.
By 2010， state educational leaders had enough. They designated Orchard Garden as one of 12 “turnaround schools” in Boston. School administrators gained flexibility to replace 80 percent of the teaching staff and implement a new program focused on quality educators， data-driven benchmarking and increasing learning time for students. Students begin their day at 7：10 a.m.， and some attend extra classes in citizenship and leadership until 5：15 p.m.—a far cry from the typical 9：00 a.m. to 3：00 p.m. schedule of basic instruction at most American schools. After just one year， the percentage of students reading at grade level and testing well on mathematics had improved significantly， according to school administrators.
“Extended learning time， a deep connection to the arts， and a strong student support system have yielded positive results at Orchard Garden School in a short time，” said McLaughlin， adding that both schools visited by the delegates “clearly demonstrate that a focused vision on student success can be achieved by a caring and dedicated staff.”
Provincial leaders in China also described their efforts to turnaround weak or underachieving schools at the forum. Shanghai， for example， is trying a number of approaches including asking the principals of high-performing schools to also manage a low-performing school and creating clusters of high- and lower-performing schools where teams of experienced teachers are transferred into the weaker schools to help improve the quality of teaching and learning， writes McLaughlin.
Deb Delisle， assistant secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education， says Federal legislation has been targeted to identify and overcome discrepancies between high-performing and low-performing schools. During the George W. Bush administration， this took the form of No Child Left Behind. The regulations have now been transformed into the Elementary and Secondary Education Act， enabling states to focus resources on the chronically lowest 5 percent of schools in each state. Education exchanges
Sherrill Parris， deputy state superintendent of education for the Alabama Department of Education， said she attended the forum in part because her state is looking to start educational exchanges with China.
The benefits of educational exchanges are “well known，” writes Jeff Wang， Associate Director of Education and Chinese Language Initiatives Asia Society in New York. Students who study abroad report a transformative experience， and have a “vital” cross-cultural experience in a new era of globalization.
There is also increasing recognition of the benefits of international benchmarking as a tool for education policymaking， Wang writes.
“Nowhere is this imperative for engagement more important than between the United States and China. As China’s influence on the world economy and politics grows， the need to increase understanding between the people of the United States and the people of China grows as well. International partnerships and exchanges in education play a key role in the U.S.- China relationship， providing the context and underpinning for dialogue and negotiation on a wide range of economic， political and social issues，” he added. “Having more leaders in China in a wide range of fields who have studied in the United States， and more Americans in leadership positions who speak Chinese and have direct knowledge of the country and its institutions is crucial.”
In 2010， then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton officially launched the 100，000 Strong Initiative， an effort to increase the numbers and diversify the composition of American students studying in China. The initiative was first mentioned by President Barack Obama during an official visit to China in 2009 and was officially launched by Secretary Clinton during the First High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange， which she and State Councilor Liu Yandong co-chaired in Beijing in May 2010. The U.S. Department of Education has a formal working agreement with the Chinese Ministry of Education， which has included joint projects on language learning， math education and vocational education.
China also has strongly supported the expansion of educational partnerships. In 2012， China provided 13，500 scholarships for its students to study overseas， including over 6，000 for graduate students. Since 1978， when Deng Xiaoping began to send students abroad in large numbers as part of his modernization effort， nearly 2.64 million Chinese students have studied outside of China according to the Ministry of Education. Today， China is the largest supplier of students to universities in the United States with roughly 194，000 Chinese students on American campuses in 2011-12， according to data from the Institute of International Education. Li Ji Helen， author of The Stories of an Only-Child’s Mom From China to America and delegate to the Boston forum， said academic study is secondary to the cultural experiences achieved in exchanges for students and educators. One key difference between the two countries is the teacher-centered methods of China vs. the student-centered educational model of the United States. Many students have trouble adjusting to a foreign lifestyle， and need support once they arrive.
“The reality totally changes when they come here，” Li said.
Blueprint for the future
While educational exchanges and sharing best practices play key roles in shaping the next generation of globalized students， it is clear that a broad organized effort is needed.
“We need to have a sustainable model if real progress is to be made. Many one-off local exchanges are springing up， but given the scale and the importance of the U.S.-China education collaboration， we need an infrastructure that will take us from a model of somewhat unconnected annual meetings to an adequatelysupported， goal-driven and permanent state and provincial and national-level organization，” said forum participant Mark Oettinger， General Counsel of the Vermont Department of Education， adding that there are successful models that have developed over the past two decades in the legal and judicial context between the United States and Russia.
Interest in Sino-American exchanges is at an all-time high， as China’s rapid economic development and rising global influence will“define the 21st century， as U.S. ties to Europe did in the 20th century，” said U.S. private equity tycoon Stephen A. Schwarzman， founder of Blackstone Group. Schwarzman announced plans to raise $300 million， including a $100 million personal gift， to establish a Rhodes Scholarship-type program with Tsinghua University. The endowment will allow 200 students a year from around the world to take part in a one-year master’s program at Tsinghua.“China is no longer an elective course， it’s a core curriculum，” he said in Beijing.
For two days in early April in Boston， state and provincial education leaders from China and across the United States met to share ideas and discuss efforts to improve teacher quality and performance at weak or underachiev- ing schools. The forum was held by the U.S. Department of Education and Chinese Ministry of Education.
Hao Ping， Vice Minister of Education， attended the forum and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. “Education dialogue is an important measure of exchange and cooperation between China and the United States，” Hao said， adding that people-to-people exchange in the education field of the two countries has strong potential and broad prospects at the provincial and state level.
Backed by the Council of Chief State Schools Officers， the Asia Society and Harvard University， Mitchell Chester， Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education， hosted leaders from nine provinces and 13 states to build on and deepen a dialogue that started in Beijing last year， said Maureen McLaughlin， Director of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education.
“While education efforts are huge and highly diverse between and within the United States and China， there are many common challenges. The challenges—especially how to educate all children to high levels—and the desire to learn from each other bring us together. Learning from other countries to improve U.S. education and advance U.S. international priorities is a key objective of the department’s international strategy，” writes McLaughlin.
“One consensus we have reached through this conference is the government’s responsibility for education equalization， which refers to the balance between different regions such as the west and the east， during the stage of compulsory education，” Cen Jianjun， Education Counselor of Chinese Consulate General in New York， told Beijing Review.
“Most of the delegates agreed that China and the United States have much to learn from each other on education. China has rigorous educational standards and a much tighter curriculum than the United States， which helps improve instructional quality in schools， especially in math and science. The United States is the leading country all around the world in higher education. Its educational system encourages creativity， which makes the United States one of the most advanced countries in terms of technological innovation，” Cen added.
‘Turnaround schools’
Improving student education at underperforming schools was a key topic for the delegates， who visited two Boston-area schools highlighted for their successes in improving performance. One， Boston’s Orchard Garden Pilot School， was once one of the lowest performing schools in the state of Massachusetts. After opening in 2003， the school burned through five principals in seven years and had a teacher turnover rate of more than 50 percent every year. The approximately 800 students—25 percent of whom were designated English as Second Language （ESL） scholars—turned in dismal test scores.
By 2010， state educational leaders had enough. They designated Orchard Garden as one of 12 “turnaround schools” in Boston. School administrators gained flexibility to replace 80 percent of the teaching staff and implement a new program focused on quality educators， data-driven benchmarking and increasing learning time for students. Students begin their day at 7：10 a.m.， and some attend extra classes in citizenship and leadership until 5：15 p.m.—a far cry from the typical 9：00 a.m. to 3：00 p.m. schedule of basic instruction at most American schools. After just one year， the percentage of students reading at grade level and testing well on mathematics had improved significantly， according to school administrators.
“Extended learning time， a deep connection to the arts， and a strong student support system have yielded positive results at Orchard Garden School in a short time，” said McLaughlin， adding that both schools visited by the delegates “clearly demonstrate that a focused vision on student success can be achieved by a caring and dedicated staff.”
Provincial leaders in China also described their efforts to turnaround weak or underachieving schools at the forum. Shanghai， for example， is trying a number of approaches including asking the principals of high-performing schools to also manage a low-performing school and creating clusters of high- and lower-performing schools where teams of experienced teachers are transferred into the weaker schools to help improve the quality of teaching and learning， writes McLaughlin.
Deb Delisle， assistant secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education， says Federal legislation has been targeted to identify and overcome discrepancies between high-performing and low-performing schools. During the George W. Bush administration， this took the form of No Child Left Behind. The regulations have now been transformed into the Elementary and Secondary Education Act， enabling states to focus resources on the chronically lowest 5 percent of schools in each state. Education exchanges
Sherrill Parris， deputy state superintendent of education for the Alabama Department of Education， said she attended the forum in part because her state is looking to start educational exchanges with China.
The benefits of educational exchanges are “well known，” writes Jeff Wang， Associate Director of Education and Chinese Language Initiatives Asia Society in New York. Students who study abroad report a transformative experience， and have a “vital” cross-cultural experience in a new era of globalization.
There is also increasing recognition of the benefits of international benchmarking as a tool for education policymaking， Wang writes.
“Nowhere is this imperative for engagement more important than between the United States and China. As China’s influence on the world economy and politics grows， the need to increase understanding between the people of the United States and the people of China grows as well. International partnerships and exchanges in education play a key role in the U.S.- China relationship， providing the context and underpinning for dialogue and negotiation on a wide range of economic， political and social issues，” he added. “Having more leaders in China in a wide range of fields who have studied in the United States， and more Americans in leadership positions who speak Chinese and have direct knowledge of the country and its institutions is crucial.”
In 2010， then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton officially launched the 100，000 Strong Initiative， an effort to increase the numbers and diversify the composition of American students studying in China. The initiative was first mentioned by President Barack Obama during an official visit to China in 2009 and was officially launched by Secretary Clinton during the First High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange， which she and State Councilor Liu Yandong co-chaired in Beijing in May 2010. The U.S. Department of Education has a formal working agreement with the Chinese Ministry of Education， which has included joint projects on language learning， math education and vocational education.
China also has strongly supported the expansion of educational partnerships. In 2012， China provided 13，500 scholarships for its students to study overseas， including over 6，000 for graduate students. Since 1978， when Deng Xiaoping began to send students abroad in large numbers as part of his modernization effort， nearly 2.64 million Chinese students have studied outside of China according to the Ministry of Education. Today， China is the largest supplier of students to universities in the United States with roughly 194，000 Chinese students on American campuses in 2011-12， according to data from the Institute of International Education. Li Ji Helen， author of The Stories of an Only-Child’s Mom From China to America and delegate to the Boston forum， said academic study is secondary to the cultural experiences achieved in exchanges for students and educators. One key difference between the two countries is the teacher-centered methods of China vs. the student-centered educational model of the United States. Many students have trouble adjusting to a foreign lifestyle， and need support once they arrive.
“The reality totally changes when they come here，” Li said.
Blueprint for the future
While educational exchanges and sharing best practices play key roles in shaping the next generation of globalized students， it is clear that a broad organized effort is needed.
“We need to have a sustainable model if real progress is to be made. Many one-off local exchanges are springing up， but given the scale and the importance of the U.S.-China education collaboration， we need an infrastructure that will take us from a model of somewhat unconnected annual meetings to an adequatelysupported， goal-driven and permanent state and provincial and national-level organization，” said forum participant Mark Oettinger， General Counsel of the Vermont Department of Education， adding that there are successful models that have developed over the past two decades in the legal and judicial context between the United States and Russia.
Interest in Sino-American exchanges is at an all-time high， as China’s rapid economic development and rising global influence will“define the 21st century， as U.S. ties to Europe did in the 20th century，” said U.S. private equity tycoon Stephen A. Schwarzman， founder of Blackstone Group. Schwarzman announced plans to raise $300 million， including a $100 million personal gift， to establish a Rhodes Scholarship-type program with Tsinghua University. The endowment will allow 200 students a year from around the world to take part in a one-year master’s program at Tsinghua.“China is no longer an elective course， it’s a core curriculum，” he said in Beijing.