China has undertaken several education reforms since the 1980s including decentralizing finance and administration in 1985, allowing local production of textbooks in 1988, and introducing national education technology standards in 2004. It has seen significant improvements in PISA scores. The US can learn from high-performing countries like China, Finland, and Singapore by revamping teacher education, providing school autonomy, emphasizing student-centered learning over rote memorization, and adopting some of their best practices to close domestic achievement gaps.

1. China's IT in Education
China is the country of research and general
information about its educational system and use of
Technology
OECD (2010), PISA 2009 Volume I, What Students Know and Can Do: Student Performance in Reading,
Mathematics and Science, OECD Publishing.

2. China’s Educational Achievements
Year Reform Program
1980 China launched a series of reforms in education.
1985 Decentralization finance and administration.
1988 Local production of textbooks(not uniform set of textbooks)
1998 Natural Science with Humanities was launched in the national
curriculum.
1999 Re-design of higher education entrance examination.
2001 Content was re-organized according to life-relevance and progression
in learning.
2002 Private schools expansion.
2004 National Education Technology standard was introduced.
2006 Financial support for education.
OECD (2010), PISA 2009 Volume I, What Students Know and Can Do: Student
Performance in Reading, Mathematics and Science, OECD Publishing.

3. Rdfz Xishan in Beijing, is one of the schools in China which participated in a Mac
one-to-one program and has transformed learning into a collaborative and
engaging experience without sacrificing test scores.
Reference: Apple Retail Store (2013) Apple in Educational Profiles. RDFZ XISHAN SCHOOL: Beijing.
Retrieved from: http://www.apple.com/education/profiles/rdfz/
RDFZ XISHAN had made tremendous
achievements in secondary education.
Rdfz Xishan had made tremendous achievements in
secondary education.

4. Global Mathematics Performance Results on the 2009
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
Washington Post (June 16, 2011)"George W. Bush: Moments That Defined His Presidency," www.
washingtonpost.com / AFP
http://standardizedtests.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=4344

5. According to Hammond (01/27/2010) United States has a lot to do to improve its entire Education
system in order for it to catch up with High Achieving countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Finland
and more European countries because the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment
(PISA) results revealed America lacking behind from the high achieving countries. According to my
scholarly articles report, U. S should move away from pure “bookish” knowledge and to improve
relevance and interest in the content of a curriculum and repetitive and mechanistic rote-learning
towards increased student participation, real-life experience, capacity in communications and
teamwork, and ability to acquire new knowledge and to analyze and solve problems. (OECD, 2010)
The High Achieving countries use very few standards for K-12 which can fit in about ten Pages. U.S.
seems to have too many objectives and many of these will be repeated year after year. The high
achieving countries train their teachers extremely well the main focus being on assessments. Students
do a lot of hands-on projects, reflecting on their work, doing experiments and that is so different from
what goes on in the U.S. schools. So the U.S. Federal Law is working on that improving funding for
assessments and adopting policies from these high achieving countries. I would be inclined to share
this video with such an audience as educators, principals/administrators, policy-makers, teachers, and
stake holders because they play an important role in improving the teaching and learning of students.
Darling-Hammond, L. (01/27/2010) Big Thinkers: Becoming Internationally Competitive. Hewlett
Foundation. The George Lucas Educational Foundation. Edutopia.
http://www.edutopia.org/international-teaching-learning-assessment-video

6. Technology In Schools: Who Does It Best,
China Or The U.S.?
According to the graph, China shows 53% of technology
integration in the curriculum whereas U.S. is 29% on that
same finding.
References: OECD (2010), PISA 2009 Volume I, What Students Know and Can Do: Student
Performance in Reading, Mathematics and Science, OECD Publishing.

7. Lessons from PISA for the united States
Shanghai and Hong Kong: Two Distinct examples of Education reform in 90
OECD 2010 Strong Performers and Successful reformers in education: lessons
from PISA for the united States
To move away from pure “bookish” knowledge and to improve relevance and
interest in the content of a curriculum.
To move away from repetitive and mechanistic rote-learning towards increased
student participation, real-life experience, capacity in communications and
teamwork, and ability to acquire new knowledge and to analyze and solve
problems.
To de-emphasize the screening and selective functions of assessments and
instead to emphasize their formative and constructive functions.
To move away from centralization, so as to leave room for adaptation to local
relevance and local needs.
To move away from pure knowledge transmission towards fostering learning
attitudes and values.
To move away from discipline-based knowledge, towards more comprehensive
and balanced learning experiences.
References: OECD (2010), PISA 2009 Volume I, What Students Know and Can Do: Student
Performance in Reading, Mathematics and Science, OECD Publishing.
Ministry of Education of the PRC (2001), Guidelines for Curriculum Reform in Basic Education, draft,
ministry of education, Beijing.

8. Both Shanghai and Hong Kong have engaged in
comprehensive approaches to education reform,results can
tell.
OECD PISA (2009) The Economist online “An International Report Card” Dec. 7, 2010. Thesis Word Press
Theme http://www.china-mike.com/facts-about-china/

9. OECD PISA (2009) The Economist online “An International Report Card” Dec. 7, 2010. Thesis Word Press
Theme http://www.china-mike.com/facts-about-ch ina/

10. The achievement gap in America’s schools
http://mckinseyonsociety.com/the-economic-impact-of-the-achievement-gap-in-americas-schools/#sthash.OZDgtc8F.
dpuf
Four distinct gaps in education:
(1) between the United States and other nations
(2) between black and Latino students and
white students
(3) between students of different income levels.
(4) between similar students schooled in
different systems or regions.

11. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results show that, over
time, black and Hispanic students have made great strides in improving
performance in reading and mathematics.
Under President Barack Obama’s Administration, the U.S. Department of
Education also stepped up attention on gender and racial gaps in students’
college enrollment and success rates, toward a goal that the United States will
lead the world in college graduates by 2020.
The economic-stimulus law passed by Congress in 2009 required states
provide more equitable distribution of high-quality teachers for poor and
minority students. Policymakers and educators hope to find new ways to close
achievement gaps faster in the decade to come.
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, shined light on achievement gaps and
increased accountability for high-need students, but it also encouraged states
to lower standards and narrow curriculum, focused on absolute test scores
instead of student growth and gains, and created one-size-fits-all federal
mandates.
Education Week (July 27, 2013) Achievement Gap. Editorial Projects in Education. 6935 Arlington Road, Bethesda: MD
20814 Published: August 3, 2004.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/achievement-gap/
Ways of closing the achievement gaps:

12. Black-White Achievement Gap Narrows on NAEP
American schools have made modest progress in closing the achievement gap
between black and white students in math and reading, though that narrowing varies
by grade and subject and from state to state, a study released today shows.
Cavanagh, S. (July 27, 2013) Black-White Achievement Gap Narrows on NAEP. Education Week. 6935 Arlington Road,
Bethesda: MD 20814. 2013 Editorial Projects in Education

13. Images from:https://www.google.com/search

14. Finland's Educational Achievements
Finland and other northern European countries
abolished tracking and created a unified basic
school structure. Then revamped and upgraded
their teacher education programmes and took
steps to modernize secondary education.The
learning environment must support the pupil’s
growth and learning.

15. FINNISH EDUCATION SYSTEM

16. South Korea's Education reforms:
In one generation, South Korea moved from a nation
that educated less than a quarter of its citizens through
high school to one that now ranks third in college-
educated adults, with most young people now
completing postsecondary education.
http://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/south-korea-
overview/south-korea-instructional-systems/

17. Singapore's Educational Reforms:
Source from : http://app.www.sg/what/59/Education.aspx

18. Singapore's Educational achievements
In Singapore, 4
th
and 8
th
grade students scored first in the
world in both mathematics and science on the TIMSS
(Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study)
assessments in 2003.

19. Unites States has to adopt the best practices of the high
achieving countries such as China, Finland, Hong Kong,
Singapore, German etc. and these are as listed:
1.Unites States has to adopt the best practices of the high achieving countries
such as China, Finland, Hong Kong, Singapore, German etc. and these are as
listed:
2.Revamping and upgrading the teacher education programs and take similar
steps to Finland to modernize secondary education.
3.To invest in the education sector and change public attitudes toward holding
teachers in higher esteem.
4.Providing information to make schools accountable and giving autonomy to
schools and head teachers.
5.Policy makers should create a common, untracked comprehensive school
system that would serve students from all walks of life regardless of race, family
backgrounds for example.
6.Improve foreign relations with developing nations like Africa or Latin
America, and U.S. needs to provide the aid in more transparency to those
continents really need, as well as to make non-governmental organizations
(NGOs)

20. Unites States has to adopt the best practices of
the high achieving countries
7.America should approach the world with an open mind in a spirit of goodwill
and partnership especially in its relations with China, and all high achieving
countries which share many of America's most cherished traditional values:
hard work, lifelong education, and devotion to family and community.
8.The Department of Education should inquire about the Chinese government’s
strategy for achieving inclusive education for children with disabilities.
9.Other countries have been pouring resources into education, both their
achievement and graduation rates have been climbing for all their students,
including recent immigrants and historical minorities.
10.U.S. should reform the education because the 21st
century is characterized by
the availability of abundant information, advanced technology, a rapidly
changing society, greater convenience in daily lives, and keener international
competition .
Darling- Hammond, L. (2010). The flat world and education. How America’s commitment to equity will determine our
future. New York: Teachers College Press.
Lee, A. (July 27, 2013) Lessons the U.S. Can Learn From China. Huffington Post. World.
OECD (2010), PISA 2009 Volume I, What Students Know and Can Do: Student Performance in Reading, Mathematics
and Science, OECD Publishing.