Developing School Evaluation Methods to Improve the Quality of Schooling in China: A Pilot 'Value Added' Study

This article describes the background and findings of a research project on school effectiveness and evaluation in one regional education authority in China. The study was the outcome of a China/UK academic link aiming to improve research capacity and the evaluation of educational quality in China, funded by the British Council in Beijing, on behalf of the UK Department for International Development (DFID). With reference to the Chinese context, the paper also provides an overview and critique of relevant school effectiveness and school evaluation research, as well as approaches to assessing pupils' educational outcomes in China. In line with previous research in other country contexts, the findings of the study showed that significant differences in "value added" measures of school effectiveness appear to exist between senior secondary schools in China, and also that some schools are differentially effective (i.e., more effective in one academic subject than another). Recommendations are outlined in terms of how the results could be used to enhance school self-evaluation and the findings are also discussed in relation to the future quality in education research agenda in China. (Contains 3 tables, 2 figures, and 5 notes.)