Assessment Reform in Shanghai: Issues and Challenges

Abstract

This article investigates the perceptions of educators from Shanghai on the assessment system and reform in their municipality. The study shows that the Chinese educators perceive the conventional assessment system in Shanghai, particularly the national college entrance exam (gaokao), to be rigorous and fair but inadequate in fostering the holistic development of students. While the Chinese educators support the current assessment reform that is aimed at holistic education, they highlight the challenges of enacting alternative assessment due to prevailing historical and socio-cultural conditions. The case of Shanghai illustrates the continual relevance, strengths, and weaknesses of conventional assessment as well as its potential in complementing alternative assessment.