On March 14, students from Anson AP class in Shanghai Gezhi Middle School were attending classes. (Image courtesy of Ge Zhian, course center, USA)
20 1 1 In May, AP exams sponsored by American College Board were held all over the world. When the test center was first set up on 20 10 in Zhejiang province, only 30 people applied, and the number of applicants on 20 1 1 rose rapidly to 270. The picture shows the AP exam opening site of Zhejiang Education Examination Service Center. (data picture)
Not long ago, a news that University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and the secondary school affiliated to University of Shanghai for Science and Technology explored mutual recognition of credits attracted people's attention: University of Shanghai for Science and Technology took out five general courses, including English, robotics and computer, and included them in the elective courses of senior one and senior two in the secondary school affiliated to Shanghai for Science and Technology. If students are admitted to science and technology after taking elective courses, they can be exempted from taking relevant courses.
Innovative talents are a country's most valuable strategic resources. Qian Xuesen's question of "how to cultivate top-notch innovative talents" has struck people's hearts and has also been included in the national strategy. The Outline of Education Planning puts forward that it is necessary to promote the diversified development of ordinary high schools, promote the diversification of school-running system and expand high-quality resources; Promote the diversification of training modes to meet the development needs of students with different potentials; Explore ways to discover and cultivate innovative talents; Encourage ordinary high schools to run their own characteristics.
Is it related to the cultivation of innovative talents to vigorously carry out independent enrollment in colleges and universities? Yes, at least that's what the university admissions department says. However, from the outside, the entrance examination for self-enrollment is more like a game of cutting wheat, taking the students trained in high school into the bag, rather than integrating the needs of the university into the process of sowing and watering in the early stage. Looking overseas, a course called AP (College Preparatory Course) is in the ascendant, which brings a sample for the talent training of senior high schools in China, especially for the effective connection between senior high schools and universities. The exploration of mutual recognition of credits between University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and secondary schools affiliated to University of Shanghai for Science and Technology has attracted much attention because of the traces of their pre-university courses.
These have also caused the education sector to think more deeply: How far is the preparatory course of local universities in China?
1 AP course is popular all over the world.
AP (the Advanced Placement Courses) is generally translated into college preparatory courses and advanced preparatory courses. It is a course offered in high school, reaching the academic standard and level of the university, which can be chosen by high school students. The AP project was established in the United States on 1955. If students take the AP exam with unified proposition and pass the exam, they can get credits recognized by the university before entering the university, or be allowed to start advanced courses directly after entering the university.
At present, there are 34 AP courses, which are developed and managed by the American College Board. This is a non-profit, unofficial membership organization, which consists of more than 5,900 colleges, universities, high schools and government agencies, and provides various services such as university admission, university evaluation and university teaching. AP courses and SAT (Academic Assessment Test) are examples of its many services.
After more than half a century, AP project has developed rapidly and has been popularized in more and more countries. In the United States, 30.2% of the students in 201public high schools have taken AP courses. 20 1 1, 1.97 million students from high schools around the world 1.8 million took 3.45 million AP exams. Including Oxford and Cambridge in Britain, Tsinghua and Peking University in China, more than 4,000 universities in more than 60 countries and regions recognize AP test credits.
Why are AP courses so popular? Wang, vice president of American University Council, made an analogy: "If SAT or ACT (American College Entrance Examination) is a mountainside to measure outstanding students, then AP course is a mountain peak, while TOEFL is only a mountain base. If students aim at mountain AP, then SAT and TOEFL will pass. "
Zhang Wuhua, executive vice president of the American Ansheng Cultural and Educational Exchange Foundation, analyzed that AP course was elite education from the beginning. Whether students can take AP courses in middle school and how many courses they take have actually become the standard for top universities in the United States to judge whether students are excellent or not. He quoted a sample survey conducted by the American College Board as saying: "65,438+065,438+050 students who applied for admission to Yale University submitted 56,965,438+0 AP scores, with an average of 4.95 points per person. AP courses are almost a necessary choice for high school students to enter top universities. "
According to Zhang Minsheng, vice president of China Education Association, high school students can learn about the academic requirements of universities in advance by studying AP courses, thus stimulating the motivation of learning and generating higher expectations for life. "The benefits are manifold. AP course helps students to understand concepts accurately, cultivate the ability to use knowledge correctly, and open a door for students with solid academic foundation and strong learning motivation. "
AP courses are divided into many fields, such as art, language and literature, science and so on. For students who have spare capacity for study, they must make clear their ambitions in advance in high school, choose one or several courses, and continue to pay. This is a task outside the normal high school curriculum, which is very challenging for students. Without careful consideration of your future direction, enthusiasm for learning and firm perseverance, it is difficult to get good grades in AP exam.
With the continuous advancement of globalization, the education of all countries in the world is increasingly integrated. After AP course was introduced into China, the number of high school schools and students participating in this project increased year by year. According to the data of American College Board, as of 20110, there are 220 AP registered schools in China, of which 80 are already in classes. In May of that year, Chinese mainland students took the AP exam of 6.5438+0.5 million. Among more than a dozen schools offering international courses in Shanghai, there are many schools offering AP courses, such as Shanghai Gezhi Middle School.
Wang Liping, secretary of the Party branch of Shanghai Gezhi Middle School, said: "It is an indisputable fact that many students have the need to study abroad and their family economic conditions can support them. The landing of AP courses is in line with the general trend of educational internationalization. " In 20 10, the school began to offer AP courses in cooperation with Ansheng Foundation, with the first enrollment of 50 students, and the number of freshmen increased to 96 the following year.
"It's time to discuss how to localize AP courses," Wang Liping said.
2 High school universities are moving towards integration
Autonomous enrollment in colleges and universities has always been a hot topic in society. From a macro point of view, this is a process of talent selection, but it is only "pinching the tip" and bringing outstanding students into the team in advance has not systematically affected the training of senior high school talents; On the contrary, the self-enrollment policy, which changes almost every year, makes high schools feel at a loss and at a loss. In contrast, the AP curriculum integrates the university's curriculum concept into high school, which has become a close link between high school and university, and its positive significance in leading high school teaching is self-evident.
It seems that few people know that China once had a brave attempt to take classes before college. 1996-2006 54 38+0, Nanjing Jinling Middle School and Nanjing University, Southeast University, Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Xi Jiaotong University and other universities (later joined by Tsinghua University) jointly held an experimental teaching reform class with a scale of 70 students. The college entrance examination course was cancelled and replaced by pre-university courses such as calculus and English. After graduating from high school, students are sent to these universities for further study. The goal of Jinling Middle School is clear: to implement AP courses in China. However, this reform experiment ended in failure.
What caused it to appear? Wang, director of course center, American high school of Anson Foundation and former vice president of Jinling Middle School, who led this exploration, analyzed: "First, there is no complete and scientific curriculum system, and there is no unified curriculum standard and evaluation means among universities, let alone a mechanism for mutual recognition of credits; Second, Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education has given strong policy support to this reform, but there is no authoritative organization in educational research and measurement to objectively, fairly and scientifically evaluate and certify this reform. These students are sent to colleges and universities without taking the college entrance examination, and it is difficult to convince the public in the extremely fierce competition environment of the college entrance examination. Third, the utilitarian pursuit of parents and students has made some students lose their motivation to make progress after obtaining the qualification for walking. "
At present, there are two main forms of docking between high schools and universities in China: "sending out" and "welcoming in". "Sending out" means that universities send teachers to senior high schools to hold lectures, guide experiments, coach competitions and other teaching activities.
For example, Shanghai Jiaotong University took the initiative to "send teachers to the door" and set up early training bases for top-notch innovative talents in schools such as Shanghai Jiaotong University High School and Shanghai Middle School, extending the university's talent training concept to middle schools. In the past five years, well-known professors have taught in high schools for more than 250 times, offering courses such as physics, chemistry, life, information security and robotics for students in science and technology classes. According to the agreement reached between the two universities, students are expected to get preferential treatment in the interview, pre-admission or extra points for independent enrollment of Shanghai Jiaotong University. Wu Xiaoling of the Academic Affairs Office of Shanghai Jiaotong University said: "University teachers help students find their own interests and the direction of discipline development, which promotes the all-round development of students, especially their ability in science, technology and engineering."
"Welcome" means that colleges and universities open laboratories and libraries to senior high schools under certain conditions as extracurricular practice bases for students, or carry out innovative competitions, summer camps and other activities to let them feel the atmosphere of the university in advance. Tongji University and Jinyuan Senior High School cooperated on 20 10 to build an "experimental class of structural design innovation", and selected 30 senior one students who are interested in structural design and have innovative potential. Teachers from the School of Civil Engineering give lectures every week. On 20 1 1 Tongji held the structural design invitational tournament for middle school students. Xiao Qiao, a sophomore in this class, teamed up with his classmates, and the total score of the group ranked in the top 6, and he was qualified for the independent enrollment interview on 20 13 one year in advance.
It has also become a reality to link high schools and universities with recognized credits. University of Shanghai for Science and Technology cooperates with the affiliated middle school of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology to improve students' innovative literacy and "raise seedlings" for the university in advance. Teachers from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology were sent to the middle school affiliated to the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology to offer five general courses. If students who have studied these courses are admitted to University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, they can be exempted from relevant courses. Some students who have attended the secondary school attached to science and engineering have broadened their horizons in the process of taking general education courses and made clear the professional direction of going to college in the future.
Liao Zongting, director of the Admissions Office of Tongji University, said that the school is also planning to bring high school credits to the university. Recently, the opinions of relevant responsible persons are being sought. "There are many details to be done, and the general direction is right."
At present, both "send out" and "please come in" modes have obvious disadvantages. First of all, universities are not "saviors". With limited human and financial resources, it is impossible to send teachers to senior high schools on a large scale, otherwise it is difficult to ensure the quantity and quality of classes. It is not difficult to find that there is often close cooperation and close affection between famous universities and famous high schools, or between universities and their affiliated middle schools. Secondly, this docking contains a certain utilitarian purpose, and both sides have their own demands: high schools hope that students can improve their quality and enter prestigious schools; The university expects to recruit talents as soon as possible in the training process and use them for me. If the university only has the obligation to train students and has no right to select students, the enthusiasm for participation will be greatly reduced.
Judging from the cooperation between Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, Shanghai University of Science and Technology and other universities and high schools, the elective scores of high schools have always been an important basis for university enrollment, and the conversion of preparatory course scores to university credits is gradually being realized. Then, a large number of high schools start their own classes, and the results can be converted into credits in many universities. How difficult is it to realize this real pre-university course?
Three Difficulties in Localization of Three AP Courses
At the first international high-end seminar on AP courses, experts and principals reached the following understanding: the successful practice of AP project has pointed out a development path for high school education in China, and there will be localized pre-university courses in China in the future. This road will be bumpy. Although the dawn has broken, it needs the concerted efforts of Qi Xin from all walks of life to clear all kinds of obstacles in the way. There are three important questions.
First, who will act as a third party like the American University Council?
The board of directors of American universities plays a vital role in the implementation of AP project, and the third-party role is also essential for the preparatory courses of local universities in China. The setbacks experienced by Jinling Middle School show that it is not feasible for senior high schools to take the lead in implementing college preparatory courses. This role is also difficult for a single university to complete. Universities don't give way to each other, and sister schools in the same city have Yu Liang complex: Why should I follow your ideas and standards?
"The organization and implementation of China University's prerequisite courses are also unlikely to be carried out by government departments, because the college entrance examination has been arranged by the government, and it may not be a good thing to force it." Zhang Wuhua analyzed that this function may be undertaken by non-governmental organizations. For example, AXA Foundation, which is familiar with AP courses and has considerable experience in international exam proposition, is seeking cooperation with China Academy of Educational Sciences to be a "matchmaker" for the marriage between high schools and universities.
Whether universities, especially well-known universities, recognize third-party institutions is directly related to the success or failure of college preparatory courses. In recent years, the independent enrollment of universities has started from the selection of candidates by independent propositions of universities, to the joint entrance examination of many universities, and then to the formation of different enrollment alliances, from division to integration. Will the localization of AP courses also take the road of "single university recognizes pre-high school grades-multiple universities recognize each other-large-scale university recognition"? In this way, the spontaneously formed university alliance will play the role of university Council to a certain extent.
It is not clear whether the localization of AP curriculum is carried out "from top to bottom" by government education examination departments and social professional institutions or "from bottom to top" by universities. There is a fierce game among stakeholders. This may be the deep reason why it is difficult for China University to take preparatory courses.
Second, how does the education administrative department carry out the construction of college preparatory courses?
Not long ago, Zhejiang Province included high school elective courses in the comprehensive evaluation of college entrance examination, and 14 colleges and universities started the pilot project, which attracted the attention of all walks of life. While affirming this reform measure, experts in the industry have also made more considerations based on the concept of AP curriculum: If the education administrative department strongly promotes it, will universities accept it? An optional course in high school can be included in the college entrance examination evaluation. Without the certification and supervision of the third party, it is bound to leave room for fraud in high schools and disrupt the normal admission of universities.
In the process of exploring the localization of AP in Jinling Middle School, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education allowed students in its pilot class not to take the college entrance examination, and the tolerance and support of the policy were precious. This also shows that the education administrative department can and should make a difference in the construction of college preparatory courses.
Wang Liping said: "Admittedly, there are a group of talented students with academic potential, but the college entrance examination and examination system make them tired of coping. They have learned everything, but they have tasted it, as if it were produced on an assembly line. It is a good thing to carry out college preparatory courses. If the examination system is not changed, it will not be conducive to the full potential of outstanding students. I suggest that you can let go of your mouth and start trying from an experimental demonstration high school with mature conditions. " Wu Xiaoling also believes that it is necessary to break the "one size fits all" situation of the college entrance examination, so that some outstanding students can be freed from the examination and have more valuable study.
Ni Minjing, director of the Basic Education Department of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, said that he supports the docking of high schools and universities in various forms and promotes the teaching reform of high schools. The reporter noted that in the outline of education planning, Shanghai proposed to "explore the establishment of an effective cooperation mechanism between high schools and universities, encourage universities to open courses, laboratories and other teaching resources to high schools, and open up new ways for some high school students with spare capacity to learn and develop", and also listed "developing international curriculum exchange seminars in high schools and promoting high school curriculum reform to learn from international experience" as the main points of basic education work in 20 12 years.
Thirdly, the implementation of pre-university courses needs to clarify public misunderstandings.
With the gradual spread of AP curriculum concept, voices of doubt and opposition from all walks of life are also pouring in. Some people say that giving a few high school students college courses is too concentrated, which violates educational equity; It is also said that the course preparation will increase the burden on students and should not be promoted. These misunderstandings have become another obstacle to the implementation of college preparatory courses.
"AP teaching has higher requirements for teachers, not sent by universities, but by teachers inherent in high schools. They must improve their teaching level and adapt to the university's requirements for curriculum standards. " Wang Liping said that this not only benefits the students who study AP courses, but also benefits all students.
At present, the AP class and the ordinary class in Gezhi Middle School have formed a benign interactive situation, and the teachers of both sides share their progress with each other. Wang Liping believes that the balanced development of education is not equal to egalitarianism in the distribution of educational resources. After the introduction of pre-university courses, the overall running level of a high school will be improved, which is more conducive to cultivating students' scientific spirit and international vision, and will not cause unfair education.
Regarding the problem that AP courses increase students' social burden, Zhang Wu Hua said that the cultivation of innovative talents is a national plan, and it is natural to provide more learning opportunities for some outstanding high school students. He said: "Some students are very talented and will make great progress with a little help. If we only let them accept the contents stipulated in the syllabus, it can be said that it is a great waste of human resources. "
How far is the matriculation course from the local universities in China? Educators made predictions-
The answer given by Zhang Wuhua is that it will take 5 to 10 years. He analyzed: "The localization exploration of AP project in China has begun. The establishment of the credibility of third-party institutions, the selection of courses, the formulation of outlines, and the identification of courses and examinations in university high schools all need a process, which takes five years to be carried out intensively. I believe this is a general direction. Even if the progress is slow, it will take 10 years to form. "
Ni Minjing is also optimistic about the localization of AP courses, and believes that initial results will be achieved in 2020. He said: "The cultivation of innovative talents is the strong voice of the times. Meeting the development needs of students with different potentials and encouraging high schools to run their own characteristics have been included in the educational planning outline of the country and many provinces and cities. In the process of implementing the spirit of the outline, universities will be more aware of what kind of students to recruit, education administrative departments and high schools will be more aware of what kind of people to train, and college preparatory courses are expected to grow and become a reality. "
Wang Liping's analysis: "The localization of AP curriculum is somewhat difficult, seemingly remote, but not impossible. In the early days of the People's Republic of China, we were poor and could build atomic bombs. Under the existing national conditions, as long as the relevant departments realize the importance of cultivating innovative talents in high schools and act in parallel, it is just around the corner for China to have its own pre-university courses. " Reporter Dong Shaojiao
expert opinion/advice
Actively respond to the challenges brought by college preparatory courses
■ Tang
In recent years, AP courses (pre-university courses) started in the United States have become more and more popular, and people of insight have begun to imagine the possibility of implementing pre-university courses in China. From the perspective of curriculum, AP course enriches the selectivity of the course, can better meet the diversified development requirements of students, and is conducive to stimulating students' potential. If it can be implemented in China, it will have a far-reaching impact on reforming the enrollment system of colleges and universities, deepening the curriculum reform of general education and higher education, innovating the linkage mechanism between higher education and general education, and further implementing quality education. But at present, if we really want to put it into practice, we may encounter some obstacles and challenges.
First of all, there is a question: can the results of college preparatory courses be used as the basis for college enrollment? If it can become the basis of college enrollment, the market for college preparatory courses will be great. At present, the enrollment of colleges and universities in China is based on the unified entrance examination, and then refer to the academic level examination results and usual performance. Some top universities and higher vocational colleges have adopted the mode of self-enrollment. Those who meet the training requirements of the school are admitted independently according to the interview or examination results. According to foreign experience, AP course scores can be used as a reference for some famous universities to recruit students, and can also be used as one of the ways for some top universities in China to recruit students independently, but there are two basic conditions: one is to be recognized by the education authorities, and the other is to ensure that the courses studied are authentic. The second one is especially critical. In order to ensure that the course is authentic, it is necessary to develop courses that meet the characteristics of students and meet the needs of academic development in colleges and universities. High schools offering such courses must have good teacher conditions and quality assurance ability. To do this, we need the joint efforts of all parties and time.
College preparatory course is not for the sake of opening, but should be considered from the perspective of talent training in the new era. Starting from enhancing the selectivity of courses and meeting the needs of students' personality development, some college courses in senior high school are introduced to broaden students' horizons and cultivate higher-level abilities. Only in this way, the cooperation between high schools and universities will not become a mere formality, or just stay in the cooperation of enrollment. The final result will have a great impact on the school-running concept and talent training mode of senior high school, and then promote the deep-seated reform of senior high school education. But is high school ready? From the specific operational level, if the pre-university course is introduced, the high school that implements the course must adjust the original teaching, either to speed up the teaching progress and save teaching time, or to compress the teaching content and set aside teaching time. The former is beneficial to students who have the ability to study, but unfair to ordinary students. What is the basis for the deletion of the latter? Suspected of violating the national curriculum plan, you may be accused, or you may sacrifice some development of students. At the same time, college preparatory courses emphasize selectivity, which puts forward higher requirements for teachers, curriculum resources and management of the school. Whether the school has such conditions is also a challenge.
College preparatory course is a reform worth exploring. In the concrete implementation, we must make a concrete analysis of the possible obstacles and actively respond.
(The author is the executive deputy director of the Institute of General Education, Shanghai Academy of Educational Sciences)