Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon? (PDF)

The secrets behind China's extraordinary educational system
- good, bad, and ugly

Chinese students' consistently stunning performance on the
international PISA exams-- where they outscore students of all
other nations in math, reading, and science--have positioned
China as a world education leader. American educators and pundits
have declared this a "Sputnik Moment," saying that we must learn
from China's education system in order to maintain our status as an
education leader and global superpower.

Indeed, many of the reforms taking hold in United States
schools, such as a greater emphasis on standardized testing and the
increasing importance of core subjects like reading and math, echo
the Chinese system. We're following in China's footsteps--but
is this the direction we should take?

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon? by award-winning
writer Yong Zhao offers an entertaining, provocative insider's
account of the Chinese school system, revealing the secrets that
make it both "the best and worst" in the world. Born and raised in
China's Sichuan province and a teacher in China for many years,
Zhao has a unique perspective on Chinese culture and education. He
explains in vivid detail how China turns out the world's
highest-achieving students in reading, math, and science--yet
by all accounts Chinese educators, parents, and political leaders
hate the system and long to send their kids to western schools.
Filled with fascinating stories and compelling data, Who's
Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon? offers a nuanced and sobering
tour of education in China.

* Learn how China is able to turn out the world's highest
achieving students in math, science, and reading

* Discover why, despite these amazing test scores, Chinese
parents, teachers, and political leaders are desperate to leave
behind their educational system

* Discover how current reforms in the U.S. parallel the classic
Chinese system, and how this could help (or hurt) our students'
prospects