Two Books in Publication
Two books edited by the US-China Center will be published soon by Beijing Normal University Press. These two books serve as a primer for a Chinese audience to better understand effective education in the United States.

1. Government, Accountability, and Assessment in the United States: A Primer for Chinese Educational Leaders (Edited by Yong Zhao and David Lustick)
As China moves to reform its own educational systems, the U.S. education system has frequently been looked at as a source for different strategies and practices. But due to the fundamental cultural, political, and institutional differences, it is often difficult for Chinese educators to gain a comprehensive, systematic, and objective view of the U.S. education system. As an attempt to introduce the U.S. education system in a more systematic fashion, this book addresses the roles of Government, Assessment, and Accountability from a top down perspective with chapters written by a balance of educational leaders and scholars.

2. Research and the Five Dimensions of Effective Schools: A Self-Assessment Guide for the Chinese Educator (Edited by Yong Zhao, David Lustick, and Wenzhong (Eric) Yang)
This book looks across western research and scholarly literature associated with 'best practice' to identify over-arching principles that can inform an audience of Chinese teachers, administrators, and families. Each chapter includes a self-assessment rubric to aid educators in evaluating how their own practices may compare with a western concept of excellence.

Cooperation with PROM/SE
The US-China Center and Project PROM/SE (Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Mathematics and Science Education) are in the first stages of collaboration with Beijing Normal University on a research investigation that looks at teaching and learning of math and science in China. The study asks the question: “How do we account for student learning?” By collecting data on students and their teachers, the investigation should allow for a number of interesting questions to be answered.

Registration for Summer Conference Announced
The US-China Center, in collaboration with the Office of K-12 Outreach at Michigan State University, announced a Conference Series on Secondary Education Reform to begin this summer. From July 18th-22nd 2005, they will host a week long conference on Secondary Education Reform at the Kellogg Center on the campus at Michigan State University. More than 100 Chinese educational leaders are expected to attend as well as a contingency of their American counterparts. For registration, please visit http://www.china-us.us/

Literature Review on Leadership of Effective Schools
The Center is currently working on a literature review for the Center, which looks at "Western" (US) perspectives on educational leadership in "Eastern" (non-US) contexts.US researchers have found that individuals from developing countries tend to learn about leadership in more positive ways. However, these western researchers also report certain deficiencies in leadership in other contexts.

Literature Reviews on Early Childhood Education
The US-China Center is developing curriculum for an Early Learning Dual Language school that will be opened in Beijing this coming fall by the Sun Wah Foundation. Part of this process includes compiling the literature on dual language early childhood education. Articles, websites, and books related to dual language or early childhood education are plentiful, but finding quality resources that addresses both areas is limited. Through this literature review, we are identifying important principles of dual language curriculum laying the groundwork for this new and exciting approach to teaching the youngest learners.

Upcoming Activities & Events

• The Center will collect data about Chinese teachers’ research to study how teachers in China reflect upon their own teaching and sharing with other teachers.
• “Hot Topics” will invit more subscribers by distributing flyers to the participants at international education conferences.