高考改革40年：意义建构与制度变迁

40 Years of the National College Entrance Examination Reform： Meaning Construction and Institutional Change

The year 2017 is the 40th anniversary for the restoration of the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) system in China. Over 40 years， the NCEE reform has made great achievements and gained valuable experience. It is of great importance to explore the rationale behind the Reform of NCEE Policy so as to further improve the mechanism of NCEE. This paper explains the NCEE policy changes within a framework of cultural model transition， which is divided into three stages. The first stage (1977 -1991) focuses on fair competition and virtuous governance. The orientation of NCEE policy is the elite screening mechanism. The second stage (1992 -2011) advocates freedom and pursues excellence. The NCEE policy transforms from a nation -oriented standard policy into a market -oriented policy. The third stage (2012 -present) is aimed at improving quality and accomplishing fairness， so the NCEE policy returns to the nation-oriented standard policy paradigm. In one word， equity and quality have always been the two main themes in the reform of NCEE policy.