改革開放以來,中國的教育事業取得了很大成就,但由於諸多因素的限制,基礎教育階段優質教育資源在不同階層群體間的分配不均問題日益突出,並導致學校出現階層分割現象。使用"中國教育追蹤調查"2013~2014年基線數據,探討我國初中學校的階層分割狀況及其對學生教育期望的影響。研究發現,當前初中學校有較明顯的階層分割現象,分割程度存在地區和區域(城鄉)差異;學校的階層構成對學生的教育期望存在顯著影響,平均階層地位越高或階層異質性越大的學校,學生的教育期望越高;學校階層構成對學生教育期望的效應因不同特徵的學生群體而異,認知能力較低和學習成績排名靠後的學生更能從學校階層地位和階層異質性的提高中獲益。由於教育期望是學業成就和教育獲得的重要決定因素,學校的階層分割對教育公平的影響不容忽視。而降低學校的階層分割程度、促進學校的階層整合將是保障我國教育公平的有效途徑之一。

China’s educational enterprise has had great successes since reform and opening up in 1978, but the constraints imposed by a number of factors mean that the problem of unequal distribution of high quality educational resources among groups from different strata is becoming increasingly noticeable at the basic education stage, leading to the phenomenon of stratification in school rankings. We used baseline data from the" China Education Panel Survey" for 2013-2014 to investigate rank stratification in junior middle schools and its influence upon students’ educational expectations. Our findings show that marked rank stratification currently exists at the junior middle school level. The extent of the stratification varies from region to region, and from place to place (urban or rural), and school ranking constitutes a significant influence upon students’ educational expectations. The higher the average ranking or the greater the school’s rank heterogeneity, the higher the educational expectations of students. The effect of school ranking upon the educational expectations of students varies depending on the characteristics of different student groups; students who have lower cognitive abilities and fall behind at school are more likely to benefit from a higher school ranking and rank heterogeneity. Because educational expectations are a decisive factor in academic achievement and educational attainment, the influence of rank stratification upon educational equity is something that should not be overlooked. To lessen the degree of rank stratification and encourage integrated school rankings would be an effective measure for ensuring educational equity in China.