High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China

The school is one of the few high schools that are directly under the administration of China's Ministry of Education.

The school is also a branch of RDFZ United, an administrative body presiding over a number of schools internationally. Besides RDFZ, there are more than ten schools under the administration of RDFZ United. For example, High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, Shenzhen (中国人民大学附属中学深圳分校) is a new secondary school established in 2017 in Shenzhen. RDFZ United is one of the few Chinese educational organizations that have branches located outside mainland China; Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science, created by a joint venture between Chinese investor Jiang Bairong and RDFZ,[9] is a member of RDFZ United located in Princeton, New Jersey.[10]

Because the growing number of schools that fall under the administration of RDFZ United, a council was created to formalize the management structure of RDFZ United. Council members are mainly officials from Renmin University of China. RUC President is an ex officio member. RDFZ United's founding principal Liu Pengzhi is the chancellor of the Council. Among others, Vice President of RUC, Dean of RUC School of Law, and Principal of RDFZ are also elected to the Council.[11]

The staff includes 50 special-class teachers and over 170 senior-level teachers. 16 teachers have been conferred the title of "pillar teacher" at the national level, and another 25 at the Beijing municipal level. 37 are recognized as advanced individuals in their disciplines in Haidian District. There are more than 40 foreign teachers from the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries.[12]

Foreign passport holders are allowed to attend so long as they have legal guardians residing in Beijing for the duration of their enrollment.[14]

There are two academic departments in RDFZ:

• Domestic curriculum centre (本部): offering junior high (Grade 7-9) and senior high (Grade 10-12) students domestic curriculums prescribed by the ministry of education and Beijing's department of education. The graduating students of junior high and senior high will take Zhongkao and Gaokao for senior high school and university admission respectively.
• International curriculum centre (ICC, 国际课程中心): ICC offers foreign-bound senior high students (Grade 10-12) a variety of internationally recognised curriculums (IB, AP, and A-Level) and helps students gain admissions into international colleges (predominantly U.K., U.S., Canadian, and Australian universities).

It is notable that, not to be confused with ICC, RDFZ also has an international student office (ISO, 国际部) that places foreign nationals (students holding non-PRC passports) into domestic and international curriculums.

Due to the lack of standard test, junior high school admission in Beijing is usually complicated and not without controversies. Admitted junior high school (初中) students usually come from one of the following admission programs:

• Random Placement (随机派位): a lottery program is administered for eligible Grade 6 students living in the school district. However, due to the merit-based nature of the school and the conceivably high level of academic demand, the quota for the lottery program is usually very small, accounting for less than 10 percent of the incoming class.[16]
• Early Development Program (EDP, 早培): EDP is targeted to academically-gifted and precocious Grade 5 students. RDFZ administers a separate entrance exam (including Chinese, English, Math and Science). And the students go through an accelerated curriculum that will enable them graduate one year earlier than usual.
• Talent Program (特长生): students with special talent in Music, Art, Sports and Science are admitted through this program.
• Regular Placement (统招): students are assessed by their academic and extracurricular achievements in primary school. This is the largest entrance program by the number of students.
• Feeder Schools (生源校): RDFZ also assigns special quota to its feeder schools (e.g. The Elementary School Affiliated to Renmin University of China).
• Discretionary Placement (条子生): Although never publicly confirmed and often vehemently denied by the school officials, there has been reports that RDFZ admits students with political and business ties.[17][8]

Admitted senior high school (高中) students usually come from one of the following admission programs:

• High School Entrance Exam (Zhongkao, 中考): a majority of the senior high class is admitted based on the candidate's Zhongkao score.
• Direct Entry (直升): Within the RDFZ system, students with perfect grades in their junior high career are offered unconditional admission to the senior high school; junior high students with less than perfect grades are sometimes offered conditional admissions (if the student can achieve a certain score in Zhongkao).
• EDP: Barring exceptional circumstance, all EDP students are offered direct entries to senior high.

Since the turn of the 21st century, RDFZ has been sending the highest number of graduates to Peking University and Tsinghua University (the top 2 universities in China) in Beijing.[18] The dominance peaked in 2009 Gaokao, when 30 percent (181/~600) of the graduating class gained admission to Peking University and Tsinghua University (compared to the 1 percent nominal admission rate in Beijing and 0.1 percent in mainland China).[19] Some critics have attributed RDFZ's academic success to the growing disparity in education resources.[19][20] However, others have argued RDFZ's trailblazing experience in liberal arts and general education is the main reason of the success.[21]

Around 100 students of the graduating class pursue their tertiary study abroad. RDFZ is also known for sending students to Ivy League universities.[22]

The students' union serves as the school's student government and is under the authority of the Communist Youth League of China. The union is divided into several departments, each with a specific purpose. The activities department (Chinese: 学生会活动部; lit. 'student union activities department'), for example, is responsible for school events including dances, concerts and competitions. Some departments, like the presidium (主席团) and secretariat (秘书处), have purely administrative duties. The union's editorial division is responsible for issuing the quarterly student magazine. The union also manages a service department called the Volunteer Group (志愿团), whose purpose is to provide volunteer services to the neighboring Haidian District.

More than two-thirds of RDFZ students are involved in extracurricular groups or clubs. Popular clubs include Model United Nations, the Debate Club, the Astronomy Club, the Art History Club, and the Bridge Club. Student artistic and athletic organizations sponsored by the school include an orchestra, a marching orchestra, a dance troupe, a martial arts group, a choir, and a gymnastics team.

• Tabor Academy, Marion, Massachusetts, United States