Born and raised in Montreal, Shapiro earned his undergraduate degree at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥, where he was awarded the Alan Oliver Gold Medal. He is past president of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education and of the Social Science Federation of Canada. He has also served on the executive committee of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and as Chair of the governing board of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation in Paris. He is the author of numerous articles on curriculum, public policy in education, the development of logical thinking in young people, and educational research and methodology. He has addressed provincial, national and international educational organizations in Canada and abroad, and has received honorary degrees from ±«ÓãÖ±²¥, University of Toronto, University of Ottawa, Yeshiva University, McMaster University, Université de Montréal and the University of Edinburgh.
