Abstract: Explanations of the difficulty in implementing policies at the grassroots level have focused more on single-stage factors or their superimposed effects， and thus weakened cross-stage integration analysis. Based on field observations and in-depth interview analysis， it can be found that behind the difficulty in implementing policies at the grassroots level， there is a policy gap factor between the “down-embedding” of the upper-level policy objectives to the grassroots level， which is specifically represented as a strip-piece gap between rigid-down and flexible embedding， far-near gap between overall-down and step-by-step embedding， and point-surface gap between the inclusive-down and differentiated embedding. They intensify the balancing， transitional and partial problems in the implementation of grassroots policies. The policy gap is the result of the “high-level formulation and low-level implementation” policy structure and the “decision-making reduction and implementation consultation” policy process. It is the space-time gap in the connection between the logic of the bureaucratic system from top to bottom and the logic of social context from the inside out. Grassroots policy implementation in the context of policy gaps should pay attention to two misunderstandings of perfectionism and systemic inefficiency， and adopt active response strategies of maximum reduction and gradual adjustment.

Key words: policy implementation; policy gap; strip and piece; educational resources; school place allocation