Based on the research literature on performance assessment in the Wanfang database, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to understand the current status and development trend of performance assessment research related to secondary schools in China. The search time frame was for relevant literature until December 31, 2020, and the extracts included information such as the names of authors, units, publication dates, and keywords of relevant studies. The hotspot analysis and cluster analysis of high-frequency keywords were mainly done using VOSviewer 1.6.17 software, and visual density maps and cluster maps were generated simultaneously. A total of 359 articles were included in this literature. Secondary school-related performance assessment research began in 1997, and the literature volume has tended to increase each year, peaking in 2020 (57 papers). However, fewer productive authors and collaboration between authors and institutions were lacking. 359 studies had 1242 keywords, and only 22 (3.37%) appeared more than five times. A total of 6 clusters were formed among the keywords. There were seven emerging keywords: experimental teaching, key competencies, geographic practice, high school geography, Junior high school Chinese, experimental teaching, and writing. The research area of domestic performance assessment is extensive and is growing rapidly, and the cooperation between authors and institutions should be strengthened in the future.