Measures to improve parent and student choice of school have recently become an important issue for educational reform in a number of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. This book summarizes the school-choice experiences of selected OECD countries. The data, collected by the OECD/Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) Secretariat during 1993, were obtained from background reports prepared by the educational experts of six countries--Australia, England (United Kingdom), the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United States. Onsite interviews were also conducted with policymakers, researchers, and practitioners at the national and local levels. Following the foreword and summary, part 1 discusses themes in school choice, with reference to developments in various OECD countries. Although choice options may enhance a school's sense of mission and improve consumer satisfaction, they may result in increased social segregation. It is recommended that education authorities consider the following measures to ensure that any choice policies are aligned with educational and other objectives: (1) intervention to create choices for educationally underserved groups; (2) active diversification of educational supply; (3) measures to improve the supply of chosen options; and (4) clear criteria for schools' choice of pupils. The second part provides an overview of developments in each of the six countries, highlighting their unique national contexts. Sixteen case studies from the six countries, France, and Denmark, are presented in part 3. The first five cases examine how choices are made and how schools compete in specific local areas. The next five cases illustrate policies that increase the diversity of schools. Of the remaining six cases, three describe policies to open up school choice in the public sector, two examine subsidies for private schools, and one looks at initiatives to make choice a community matter. Seven tables and four figures are included. (LMI)