Many nations, including the United States, have had to make difficult decisions that often affect educational equity. This article addresses three controversial issues--parental contributions to public schools, student tracking, and testing practices--by comparing policies in South Africa, England, and China with those in the United States.

Data compiled by Dr. Izaak Wirszup have been used to support claims that the quality of mathematics and science education in the United States is declining. Empirical questions about some of his conclusions indicate that these claims may not be supportable. (NJ)

After three decades of apparent failures on international tests, the United States has somehow managed to maintain a high research productivity level. The most difficult challenge is not improving educational quality for science and engineering majors, but providing a better education for the general student living in a world that requires…

Because educators have unrealistic expectations about tests, they use them inappropriately and draw inaccurate conclusions from results. This article debunks five myths about test-score comparisons: valid measurement of school quality; declining international competitiveness; "fixing" schools with more tests; development of new, improved…