A former member of the IEA's global "invisible college" reflects on some aspects of the organization's work and findings, pointing out that international differences in achievement are generally smaller than within-nation differences and that national differences in context and input are associated with broadly similar outcomes. Also…

Compares examination practices at the end of secondary schooling in England, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Japan, People's Republic of China, Sweden, Soviet Union, and the United States. Considers the present status of these national examination systems, their alteration by social and educational changes, and their shaping of educational…

The twin rationales for this study are: (1) that the educational implications of metropolitan conditions deserve further study; and (2) that these implications transcend national boundaries. The study focuses on two facets of metropolitan school systems located in four metropolises: the characteristics of teachers and the patterns of perceived…