This article addresses the conceptual question "what is lesson study?" as an issue that arises in the context of the globalisation of lesson study as a method for improving teaching and learning beyond its presumed origins in the Japanese education system. To what extent can adaptations of the method in different national settings be…

International large-scale assessments (ILSAs) play a distinct role in the United States' decentralized federal education system. Separate from national and state assessments, they offer an external, objective measure for the United States to assess student performance comparatively with other countries and over time. The US engagement in ILSAs…

This speech, presented by the U.S. Secretary of Education, speaks to mathematics educators about the need to reach for high standards of learning in mathematics as an ever more important part of preparing students for an increasingly complex global economy. One of the major concerns is increased polarization and dissension about how mathematics is…

Contends that, although surveys of international achievement have been of interest to the U.S. educational community, these studies are now receiving attention among policymakers. Asserts that significant changes are occurring in world economy and that international achievement comparisons are receiving coverage in the U.S. media. (CFR)