The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Robert M. White is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce Alberts and Dr. Robert M. White are chairman and vice chairman, respectively of the National Research Council.
The work of the Board on International Comparative Studies in Education is supported with funds from the National Science Foundation and the National Center for Education Statistics, through a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Copyright 1995 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Board on International Comparative Studies in Education
Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
National Research Council
International Comparative Studies in Education: Descriptions of Selected Large-Scale Assessments and Case Studies
Winter 1994-95
Interest in education abroad and how it compares to schooling in the United States has been rising among policy makers, researchers, and practitioners. Since its inception in 1988, the Board on International Comparative Studies in Education (BICSE) has monitored U.S. participation in those cross-national comparative studies in education that are funded by its sponsors, the National Center for Education Statistics and the National Science Foundation. It has also provided a forum for information and discussion, which has led it to request presentations on selected additional studies of special interest to the board and its sponsors.
As a result, BICSE has in its records information about the aims, designs, and intended outcomes of a number of the largest international studies in education that have been undertaken in recent years. BICSE 's collection clearly does not cover all or even a representative sampling of the broad range of studies available on comparative and international education issues. Nevertheless, BICSE's accumulated information represents a valuable resource on a variety of studies, a compilation that is not available elsewhere. Participants at the Second International Conference on Long-Range Planning for Large-Scale Collections of International Education Statistics convened by BICSE in January 1993 urged BICSE to make such international study information available to interested individuals in the United States and in other countries as well.
This set of international study descriptions represents a status report on 17 projects presented to BICSE. The study descriptions were compiled by Jane Phillips of the BICSE staff from information submitted to the board by each project's staff; each compilation was then submitted to its respective project director for editing and updating. These updates were accomplished at various times in 1994, as indicated in the individual project descriptions. BICSE has not evaluated or edited the descriptions, but merely presents them as reports by the projects themselves on their activities. Each study description indicates key contact persons for that project who can provide further information and subsequent updates on progress and findings.
The Board on International Comparative Studies in Education has a limited number of copies of this collection of descriptions for complementary distribution. (2101 Constitution Avenue, Harris 178, Washington, D.C., 20418, U.S.A.; telephone: 1/202/334-3010; facsimile: 1/202/334-3584)
The document will also be made available on Internet through World Wide Web. It may be accessed by using the World Wide Web address. (http://www.nas.edu/)
The U.S. Department of Education Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) will have the document on microfiche. (ERIC, 1301 Piccard Dr., Suite 300, Rockville, Maryland 20850-3238, U.S.A.; telephone: 1/301/258-5500)