Policy Impact of IEA Research

We are concerned in this essay with the effects of various IEA studies. The history of the IEA has been considered elsewhere, as has the substantive analysis of many IEA reports and documents.' The association has been one of the most influential research efforts in the history of educational research, and it certainly has done the best-known international research on education. It is, therefore, useful to explore the policy impact of the IEA over the years. It is particularly relevant to consider this topic as a new series of IEA studies is about to be released in a period when there is great concern about educational "standards" and "excellence" in many countries.