The defining rhetoric for both the public and educational experts alike has been one of national competition. There is a belief that America’s social, political, and economic future in the world system is directly tied to our educational success at home. Right or wrong, decades of this rhetoric pumps up the public’s interest in information about how American education compares internationally. Because international comparisons often promise to shed light on processes influencing academic achievement, there is a sense that situating American education in a global context will inform Americans about what we as a nation should be doing with our schools.