The purpose of this collection is to examine the links among research, policy, and change in education in Latin America in the context of the relationships between the economy, politics, and the state in the 1980s. The case analyses discuss the challenges these societies face in education in their progression towards the 21st century. In its various sections, the book addresses the following questions: How did education respond during the 1980s to the major socio-political and economic changes that affected these countries? How did the changes in the 1980s affect the relationships between education, society, and the state, and what lessons can be learned from the interaction of research and policy that may help in understanding the developmental role of education in the 1990s? And is educational research and policy helping to improve the social condition of minorities in Latin America? This volume should be of interest to scholars and policymakers in Latin American studies, educational research, and education policy and educational planning.