This third volume takes raising standards as its central theme. Raising standards is no simple matter, either conceptually or empirically, whatever politicains might think. If it is to happen, it must draw on research and practical experience, preferably from more than one country. The review makes a topical contribution to a slogan and an aspiration that surely deserve sustained discussion and scrutiny. These complex matters are treated in various ways, mirroring the wide range of thinking and policy traditions to be found in different educational systems, from the centralized and somewhat authoritarian approaches found in the UK to the more open and localized approaches still operating in the USA.