A World Class Education:  Learning from International Models of Excellence and Innovation
Vivien Stewart

International education expert Vivien Stewart provides an illuminating look into education at the global level. In A World Class Education: Learning from International Models of Excellence and Innovation, Stewart identifies the best practices that will prepare students everywhere to compete and cooperate. 

The author argues that “the yardstick for judging education success is no longer national but international.” As a result, she demonstrates that the best educational practices around the world need to be reviewed and adopted, so that both excellence and equity are achieved.

In her book, Stewart does not assign blame; rather, she builds a strong case that the global context has changed. Her pithy but robust research shows that the necessity of innovation skills and global literacy is leading a significant shift in the global talent pool that will have clear economic consequences in the years to come.

Educators will benefit from the thoughtful assessment of international education trends in the Globalization and Education chapter. The chapter provides a research-informed overview of the current global trends impacting education.

Other chapters in the book present well-argued philosophical positions on items ranging from evaluation to professional development, including very practical and thoughtful insight on the standards movement, trends impacting global knowledge economies and proper assessment strategy. While the reader will certainly not always agree with every position espoused by Stewart, her reflections are stimulating and worth the purchase price of the book.

In A World Class Education: Learning from International Models of Excellence and Innovation, Stewart argues that the future can and will be created. Educators need to use the full global body of evidence to design educational systems and methods that will prepare students to innovate, cooperate and succeed.

Reviewed by Andrew H. Potter, Vice President for Education & Academic Affairs, Envision.