Science is not a phenomenon restricted to one group of people. Instead it is something that is experienced by all, though often its form is unrecognized. Because science is experienced by many, one would expect that different groups of people would share common experiences in science. In an effort to determine whether there are similarities in what various countries feel are the core elements of precollege biology education, a symposium was organized. Educators from around the world were brought together to share their countries' experiences in the design, adoption and assessment of curriculum, and teaching standards. Four basic questions were investigated: (1) What is a concept and what criteria can be used to define a biological concept?; (2) Are there commonalties among countries regarding curriculum standards and/or core concepts that are essential knowledge for all students?; (3) Are there commonalties among various countries of the world regarding the teaching strategies that work best in the classroom?; and (4) What assessment mechanisms have worked well in other countries, and are there any characteristics that can be identified as being essential in selecting appropriate assessment instruments? (ZWH)