The Board on International Comparative Studies in Education monitors U.S. participation in cross-national comparative studies in education and provides advice to sponsoring agencies. This document results from the Board's consideration of studies that would enrich plans for international studies. What the Board believes to be the value of international comparative studies and how to improve such studies are discussed. Establishing a more coherent and effective worldwide system for research and data collection in education is a priority that will require common indicators for describing educational accomplishments, research and syntheses of research, documentation of practices, dissemination of information, and archives and research reports. Establishing a data collection, reporting, and dissemination system must take into account the views of interested parties, the technical and substantive state of the art, and the promise of cross-national studies for responding to policy needs and advancing knowledge. (Contains 18 references.) (SLD)