The papers collected in this volume are intended both to present a summary 'history' and description of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS) and to illustrate a variety of approaches to the analysis of the data that emerged from SIMS. The papers are intended to encourage others to explore the SIMS database for both national and comparative studies on the teaching and learning of mathematics. Included are: (1) an overview of the IEA study; (2) a list and review of doctoral theses using SIMS data; (3) a summary report of content in college algebra; (4) a gender difference report; (5) a model of school effectiveness in a developing country; (6) a paper on psychometrics; (7) non-cognitive data; and (8) a report on state control of the curriculum. Appended are a technical report on college algebra and a list of the national and international reports on SIMS. (KR)