In this inaugural issue of "Brookings Papers on Education Policy" a varied group of scholars considers different dimensions of student performance. Several contributors try to offer a clear picture of how American students are performing as compared with their international peers and with the past. The following are included: (1) "Introduction" (Diane Ravitch); (2) "An Examination of American Student Achievement from an International Perspective" (Harold W. Stevenson and Shinying Lee); (3) "An Assessment of the Contemporary Debate over U.S. Achievement" (Lawrence C. Stedman); (4) "The Effects of Upgrading Policies on High School Mathematics and Science" (Andrew C. Porter); (5) "Uncompetitive American Schools: Causes and Cures" (Herbert J. Walberg); (6) "Radical Constructivism and Cognitive Psychology" (John R. Anderson, Lynne M. Reder, and Herbert A. Simon); (7) "The Use and Misuse of Research in Educational Reform" (Tom Loveless); (8) "Standards Outside the Classroom" (Laurence Steinberg); and (9) "Remediation in Higher Education: Its Extent and Cost" (David W. Breneman). Commentary by a scholar in the field follows each contribution. (Contains 25 figures, 15 tables, and 12 exhibits.) (SLD)