A detailed conceptual framework describing curriculum development pursuits as they are actually carried out in a cross-section of developed countries is presented. The nations surveyed were Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The ultimate goal of the study is to make available to developing nations, facing profound social changes, a source text and guide to possible educational applications and decisions that these nations may make in working out their own educational destinies. Case studies of the surveyed nations were written using data based on questionnaires and interviews with a broad spectrum of education professionals engaged in teaching and administration at all levels from kindergarten through college. Common concerns and shared patterns of curriculum development are described. (JD)