Intended to serve as a briefing book on issues concerning basic education in the United States and around the world, this report describes the proceedings of a conference. Following written greetings from Barbara Bush and the president of USCEFA, the report features a summary of the opening and closing plenary sessions and the panel discussions, which explored three principal themes: (1) addressing the needs of children; (2) mobilizing media in support of education; and (3) designing the educational systems of the 21st century. Lists of plenary session speakers and topics, panel discussion chairs and topics, and conference panelists and presenters are appended, as is the conference program. (MM)