In the past 10 years many countries have implemented large-scale reforms of their public educational systems. The origins of reform programs in four countries--Canada, the United States, England, and New Zealand--are presented here. The text focuses on four aspects of reform: (1) the sources of reforms as initially proposed by governments, the role of various actors and forces in originating reforms, and the assumptions about education and reform; (2) what happened to reforms between their initial proposal and their actual passage into law; (3) the steps taken to implement reforms and the model of implementation that was used; and (4) the available evidence as to the effects of reforms, with particular attention to what may be known about how the reforms have affected student outcomes and learning processes. Three areas that have been important in many reform efforts are discussed: centralization of curriculum, decentralization of management responsibility, and introduction of elements of a market system to education. Data sources for the study include original documents, such as government policy documents; secondary analysis; interviews with key respondents; and interaction with academic colleagues. The findings show that international developments are important, but so are national and local political traditions, all of which complicate reform efforts. (Contains 37 references.) (RJM)