Many countries' reform efforts are government-directed programs that are driven by the government rather than by educators or bureaucrats. A comparative analysis of this type of reform, with a focus on Canada, is presented here. The paper raises questions about the international character of education reform by comparing the Canadian experience with that of several other countries. It examines issues of commonality across jurisdictions, which is followed by another look through a Canadian lens. 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. Subjects covered in the paper include the context of education reform in Canada, commonalities in reform, factors promoting commonality, significant differences, factors promoting differences, Canadian perspectives, and the unique nature of education reform in Canada. (Contains 62 references.) (RJM)