ABSTRACT
The formulation and implementation of the educational reform and policy agenda in different countries is never a straightforward process. Each stage is intensely political in the broadest sense, with a range of actors taking positions, coalitions of interests being formed and re-formed, and deals being forged or broken, with the final outcome often revisited as new actors take the stage and new agenda are set. These processes are described and illustrated in Chapter 9, with Australia providing the setting. The chapter takes the reader much deeper than was possible in Chapter 4, where the framework for reform and school improvement was described, or in Chapter 8, where policies on accountability and assessment were examined. It may be helpful to review these chapters before proceeding.
