The International Benchmarking Toolkit is a unique online resource for state policymakers, school district officials, principals and classroom teachers. The Toolkit is the product stemming from the “From Competing to Leading: International Benchmarking Blueprint,” released by the Education Commission of the States (ECS) in July 2008. The blueprint and toolkit were created in response to growing concerns about the quality of education students in the United States are receiving and the lack of workforce competitiveness our students face, in comparison to students in other countries around the world.

ECS would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions to the original From Competing to Leading: International Benchmarking Blueprint and its companion piece, the International Benchmarking Toolkit:

Stuart Bennett, Former Deputy Superintendent
Policy and External Affairs
Georgia Department of Education

Diane Bradford, Deputy Superintendent
Education Support and Improvement
Georgia Department of Education

Michael Cohen, President
Achieve, Inc.
Washington, D.C.

Thad Daise, Manager Intergovernmental Relations
Government Relations
National Education Association
Washington, D.C.

Lou Ann Evans, Member
State College Area School Board
Pennsylvania

Peter Hofman, Vice President Marketing and Business Development
Measured Progress
New Hampshire

William Hughes, Superintendent
Greendale Schools
Wisconsin

Elizabeth Lodal. Former Principal
Thomas Jefferson High School for
Science and Technology
Virginia

Les Morse, Deputy Commissioner
Alaska Department of Education & Early Development

George Pernsteiner. Chancellor
Oregon University System

Andreas Schleicher, Directorate for Education
Indicators and Analysis Division
OECD
Paris, France

Howard Stephenson, Senator
Utah State Senate

LaVerne Terry, Commissioner of Education
Virgin Islands Department of Education

Francine Tompkins, Director, Pk-16 Initiatives
Academic Affairs
University of Wisconsin System Administration

Gary Whiteley, Director
Alaska Administrator Coaching Project