The Analysis of International Exchange Organizations and Review of Education Content Areas

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization representing Chief Education Officers from 49 states working to provide leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on key educational issues. CCSSO assists chief state school officers and their staff to identify and address educational issues common across all states by taking a proactive approach to leading educational offices. CCSSO is comprised of various committees including the International Education Committee. The role of the International Education Committee is to provide these chiefs with opportunities to meet with Education Ministers abroad and discuss best practices and policies in other countries. In this way, the International Education Committee may affect both state and national education policy. The Capstone team was asked by CCSSO to research and analyze organizations that offered international exchange programs, and identify relevant content areas that could be incorporated into exchange programs. The team conducted background research on seven organizations and eleven exchange programs administered within those seven organizations, followed by extensive interviewing of staff within these organizations to find the “best practices” of each organization. At the same time exploration of the dominant issues affecting education policy makers was carried out. Recommendations based on the research and analyses of the organizations and content areas were then made to the International Education committee about the future direction of the exchange programs offered by CCSSO. The objective of the research, analysis and recommendations was to aid the International Education Committee at CCSSO in developing their 1, 5 and 10 year strategic plans.