William H. Schmidt is a University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University. He serves as co director of the Education Policy Center, co-director of the U.S. China Center for Research, and holds faculty appointments in Statistics and Education. Previously he served as National Research Coordinator and Executive Director of the US National Center which oversaw participation of the United States in the IEA sponsored Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). He has published in numerous journals including the Journal of the American Statistical Association, Journal of Educational Statistics, EEPA, and the Journal of Educational Measurement. He has co-authored eight books including Why Schools Matter, Teacher Education Matters, and Inequality for All. His current writing and research concerns issues of academic content in K-12 schooling, assessment theory and the effects of curriculum on academic achievement. He is also concerned with educational policy related to mathematics, science and testing in general.