The third edition of NORRAG Special Issue (NSI) offers a panel of reflexions on how global reports and indicators shape the global development agenda. Bridging the gap between theory and practice as well as advocacy and policy, authors were invited to assess the reception and impact of these reports on global governance, agency and thematic focus. The issue seeks to question the possible disruptive effect of global reports and international standardized tests on national policies, and the practicability of developing global recommendations in a world of diversity. It also seeks to show how national policy actors, members of civil society and national researchers make use of these reports. The issue is composed of four sections: Part one introduces the main objectives of global monitoring reports and put them into perspective. While it demonstrates how data have an impact on national educational policy, it also highlights how the conception and funding of these reports may disregard parts of the population who are already experimenting forms of marginalization. Part two proposes a set of analyses on how to improve monitoring reports. This section seeks to explore how monitoring reports can be best articulated in relation to local needs and priorities, notably access and quality. Part three investigates communication and dissemination approaches of results. Introducing three case studies, this short section offers reflections about the legitimacy of such tools and the role of media in the national reception of international monitoring reports. Part four delves into the impact of global reports on education policies, exploring a selection of case studies from Chile, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, as well as regional overviews from the Middle East and North Africa.