Findings from both nationally and internationally conducted studies related to student ability and achievement results, such as PISA, and various follow up studies, have indicated that early streaming practices and educational policy in Switzerland are worthy of scrutiny with respect to immigrant students and their educational paths (Marks, 2005; Vellacott et al. 2003; Kronig, 2002; Lischer, 2002; Imdorf, 2003.). Specific Swiss cantonal traditions and nationally strongly rooted beliefs about streaming criteria and the justification for disproportionately high allocation rates of immigrant student into classes with lower achievement requirements, are not easily determinable as direct outcomes of systemic management, education governance and distinct decision making practices. Immigrant pupils in primary and secondary schools in Switzerland may be faced with multiple disadvanges in terms of educational opportunity. Evidence seems to be increasingly demonstrating that the whole problem area might be strongly linked to the rigidity and self-regulation of the educational system in Switzerland, particularly with reference to varied cantonal practices (Gomolla and Radtke, 2002). Related to issues of integration, there might be a general perception in local research that the problems lie mainly with the immigrant pupils and are therefore strongly connected to their own difficulty in adapting to the local system and their own learning difficulties (Gomolla and Radtke, 2002). Studies have shown, that a very high proportion of effects upon student opportunity in Switzerland can be attributed to socio-economic factors (Vellacott et al., 2003). However, follow up studies regarding immigrant student performances in Switzerland seem to be focussing predominantly on cultural indicators in terms of problems of integration rather than pursuing research related to effects of socio-economic background on school performance. Questions arise as to how or whether data results from studies such as PISA or TIMSS, and consecutive national follow up results in this particular area are influencing the national educational agenda. My paper explores the flow of data derived from national research conducted in the area of immigrant student performance in the context of education governance and policy implementation; both on the cantonal de-centralized level of authority, as well as on a local authority and school level basis. On a wider note, I would like to pursue the question of how concepts of knowledge in Swiss education policy making and steering within education systems might be linked to requirements of other public sectors, such as social inclusion and exclusion, citizenship and the labour market. I would like to conduct a contextual analysis of Swiss education policy texts in the area of 'special classes for students with learning difficulties' and trace the effect of data being produced in Swiss national research on 'immigrant student educational paths and allocation practices' on national and cantonal policy. I would like to conduct interviews with policy makers, local cantonal educational authorities, members of school boards and teachers on their roles, use of knowledge and their perceptions of educational decision making in the student streaming and allocation practice. The data will be analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis methods as suggested by Fairclough (2002)Switzerland within the European framework of migration holds a special marginal position on the one hand as a non-EU state, and on the other as having one of the highest immigrant population rates within Europe; this thereby represents an interesting case study in terms of international/ European education research and its impact on national systems. The Swiss education system may be faced with challenges regarding streaming and self-regulatory allocation practices which are no longer justifiable with pupil- and culture oriented arguments in terms of educational integration. The complexity of policy and decision making structures are likely to be interrelated with types of education governance, migration and integration politics, the notions and legal implications of citizenship or the absence thereof, intended labour market outcomes and economically motivated educational standard setting. Moreover, there is an increasing importance of adopting a more critical approach as to how international and national research findings are being analyzed and integrated into policy and decision making frameworks. Gomolla, M. and Radtke, F.-O. (2002) Institutionelle Diskrimierung. Die Herstellung ethnischer Differenz in der Schule. Germany, Opladen: Leske + Budrich Marks, G. N. (2005) Accounting for immigrant non-immigrant differences in reading and mathematics in twenty countries, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 28. (5), 925 - 946 Rosenberg, S., Lischer, R., Kronig, W., Nicolet, M., Bürli, A., Schmid, A. and Bühlmann, R.: Swiss Conference of Cantonal Education Directors (Switzerland) (EDK) (2002) Bildungslaufbahn von immigrierten "leistungsschwachen" Schülerinnen und Schülern.(CONVEGNO Report). Bern: Schüler AG, Biel Vellacott, M.C., Hollenweger, J., Nicolet, M. and Wolter, S.: Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS) and Swiss Conference of Cantonal Education Direction (EDK) (2003) Bildungsmonitoring Schweiz. Soziale Integration und Leistungsförderung. (Thematischer Bericht der Erhebung PISA 2000). NeuchâtelSwiss Conference of Cantonal Education Directors (Switzerland) (EDK) (2001) Leistungsförder- ung und Bildungschancen. Qualitätssicherung in sprachlich, kulturell und sozial heterogenen Klassen und Schulen. Bern: Schüler AG, Biel. in progress