This paper draws on the study of performing beyond expectations and uses the findings to interrogate increasingly common global educational reform strategies that focus on curriculum standardization and market competition. The paper argues that while global educational reform strategies are driven by business discourse and values, they are driven the values of large and successful business, not by especially effective business practice. Research on highly effective education, business and sporting organizations, reveal findings that expose five fallacies of educational reform: the fallacy of speed embodying the belief that educational turnarounds can and should be achieved in a year or less; the fallacy of standardization and its belief that quality control is best exercised through standardized practices; the fallacy of numbers where it is claimed that just in time data and bottom line targets prevail over personal judgment; the fallacy of replacement which believes that organizations performance can be improved by turnover in leadership and key staff; and the fallacy of competition which believes that market competition in the public sector does more to raise performance than professional collaboration. The converse of these fallacies will be illustrated by drawing on findings and examples from the 18 case studies.