This paper presents the first macro-level Narrative Policy Framework study. We examine how narrative strategies of institutions at the macro-level (OECD) influence policy processes and outcomes at the meso-level (national educational policies). To this end we examine intercountry differences in the use of narrative elements, narrative strategies and policy beliefs between two major coalitions (pro-later tracking and anti-later tracking) in five European countries (Czech R., Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom) in the post-World War II period. Our findings are as follows. Core beliefs, and as a result coalitions, are stable across long periods of time. Policy learning was limited to political parties. Parents and academic secondary tracks teachers did not adjust the policy beliefs to the expert-based information. When presented with expert-based information, they resorted to several policy narrative strategies, such as questioning the validity of the data, reliance on policy symbols or wrapping the issue in larger policy surrogate.
