As revealed by the mean scores of the countries participating in the Performance Improvement through Strategy Analysis (PISA) assessment of reading literacy, Finland shows the highest reading literacy performance in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) Finland's performance is significantly higher than that of any other participating country. PISA is a three year survey of the knowledge and skills of 15-yearolds in the principal industrialized countries. In 2000, a total of 265,000 students from 32 countries participated. This book, from the researchers responsible for the implementation of PISA in Finland, tries to open up some perspectives on the possible reasons underlying the high performance of Finnish students in PISA. The book points out that there is no single explanation for the results. It states that the successful performance of Finnish students seems to be attributable to a web of interrelated factors related to comprehensive pedagogy, students' own interests and leisure activities, the structure of the education system, teacher education, school practices, and, in the end, Finnish culture. The book opens up perspectives on this web of explanations not only by analyzing the results of PISA but also by considering some characteristics of the Finnish education system and cultural heritage which, in and outside of school, can be thought to have contributed to Finland's successful performance. Appended are: (1) "Finnish Education System"; and (2) "Teacher Education." (Contains 10 figures and 16 references.) (BT) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. The Finnish Success in PISA--And Some Reasons behind It: PISA 2000. Jouni Valijarvi, Pirjo Linnakyla, Pekka Kupari, Pasi Reinikainen, and Inga Arffman Jyvaskyla Univ. (Finland). Inst. for Educational Research U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 1:1 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality El Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY