STANFORD, Calif. — Finland is this decade’s shiny icon of classroom success, the repeat winner of top results in a global ranking of national school systems. That’s why academics, teachers and government officials gathered at Stanford University last week to talk about what makes the Scandinavian country’s schools so good.

And what lessons might Americans have learned at the Empowerment Through Learning in a Global World Conference, a gathering organized by Stanford and the Finnish Consulate? That the Finns emphasize equality, collaboration and a wellness-oriented public school system — but that their standardized exams can be high-stakes, too.

“A lot of our own experiences were initially American ideas,” said Pasi Sahlberg, a Finnish education official and author of the new book “Finnish Lessons,” who spoke at the conference. “One of the biggest differences now is the idea of equality of educational opportunity,” added Sahlberg, who visits the U.S. every month responding to the demand for Finland’s secret sauce.

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