In this oped, Passi Sahlberg highlights three factors that contribute toward the high quality of Finnish schools, and that are absent in the current system of schooling in America: educational equity, the nature of teaching responsibilities, and the presence of physical movement and play for students during school hours:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2
Sahlberg is a former director-general in the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, and has written a book detailing the system of education and schooling in Finland titled: Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland?