Following the initial report presenting the first results of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 covering results in three domains and looking at the relationship between student performance in reading literacy (the major domain) and selected characteristics of individuals, families, and schools, this report looks more closely at performance in reading. The report refines and extends the discussion of the reading literacy results contained in the first report. It shows reading literacy levels of students aged 15, in 32 countries, in terms of how well they can use written materials to meet the challenges of the real world and to become lifelong learners. It finds that some countries manage to combine high overall results with relatively small differences among students; in others there are worryingly large numbers of students capable of only the most basic reading tasks. Following a Foreword, the report is divided into these chapters: (1) Introduction to PISA and Reading Literacy; (2) The Construct of Reading Literacy for PISA; (3) Sample Tasks; Readers' Guide; (4) Reading Performance of 15-Year-Olds; (5) Reading Engagement of 15-Year-Olds; (6) Relationship between Background Characteristics and Reading Literacy; (7) Interplay between Individual Background Characteristics and School Factors; and (8) Readiness of 15-Year-Olds to Meet the Challenges of the Future. Appended are more technical information, data tables, and additional information. (Contains 95 references and extensive tables.) (NKA)