Performance » Numeracy » Grade 7 Numeracy:
Benchmarking Grade 7 Numeracy performance: Are standards being met?
Table CNT7.1 shows Federated States of Micronesia’s distribution of grade seven overall numeracy scores against the PILNA numeracy proficiency scale. This scale converts a student’s overall numeracy score into a level ranking from zero to eight. The expected minimum overall numeracy performance for grade seven students is proficiency level five. Pacific stakeholders expect these students to reach or exceed this proficiency level.
The average overall numeracy score for grade seven students in Federated States of Micronesia was 527.32 (SD = 55.30) in 2021. This corresponds to proficiency level six in the PILNA numeracy proficiency scale (level six is assigned to scores 525–550). On average, grade seven students in Federated States of Micronesia are achieving above the minimum expected standard in numeracy as shown in Figure CNF4.6.
Figure CNF7.6: PILNA
Assessment strands
- Numbers
- Operations
- Measurement & geometry
- Data & chance
Overall numeracy score
- 0
- 375
- 425
- 450
- 475
- 500
- 525
- 550
- 575
- 600
- 625+
- 600
Proficiency Scale Levels
Expected minimum performance
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3 Grade 5
- 4
- 5 Grade 7
- 6
- 7
- 8a
- 8b
Grade 5
Mean score: 456.78 (9.61)
Grade 7
Mean score: 506.24 (8.5)
The average numeracy score does not tell us the whole story. The proportion of students who are meeting the minimum expected standard is also important. Approximately 56% of students, over half, performed at or above this expected level (levels 5–8). Conversely, approximately 44% of students performed below the expected proficiency level (levels 0–4). In other words, most grade seven students are meeting the minimum expected level for numeracy (56%), but there is a significant proportion of grade seven students (44%) who are yet to meet the minimum expected proficiency level.
Table CNT7.2 compares the performance of grade seven students for numeracy in Federated States of Micronesia. While 56% of grade seven students performed at or above the expected level (levels 5–8) for numeracy in the Federated States of Micronesia, this figure was higher in the region (72%) as a whole.
When looking at Federated States of Micronesia’s distribution of grade seven numeracy proficiency scores in 2021 by gender (Table CNT7.3), slight differences can be seen for girls and boys. Approximately 58% of girls performed at or above the expected proficiency level (levels 5–8) compared to approximately 54% of boys.
Table CNT7.4 shows grade seven scores for Federated States of Micronesia students on the PILNA numeracy proficiency scale over time. Accompanying this is Figure CNF7.7, showing the proportion of grade seven students in Federated States of Micronesia meeting the minimum overall numeracy standard over time. A lower proportion of students met the minimum expected level of overall numeracy performance in 2021 than in previous years (2012 = 57%, 2015 = 71%, 2018 = 85%, 2021 = 56%). Federated States of Micronesia has seen similar proportions of grade seven students performing at or above the expected level of proficiency in previous years to those at the regional level (2012 = 57%, 2015 = 68%, 2018 = 83%, 2021 = 72%). In both Federated States of Micronesia and the region, fewer students performed at or above the expected level, but this effect was greater in Federated States of Micronesia in 2021.
