Table CRT7.1 shows the Federated States of Micronesia’s distribution of grade seven reading scores against the PILNA reading proficiency scale. This scale converts a student’s reading performance into a level ranking from zero to eight. The expected minimum reading performance for grade seven students is proficiency level five. Pacific stakeholders expect these students to reach or exceed this proficiency level.

The average performance of grade seven students in Federated States of Micronesia in reading was 481.00 (SD = 96.00). This corresponds to proficiency level four on the PILNA reading proficiency scale (level four is assigned to scores 462.5–487.5) as shown in the common proficiency scale ‘meter’ in reading for grade seven students in the Federated States of Micronesia, Figure CRF5.7. On average, grade seven students in Federated States of Micronesia are not meeting the minimum expected standard in reading.

The average reading score does not tell us the whole story. The proportion of students who are meeting the minimum expected standard is also important. Approximately 47% of grade seven students in Federated States of Micronesia were performing at or above the minimum expected level in reading (levels 5–8) but about 53% did not meet this level (levels 0–4). This shows that approximately half of the grade seven students assessed in 2021 are meeting the minimum expected standard and approximately half are not. Also shown in Table CRT7.2 is the significant proportion of grade seven students who scored at the highest levels (levels seven and eight = 31%) and the lowest levels (levels zero and one = 27%).

Across the region, approximately 53% of grade seven students performed at or above the expected proficiency level in reading, compared to approximately 47% in Federated States of Micronesia, i.e. 6% fewer than in the region. Additionally, 27% of grade seven students in Federated States of Micronesia were performing at the lowest two levels (levels 0–1) compared to 16% regionally.