Performance » Numeracy » Year 6 Numeracy:
Benchmarking Year 6 Numeracy performance: Are standards being met?
Table CNT6.1 shows the Fiji distribution of year six 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 year six students is proficiency level five (Figure CNF6.6). Pacific stakeholders expect these students to reach or exceed this proficiency level.
The average overall numeracy score for year six students in Fiji in 2021 was 544.51 (SD = 59.79). This corresponds to proficiency level six in the PILNA numeracy proficiency scale (level six is assigned to scores 525–550). On average, year six students in Fiji are achieving above the minimum expected standard in numeracy.
Figure CNF6.6: 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 Year 4
- 4
- 5 Year 6
- 6
- 7
- 8a
- 8b
Year 4
Mean score: 482.76 (3.24)
Year 6
Mean score: 544.51 (2.61)
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 79% of students, three out of four, performed at or above this expected level (levels 5–8). Conversely, approximately 21% of students, nearly one out of four, performed below the expected proficiency level (levels 0–4). In other words, most year six students are meeting the minimum expected level for numeracy (79%), but there is a substantial proportion of year six students (21%) who are yet to meet this level.
Fiji is performing well in numeracy, not only against the PILNA proficiency level benchmarks, but also against the regional and Small Island States performance in PILNA 2021. On average, year six students in Fiji (545) are scoring higher in numeracy than year six students in the region (530.59). Further, about 79% of year six students met or exceeded the expected minimum numeracy proficiency levels compared with 72% across the region.
When looking at the Fiji distribution of year six numeracy proficiency scores in 2021 by gender (Table CNT6.3), differences can be seen for girls and boys. Approximately 84% of girls performed at or above the expected proficiency level (levels 5–8) compared to approximately 74% of boys.
Figure CNF6.7 shows year six scores for Fiji students on the PILNA numeracy proficiency scale over time. Accompanying this is Figure CNF6.7, showing the proportion of year six students in Fiji meeting the minimum overall numeracy standard over time. A similar proportion of year six students met the minimum expected level in 2021 as in 2018 (2018 = 81%, 2021 = 79%).
