Conclusions for writing performance
Mean writing scores
Year four students had an average writing score of 479 points. This is slightly lower than the region’s average score of 484 points.
Year six students had an average score of 513 points. This is slightly higher than the region’s average score of 507.
Gender
Girls scored higher in writing performance than boys at both year levels. At the year four level, the girls’ mean score was 488 and the boys’ result was 17 points behind at 471 points. Similarly, at the year six level, the girls’ mean score was 521 and the boys’ was 504.
School locality
Year four and year six students in urban schools have scores slightly higher than those in non-urban schools with a score difference of about five points in each year level.
Trends
Year four students showed an increase in writing performance between 2018 (463) and 2021 (479). This is not the same with year six performance. At the year six level, there was a slight decrease from 2018 (518) to 2021 (513).
Coding
Coding: In the PILNA writing assessment, for both year four and six, students were required to write a story based on either of the two prompts provided. The prompts were provided to encourage ideas and engagement in the process. The criteria for the narrative task encompassed the two main features of writing – content and language elements – as can be seen in the writing rubric. Six writing skills are assessed in PILNA: quality of ideas, structure and organisation, grammar and syntax, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation.
Coding data allow for an interpretation of how students have performed. A code is assigned for each criterion, according to how well the student has performed. A Code 0 is assigned when there is insufficient data to assess.
Year four coding
Quality of ideas (Codes 1–8): This criterion measures the quality of the students’ ideas and how well those ideas have been developed to produce an entertaining story. About 40% of year four students in Fiji knew what to do in the writing test and wrote stories that related to a prompt; these students were awarded code 5 or higher. Around 60% of year four students in Fiji received code 4 or lower in this criterion, indicating that they had a basic understanding of the task, but their writing was limited to a few words and ideas.
Structure and organisation (Codes 1–5): This measures the students’ ability to shape a story, or to produce a coherent story, with ideas that relate to each other and are logically sequenced. Nearly half of year four students in Fiji achieved the top three codes in this criterion, indicating that their stories were well shaped, coherently written, and had logically sequenced events.
Grammar and syntax (Codes 1–4): This measures the students’ ability to produce a range of sentence structures with accuracy. Around 35% of year four students in Fiji received Code 3 or 4 in this criterion, indicating that they had used a variety of sentence structures and correct grammar conventions. About 60%, or six out of ten, year four students were awarded code 2 or lower, indicating that they had written repetitive sentences and had also made frequent errors in grammar.
Vocabulary (Codes 1–4): This measures the variety of their vocabulary in telling the story. More than 60% of year four students in Fiji received Code 2 or lower in this criterion, indicating limitation in the words used in their writing. About 30% had written stories using a good range of vocabulary.
Spelling (Codes 1–2): This measures the students’ ability to spell both basic and more difficult words. Most year four students (79%) in Fiji were awarded the top two codes in this criterion, showing precision in this language skill.
Punctuation (Codes 1–3): This measures the range and precision of punctuation used in telling the story. Seven out of ten year four students in Fiji accurately used a variety of punctuation marks in their stories; they were awarded the top two codes in this criterion.
Year six coding
Quality of ideas (Codes 1–8): This criterion measures the quality of the students’ ideas and how well those ideas have been developed to produce an entertaining story. About 60% of year six students in Fiji knew what to do in the writing test and wrote stories that related to a prompt; these students were awarded code 5 or higher. Around 40% of year six students had a basic understanding of the task but their writing was limited to a few words and ideas.
Structure and organisation (Codes 1–5): This measures the students’ ability to shape a story, or to produce a coherent story, with ideas that relate to each other and are logically sequenced. Over 80%, or 8 out of 10, year six students in Fiji were awarded the top three codes in this criterion, indicating that their stories were well shaped, coherently written with logically sequenced events. About 20% of year six students in Fiji lacked the understanding of a story structure, receiving codes 0–2.
Grammar and syntax (Codes 1–4): This measures the students’ ability to produce a range of sentence structures with accuracy. More than half the year six students in Fiji received Code 3 or 4 in this criterion, indicating that they had used a variety of sentence structures and correct grammar conventions. The other half of year six students were awarded code 2 or lower, indicating that they had written repetitive sentences and had also made frequent errors in grammar.
Vocabulary (Codes 1–4): This measures the variety of their vocabulary in telling the story. Nearly half of year six students in Fiji received Code 2 or lower in this criterion, indicating limitation in the words used in their writing. The other half of year six students wrote stories using a good range of vocabulary.
Spelling (Codes 1–2): This measures the students’ ability to spell both basic and more difficult words. Almost all year six students in Fiji were awarded the top two codes in this criterion, showing a mastery of this language skill.
Punctuation (Codes 1–3): This measures the range and precision of punctuation used in telling the story. More than half of year six students in Fiji showed mastery in using a variety of punctuation marks in their stories; they were awarded the top two codes in this criterion.
