Table CRT4.1 shows the Niue distribution of year four 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 year four students is proficiency level four. Pacific stakeholders expect these students to reach or exceed this proficiency level.

The average performance of year four students in Niue in reading was 505.29 (SD = 71.55). This corresponds to proficiency level five on the PILNA reading proficiency scale (level five is assigned to scores 487.5–512.5). On average, year four students in Niue are exceeding the minimum expected standard in reading (Figure CRF4.5).

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, as this statistic shows how many students are performing at or above the minimum expected level. This is shown in Table CRT4.1. Approximately 80% of year four students in Niue were performing at or above the minimum expected level in reading (levels 4–8). Only a minority, 20%, were not meeting this level (levels 0–3). A significant proportion of year four students scored at levels seven and eight (38%), the highest levels on the reading scale.

Niue is performing well in reading, not only against the PILNA proficiency level benchmarks, but against the regional and Small Island States performance in PILNA 2021 (Table CRT4.2). On average, year four students in Niue (505) are scoring higher in reading than year four students in the region (444). Further, about 80% of year four students met or exceeded the expected minimum reading proficiency levels in Niue compared with 43% across the region and 49% in Small Island States.