Table CRT5.1 shows the Palau distribution of grade five reading scores against the PILNA reading proficiency scale, Figure CRF5.9. This scale converts a student’s reading performance into a level ranking from zero to eight. The expected minimum reading performance for grade five students is proficiency level four. Pacific stakeholders expect these students to reach or exceed this proficiency level.

The average performance of grade five students in Palau in reading was 573.02 (SD = 65.01). This corresponds to proficiency level seven on the PILNA reading proficiency scale (level seven is assigned to scores 537.5–587.5). On average, grade five students in Palau are exceeding 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, as this statistic shows how many students are performing at or above the minimum expected level. This is shown in Table CRT5.1. Approximately 96% of grade five students in Palau were performing at or above the minimum expected level in reading (levels 4–8) and only about 4% were not meeting the minimum expected level (levels 0–3). Notably, most students scored in levels seven (31%) or level eight (43%) – the highest two levels on the reading proficiency scale.

Palau 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. On average, grade five students in Palau (573) are scoring higher in reading than students with similar levels of education in the region (444). Further, a higher proportion of grade five students (96%) met or exceeded the expected minimum reading proficiency levels in Palau, compared with students with similar levels of education across the region (43%) and in Small Island States (49%).