Performance » Reading » Year 4 Reading:
Benchmarking year 4 reading performance: Are standards being met?
Table RRF4.3 shows the 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 reading was 444.30 (SD = 82.66). This corresponds to proficiency level three on the PILNA reading proficiency scale (level three is assigned to scores 437.5–462.5).
On average, year four students in the region are not meeting the minimum expected standard in reading.
Figure GHI#2: PILNA
Overall reading score
- 0
- 363
- 413
- 438
- 463
- 488
- 513
- 538
- 588
- 625+
- 588
Proficiency Scale Levels
Expected minimum performance
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4 Year 4
- 5 Year 6
- 6
- 7
- 8
Year 4
Mean score: 444.3
Year 6
Mean score: 491.87
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.
As shown in Table RRF4.3, approximately 43% of year four students were performing at or above the minimum expected level in reading (levels 4–8).
The majority of year four students, 57%, were not meeting the minimum expected level of performance in reading (levels 0–3). This includes a significant proportion of year four students scoring at level zero (17%), the lowest level on the reading scale.
When looking at the distribution of year four reading proficiency scores in 2021 by gender (Table RRF4.4), we can see differences in the scores of girls and boys. Approximately 49% of year four girls performed at or above the expected minimum proficiency level, but only about 37% of year four boys did so.
