Performance » Reading » Year 6 Reading:
Benchmarking Year 6 reading performance: Are standards being met?
Table RRF6.3 shows the distribution of year six 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 six students is proficiency level five. Pacific stakeholders expect these students to reach or exceed this proficiency level.
The average performance of year six students in reading was 491.87 (SD = 78.28). 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 six students in the region are 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. This is shown in Table RRF6.3.
Approximately 53% of year six students were performing at or above the minimum expected level in reading (levels 5–8) but about 47% of year six students did not meet this level (levels 0–4). This shows that approximately half of the year six students assessed in 2021 are meeting the minimum expected standard and approximately half are not.
Also shown in Table RRF6.3, is the significant proportion of year six students who scored at level seven (17%), the second highest level on the reading scale.
When looking at the distribution of year six reading proficiency scores in 2021 by gender (Table RRF6.4), we can see differences in the scores for girls and boys. Approximately 60% of year six girls performed at or above the expected minimum proficiency level, but only about 46% of year six boys did so.
