Performance » Numeracy » Year 4 Numeracy:
Benchmarking Year 4 numeracy performance: Are standards being met?
Table CNT4.1 shows the distribution of year four overall numeracy scores in Small Island States against the PILNA numeracy proficiency scale. This scale converts a student’s overall numeracy score into a level ranking from zero to eight. The expected minimum overall numeracy performance for year four students is proficiency level three. Pacific stakeholders expect these students to reach or exceed this proficiency level.
The average overall numeracy score for year four students in Small Island States in 2021 was 479.55 (SD = 88.81). This corresponds to proficiency level four in the PILNA numeracy proficiency scale (level four is assigned to scores 475–500). On average, year four students in Small Island States are achieving above the minimum expected standard in numeracy.
Figure CNF4.5: PILNA
Assessment strands
- Numbers
- Operations
- Measurement & geometry
- Data & chance
Overall numeracy score
- 0
- 375
- 425
- 450
- 475
- 500
- 525
- 550
- 575
- 600
- 625+
- 600
Proficiency Scale Levels
Expected minimum performance
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3 Year 4
- 4
- 5 Year 6
- 6
- 7
- 8a
- 8b
Year 4
Mean score: 479.55 (10.08)
Year 6
Mean score: 538.21 (10.08)
The average numeracy score does not tell us the whole story. The proportion of students who are meeting the minimum expected standard is also important. Approximately 63% of the year four students in Small Island States, about two out of three, performed at or above this expected level (levels 3–8) in PILNA 2021, while approximately 37% of students, one out of three, performed below the expected proficiency level (levels 0–2). In other words, most year four students are meeting the minimum expected level for numeracy, but there is a significant proportion (37%) who are yet to meet it.
Year four students in Small Island States are performing similarly in numeracy to the region. The average numeracy score in Small Island States was 480 while the regional average was 479. However, a slightly smaller proportion of students in Small Island States are meeting the expected proficiency level in numeracy (63%) than the region (67%).
When looking at the Small Island States distribution of year four numeracy proficiency scores in 2021 by gender (Table CNT4.2), differences can be seen. Approximately 72% of girls performed at or above the minimum expected proficiency level (levels 3–8) compared to approximately 59% of boys. Additionally, boys represented higher proportions of the students performing at level zero and level one than girls; 16% of year four boys performed at level one compared to 11% of girls, and 17% of boys performed at level zero compared to 8% of girls.
