Less than three-quarters of Tasmanian year 9 students are writing to the national minimum standard, preliminary results from 2018 NAPLAN tests have shown.
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More than 26,000 students from year 3, 5, 7 and 9 levels from public and private schools were tested during term 2 with a focus on reading, writing, language and numeracy.
For year 3 students, 93.8 per cent were above the national minimum standard for reading, 92.5 per cent for writing, 91.1 per cent for spelling, 92.7 per cent for grammar and punctuation, and 96 per cent for numeracy.
Reading levels had improved from 2008, as had grammar and punctuation, but spelling and numeracy progress had dipped slightly.
For year 5 students, 92.6 per cent were above the national minimum standard for reading, 85.6 per cent for writing, 94.5 per cent for spelling, 92 per cent for grammar and punctuation, and 95 per cent for numeracy.
Reading levels again improved from 2008, as had grammar and punctuation and numeracy, but spelling levels had dropped by five per cent.
Students who met the writing benchmark fell to 85.6 per cent, from 89.6 per cent the year before.
For year 7 students, 92.1 per cent were above the national minimum standard for reading, 83.6 per cent for writing, 88.8 per cent for spelling, 91 per cent for grammar and punctuation, and 95.1 per cent for numeracy.
Reading levels had lifted from 2008 and spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy remained stable for this age cohort.
While these results are encouraging, we know that more needs to be done.
- Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff
For year 9 students, 91.9 per cent were above the national minimum standard for reading, 73.5 per cent for writing, 85.3 per cent for spelling, 90 per cent for grammar and punctuation, and 95.5 per cent for numeracy.
Reading, writing and spelling results had declined compared to 10 years ago but grammar and numeracy had improved.
Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said Tasmania had improved on six assessments since the 2017 data.
He said year 3 results remained particularly strong.
“We have worked hard to improve the literacy and numeracy outcomes of Tasmanian students with our record investment into education since coming to government, and these results show those efforts are making a difference,” Mr Rockliff said.
“While these results are encouraging, we know that more needs to be done, particularly in the area of year 5 writing.