The Hon. David Bartlett MP, Premier and Minister for Education and Skills, Tasmania, today released the 2006 National Science Literacy Sample Assessment results for Year 6 students on behalf of the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA).
This report is the second to be published on Science Literacy in the cycle of three-yearly sample assessments conducted by MCEETYA. The assessment was undertaken in October 2006 by a random sample consisting of 4.8 per cent of the total Australian Year 6 student population. The participating students were from both government and non-government schools.
Results of the assessment show that nationally, 54.3 per cent of Year 6 students achieved or bettered the proficient standard.
The proficient standard is a challenging level of performance, requiring students to demonstrate more than minimal or elementary skills.
To achieve the proficient standard, students were required to demonstrate an ability to interpret reports; use observed data; collate and compare data, and draw conclusions.
In comparison to the 2003 assessment, the percentage of students achieving or bettering the proficient standard is lower—54.3 per cent in 2006 compared with 59.4 percent in 2003— while the percentage of students in the highest proficiency level is higher than in 2003. The percentage of students in the lowest proficiency level is also higher than in 2003.
The next science literacy assessment will be conducted in 2009. The results of that cycle will allow trends to be identified based on three comparable datasets. The information derived from these national assessments enables us to better understand and improve our children’s skills and knowledge.
