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chapter 2: performance at international benchmarks
and decreases (seven each). At the lower levels, however, there were more
increases than decreases indicating some improvement in basic literacy
levels over the past 5 years. More specifically, including the two Canadian
provinces, at the intermediate level, nine participants had an increase and
three a decrease. Seven participants had an increase in the percentage of
students reaching the low benchmark and one had a decrease.
Consistent with significant improvements in their overall average
achievement between PIRLS 2001 and PIRLS 2006, fourth-grade students in
Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, and Slovenia showed significant increases at all
four benchmarks. The Russian Federation, Germany, and the Slovak Republic
had increases at all except the Low International Benchmark, whereas Italy
had increase at all except the Advanced International Benchmark. The
improvement in Hungary was primarily at the Advanced International
Benchmark. The Canadian province of Ontario had increases at the two
lowest benchmarks, Moldova an increase at the intermediate benchmark,
and the United States an increase at the low benchmark. Norway also had
an increase at the low benchmark, but this was balanced by decreases at the
two highest benchmarks.
For countries with declines overall, Romania had decreases at all four
benchmarks. England and Sweden had smaller percentages of students
reaching the three highest benchmarks. The Netherlands and Lithuania had
decreases at the two highest benchmarks as did Iceland (although it did not
have a change in average achievement).
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