Education Snapshots

Spelling

In 2019, the proportion of students in South Australia at or above the national minimum standard in spelling was 92% in Year 3 (no change from 2018), 92% in Year 5 (a decrease from 93% in 2018) and 92% in Year 7 (no change from 2018).

The South Australian regions with the highest proportion of students at or above the national minimum spelling standards were:

• Year 3: Metropolitan Adelaide (93%)
• Year 5: Metropolitan Adelaide (93%)
• Year 7: Metropolitan Adelaide (93%)

In 2018, the proportion of Aboriginal students at or above the national minimum standard in spelling was 72% in Year 3 (a decrease from 74% in 2018), 74% in Year 5 (a decrease from 76% in 2018) and 74% in Year 7 (an increase from 72% in 2018).

PISA mathematical literacy

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment measuring the performance of 15 year olds in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. Scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1000.

In 2018, more than 600,000 students from 79 countries completed the PISA assessment. Australia-wide, more than 14,000 students from 740 schools took part.

In mathematical literacy, 50% of 15 year olds in South Australia met or exceeded the national proficient standard in 2018, a significant decrease since 2003 (73%) and lower than the national average (54%). South Australian students’ mean test score (482) was also lower than the OECD average (494) in 2018 (and has been lower since 2012).

The proportion of young men that met or exceeded the national proficient standard was slightly higher than the proportion of young women that met or exceeded the national proficient standard (52% and 49% respectively).

• Early childhood development

• Writing
• Reading
• Numeracy

• Young people in full-time education
• School attendance

• Apparent retention rate
• Senior school certificate