A decade of change?: Monitoring reading and mathematical attainment in year 6 over the first ten years of the Education Reform Act

Research in Education, May 2001 by Davies, Julie, Brember, Ivy

Reading and mathematics are two of the basic skills the acquisition kof which is seen as central to enhancing life both materially and intellectually (Atkinson et al., 1993; Ekinsmyth and Bynner, 1994; Bynner and Parsons, 1997). For this reason both are designated core subjects of the National Curriculum, with national tests at the ages of 7, 11, 14 and 16 (DfEE, 1997). Government initiatives in the basic skills area indicate dissatisfaction with present numeracy and reading standards, and further study reveals all has not been well in this area for some time (ALBSU, 1994, 1995; Reynolds and Farnell, 1996; OfStEd, 1996, 1997a, 1999).

A review of standards in literacy and numeracy (1948-94) indicated that there was a fall in attainment among Year 6 pupils nationally in number skills between 1982 and 1987 and a rise in their geometry, statistical and measures attainments (Brooks et al., 1995). The same review concluded that Britain also had a wider spread of mathematical attainment, compared with other industrial countries, mainly owing to the weaker performance of lower-attaining pupils. The review found standards in reading among Year 6 children to have changed little since 1945, apart from slight rises around 1950 and in the 1980s. The performance of England and Wales in international tests of achievement has indicated that pupils aged 8 and 9 came sixteenth in mathematics in a listing of twenty-six participating countries. This was a deterioration in the relative position in mathematics since the earlier survey in 1982 (Kays et al., 1996). While there are many difficulties inherent in achieving any degree of international comparability, the publicity surrounding these findings is a source of tension when reported baldly in the national press.

Research carried out by the Secondary Heads' Association (SHA) found that more than two-thirds of state school headteachers and one-third in the independent sector identified a sudden drop in test scores for those entering secondary education since 1992 (O'Leary, 1995). The decline was particularly obvious in literacy levels. The cause was identified as the introduction and revision of the National Curriculum, which disrupted primary teaching.

A recent twenty-year follow-up study of pupils' achievement in basic skills (1976-96) reveals a significant drop in performance in mathematics and reading comprehension. The drop in test results is set in a context for the period of the introduction of the National Curriculum and it is noted that children performed less well despite more `test practice' and more formal teaching methods (Galton et al., 1998).

The results of the first national test in 1995 caused great concern when it was reported that only 44 per cent of 11 year olds achieved level 4 or above mathematics and only 48 per cent of them achieved level 4 in English (SCAA, 1997). (A typical 11 year old is expected to achieve level 4 on the eight-point level description scale; DfEE, 1997). The following year 55 per cent of children were achieving the standard expected of 11 year olds in mathematics and 58 per cent in English (SCAA, 1997). This improvement did not satisfy the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, and he declared that, within five years, 75 per cent of 11 year olds would be achieving the expected level in mathematics and 80 per cent of them in English (Carvel, 1997). To achieve these goals, he introduced several measures. As a first step, literacy and numeracy task forces were set up to research methods of inspiring children to excel in arithmetic and English and to spread good practice to all primary schools. The school day is to include two one-hour sessions per day set aside for numeracy and literacy (Bright, 1997). He also continued support for the twelve literacy and thirteen numeracy centres set up for five years at a cost of 25 million.

The results of the annual national tests undertaken by all Year 6 children from 1995 were expected to become the common currency of monitoring standards (Patten, 1993). However, the continual changes that have occurred in National Curriculum assessment procedures and the ways the resulting data are presented since 1991 confound the hope that they could be used to monitor and estimate trends in standards in mathematics or reading over time (Close et al., 1997, Plewis 1997). Another factor - teaching to the test, which was lodged in schools weeks before the test date - may also play a part in the reliability of the test data and may confound any attempt to monitor national standards (SCAA, 1997). This has not dampened national interest in standards, rather it has heightened it with the variety of evidence and apparently conflicting results reported from different studies. The present study adds to this body of evidence.

Aims of the study

This study analyses Year 6 children's reading and mathematical mean scores on the same standardised tests over ten years (as well as reporting the national test results of these children from 1995) to add to the debate about attainment levels in the basics over this decade of curriculum change.