Abstract
We examined relative age effects (RAE) in national test results in reading literacy in Norway in 2013, in Grades 5, 8, and 9 students (n = 173,421) to estimate how month of birth is associated with mean scores and different achievement levels. The results confirm that there is an approximately linear decrease in test scores across months of birth for all grades and both genders. Consequently, students born early in the year are more likely to end up at higher achievement levels than students born later in the year. Possible explanations for this phenomenon are the greater maturity of older children and that they might be considered more gifted when compared with their younger peers. Further, we found increasing gap in test scores between girls and boys from grade 5 to 8 and 9. We suggest both maturity and motivational reasons for these differences.
Highlights
During the last few decades, there has been increased focus on testing students’ school achievement in several subjects and basic skills
The purposes of introducing national tests is to assess if schools manage to develop and increase students’ basic skills (Blömeke and Olsen, 2018), and contribute to information about student learning so that people engaged in practice can support their students’ progress (Vestheim and Lyngsnes, 2016)
The basic skills of reading literacy are given a high priority in the Norwegian educational system and the aim of the present study is to explore potential relative age effects (RAE) in the national tests in reading literacy
Summary
During the last few decades, there has been increased focus on testing students’ school achievement in several subjects and basic skills. National tests in Norway are held in fifth, eighth, and ninth grades, and test the basic skills of reading literacy, numeracy, and the English language. Results from these tests give an opportunity to explore students’ achievement and how they might be affected by month of birth. The purposes of introducing national tests is to assess if schools manage to develop and increase students’ basic skills (Blömeke and Olsen, 2018), and contribute to information about student learning so that people engaged in practice can support their students’ progress (Vestheim and Lyngsnes, 2016). It is important for policymakers, school leaders, and teachers to understand what these test scores mean and how different variables impact the test results
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