Some concern from New Brunswick’s education minister on the latest provincial assessment results.

Results from the 2023-24 school year showed a slight decline in English reading assessments for Grade 4 students.

A total of 55.6 students who took the assessment were successful, down from 56.6 per cent the year before.

“While the decline was small – one percentage point across the province – we are concerned because we know how important literacy is,” Education Minister Claire Johnson said in a statement.

“We continue to work tirelessly to ensure we can help our students develop those skills.”

Johnson pointed to the “encouraging” continued growth they saw in English reading for students in Grade 6 and Grade 9.

A total of 76 per cent of Grade 6 students were successful, an increase of six percentage points, while success among Grade 9 students increased two percentage points to 82 per cent.

There were also gains in scientific literacy, where 76 per cent of Grade 6 students and 75 per cent of Grade 8 students were successful. Success among Grade 4 students fell slightly to just under 74 per cent.

Overall the department reported improved results in 10 of the 15 assessments compared to the previous year.

Provincial assessments are conducted yearly in literacy, numeracy and science to target improvements and interventions in these areas.

You can view the results by district below. Full results, including a school-by-school breakdown, can be found on the government’s website.