The public will soon learn of the exact performance of public school students on a new achievement test.

Premier Jennifer Smith yesterday revealed that she planned to make the reportedly dismal results of the Stanford Diagnostic Test -- which was administered Islandwide for the first time late last year -- public.

She also disclosed that the Education Ministry will launch an islandwide school reading initiative in September.

"The results of the Stanford Test I do plan to publish,'' Ms Smith told The Royal Gazette in her first wide ranging interview with the paper since becoming the leader of Bermuda.

"I will make them (the results) public so that next year when we measure, people will be able to see the improvement for themselves,'' she continued, referring to the reportedly poor performance of local students compared to their American peers. The Royal Gazette understands that students -- from Primary 3 through Senior 3 -- struggled with the test. Results were down by two years across the board.

And while education officials have declined to give specific details about the test results, one source said their release would do more harm than good.

The disappointing results -- particularly among Primary 3 students who were sitting their first standardised test -- have been attributed to the lack of preparation.

Yesterday Ms Smith, who is also Education Minister, stressed her focus was on raising reading standards.

"I personally am concerned that 44 percent at CedarBridge that are not reading at grade level and together with the Ministry we have worked out a plan that we hope to be able to introduce in September that will actually be a nationwide school reading initiative.''