Beyond grades: Academic performance and functional literacy across learner proficiency levels in a rural Philippine secondary school

Aim: This study examined the relationship between academic performance and functional literacy among Grade 10 and Senior High School learners in a rural school.It determined differences across learner proficiency groups and assessed whether academic achievement predicts functional literacy.Methodology: A quantitative correlational-predictive design was employed with ninety Grades 10-12 learners selected through stratified purposive sampling and classified as low-, average-, and high-performing groups.Functional literacy was measured using a validated 40-item assessment covering four authentic reading tasks: news article, bus schedule, recipe, and electric bill.Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and regression were employed.Results: Functional literacy increased across proficiency groups, with high-performing learners obtaining the highest composite mean (7.58), followed by average-performing (5.16) and low-performing (3.4).Academic grades were significantly and positively correlated with all four literacy tasks, with a strong overall association (r = .836,p < .001).Regression analysis showed that academic grades significantly predicted functional literacy, explaining 69.9% of the variance (R² = .699,p < .001).Conclusion: Lower functional literacy performance is not confined to low-performing learners, as average-performing students likewise demonstrated notable difficulties in applying literacy skills to authentic tasks, whereas highperforming learners consistently achieved stronger functional literacy outcomes.The findings establish an association between academic achievement and functional literacy.The performance gradient highlights the importance of integrating authentic literacy activities across the curriculum, strengthening functional reading instruction, and adopting assessment practices that extend beyond academic grades to identify hidden literacy gaps and support evidence-based educational interventions in rural schools.