Results from the first year of 11th grade New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) testing show local high school students are performing below statewide averages in math, reading and writing.

Acting Superintendent of the Manchester School District, which educates students from Hooksett, Candia and Auburn, Henry Aliberti, said the scores serve as a point of reference, October 2007 being the first time the test was administrated to more than 16,000 juniors across the state.

“I would look at this as baseline information,” Aliberti said, adding he realizes the results point to curricular and professional development practices that need to be implemented in schools.

Districtwide, 22 percent of Manchester students scored at least proficient in math, 55 percent earned proficiency in reading and 25 percent were proficient in writing.

These numbers are lower than the statewide averages: 28 percent proficient or better in math, 67 percent in reading, and 33 percent in writing.

Out of 520 students tested at Central, 22 percent scored proficient or better in math, 62 percent earned proficiency in math and 40 percent got to that level in writing.

Just over 500 juniors at West were tested in all three subject areas. In math, 27 percent scored proficient or better, the best math results for the Manchester School District.

In reading, 56 percent of West students attained proficiency and 21 percent were scored at least proficient in writing.

Out of 559 students tested at Manchester Memorial, which takes on tuitioned students from Auburn, 19 percent scored proficient in math, 52 percent in reading and 17 percent in writing.

Pembroke Academy, which includes students from Pembroke, Allenstown and Epsom, fared slightly better in math, also gaining a higher mean math score than all three Manchester schools. Pembroke Academy also has less than half the student enrollment of any of the Manchester schools.

Out of 210 students tested in math, 59 students, or 28 percent, scored proficient or better. In reading, 60 percent scored proficient or better and 31 percent scored at least proficient in writing.

Central Principal John Rist said he does not feel the results for his students reflect their actual grasp of the three subject areas, adding the state averages, particularly in math, show a need to examine the test format more closely.

“If I give a test and 78 percent have unacceptable performance, I’m going to look at the test,” Rist said.

Rist pointed out that New Hampshire has exceptionally high per-student SAT scores, likely because there is substantial motivation for students to perform well on the SATs.

Some students didn’t even bother to read the test, Rist said, but just filled in the bubbles, negatively reflecting in the school’s results.

Rist said Central is ahead of the curve in implementing the grade span expectations and building their curriculum around them.

“Now people can again classify Central High School as a failing school,” Rist said. “There’s no category that says ‘Gee, good job, you’re headed in the right direction’.... There’s no reward for that.”

Rist also pointed out Central’s mean scores were affected by extremely polarized scores on both ends of the spectrum.

Memorial Principal Arthur Adamakos said the results represented a period of adjustment students are going through in switching over to the upgraded grade span expectations and new testing format, which places more emphasis in conceptual knowledge than the NHEIAP (New Hampshire Education Improvement and Assessment Program) testing used in the past.

He added he does not think juniors taking the NECAP took the testing as seriously as they should, saying there is no motivation for students to do well.

“We’ve got to place some kind of importance on the test,” Adamakos said, agreeing with Rist’s argument that students take the SATs seriously because their futures hinge on it to a degree.

Adamakos did say he believes the tests were fair, and the task ahead is to align curriculum to comply with state standards of proficiency and adequate yearly progress for students.

Aliberti said the school district would continue to improve their curriculum in grades 6 through 12 using the assessment results, paying particular attention to differentiating instruction for subgroups.

Currently, the Manchester School District employs two secondary curricular professionals, one for math and one for reading.

Aliberti admits it is hard for these two staff members to make it to all the schools as frequently as is needed.

Superintent Thomas Haley of SAU 53 was unavailable for comment on Pembroke Academy’s performance.