Salem and Pelham high school juniors scored close to the statewide average NECAP (New England Common Assessment Program) scores in math and writing, but performed significantly better in reading compared with the rest of the state.

Math was the low point for the entire state, and it was no different for both Salem and Pelham students. Twenty-five percent of Salem students scored at the proficient level, as did 23 percent of Pelham students.

About two-thirds of Pelham High School students gained proficiency-or-better reading scores on the 11th grade NECAP testing, soaring over the state average of 33 percent proficiency in reading. Salem saw similar scores in reading with 71 percent of students scoring proficient or better.

Writing scores were not as impressive, with 24 percent of Salem High students gaining a level of proficiency and 43 percent at Pelham High designated proficient. No one at Pelham High scored “proficient with distinction” on the writing test.

Part of the issue lies in motivating students to care about the NECAP testing and commit to performing well, said Pelham Superintendent Frank Bass.

“It’s important for the school, but it doesn’t have the direct impact on the individual student,” Bass said, comparing the test to the SATs, which he said have a “trigger mechanism.”

Students taking the SATs know they have to score highly to get into certain colleges and universities, pushing them to do well, he said.

Salem Assistant Superintendent Marilyn Woodside had a different view than Bass, saying input from teachers, particularly the high school’s math and science director, indicates that students worked earnestly on the tests. She added the school district administration looked at putting the NECAP scores on report cards so that it would become part of each student’s permanent record, thereby creating a specific motivation for students to make their best efforts in the testing.

Bass said Pelham High School has a great curriculum, but admits the results point to a need to evaluate the grade span expectations and figure out the best way to transmit them to the classroom.

About a third of the NECAP focuses on testing the student’s depth of conceptual understanding.

“It’s not just responding to a formula or concept, it’s getting at some of those deep underlying issues,” Bass said.

The less-than-stellar writing performance can be attributed at least in some degree to technological advances that may be altering students’ ability to form proper language structures, Bass said, such as text messaging and Internet chatting, where a new form of shorthand is often used.

“Everything is being truncated, so you don’t have a pure evolution of thought anymore,” Bass said.

Adding integrating writing into all subject areas and compelling students to practice their writing skills is a major part of improving those scores, he said.

“I still think the lion’s share of this really comes through the language arts program,” he added, saying teachers need to instruct students on how to be reflective with their writing.

Woodside agreed with Bass, saying writing curriculum needs to become more focused on explanation and comprehension as well as revision skills.

While both admit the results are disappointing, Woodside and Bass agreed the statewide and school-specific trends offer the change to examine how the grade-span expectations flow into existing curricula.

“We can look at this as an opportunity, too,” Woodside said of the scores in all three subjects statewide. “It gives us a chance to really look at the GSEs against our curriculum.”

More emphasis has been placed on explaining why and how students got to their answers instead of just what that answer is, she said.