The 2009 New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) scores were released yesterday, and the results are mediocre at best.

Warwick educators were disappointed with some of the results, especially the math scores for high school juniors. As for elementary schools, seven showed improved reading scores with only one registering a decline. On the math test five improved scores from last year and two dropped. Winman’s scores in both reading and math dropped while those at Gorton and Aldrich either improved or remained unchanged.

Elementary schools with a significant increase in improvement were Norwood, with a 12.2 percent increase in math and 5.9 percent in reading; and Francis with a 7.3 percent increase in math and a 7.2 percent increase in reading. Adversely to those scores, Warwick Neck’s math scores dropped 7.2 percent and the reading scores were down .6 percent, Randall Holden dropped 4.5 percent in math scores and their reading scores were unchanged.

The statewide tests showed that roughly 70 percent of students were proficient in reading, up two percentage points from last year, and roughly 54 percent were proficient in math, up just one percentage point from last year.

“The good news is for the fifth straight year we have continued to improve,” said Governor Carcieri.

The scores were announced during a press conference held yesterday at the Anthony Carnevale Elementary School in Providence. State Commissioner of Education Deborah Gist and Judge Robert G. Flanders Jr., chairman of the Board of Regents were also in attendance.

While the reading and writing scores increased 13 and four percent respectively, the math scores are an entirely different story.

“There is a disconnect between the test and the classroom,” said Carcieri.

The Governor noted that initially there was questions about the validity of the math test, but after the teachers went through and reviewed it that was clearly not the case.

“I have concerns about overall performance improvements that we are not seeing in math,” said Gist.

Flanders said that the Regents objective is to put a policy in place to learn from the most successful school systems and replicate those standards throughout the state.

The scores are rated on levels from one to four: level one - substantially below proficient; level two - partially proficient; level three – proficient; and level four-proficient with distinction.

Warwick high schools were a combined 69 percent proficient or higher in reading, 20 percent in mathematics and 53 percent in writing.

“Math is a major problem at high school,” said Superintendent Peter Horoschak, “it’s not anywhere near where it should be, it’s just not acceptable at all.”

“I am disappointed, we could have certainly done better,” said Dennis Mullen, principal at Pilgrim.

Mullen notes that the district needs to come together to discuss strategies for improving next year’s scores. Pilgrim dropped 9.2 percent in proficiency in reading scores and 6.9 percent in math from 2008 to 2009.

Warwick Veterans Memorial High School dropped only .9 percent in reading, but dropped 5.7 percent in math.

“There is a fine line between teaching curriculum and getting students ready for the NECAP test,” said Principal Gerry Habershaw.

The bright spot for Warwick high schools was Toll Gate. The reading scores at Toll Gate went up 12 percent and math scores rose 5.6 percent.

“I am very excited that we did the best, but I know in any given year Pilgrim or Vets could beat us,” said Principal Stephen Chrabaszcz.

There clear issue across school lines is that significant improvements need to be made. But how to make those improvements becomes the issue at hand.

“Throwing money at a problem isn’t going to fix the problem,” said school committee member Patrick Maloney.

Warwick was not the worst in the state in math proficiency, but Pilgrim and Vets were 27th and 28th lowest in math proficiency out of 111 schools, Toll Gate was 52nd. Commissioner Gist says that the statewide lack of proficiency in math needs to be addressed urgently because students are not getting the skills they need to be successful.

“This is already a crisis,” Gist said.

Commissioner Gist noted that teacher quality and school leadership quality is essential in having successful classrooms.

“None of our jobs matter unless what we are doing is making teachers more successful,” the commissioner said.

The news is not all bad. The NECAP is administered in three other states: New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. This is the only multi-state collaborative testing of its kind in the country. Rhode Island’s writing scores were the highest out of all the states; the reading scores matched New Hampshire and surpassed Maine and Vermont.

Gov. Carcieri has asked Commissioner Gist to look into the Massachusetts math teaching system because it is the highest ranked in the country.

“We may need to parachute in math specialists,” said Gov. Carcieri.

Commissioner Gist also stressed her concern for the significant achievement gaps between English language learning (ELL) students and other special needs students.

“There is a 40 point gap between ELL students and that gap has widened,” she said.

A shining light in all of the numeric tragedies announced yesterday were the significant increases in graduation rates. Vets High had a six percent increase and the statewide increase was almost two percent.

“We are really seeing good positive things happening,” said Gov. Carcieri.

The main focus of the day was to reiterate the idea that schools need to be graduating students that are ready for success.

“One thing about being successful is you never stop learning,” said Judge Flanders.