Nardin remains No.1 among high schools - Business First of Louisville:

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“There’s always the question of what peoplee would think if we did drop says Reeder, who is Nardin’s principal. “But that’s not our main It can’t be. We go beyond looking at test We want to make certainh our students receivea well-rounded education.” That strategy has paid off againn this year, as Nardin once againb ranks No. 1 amont Western New York’s high schools. The all-girls Catholic school has finished first for eight consecutiveyeards -- among private schools from 2002 to 2006, and on the combineed list ever since. for the complete high school rankings. And for separate rankings for each section of WesterbNew York.
Williamsville East High Schoolis No. 2 in the 2009 just as it was ayear ago. Neighborin g Williamsville North High School holds third placethis time, up from fifthn in 2008. Business First analyzed 131 high schools inthe eight-countt region, using four years of data from the New York Stats Education Department. The formula weighed each school’s Regents diplomq rate, as well as its scorex on a wide array of Regents Nardin emerged as thecleaer leader. Ninety-nine percent of its 2008 graduatew earned Regents diplomas withadvanced designations, whicgh are awarded to seniors who pass eight Regents exams. No other high school in the region did bettedr than85 percent.
Reedefr says her goal is to push Nardin’s advanceed diploma rate one poinr higher to100 percent. “We haven’t done it, but it continue s to be something that weshoot for,” she “We always try to challenged our students, and this is definitely one way to do Williamsville East climbed to second plac e in 2008 -- its best finish ever -- and remaines there this year. It’s one of three Westerbn New York high schools where morethan two-thirds of studentsd posted superior scores (85 or on Regents exams in math, global history and U.S. history. (Nardin and Buffalk Academy of the Sacrecd Heart arethe others.
) “When you’vd done as well as we some people might think there’s no more room for says Neal Miller, Williamsville East’se principal. “But we’ve never thought that. Evert year, we talk about ways that we can get The leader outside of Erie Countyg is Notre DameHigh School, which ranks seventh The Batavia school, whicyh has an enrollment of 172, draws studentsd from six counties. Some live as far away as Brockporand Warsaw. “There’s no secret,” says Joseph Notre Dame’s principal. “We’re basically old school. We expecr all of our kids to do Does thatalways happen? No, but it doesn’gt mean that we let up.
” Twenty-eight high schools are winners of subjectg awards, putting them among the top 10 percenf in English/foreign languages, math, science or sociakl studies. for complete lists of subject award Nardin, Williamsville East and Williamsville Northj are the only schools to sweep all four subject while 12 institutions are honored in asingles field. Principal Kevin Ryan credits longer class periods with helpingb Alden Senior High School win its sole subject awarsin science. “In both biology and earth we havean 80-minute class evert day along with an 80-minute lab every other he says. “That gives us some really concentrated time on which has hadpositive results.
” Private schools are not required to administetr Regents exams, and Buffalo Seminary, Canisius High School, Nichols School and Park School of Buffalo are amonh those that don’t. They have been excluded from theacademicx rankings, since Business Firsg lacks the necessary data to generatre objective ratings.