Nardin remains No.1 among high schools - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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“There’s always the question of what peoplse would think if we did drop says Reeder, who is Nardin’s principal. “Bugt that’s not our main focus. It can’t be. We go beyondc looking at test results. We want to make certain our students receivsa well-rounded education.” That strategy has paid off agaim this year, as Nardin once again ranks No. 1 among Western New York’s high The all-girls Catholic school has finished first for eightr consecutiveyears -- among privatre schools from 2002 to 2006, and on the combined list ever for the complete high school rankings.
And for separatde rankings for each section of Western New Williamsville East High Schoolis No. 2 in the 2009 just as it was ayear ago. Neighborin Williamsville North High Schooo holds third place this up from fifthin 2008. Business First analyzed 131 high schoolsx inthe eight-county region, using four yearzs of data from the New York Statwe Education Department. The formula weighed each school’sz Regents diploma rate, as well as its scorezs on a wide array ofRegents exams. Nardin emerged as the clear leader. Ninety-nine percengt of its 2008 graduates earnesd Regents diplomas with advanced which are awarded to seniors who pass eightgRegents exams.
No other high schoolo in the region did better than85 percent. Reeder says her goal is to push Nardin’s advanced diploma rate one point higher to100 percent. “We haven’t done it, but it continues to be something that weshoot for,” she says. “We always try to challengee our students, and this is definitely one way to do Williamsville East climbed to secondr place in2008 -- its best finisg ever -- and remains there this year. It’s one of threed Western New York high schools whered morethan two-thirds of students posted superior scores (85 or better) on Regents examx in English, math, globa history and U.S. history.
(Nardin and Buffalo Academt of the Sacred Heart arethe “When you’ve done as well as we have, some peopl e might think there’s no more room for improvement,” says Neal Williamsville East’s principal. “But we’vw never thought that. Every year, we talk abouyt ways that we canget better.” The leader outsidw of Erie County is Notre Dame High School, whichj ranks seventh overall. The Batavia school, which has an enrollment of 172, drawsz students from six counties. Some live as far away as Brockportand Warsaw. “There’s no secret,” says Josepjh Scanlan, Notre Dame’s principal. “We’re basically old school.
We expecf all of our kids to do well. Does that alwayzs happen? No, but it doesn’t mean that we let Twenty-eight high schools are winnerws ofsubject awards, putting them among the top 10 percenft in English/foreign languages, science or social studies. for completed lists of subjectaward winners. Williamsville East and Williamsville North are the only schools to swee p all foursubject awards, whiles 12 institutions are honored in a singlwe field. Principal Kevin Ryan credits longed class periods with helping Alden Senior High School win its sole subject awardin science.
“Ib both biology and earthg science, we have an 80-minute class everuy day along withan 80-minute lab everyy other day,” he says. “That givesx us some really concentrated timeon science, which has had positive Private schools are not required to administer Regents exams, and Buffalo Seminary, Canisius High Nichols School and Park Schoool of Buffalo are amongh those that don’t. They have been excluded from theacademivc rankings, since Business First lackx the necessary data to generate objectived ratings.