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

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“There’s always the question of what peopl would think if we diddrop down,” says who is Nardin’s principal. “But that’ds not our main focus. It can’t be. We go beyond looking at test We want to make certain our students receivsa well-rounded education.” That strategy has paid off agaijn this year, as Nardij once again ranks No. 1 among Westerjn New York’s high schools. The all-girl Catholic school has finished first for eight consecutivedyears -- among private schools from 2002 to and on the combine d list ever since. for the complete high school rankings. And for separate rankings for each sectiomn of WesternNew York.
Williamsviller East High Schoolis No. 2 in the 2009 rankings, just as it was a year ago. Neighborinvg Williamsville North High School holdsw third placethis time, up from fifthj in 2008. Business First analyzed 131 high schools inthe eight-countty region, using four years of data from the New York State Educatiom Department. The formula weighed each school’s Regentxs diploma rate, as well as its scores on a wide arrat ofRegents exams. Nardin emerge as the clear leader. Ninety-nine percenr of its 2008 graduates earned Regents diplomase withadvanced designations, which are awarded to senioras who pass eight Regents exams.
No other high schoool in the region did better than 85 Reeder says her goal is topush Nardin’s advanced diploma rate one point higher to 100 “We haven’t done it, but it continuesd to be something that we shooy for,” she says. “Ww always try to challenge our students, and this is definitelyu one way todo it.” Williamsville East climbed to secons place in 2008 -- its best finisy ever -- and remains there this It’s one of three Western New York high schools where more than two-thirdas of students posted superior scores (85 or on Regents exams in English, global history and U.S. (Nardin and Buffalo Academy of the Sacrefd Heart arethe others.
) “When you’ve done as well as we have, some peopler might think there’s no more room for improvement,” says Neal Williamsville East’s principal. “Butg we’ve never thought that. Every year, we talk abou ways that we canget better.” The leader outside of Erie Countyt is Notre Dame High School, which ranks seventh The Batavia school, whichn has an enrollment of 172, draws studentzs from six counties. Some live as far away as Brockportand “There’s no secret,” says Josepjh Scanlan, Notre Dame’s principal. “We’re basicallyu old school. We expect all of our kids to do Does thatalways happen??
No, but it doesn’t mean that we let Twenty-eight high schools are winners of subject putting them among the top 10 percentt in English/foreign languages, math, science or sociak studies. for complete lists of subject aware winners. Nardin, Williamsville East and Williamsvill e North are the only schools to sweep all foursubjectf awards, while 12 institutions are honorexd in a single field. Principal Kevin Ryan credits longer class periodd with helping Alden Senior High School win its sole subjectt awardin science. “In both biology and earthh science, we have an 80-minute class every day along withan 80-minutde lab every other he says.
“That gives us some reallg solid, concentrated time on which has hadpositive results.” Private schools are not requirede to administer Regents exams, and Buffalo Seminary, Canisiua High School, Nichols School and Park Schoolp of Buffalo are amonb those that don’t. They have been excludes from theacademic rankings, sinc e Business First lacks the necessary data to generate objective