Posted September 2, 2011

Students from Archbishop Ryan High School are preparing for the new academic year. But there is a group of students that began preparing earlier than most. They attended the Advanced Statistics Institute held at Ryan Aug. 29 to Sept. 2.

Academically, the students from Ryan are coming off another banner year. In the world of Advanced Placement Mathematics, 23 of the 25 Ryan students who took the AP Calculus Exam scored a perfect score of 5. The other 2 scored a 4. Results for the AP Statistics Exam were similar. Eighteen of the 20 students from Ryan taking the exam scored a 4 or a 5.

Globally, about 13 percent of students taking the AP Calculus and the AP Statistics exams score a perfect score of 5. At Ryan, 92 percent of those taking the AP Calculus and 60 percent taking the AP Statistics achieved a perfect score.

Sister Alice Hess I.H.M., the long time math teacher at Ryan who was recognized nationally in 2008 for her excellence in teaching, is leading the effort that assures that level of achievement.

The commitment by the students is what drives Sister Alice. “They are willing to commit the time and effort in order to achieve excellence,” she said. “Their hard work gives them superior academic achievements and for that I am proud of what they are doing and what the others have achieved. These students have learned that if they work hard, they will achieve”