Success adds up for 15 eighth-grade students from Alfred G. Berner Middle School. They achieved the highest marks in the school on the 2014 American Mathematics Contest 8 exam out of 237 students tested in their grade.
Their marks ranged from 13 to 16 out of a possible 25; the national average is a score of 10. Ariana Fang received a 16, the highest score, followed by Matthew Ricupero, Devin Rosmarin, and Luke Weiss who all scored a 15. Three students scored a 14 including Laura Murphy, Matthew Farber and Barbara Lunz. Eight students scored a 13 including: Isabelle Alves, Antoinette Corigliano, Kira Garguilo, Ryan Ginsberg, Jacob Herman, Joseph Misita, Natasha Saar and Danielle Scalcione.
“We are extremely proud of the mathematical abilities of these students,” said Principal Jason Esposito. “Their scores are a testament to the quality of the math program and staff we have here at Berner.”
The exam, one of many sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America, is nationally recognized as a highly respected school-based competition. It consists of 25 multiple-choice questions on middle school mathematics. Questions are developed through the collaboration of teachers, mathematicians and professional organizations to provide challenging math problems that align with curriculum standards. According to the MAA, many colleges and universities request scores from these contests at the higher grade levels and use them for recruiting and admissions.
Each high-scoring student will receive a certificate as recognition from the MAA for their achievement. The highest-scoring student was also awarded a pin.
