Politics & Government
Nazareth School Board Recognizes PSSA High Achievers
Twenty Nazareth Area High School seniors aced all four standardized state tests last year.
The Nazareth School Board on Monday recognized 20 seniors who scored Advanced -- the highest level possible -- on all four (PSSA) tests last year.
The following students achieved Advanced-level scores as juniors on PSSA tests in math, reading, writing and science:
- Erin Adams
- Adam Bergstresser
- Robert Brotzman-Smith
- Tierney Dincher
- Leah Giralico
- Teressa Hamsher
- Tessa Haney
- Eric Johnson
- Rachel Kosciusko
- John Martin
- Noah Nealon
- Kevin Nicholson
- Ryne Rozell
- Colin Schantzenbach
- Brandon Smith
- Michael Sweitzer
- Christopher Uhler
- Adam Wallaesa
- Douglas Zeman
Several of the ace scholars attended Monday's school board meeting, where board members and Alan Davis, principal of Nazareth Area High School, praised their efforts.
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Davis gave an enthusiastic report of recent successes the district and high school have achieved in the area of student scores on standardized tests. He noted that the honored students are well-rounded young citizens and not just bookworms prepping for tests.
"These students are involved in anything you can get involved in at school... and they work and are involved in their churches, too," he said.
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School board members congratulated each of the seniors individually. Some were clearly moved.
"School board members don't get paid," said board member Maurice Heller. "Nights like this are our pay."
According to the state Department of Education website, the PSSA is "a standards-based, criterion-referenced assessment used to measure a student's attainment of the academic standards while also determining the degree to which school programs enable students to attain proficiency of the standards."