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Staff report
NILES -- Perfection times ten.
Ten Niles City Schools students achieved perfect scores on Ohio State Tests administered during the spring.
The district school board honored them during its August meeting.
"This is the first time in my tenure with the district that we have had this many perfect scores on state testing," said Toni D'Urso, district testing coordinator. "There are more than 600 public school districts across the state with hundreds of thousands of students testing.
"For our district to have 10 students who tested perfectly is an extraordinary accomplishment. To say we are incredibly proud of these students, their families and their teachers is an understatement."
The "perfect" students recognized and their scores were:
• Franklin Bassett, Grade 5 math, 804.
• Lillian Baugh, Grade 3 math, 818.
• Milo Biviano, Grade 4 math, 835.
• Mia Burns, Grade 5 math, 804.
• Kingston Clay-Dunn, Grade 3 math, 818.
• Merliah Lagunay, Grade 5 ELA, 848.
• Mackenzie Mechling-Coursen, Grade 7 math, 806.
• Kya Miller, Grade 3 math, 818.
• James Trunick, Grade 5 math, 804.
• Greyson Wiseman, Grade 3 math, 818.
Ohio State Tests are administered each spring to students in grades 3 through 8, along with end-of-course assessments for high school students. The assessments measure student achievement of Ohio's Learning Standards and include a variety of question types designed to assess students' knowledge and understanding.
While each student's path to success is unique, the perfect testers shared a common theme: preparation, focus and hard work throughout the school year.
For James Trunick, now a sixth grader, staying focused during classroom instruction helped him prepare for the test.
"I paid attention in class and did what I was supposed to do," he said.
Receiving a perfect score made him feel "proud" and "smart." When he learned his score, James' reaction was "Dang! Are you serious?"
Greyson Wiseman, now a fourth grader, said the work he completed in class also helped him prepare. Although he felt confident after taking the test, he was still surprised by his results.
"I was so happy, I couldn't wait to tell my mom," Wiseman said. "It feels amazing (to get a perfect score). Math is my favorite subject."
Behind these accomplishments is a year-round commitment from Niles City Schools educators to provide instruction aligned with Ohio's Learning Standards and to give students the knowledge and skills they need to demonstrate what they have learned.