Last year's fifth-grade students at Case Elementary School in Sharon achieved some of the highest scores on the Pennsylvania School System Assessment tests in Mercer County.

Of the school's fifth-graders, 44 percent of them did well enough on the exams to be placed in the "Advanced" category for math; 37 percent scored as well in reading. Two-thirds of the students were judged "Proficient" or higher in reading and math, setting the school well above the state's benchmarks for success.

The school is used as a state Model Site School for early childhood education; many teachers from western Pennsylvania visit the school each year to observe teaching methods and the way the students learn in hopes of replicating the school's success.

In many categories, the school has surpassed expectations. Standard and Poors Index named Case Avenue Elementary a "School Which Beats The Odds," for its academic achievement.

To celebrate the now sixth-graders' success and hard work, the parent-teacher organization threw a pizza and chicken wing lunch party on Friday.

As she was waiting her turn to get the goodies, Kashmere Pearson, 11, talked about the hard work of the students and teachers to prepare for the four-day-long exam.

"It was very stressing and exhausting," she said. "But the teachers made sure we knew exactly what we were doing for the test."

Kashmere scored in the "Advanced" categories in both reading and math. She said she likes reading mystery novels in her spare time.

The school's assistant principal, Traci Valentino, said the students receive after-school help from kindergarten on.

"I'm sure this year's fifth-graders want to score just as well, maybe beat the goal of the last year's class," she said.

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