Central Academy Places 1st in National Math Contest

Central Academy has some of the best high-school mathematicians in the country, as demonstrated by their 1st place finish in the 2013 Collaborative Problem-Solving Contest (CPSC), a national mathematics contest administered by National Assessment & Testing, based in Seattle, WA.

While most math competitions encourage rote memorization, familiar problems, and quick mental reflexes, the CPSC presents schools with fifteen unique, intricate problems to be solved over the course of a week.

Under the guidance of Central Academy math teacher Mike Marcketti, students worked together using brainstorming, collaboration, research, and technology to solve the problems, gaining experience with skills that will be critical in college and their careers.

“During the week of the contest, the Advanced Math Problem Solving students were incredibly impressive as they exemplified the qualities we strive to infuse in our students: they researched, coordinated efforts, inspired insights, persevered and answered questions that ranged from extremely creative to downright gruesomely challenging,” said Marcketti.

Team members — all students in the Advanced Math Problem Solving class at Central Academy — and their home schools are listed below. 

Last year, Central Academy students finished 7th in the nation in this competition. Earlier this month, Central Academy learned its students finished 5th in the nation in the Mandlebrot mathematics competition, besting some of the nation’s top-ranked high schools.

National Assessment & Testing administers high-quality mathematics competitions throughout the year that high schools can participate in through the mail. To learn more about the contests visit www.natassessment.com.