Philly boys ace Latin exam

Officials at Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter School  announced Tuesday that 15 students have earned silver and gold medals for their achievements on the National Latin Examination.

Three of the medals are for student performance on Latin III exams.

Each year, more than 150,000 students in the United States and around the world take the exams which test knowledge of Latin grammar and Roman culture and civilization.

Most of the U.S. students who take the exam attend private schools.

Boys Latin of Philadelphia is a charter school modeled after the rigorous Boys Latin Academy in Boston. All students who attend the charter in West Philadelphia are required to take four years of Latin as part of their college-prep education.

Proponents argue that Latin provides a strong academic foundation that helps develop students' analytical skills and boost verbal SAT scores.

Boys Latin of Philadelphia, which draws students from throughout the city, enrolls 420 male students in grades nine through 12.

Now in its third year, the school was the first single-gender charter school approved in Pennsylvania.