A local sixth-grader has turned in the state’s top performance on the 2007 Math League Contest.

Henry Cole, who attends Howard Bishop Middle School, correctly answered 39 of the 40 questions in this year’s sixth-grade contest. That’s the highest score of any student in Florida. Cole’s math teacher Judy Masuda says his achievement is remarkable.

“In 19 years, I’ve never had anyone make a 39 out of 40,” she said. “I took the test, and I missed three questions, so he beat my score.”

The Math League Contest is designed to stimulate interest and confidence in mathematics for students in middle and high school. This year’s sixth-grade contest included word problems covering geometry, algebra, exponents and other mathematical concepts. Students have just 30 minutes to complete all the questions.

“I thought it was pretty easy,” said Cole, adding that although he felt confident after taking the test, he was surprised to have earned the state’s top score.

Masuda says Cole has a special ability to tackle mathematic problems in different ways.

“He’s a very creative thinker,” she said. “He will look at any kind of problem and say ‘Well, that’s one way to solve it, but can I try this way?’ and he’ll find a different way to get to the solution.”

“I like figuring out different ways to look at a problem and get it done,” said Cole. “It’s just fun.”

In addition to his natural math talent, Masuda also points to Cole’s effort and his commitment to all his classes.

“He’s an outstanding, well-rounded young man in all subjects,” she said. “He puts forth his best effort in everything he does.”