Chalk one up for Larry Francois.

With Bothell High junior Kirsten Hanson by his side and giving him pointers, the Northshore School District superintendent nailed down an advanced algebra problem during a classroom visit Tuesday morning.

“I thought it was kind of funny, because he’s the superintendent of the schools and I knew more about the math than he did,” Hanson said with a laugh at the close of Bob Kimbrough’s class.

“He got it right… he was a quick learner,” Hanson added with a smile.

Francois was one of about 25 visitors — including a state senator, a state representative, school-board members and principals — who spent the morning at Bothell High discussing the district’s school-improvement plan.

Armed with a 25-page document filled with charts and notes regarding everything from students’ grades and SAT/ACT test results, demographics, graduation rates by ethnicity and more, Bothell High principal Bob Stewart led the discussion and then the groups visited classrooms to get a first-hand look at education in action.

One of the many pluses in the report notes that Bothell High students scored above the state average in both the SAT (1641) and ACT (24.7) in 2011.

Students are getting involved outside of the classroom, as well, as indicated by the Climate and Culture committee, which has given out surveys on healthy youth and cyberbullying, and formed subcommittees on school spirit, inclusion and diversity and more.

Chemistry teacher Todd Fredrickson, a member of the school-improvement plan board, has been at Bothell High for 16 years and knows the campus dynamic well.

“It captured our heart early in getting kids connected with school,” he said to the group. “If you don’t get them early, you’re probably going to have a hard time getting them.”

Participation is key, he said, and they urge students to get involved in activities like sports, band or choir, clubs and newspaper or yearbook.

The school’s Link Crew is another way of connecting incoming sophomores to school with the help of junior and senior mentors showing them the ropes from the get-go, Stewart said.

The high-school campus is where students make their decisions about their present and future, and Stewart noted that the administration and faculty are there to help.

“We have the last hand on them before they leave. Our role is to get them really prepared for what that next step may be,” he said, referring to college or the work force.

Associated Student Body President Hannah Thomas feels that Bothell High is the right place for her, and praised the student-teacher relationships.

“High school has allowed me to grow in ways I’ve never thought of before,” she said of running for student office. “It always seemed like others wanted me to be here, want me to succeed.

“The atmosphere is so easy to grow and excel.”