CALUMET CITY | Jennifer Donovan is accustomed to success for her business students at Thornton Fractional Center for Academics and Technology.

However, 2007-08 marks an especially good year even for TF Center, which has sent at least one student to the Business Professionals of America national competition in each of the last five years, said Donovan, adviser for BPA students at TF Center.

"This has been by far the best year," she said. "They're all very studious, very focused students. They take care of their responsibilities. I have not seen a mature group like this come along in all my eight years of teaching."

Surpassing last year's TF Center record of 19 students who qualified for the state finals of the BPA competition, the district will send 21 to Oak Brook on March 6-8. At least 10 students have a legitimate shot at qualifying for the national competition in Reno, Nev., on May 7-11, Donovan said.

TF Center students placed first in parliamentary procedure, desktop publishing, global marketing, entrepreneurship and graphic design promotion in the recent area competition of more than 200 students from 12 high schools.

A team of two students from Thornton Fractional North High School -- LeDe Ashley Allen and Mark Garcia -- and three students from Thornton Fractional South High School -- Ryan Sterling, Keiana Taylor and Jillyn Collins -- finished first in parliamentary procedure.

TF Center, which provides specialized instruction for students in Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215, draws its students from TF North in Calumet City and TF South in Lansing.

The parliamentary procedure competition requires students to act as an executive board making a decision, Donovan said. Each team is given a topic and time to prepare and is instructed to conduct a meeting on the topic according to parliamentary procedure, she said.

Allen also placed first in desktop publishing, a computer event requiring students to complete four to five projects within 60 or 90 minutes, Donovan said.

"For example, you have to create a menu for this business, a brochure for this business using this information, or a magazine ad or layout for this business," she said.

TF South student Melissa Mora placed first in entrepreneurship, which requires students to choose a business to open and prepare a 10- to 15-page business plan, including marketing and finances for the company, Donovan said.

TF South's Samantha Ascolani and Erika Yess finished first in global marketing, and Ascolani finished first in graphic design promotion.