No Child Left Behind

Mrs. Linda Rudnick, Director of Instruction
Academy Park
Albany, NY 12207
Phone: 475-6060

What does NCLB mean for Albany parents?
In January 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which took effect September 1, 2002. NCLB is designed to ensure all schools provide parents with a higher level of accountability, choice, and information.

School Choice Options
One of the provisions of NCLB is that schools designated at In Need of Improvement or Corrective Action status --as are Hackett Middle School and Philip Livingston Magnet Academy--provide to parents a School Choice option.

For years now, the City School District of Albany has been offering ALL parents a choice option through the Open Enrollment Policy. This policy allows parents to choose another school outside of their designated neighborhood-zoned school in which to send their children if space is available.

At this time, the lottery selection for choice requests for Stephen & Harriet Myers Middle School and North Albany Academy (PreK-8) has been completed. On an ongoing basis, as seats become available at these two sites, the lottery process will continue for interested parents.  If you would still like to have your child considered for placement, should a seat become available, please contact the Office of Instruction at 475-6060 to express your interest.

Also, if you are the parent of a Grade 6 student attending either Hackett Middle School or Philip Livingston Magnet Academy, you also have the option of School Choice.  Given the fact that there are five elementary schools that house Grade 6 students in their school buildings and all of these schools are currently identified as Schools in Good Standing, parents can enroll students in the following schools, again per seat availability, by contacting Central Registration at 462-7207.  Three of the five schools have Open Enrollment options:  Arbor Hill Elementary School, Giffen Memorial School and Public School 19.  Two of the schools are Magnet Schools, which require lottery for enrollment:  Albany School of Humanities (ASH) and the Thomas O’Brien School of Science and Technology (TOAST).

Supplemental Services
For schools under corrective action, such as Hackett Middle School and Philip Livingston Magnet Academy, NCLB requires that all eligible children receive the option of Supplemental Educational Services (SES), or more simply, tutoring services. If your child receives free or reduced lunch, your child may be eligible for SES tutoring.

Each year, letters are sent to all middle school parents whose children are eligible for tutoring. Click here for a letter to parents of Philip Livingston Magnet Academy students, and click here for a letter to parents of students at William S. Hackett Middle School.

To assist families in making the best choice of tutoring services available, SES fairs are held at the schools in the Fall and Spring, where vendors who provide services speak directly to parents and students about programs of study in both English Language Arts and Mathematics.  Notice of the October fair will be coming home to parents via a flyer within the next few weeks.

 Do you have additional questions about SES?

 Follow this link to the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Professional Qualifications
Another provision of NCLB is that schools are required to hire only "highly qualified" teachers in Title I schools beginning the 2002-03 school year, and then in all schools in the 2005-06 school year.

In addition, all parents who have children attending a school receiving Title I funding are entitled to request information regarding the professional qualifications of their children's teachers. Any parent who wishes to know the qualifications of the staff providing services to their children should call their child's school directly.

Military Notice
Another NCLB regulation requires high schools to provide information about senior students to the military, including names and addresses. If parents do NOT want their children contacted by the military they must "opt out" in writing. A letter is sent home at the beginning of each school year letting parents know the provisions of this law. For information about opting out, please contact Albany High School at 454-3987.