Every day, the school budget is at work

Every minute of every day, the school budget is at work.

The budget is at work when students step off their bus and arrive to warm, clean school buildings. It is at work when kindergarten students are immersed in a full day of learning, and as elementary students begin to learn foreign languages and attend summer school for additional academic instruction. And, the budget is at work when high school students enter Albany High School’s College Center to research scholarships and fill out applications.

From academic initiatives to music to athletics, this proposed budget supports efforts to provide students with a challenging and supportive school experience. If approved, here are a few ways in which the proposed budget will be at work in 2007-2008.

Small Class Sizes
Under the proposed budget, the average elementary class size will be 19 students. This satisfies the District’s goal of small class sizes to allow for more teacher-student interaction and more student support. And, students are often working with highly qualified teachers – more than 96 percent of the District’s teaching force falls into this category.

Full-day Kindergarten and PreK
The proposed budget includes funding to continue the district’s full-day Kindergarten program at each of its elementary schools. Educational research shows generally that students who attend full- day Kindergarten gain and retain more early math and literacy than students in half-day Kindergarten. The budget also includes funding to provide a full-day Prekindergarten program to more than 55 percent of Albany’s children who are of PreK age.

Afterschool programs
With the loss of a federal afterschool grant, the proposed budget includes funding to continue extended-day programs at five district elementary schools – Arbor Hill Community Elementary School, Giffen Memorial Elementary School,  Philip Schuyler Achievement Academy, Sheridan Preparatory Academy and North Albany Academy – that were subject to potential elimination with the loss of the grant. In fact, nearly all of the district’s schools offer opportunities for students to stay until 5 p.m. or later for activities ranging from extra academic instruction to recreation to arts and cultural programs.

Writing Workshop
Already in practice at seven district elementary schools and all but one middle school program, the proposed budget calls for an expansion of this program to all elementary and middle schools. This program combines elements of professional development and student instruction by bringing staff developers from Teacher’s College at Columbia University Columbia together with Albany teachers and students to develop students’ foundational skills of reading and writing through writing workshops and exploring different forms of literature and writing exercises. Students are expected to publish their work monthly, and write about things that really matter in their lives.