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City School District of Albany & UAlbany Forge Alliance to Foster Young Talent

ALBANY, NY (October 7, 2005)--The City School District of Albany and the University at Albany announced today the formation of a strategic alliance between Albany High School and UAlbany to leverage combined strengths for the development of young talent and the prosperity of the Albany community.

"It's all about creating and maximizing existing opportunities," said University at Albany President Kermit L. Hall. "The alliance presents opportunities for everyone involved, from addressing our civic responsibility to grow Albany and Tech Valley into a prospering community, to providing teaching, leadership and development opportunities for our faculty. Most importantly, it fosters student involvement and opportunity and promotes education as a K-16 reality, rather than just a K-12 mentality."

As neighbors with large campuses along Washington and Western Avenues, the high school and university form a natural "educational corridor." This corridor will be cultivated as a funnel of activity that maximizes educational opportunities for UAlbany and Albany High School students, faculty and staff, and community. Together, Albany High School and the University at Albany will collaborate to advance student success, strengthen faculty collaborations and professional development, enhance institutional quality, and increase community service.

"We are more than pleased to be heightening our relationship with the University at Albany," said Superintendent Dr. Eva Joseph. "The district is enthusiastically embracing this strengthened partnership that not only enhances educational opportunities for students, but also focuses on advancing high school and college students' achievement and improving staff development."

In addressing shared goals, the alliance plans to inspire and prepare students to realize their potential; increase the college-bound focus of Albany High School students; increase the access of students to and enrollment at UAlbany; advance faculty collaborations and professional development opportunities for teaching and leadership; and improve Albany's quality of life through student community service and engagement, particularly in the campus neighborhoods.

The alliance was announced at a "Teach Out" at Albany High School, which brought together faculty from UAlbany and the high school to instruct in collaborative faculty teams to inspire and prepare students to realize their potential. Through building on past programs and interactions and a more strategically focused, unified alliance, the two institutions plan to provide a framework that nurtures the existing exchange of ideas and initiatives.

By engaging Albany High School students in the alliance, the University plans to triple the number of students enrolled at UAlbany. For the 2005-2006 academic year, UAlbany enrolled 14 students from the high school, up 27 percent from the previous year. 

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The City School District of Albany serves almost 9,400 students in 19 elementary, middle and high schools. The district includes several magnet schools and programs, as well as other innovative academic opportunities for students in addition to neighborhood schools. The district is more than halfway through its comprehensive facilities project to newly build and/or renovate nearly all of its elementary and middle schools. The ultimate goal of the facilities project is to provide schools with the resources necessary to help students succeed in the 21st Century.