On Monday, April 4, Business Council of New York President Daniel B. Walsh presented TOAST Principal Dr. Salerno with the 2005 Pathfinder Award--the highest honor given to schools by New York State's private sector--at a school wide assembly in the auditorium. 

Joining the TOAST staff, Superintendent Joseph and Board of Education President in receiving this award was a representative from Senator Hillary Clinton's office who read a personal letter from Senator Clinton, County Executive Michael Breslin who presented the principal with a proclamation, and Albany Mayor Gerald D. Jennings.

Each year the Business Council of New York State presents the prestigious Pathfinder award to only 14 of the more than 2,900 elementary schools in New York state that have shown marked improvement from one year to the next on students' state test scores. TOAST earned this award because its made the greatest combined percent improvement from 2003 to 2004 on the NYS Grade 4 Math and English Language Arts exams. TOAST students improved their ELA score by 28 percent while their math scores rose an impressive 54 percent.

"The schools prove that improvement is possible in virtually all kinds of schools," said Business Council President Daniel B. Walsh. "They have shown that success comes after persistence and hard work. And we thank the teachers and students at the schools for showing the path to success."

The Pathfinder Award is symbolized by a specially crafted-in-New York trophy for display at TOAST. It also comes with a $1,000 check from the Business Council to be used in anyway the school deems most helpful in advancing the educational program.

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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.