Averill Park Central School District has been named a Recognition School for its high achievement and high progress.
The New York State Education Department identified 562 schools as Recognition Schools for the 2018-19 school year with only three residing locally.
According to NYSED, “under New York’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Plan, 2018-19 Recognition Schools have high academic achievement, student growth and graduation rate, and have made progress during the 2017-18 school year.”
“This is a testament to the hard work that our teachers, staff, administration and students put in on a daily basis. I am proud to be a part of a District that continuously meets the needs of, and creates opportunities for, every student, every day,” Averill Park Superintendent, Dr. James Franchini, said.
Averill Park High School saw its graduation rate rise to 93 percent for the 2017-18 school year with 53 percent graduating with an Advanced Regents Diploma and 38 percent obtaining a Regents Diploma. APHS ranks first in Rensselaer County for students graduating with an Advanced Regents Diploma and second in overall graduation rate.
“The teachers and administrators at these Recognition Schools have taken to heart the critical mission of educating the whole child,” Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa stated in a release. “Our priority is fostering equity for our children across New York. These schools serve as models of the levels of performance we seek for all schools to be able to achieve in the future.”
NYSED states that Recognition Schools are identified due to being top performing schools under ESSA for performance, student growth, graduation rate; met or exceeded the school or state measures for progress in English language arts and mathematics, rate of Chronic Absenteeism; and met the federally required 95 percent participation rate in English language arts and mathematic assessments.