District part of The College in High School Alliance

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y >> The Ballston Spa Central School District is part of launching The College in High School Alliance (CHSA), a coalition of leading organizations committed to policies that support highquality dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, and early college high schools.

As an alliance member, the district joins 35 national and state organizations in launching CHSA, which is coordinated by a steering committee comprised of KnowledgeWorks, Bard College, Jobs for the Future and the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships.

Students who attend schools with high-quality dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment or early college programs are more likely than their peers to graduate high school, immediately enroll in a postsecondary institution and persist to completion, a news release said. All three designs involve high school students taking college courses for college credit. Dual enrollment and early college high schools should be considered as key evidence-based strategies for moving students successfully to high school graduation and on to post-secondary education, the release said.

Ballston Spa offers a variety of dual enrollment programs, including the regional Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries Early College High School (Clean Tech ECHS), which through partnership with Hudson Valley Community College and over 50 partners in business and industry qualified students for 1,800 college credits this year.

In 2017-2018, Ballston Spa High School will offer 25 courses for college credit with Schenectady County Community College and 20 courses with UAlbany, SUNY Adirondack, RIT and Syracuse University. Last year, through partnership with SCCC alone, families saved approximately $225,000 in tuition, and this year there are over 1,000 course registrations that qualify for over 4,000 credits for enrolled students.

“Coursework must lead to opportunity,” stated Joseph P. Dragone, Superintendent of Schools. “The district’s participation in this alliance strongly supports our belief that expanding access to college courses through high quality dual enrollment programs will strengthen post-secondary opportunities for our students.”

Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries Early College High School (Clean Tech ECHS) was developed by the Ballston Spa Central School District in partnership with Hudson Valley Community College and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in 2011. Students take high school and college coursework in the degree pathways of Clean Energy; Computer Science & Information Systems; Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Innovation; and Mechatronics. The program is held at Hudson Valley Community College’s TEC-SMART Campus, 345 Hermes Road in Malta, NY.

For more information, please contact ECHS Program Coordinator Adrienne Snow at asnow@bscsd.org or (518) 629-4981.