June 28, 2010 - North Colonie ranked fourth out of 85 school districts in the region for academic performance in the Capital Region's annual survey of districts for an 11- county area.

The rankings were published in the weekly newspaper's "Schools Report" in the June 25 to July 1 edition. They are based upon all districts' New York State School Report Cards for 2008-09.

North Colonie has ranked among the top four districts each year since 2001 and has been named the number one district six times. The district was ranked second twice (2002-03 and 2007-08) and third once (2006-07) during the nine-year stretch.

Superintendent Randy Ehrenberg thanked parents for their support and administrators, teachers and staff for their fine work.

"This is the result of the district's efforts to provide students with exceptional educational opportunities at a reasonable cost to our taxpayers," she said. “Although it has been a difficult time for schools, this is a reminder that we have much to celebrate.”

The Business Review uses data from the New York State Education Department to rank each district. The data include student scores on Regents exams and state assessments in language/reading, math, science and social studies, as well as graduation statistics, such as the percentage of graduates who earn a Regents diploma with an advanced designation, and the percentage of seniors who plan to attend college or another form of post-secondary school.

Shaker High School encourages students to exceed the minimum requirements to earn a Regents diploma. High school students are offered a robust curriculum that includes programs such as University in the High School, which allows students to earn college credits in various subjects. Earning college credits while in high school gives students an advantage when applying to college, saves them money when they get there and exposes them to different cultures, which is becoming more important in today’s increasingly global economy.

For more on the newspaper's "Schools Report," visit http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/reports/schools/index.html.