May 24, 2013

May 13, 2011

Middleburgh CSD joins the Schoharie and Cobleskill-Richmondville school districts as partners in a $200,000 state grant with State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill that will allow high school students to attend college and earn up to 20 college credits before graduating from high school.

The grant creates the Schoharie Valley Smart Scholars Early College High School program to provide opportunities for at-risk and economically-disadvantaged students to graduate from high school while simultaneously earning 20 college credits toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

"This is another opportunity for our students to excel and get real-life experiences before graduating from high school," said Superintendent Michele Weaver. Middleburgh offers a variety of advanced and pre-college courses as well as Distance Learning for high school students.

The grant application, submitted by the Capital Region BOCES Grants and Development Service, states that "the most recent U.S. Census data reveals that the vast majority of Schoharie County residents do not continue their education beyond high school. In fact, the data shows that while 81 percent of county residents over the age of 25 possess high school diplomas, only 17 percent have gone on to earn a college degree. This college attendance percentage is lower than state-wide averages, and in neighboring counties."

Students enrolled in the Schoharie Valley Smart Scholars Early College High School will all receive college-readiness supports, and have the opportunity to:
Graduate high school;
Participate in a small personalized learning community;
Attend classes tuition-free on the SUNY Cobleskill campus;
Earn 20 fully transferable college credits toward an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree;
Gain the motivation and skills necessary to pursue a full college degree after graduating from high school.

The Schoharie Valley Smart Scholars Early College High School budget will be used primarily to cover the cost of the students' tuition and books; some funding will also be used for a stipend for a part-time program director and professional development. The Schoharie CSD is the lead applicant and will hire the director for the program.

"Smart Scholars allows New York high school students to receive college credit, finish their degrees faster, and do it at a significantly reduced cost," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "I commend my partners in government for working together and delivering a program that is beneficial to so many young New Yorkers."

Here is the statement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Education Department about the 16 Smart Scholars grants awarded this week. MORE

Here is the Capital Region BOCES release about the grant award. MORE

Here is the 22-page grant application to create the Schoharie Valley Smart Scholars program (PDF). MORE