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Administration

Student support

School nurses

PTA

Special Education

A transitional program for K-12

Here at Newcomer, as throughout the City School District of Albany, we believe our diversity is one of our greatest strengths.

Our program is considered transitional, meaning that it gives students the tools and literacy skills they need to return to middle or high school and succeed. The program also provides emotional support services to students learning to assimilate to a new culture.

Newcomer students receive specialized instruction in English as they gain academic skills in the core subjects of math, science, social studies and English language arts.

The also take required classes such as physical education and special area electives such as art. High school students earn credit toward graduation for the courses they take, all of which are aligned with state learning standards.

Teaching and learning are designed to accommodate and respect the cultural backgrounds and values of students.

All teachers in the program are certified either in English as a new language or general education. The program includes a bilingual social worker trained in dealing with trauma. All on staff to aid students and families is a home school coordinator who speaks four languages.

Once students strengthen their language skills, they'll return to their assigned middle school or Albany High School. The average stay in the program is one to two years.

In the summer of 2024, we officially unveiled Albany International Academy as a new name for our building at 50 Lark St., which houses both our Newcomer Program and Dual Language Program.

While these are enrolled seperately and distinct programs, we wanted a name for our building that reflected our vibrant community and the important work happening in our classrooms.

Many of our staff in the building also serve both programs, and there are frequent opportunities for collaboration between the two. With that in mind, we use the name Albany International Academy, or AIA for short, to refer to both programs collectively.