Albany County Launches New Pilot Program with RCS CSD to Prevent Truancy and Support Student Safety

Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy announced a new partnership with Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District to launch a pilot program aimed at getting ahead of chronic absenteeism and strengthening student safety in our community. Truancy is a critical issue across Albany County, with an average unexcused absence rate of approximately 26% across the twelve public school districts. That is over 9,000 chronically absent students out of the over 35,000 total enrolled.

This pilot program will utilize Edia, a leading AI platform in K-12 education, to uncover the root causes of chronic absenteeism and improve attendance trends. Edia utilizes AI to automate two-way attendance outreach, escalation protocols, intervention management, and data aggregation. This provides the district with the insight they need to spot attendance issues early, improves their ability to communicate with families, and allows them to connect students who may be at risk of becoming chronically absent with support.

"We can't afford to wait until absenteeism becomes a pattern," said Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy. "The earlier we can identify when a student is starting to disengage, the better chance we have to step in and keep them connected to school. These AI-driven insights and tools provided through Edia will allow school officials to spot those warning signs sooner and respond in real time."

"The Ravena Coeymans Selkirk Central School District is excited to partner with Albany County and Edia to employ a cutting-edge intervention in local efforts to improve student attendance. Edia's tools will help us focus our time and resources on actual solutions that help students who struggle to attend school regularly. We are thankful for Albany County recognizing this need and providing the financial support to make it happen. If we want different results, we need to try doing things differently," said Ravena Coeymans Selkirk CSD Superintendent Craig Chandler.

"Edia is proud to partner with the Albany County Executive's Office to offer the only proven AI-powered attendance and family engagement support to every school district in Albany County. Together with county and district leaders, our goal is that these transformative tools land in the hands of every school in the county - so no student slips through the cracks," said EDIA CEO and Founder Joe Philleo.

As part of the initiative, Albany County will help school districts cover a portion of the cost during the first year. By registering for this program through BOCES RCS CSD is eligible for aid through what is called a Co-Ser, or Course of Study/Services. However, each district has its own aid ratio, and this aid will not cover the full cost of Edia. That is why Albany County has agreed to provide gap funding. These funds will come from Albany County School Bus Safety Program revenues, generated through enforcement of illegal passing of stopped school buses, which the County Executive has committed to reinvesting into school safety and student support efforts.

Albany County will continue working directly with other districts to expand this program and ensure districts have the support they need to participate. School districts interested in learning more are encouraged to contact [email protected].

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0316- left to right RCS Supt. Craig Chandler, County Clerk Bruce Hidley, CE McCoy and Edia Learning, Inc. Regional Director Victoria Macoul announcing the pilot program.