Tech Valley High School - Frequently Asked Questions

History & Background of Tech Valley High School

Who are the organizers of Tech Valley High School?
Tech Valley High School is a joint venture between Questar III and Capital Region BOCES. These organizations are supported and advised by a broad-based coalition of leaders from K-12 education, higher education, business, organized labor and government.

Why is BOCES spearheading this initiative?
BOCES are extensions of their component school districts. The over-reaching mission of BOCES is to provide educational leadership, services and support to meet the needs of students and school districts. Part of this mission is providing opportunities for students to participate in educational models that are outside what may be offered by their home high school, such as Career and Technical Education programs and the New Visions program. Tech Valley High School provides districts with yet another choice for their students.

Capital Region BOCES and Questar III are spearheading the initiative to ensure that the 48 school districts they serve have an opportunity to help shape this innovative new school and share in the promising practices that project-based learning offers.

What was the catalyst to create Tech Valley High School?
BOCES have always been a vehicle through which our public schools offer choice and opportunity. The idea for the school grew out of separate conversations in each of the BOCES. These discussions focused on the need for public schools to be positioned to respond to demands for greater school choice by parents and the desire to expand the types of programs offered by BOCES to increase options available to students. As conversations progressed, the idea expanded into one designed to help prepare not only students, but also the 48 component school districts, to address the needs of Tech Valley’s growing technology-based economy.

The number of charter schools is growing and policymakers are considering tax policies that will promote a wider range of school choice. Our public school districts intend to be the schools of choice for the 21st century.

Why is Tech Valley High School important to Questar III and Capital Region BOCES?
The school is important because it is helping to shape the future of public education for the 21st century. It responds to the educational and economic imperatives of our growing regional economy. It provides an innovative model of unprecedented partnership with business, higher education, organized labor and government, and it will be a lighthouse model for high school reform and innovation.