Albany High School

603 Key Route Boulevard

School District

Albany City Unified
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:18
Type

public

School Map for Albany City Unified School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on October 14, 2023

We have a sophomore currently and I am so happy with AHS relative to what I hear from friends at the closest two public high schools. It feels very chill during the day (not like a minimum security prison), most teachers do reach out and let you know what's going on in class (and you can get Aeries/Google Classroom updates should you desire), and we have found the PE & math "hot button" subjects to be very manageable. For the most part, the students come to school ready to learn and the average is high - which is good. Not all subjects are equally demanding, but also that's good too - it seems like students have the time to focus on the areas that demand more. Of course there have been two or three teachers (out of 13 our student has had so far) that have been not great. But there have also been three or four that I would say shoot for greatness and come close. It is hard to break in socially because the school doesn't do much (anything?) to have 9th graders mix purposefully. This is not unusual for public schools. It is also an open campus so your child has to be responsible and return to class, LOL. Ultimately, all I can say is I would be happy to have my younger child attend as well, and there's no higher praise, is there?
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2023

I brought my son to this school from Michigan in the 5th grade - from a top rated school in MI. I chose AUSD based on ratings. My son is graduating this year and I have to say after all is said and done this was a horrendous school experience. If this is what a “good” public school is suppose to look like, I can’t imagine how torturous the bad ones are. Albany failed to communicate effectively regarding all important milestones, academic achievements, school activities, or issues with my son. They consistently withheld information until things were too big of a problem, too late to fix. There is little to no access to teachers. There is very little to no opportunity for parents to be involved, there’s barely a way for parents to communicate with the school. And when you do you will be ignored. My son didn’t even make it into his senior yearbook because they require you use ONE vendor but you cannot get a hold of that vendor, they do not answer their calls, return VMs - and the school will ignore all of your attempts to address the issue until it’s too late. They blast your text and email every evening at 6pm with absence or tardy notifications - an entire day too late to know where your kid has been all day! (In elementary school and middle school!). It’s a safety concern to not be notified your child isn’t at school immediately. 6 years later they still have not changed this. The middle school VP was a bully to the students. I personally witnessed him abuse students and reported the incidents. The school didn’t seem to do anything about it. Eventually he got fired or moved on - too little too late! He was an unsafe person and I saw it within the first month of 6th grade. Their covid response was atrocious, unoriginal at best. Complete failure and embarrassingly ineffective. Their mental/emotional support was dangerous at best. Do NOT trust this school with your child’s social emotional support! My sons potential was not explored, and certainly not unlocked. They would probably argue it’s acceptable to only invest in high achieving students and the rest (average or below) can be completely neglected - this method is outdated and wrong. They would be the cause of average or below students and have an obligation to invest MORE. A waste of public dollars and a waste of childrens time spent in school and our tax dollars to fund them. I could go on with more detail and more personal stories that are heart breaking. Not worth the cost in alba
Submitted by other on December 13, 2015

THE ENVIROMENT STAFF STUDENTS FACULTY ADMINISTRATION ATHLETIUC COACHES ALL ARE VERY ENGAGED AND AHS HAS A SMALL TOWN FEEL TO IT
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2015

Albany High School is a mixed bag. I love that AHS is part of a tight-knit community where most families know one another and value student success. With so many high achieving students, academic opportunities, such as AP classes and special programs, are limited and there is fierce competition. Mid level students often fall through the cracks, despite the fact that many of the teachers are dedicated, exceptional, and engaging. The upper administration disappoints in regard to their concern over student safety and well being, which is quite unsettling and doesn't seem to align with the core values of the community. I would love to see more emphasis on character development. There are a number of opportunities to join clubs, play sports, or participate in other extra curricular activities. Overall, my student is content at AHS and it certainly beats many of the alternatives.
Submitted by parent on August 01, 2013

PE Classes. Thats my concern at this school. How are the students graded? What criteria is involved to measure student participation? Attendance? On time? Dress Code? Miles? What about students with disabilities - do they get PE waivers? If not, how are special needs students treated in these classes? Fairly? I am afraid, Not. One of the PE teachers doesn't even care about posting grades and upcoming activities on Aeries. How is it possible for the parents to monitor the performance of their child in PE with no such communication from their PE teacher? Other than leaving things on trust on this teacher, there is no way for the parents to find out whether their child finished the fitness mile in the allocated time or not. If this is the participation class, shouldn't it suffice that the child actually ran the mile? Why is it that this particular PE teacher fails those who take longer in finishing the mile? Neither she knows how to motivate students with sportsman spirit, nor is she fair in her grading. With no clear parameters for grading in place, it's only evident that she uses a lot of subjectivity and judgement in her grading. Sadly disappointed.
Submitted by student on May 04, 2013

Albany High is a great school. Most students here are very accepting and unique. Albany High is the ranked #6 in the top winning schools int the Bay Area. As for the academic side, it can very with challenging and easy material, it really depends on which teacher you get. Some teachers like for class discussions, and less homework and notes, and others favor a lot of notes and homework. Albany has a lot of different classes, which I really like. I feel the school does a great job on preparing students for standardized testing. The school could improve the way they assign classes. For example they could cater to the way the student learns instead of just giving them the next open class. The school can put a lot of pressure on students at times. The counselors are very nice and will work with a student to help him or her reach their academic goal
Submitted by student on April 08, 2013

I am a current senior at AHS. It's a challenging school if the student is actively seeking challenges. It's easy to not reach your full potential if you're not motivated and driven. A large portion of the students are that AP/college-obsessed stereotype (although there is a lot of creativity, it's not usually shown during school hours). The school caters to that. The environment isn't very community-based, even with the small-ish student body. Ex: students couldn't care less about pep rallies. I feel that this could be improved with more assemblies and things of that nature. Many classes are very standards-based, but some teachers do choose to veer from them and this can either make their classes engaging or make you lose motivation. Some of the classes that rigidly stick to the standards can be monotonous and tiring. It's a mixed bag. Extracurriculars are super fun if you choose to be involved--I know many people in Y&G, for example, and they are very passionate about it. Choir is glorious. Ms. Stocker is incredibly dedicated to building a strong vocal program and it shows not only in the quality of performance, but in the students' enthusiasm. Over all, the school's aight.
Submitted by parent on November 11, 2012

It' s a great school. Lots of discipline and academically driven environment. The Head Principal and the Teachers are great. They take a lot of interest in students success. The staff is always nice and helpful. The place is clean and well maintained. There are less issues in this school as compared to others in the region. The only drawback is one of the vice principals who appears to be in clear need of some professional training in disciplining students with dignity.
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2012

I had 2 kids graduated from this school. First child is very academically driven, the second child is not, but is popular and loves sports. I feel the culture of this school is mainly tailored to kids who are on academic track, who are motivated, but the school knows little about how to guide and motivate kids who are not. The teachers and counselors were very nice to my first child who already gets straight A's, but was totally rude and sometimes ignored my second child who didn't do so well in school. A great school needs to recognize the needs of every student, and this school seems to only do well with straight A students.
Submitted by parent on December 17, 2011

Best high school in the East Bay. Science, math, technology, engineering, and music are all fantastic in this truly exceptional public school. The students and teachers are largely determined to succeed.
Submitted by other on August 30, 2011

I think that this school has great academic programs, but honestly that's not all there is to a school is it? I can tell you firsthand that this school is very, very, very cliquely. You rarely see people hanging out with people other than their designated group of friends, which gets quite tedious. If you like that sort of thing, than go for it. But if you're like me and you like to branch out and meet more people, then this is not the school to choose. I'm trying everything I can to convince my parents to let me get out of here.