ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — City School District of Albany Superintendent Kaweeda Adams has shared her plans to retire from the district in January. Albany City School District Board of Education President Vickie Smith made the announcement on Tuesday.

“I am so grateful to our Board of Education, our faculty, staff, administrators, and the entire Albany community for this amazing opportunity to serve the scholars and families of this great school district,” Adams said.

Adams is in her sixth school year in Albany, after nearly three decades in Clark County, Nevada. Clark County includes Las Vegas and is the nation’s fifth-largest school district.

During Adams’ time in Albany, the district focused on five primary goals. Increasing student achievement, enhancing the delivery of quality instruction, building leadership capacity and increasing accountability, empowering families, and partnering with the city’s diverse community. Albany High School’s graduation rate increased from 65% to 82%, which is the school’s highest rate since the state began measuring graduation using its current methodology in 2005.

“Superintendent Adams has been a transformational leader for our school district – the right person at the right time to lead us on our journey toward equity,” Smith said. “She is one of the hardest-working, focused professionals I have had the privilege to work with.”

Adams has accepted a position to become Deputy Executive Director of Research and Policy for the Conference of Big 5 School Districts, a group dedicated to fulfilling the needs of students in urban school districts.