The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on decisions being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.
Nevada State Board of Education
What is the State Board of Education & what are they responsible for? The Nevada State Board of Education adopts regulations based on Nevada laws, which are passed down to individual school districts in Nevada to implement. The Board has 11 total (7 appointed and 4 publicly elected) members.
How often does the State Board meet? The Nevada State Board of Education meets once per month on Thursdays at 9:00 AM or 2:00 PM. Click here to see the 2022 Board Meeting Schedule. Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar.
Can community members engage at State Board Meetings? A time for public comment is provided at the beginning (for agenda items) and at the conclusion (on any matter) of each Board meeting. Members of the public may provide public comment in writing via email; public comment will be accepted via email for the duration of the meeting and shared with the State Board of Education during the public comment periods. Public comment may be emailed to NVBoardED@doe.nv.gov.
Click here for a list of all State Board Members.
Thursday, September 1, 2022
Nevada State Board of Education Meeting
Click here to see the regular SBOE meeting agenda.
Click here to watch the meeting playback.
What happened at the regular meeting?
Public Comment #1
Public comment was heard on the following subjects:
- College and Career Readiness RFP assessment process
- Educator and other staff vacancies
President’s Report
Highlights included:
- Applications and nominations are open for the 2023 Recognizing Inspirational School Employees Award. Nominations close September 19, 2022, and awardees will be recognized in October.
- The President welcomed new board member Joseph Arrascada, who will be the Nevada System of Higher Education representative on the Board.
Superintendent’s Report
Highlights included:
- Deputy Superintendent Jessica Todtman is transitioning out of her current role. Dr. Seng-Dao Yang-Keo has transitioned to the Washoe County School District. Craig Statucki is the new Interim Deputy Superintendent for Educator Effectiveness, and Dr. Jose Silva will serve as the new Chief Strategy Officer.
- There will be a meeting to discuss possible updates to the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan Update on September 2, at 9:00 a.m. The group is currently finalizing recommendations and will publish those findings by November 15. Auxiliary services, inflation, Nevada cost of education index, funding for virtual schools, and dual enrollment are part of the discussion.
- The Interim Legislative Committee on Education met this week and discussed several items, including teacher recruitment and retention, Career and Technical Education dual credit pilots for underserved students, capacity building for social-emotional supports and mental health, expansion of school psychologist training programs, addressing chronic absenteeism, pre-K ages, wraparound services for apprenticeship programs, and competency-based education, among others.
- Information regarding the End of Course Assessment Regulation Workshop will be brought to the October 6 Board meeting.
- Two recipients were awarded the Early Childhood Educator of the Year honors, based on a nomination, application, and interview process: Carl Estevan from UNLV/CSUN Preschool, and Bonnie Toth from Kids Co-op Preschool.
Board Approved Consent Agenda
Consent agenda items included:
The FY22 Quarter 3 Class Size Reduction Report was pulled from the consent agenda and will be heard at the October board meeting.
Board Discussed an Update on the Work of the Commission on Professional Standards in Education
The Board received a summary of the Commission on Professional Standards in Education’s (COPS) 2021 Report, and an overview of ongoing efforts to ensure equitable and high-quality pathways to licensure. The Department is researching best practices for alternate licensure pathways, and is soliciting stakeholders to take part in a work group on implementation of these pathways.
The Commission also made regulations that supported accelerated pathways for educator and school psychology candidates to complete student teaching and internship requirements for licensure, as well as regulations that determine continuing education requirement for school counselors and school psychologists, with public hearings expected for both this fall. Several other regulations on items, including renewal requirements, English Language Acquisition coursework, exam requirements for occupational and physical therapists, and field experiences for paraprofessionals and interns, are pending public hearing. The Commission is also exploring reciprocity to streamline licensure for out-of-state and active duty licensees.
COPS held a special meeting in July to request the Governor take emergency action to address educator workforce shortages for the 2022-2023 school year. Governor Sisolak recently signed emergency action to give the Superintendent authority to extend certain provisional licenses (impacting about 600 educators), and reduced licensure fees for substitute and emergency substitute teachers.
Explore the presentation and the 2021 annual report.
Board Discussed an Update on the Work of the Holocaust and Other Genocides Subcommittee
The subcommittee explored what is occurring in Holocaust and other genocide instruction, how such instruction could be enhanced, and recommendations to the Board for resources, professional learning, and possible legislative recommendations.
Currently occurring are regional conferences and learning opportunities both in-person and in virtual settings, including a Holocaust education panel at UNLV, and LEA-specific professional learning. Potential enhancements include developing a needs assessment survey on demographics, resources currently being used and what would be valuable to supporting instructions; building supports for educators, families, and students; curating resources and developing crosswalks of ELA, fine arts, and social studies to address the Holocaust and other genocides; and developing on-demand professional learning modules. Legislative recommendations will be discussed during the subcommittee’s September 8 meeting.
Explore the presentation.
Board Rejected a Recommendation of the College and Career Ready (CCR) High School Assessment RFP Process
The Board reviewed the presentation on the College and Career Ready (CCR) High School Assessment RFP process and the resulting recommendation, previously given at the July 2022 Board meeting. The RFP sought a qualified vendor to administer a CCR assessment to all students enrolled in Grade 11, including development, delivery, administration, scoring, and reporting services. The initial term is four years, from FY 2023-2026, with an option to extend into FY 2027-2028.
Four vendors responded (Data Recognition Corporation, Pearson Education, ACT, and The College Board), and an evaluation committee with representatives from Douglas, Clark, and Washoe County School Districts, Carson City School District, the Nevada Department of Education, and the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation reviewed all responses using criteria in demonstrated competence, conformance with the terms of the RFP, cost, experience in comparable engagements, and expertise.
The Committee’s recommendation was to award Data Recognition Corporation and its Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortia (SBAC) to move forward with the vendor selection process. Since the meeting, concerns have been voiced about equity, as the ACT is currently offered at no cost to all students, as well as the post-secondary accessibility opportunities of the ACT.
The Board voted to reject this RFP recommendation and reopen the bidding process.
Explore the recommendation presentation and RFP from July’s board meeting, as well as the final score summary and evaluator comments.
Board Discussed the 82nd Legislative Session
The Board proposed putting forth a position statement from the Board of Education to the Legislature to stress the importance and need for additional funding to the Nevada education system.
Discussion about the adequacy of funding plans, funding gaps needed to ensure adequate and optimal funding, and involving stakeholder groups, such as school districts, municipalities, and business organizations, followed. Staff will draft a statement with input from the Board; that statement will be brought to the Board for approval at its October 6 meeting.
Board Held a Public Hearing on and Approved Regulation #R066-22 – Creating Regulatory Language for the Requirements of Minutes in a School Day in Session for Kindergarten (NAC 387.131)
The Board held a public hearing on and approved Regulation #R066-22, increasing the requirement of kindergarten in-session minutes from 120 to 240 minutes per day.
Explore the regulation language and public hearing materials here.
Board Held a Public Hearing on and Approved Regulation #R068-22 – Prescribing Requirements With Which a Recipient of a Grant to Fund a Prekindergarten Program Must Comply (NRS 387.652)
The Board held a public hearing on and approved Regulation #R068-22, which added a new section to detail requirements of a recipient of a grant for a prekindergarten program, including collaborating with providers of community-based services to meet the needs of families of pupils; health care screenings; referrals for services and resources; maintaining records; creating and implementing a system to assess progress; and administering an annual survey to evaluate each family’s experience with the program.
Explore the regulation language and public hearing materials here.
Future Agenda Items
Future agenda items will include an update on workforce development and follow-up from the College and Career Readiness Assessment RFP agenda item. The student board representative will obtain feedback from peers on future topics students may want to have discussed at upcoming meetings. A potential joint meeting of the Nevada System of Higher Education and the Nevada State Board of Education may be scheduled on October 14, 2022.
Public Comment #2
Public comment was heard on the following subject:
- Use of the ACT as the standardized high school CCR assessment
The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2022.
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