The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions
are 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 Wednesdays at 9:00 AM or 2:00 PM. Click here to see the 2024 meeting materials.
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.
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
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
- School district start times
- Charter schools
- Reevaluating restorative justice and credit recovery policies
- Read by Grade 3 policies
President’s Report
Highlights included:
- Board Member Updates: Work for the student advisory commission is underway.
- Nevada System of Higher Education Updates: A posthumous honor was given to Dr. Jason Geddes. Three new academic programs have been approved: Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Services at CSN; Associate of Science and Psychology at Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC); and a Bachelor’s of Applied Science and Radiological Technology at TMCC.
Superintendent’s Report
Highlights included:
- Introduction of New Staff Members: Julie Wootton-Greener is the Department’s new Public Information Officer.
- Nevada Reading Week: Author Live events connected PK-12 students with local and national authors, with 32,000 students participating. Several board members also participated in Reading Week by reading to kids in classrooms. On April 27, the City of North Las Vegas is partnering with the Department for a day supporting reading and literacy.
- Every Student Succeeds Act – Accountability System Revision: The Department is working on revisions to the accountability and assessment systems.
- Application for Charter School Authorizers: Lisa Ford held an informational meeting for cities and counties interested in becoming a charter school authorizer. The Cities of Henderson and North Las Vegas, as well as CSN, participated. Applications will be reviewed in May, and final approval will be June 1.
Board Approved the Consent Agenda
Consent agenda items included:
- Approval of Perkins V State Plan
- Approval of several items relating to instructional materials
- Approval of annual report of charter school performance for Clark County School District, Washoe County School District, and Carson County School District
Review the consent agenda.
Board Heard a Presentation Regarding the Supports Provided by the State’s Regional Professional Development Programs
The Board heard from the State’s Regional Professional Development Programs (RPDP). Their work targets three categories: meeting district and charter school requests for services, fulfilling legislative mandates, and supporting individual teachers and administrators. RPDPs held 1,690 trainings and served 21,007 teachers and 1,723 administrators in the 2022-23 school year. On average, each RPDP trainer provided support for 447 educators and 37 administrators in Nevada.
Programs developed based on legislative requirements included financial literacy modules, computer science training and modules, a multicultural education course, and a family engagement course. Endorsement programs offered include those for ELAD, reading specialist, GATE, library/media specialist, computer science, and early childhood professionals. The RPDP also collaborates statewide with several agencies in furtherance of its work.
Explore the 2022-23 Annual Report from the Northeastern Nevada Region, 2022-23 Annual Report from the Northwestern Nevada Region, and the 2022-23 Annual Report from the Southern Nevada Region.
Board Discussed the Addendum to the Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils (STIP)
Goals of the STIP include all children: having access to quality early care and education; having access to effective educators; experiencing continued academic growth; graduating future-ready and globally prepared for postsecondary success; having access to new and continued educational opportunities supported by funding that is transparently administered; and all students and adults learning and working together in safe environments where identities and relationships are valued and celebrated. Goals of the State Board of Education (SBE) are increasing educational performance from top 20 to top 10, as measured by the academic portions of Quality Counts, by 2026; and increasing the number of students obtaining a Career and College-Ready Diploma to 50% by 2026.
Pre-K program seats have increased every year, with 2,807 seats available in the 2023-24 school year. Several Read by 3 professional learning opportunities were provided to support access to effective educators, as well as activity with Project Achieve’s pilot program and Assess-Plan-Teach in partnership with CCSD. In furtherance of increasing effective educators in Nevada, 192 participants were awarded Teach Nevada scholarships in 2023-24; 49 participants took part in the Incentivizing Pathways to Teaching program, and 54 individuals participated in the Nevada Teacher Advancement Scholarship. In the 2023-24 school year, more than 400+ educators and 12,000+ students utilized civic engagement professional learning opportunities.
In school improvement, 103 schools were removed from the Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) designation due to state changes that align with the federal entrance criteria. CTE courses of study have continued to increase year-over-year. CCR Diploma rates rose from 23.27% in 2021-22 to 26.11% in 2022-23.
The 2025 STIP development timeline includes aligning performance measures and the Nevada Policy Matrix in April and May 2024, holding community workshops in May and June, and publishing the 2025 STIP with guidance in June 2024.
Review the 2024 STIP Addendum.
Board Heard an Update From the State Public Charter School Authority
The SPCSA presented an overview of the organization, enrollment, and academic performance. Its 2023-24 enrollment is 61,883 students, representing 12.7% of Nevada students. Charter schools statewide have begun to close the gap relating to enrollment in certain student groups, including English Learners and students with disabilities.
Regarding academic performance, 80% of SPCSA schools have NSPF scores at or above comparison district NSPF scores. Over the past four years, SPCSA schools have experienced relative stability in achieving a three-star or higher equivalent and have outperformed state average in NSPF scores and Smarter Balanced Proficiency.
SPCSA schools’ graduation rate in 2022-23 was 83.8%, with more than half of SPCSA graduates earning a CCR Diploma.
Explore the presentation.
Board Discussed School Start Time Regulation Developments
Legislative Counsel Bureau has presented two informal options for the board to consider regarding school start times. The first would be within NRS 388.090 and NAC 387.125, relating to alternate schedules that are currently used by rural areas. The school district would need to apply to have that alternate calendar, and this would provide SBE with flexibility, as well as giving districts and schools. The second option would be to create a requirement that to obtain credit for a class, the class must begin after 8:00 a.m. There would be less flexibility with this option.
Additionally, a community survey has been developed to obtain more feedback and input from families, students, and other stakeholders.
The board voted to work through the survey and stakeholder engagement and regroup on next steps, including potentially proposing a Bill Draft Request for the 2025 legislative session.
Board Created a Subcommittee Relating to Read by Grade 3
This Subcommittee will discuss the legislation and implementation of provisions of AB 400, including potential recommendations for scores to determine retention. Members Hughes, Hudson, and Dockweiler, and Orr volunteered to serve on the committee, and Chair Ortiz will reach out to those board members not present. Community members interested in serving should reach out to the Department.
A motion was passed to adopt the subcommittee with the members detailed above.
Future Agenda Items
Suggestions for future agenda items include a history of the composition of the State Board of Education, dual enrollment, curriculum adoption, a framework for developing curriculum, SBAC timeline, and a presentation from the Nevada System of Higher Education on dual enrollment. Additional agenda items include successful outcomes achieved by the State Board of Education, a policy for artificial intelligence, and mechanisms for rural support, as well as tracking for the Commission on School Funding and an age requirement for NAC 388.430.
Recurring agenda items include Teachers and Leaders Council recommendations, Alternative Performance Framework, bullying training, and Teach Nevada and Nevada Teacher Advancement Scholarship Awards.
The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, May 1, at 2:00 p.m.
