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.
Clark County School District Board of Trustees
What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.
How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5 pm both virtually and at the Edward A. Greer Education Center Board Room (2832 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89121).
Can community members engage at Trustee meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Currently, members of the public can submit comments on agenda and non-agenda items through email or voice recording. Public comment can be provided in person, via email, or via voice recording. Email comments should be submitted to Boardmtgcomments@nv.ccsd.net. To submit a voice recording on items listed on the meeting agenda, call 702-799-1166. Voice recorded public comment is limited to 1 minute 30 seconds.
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting
Members of the public shared public comments regarding:
Concerns about the implementation of AB469.
Concerns about violence in schools and the safety of students and staff.
The need to hire more Black and Latino male educators and administrators.
Consent Agenda Highlights:
Approval of Annual Report of CCSD Authorized Charter School Performance Report
Approval of a Memorandum of Agreement between CCSD and Acceleration Academies to support students that have disengaged from school
Approval of an agreement with the Give Better Group to support the deployment, accountability, and communication of the CCSD’s federal rescue plan dollars spending priorities.
Board Approved MOA with School Administrators & Professional-Technical Employees for Juneteenth holiday.
The agreement adds Juneteenth to the list of granted holidays for members of the Clark County School Administrators & Professional-Technical Employee union. Juneteenth became recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, commemorating the end of slavery by marking the day that enslaved people in Texas were finally informed of their emancipation.
Trustees Approved Amended Calendar 2021-2022 School Year
The update to the calendar reflects make-up days that account for CCSD’s 5-day pause related to COVID mitigation. Students will now have school on February 7 and April 28 as make-up.
Trustees Heard Update on Assembly Bill 469 Compliance
Assembly Bill 469 (2017) required the implementation of a plan to reorganize Clark County School District following the passage of Assembly Bill 394 (2015) which provides principals with increased autonomy over schools and budgets.
The discussion was a continuation of an AB469 monitoring discussion related to the reorganization of CCSD. CCSD staff gave an update on progress towards compliance, indicating that the final items CCSD needs to comply with are items contingent upon negotiations with bargaining units and/or require decisions that the district interprets to not be in the best interest of kids. Trustees discussed the need for training on the history of AB469, and it is anticipated that the State Board of Education will provide guidance to the Nevada Department of Education to conduct this training. Further, trustees discussed the need to resolve the issue of compliance with the law in order to ensure more time at board meetings can be focused on student outcomes.
Trustees also appointed Trustee Guzman to be the CCSD Trustee representative on the State Board of Education’s Assembly Bill 469 Subcommittee (4-3).
Members of the public shared comments on this item regarding:
Support for full implementation of AB469.
Opposition to AB469 due to the additional resources needed at the school level.
Support for adding a trustee to the AB469 subcommittee convened by the State Board of Education.
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.
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.
Written public comment was read into the record by staff regarding:
The need to ensure AB469 is being upheld.
The willingness of the CCSD Board of Trustees Officers to work directly with the State Board of Education to ensure compliance with AB469.
Superintendent’s Report
Pupil-Centered Funding Plan Update:
The Commission on School Funding has affirmed their support of the definition for “at-risk” weighted funding category and is currently reviewing the cost of education index.
Overview of Teacher Recruitment & Retention programs funded by federal relief funding:
Nevada received approximately $1.5 billion in federal relief funding for K-12 education. 10% of the funds are reserved for the The Nevada Department of Education to run statewide programs. Four priority areas were identified for the use of those funds: Advancing Equity, Teacher Recruitment and Retention, Social-Emotional Learning & Mental Health, and Efficiencies for Long-Term Success. Board members received an update on Teacher Recruitment and Retention program including:
Incentivizing Pathways to Teaching – $20.7 million
DonorsChoose Grant Program $8 million
Nevada Educator Preparation Institute and Collaborative (NV-EPIC) $6.1 million
Nevada Educator Preparation Institute and Collaborative (NV-EPIC) $2.9 million
Teaching and Training CTE Rural and Urban Expansion and Support $2.3 million
Statewide Leadership Networks $3.2 million
Click here to view the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Focus Area Overview.
Board Heard Update on Nevada 2020-21 Graduation Rates
In 2021, 30,479 students graduated, bringing the state’s 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate to 81%, down from 82.5% in 2020 and 84.1% in 2019. The largest graduation rate gap among race/ethnic groups statewide was between Asain students at 92.3% and Black students at 70.3%. Among students part of special populations, students who are in foster care had the lowest 2021 graduation rate at 43.3%.
The majority of students continue to graduate with a Standard Diploma (57.6%) with 18.2% earning an Advanced Diploma and 23.3% earning a College and Career Readiness Diploma. Board members discussed the importance of prioritizing college and career readiness diplomas as the default for students, rather than the Standard diploma, in order to continue progressing towards the Department of Education’s goal of increasing the number of students who are considered college and career ready upon graduation.
Board Heard Presentation on Nevada Commission on Mentoring
Board members received an update on mentoring initiatives from Karl Catarata, Chairman of the Nevada Commission on Mentoring. The purpose of the commission is to support, facilitate and coordinate mentoring programs in Nevada. The commission has established three priorities: 1) Establishing a National Mentoring Affiliate 2) Providing capacity-building grants to local mentoring organizations in Nevada through return of funding, and 3) Statewide Annual Conference on Mentoring.
Board members heard a presentation from the AB469 Subcommittee regarding the Subcommittee’s progress on the implementation of Assembly Bill (AB) 469 from the 2017 Legislative Session. The purpose of the subcommittee is to create guardrails and definitions that clarify the intention of the law for principals who intend to fill staff positions with substitutes. Board members heard an update on the development of definitions for the terms “the greatest extent possible” and “in good standing” as related to principles to staffing. Board members discussed the need to further define “to the greatest extent possible” to include more explicit guidelines.
in good standing
The employee has the appropriate license for the open position
Their previous evaluation is positive
Not actively engaged in disciplinary proceedings
Good attendance
to the greatest extent possible
The principal has the ability to see all eligible candidates
The principal has made every effort to hire a candidate
The district must develop procedures for principles to ensure compliance with “to the greatest extent possible”
The district cannot place an employee without the consent of the principal
The subcommittee also provided examples of potential consequences for noncompliance with the law including district financial oversight, monitoring of the superintendent and/or monitoring of the board of trustees, receivership of the district, and suspension or removal of the superintendent or board of trustees. Based on feedback from the board, the subcommittee will re-review their recommendations and bring them back to the board for final approval. Upon formal acceptance of the recommendations by the board, they will be submitted to the Nevada Legislature.
Board Heard Update on Progress of the State Plan for the Improvement of Pupils (STIP)
Each year, the department updates the State Plan for the Improvement of Pupils (STIP) aligned to needed improvements in student outcomes. NDE staff provided the board with an update on two goals:
Move up in State rankings from 18th in September 2020 to Top 10 by July 2026 in K-12 Student Achievement, as measured by Quality Counts.
Update: Nevada maintained its standing at 18th as of September 2021.
Increase the overall number of students receiving the College and Career Ready (CCR) diploma from 23.9% in July 2021 to 50% by July 2026 and eliminate gaps of student groups while raising the overall average.
Update: In comparing students receiving CCR diplomas, Nevada saw an 0.6% decrease between the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021.
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.
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.
A request to reexamine the per-pupil funding formula for rural schools, specifically around extra funding, due to concerns that funds will be shortened and, as a result, programs will be cut, for rural schools
Concerns around how assessment result narratives are presented
President’s Report
President Ebert expressed appreciation for and congratulations to the following Nevada educators recognized as Teachers of the Year in various categories:
Kaitlin Farley Cortes, a Pre-Kindergarten teacher, and Avis Moore, an infant-toddler teacher, both Washoe County educators, received Nevada’s first-ever award for Early Educator of the Year.
Deanne Moyle-Hicks, an educator at Natchez Elementary School in Washoe County School District, was named the 2022 State Teacher of the Year. The mission of the Nevada Teacher of the Year program is to celebrate excellence and strengthen the teaching force by honoring and recognizing exceptional teachers on a school, district, state, and national level.
Superintendent’s Report
COVID-19 Update
On September 13, the U.S. Department of Education approved Nevada’s plan for ESEA 2 funds and has released the final one-third of the ARP ESSER dollars to the state.
Nevada has been working to maximize and expand existing funding and initiatives. The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) will be allocating $8 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to help K-12 public school educators. The funds will be distributed through DonorsChoose and used for classroom resources for teachers and students. This makes Nevada the first state to directly invest in educator projects on DonorsChoose.
Pupil-Centered Funding Plan Update
Guy Hobbs has been named the new Chair of the Commission on School Funding. Hobbs worked for many years directly in Clark County. The next meeting of the Commission on School Funding is October 8, 2021, at 9:00 am. NDE President Ebert requested that the community bring or submit public comment to the meeting.
The U.S. Department of Education has recognized three Nevada schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021:
Frank Lamping ES and Charlotte Hill ES in Clark County for closing the gap.
Charlotte Hill Elementary School, Clark County School District, for the “Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing” category
Frank Lamping Elementary School, Clark County School District for the “Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing” category
Pinecrest Academy of Nevada Inspirada, State Public Charter School Authority, for the “Exemplary High Performing Schools” category.
Board Heard Presentation on State Assessment Results for the 2020-21 School Year
The Board heard a presentation regarding data from the statewide summative assessments that were administered during the 2020-21 school year, including Smart Balance Assessment (SBAC) and ACT results including:
Grade 3-8 students in English Languish Arts & Mathematics
ACT, 11th grade
English Language Arts & Mathematics for all high school students
The 2018-19 school year was the last school year for a normal assessment cycle. In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education ESEA waiver, assessments were not administered for the 2019-2020 school year and certain accountability requirements were also waived for the 2021-2022 school year in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. Specifically for the 20202-2021 school year, federal accountability and the 95% assessment participation mandates were waived, but states were asked to administer federal assessments. NDE reported the largest drop in assessment participation by Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black students. Assessment participation and percentages are impacted, in part, by a decrease in population size.
Note: The most recent year of complete and normal assessment testing cyicle is the 2018-2019 school year. In the updates below, “when compared to the most recent year of testing” refers to the 2018-2019 school year. The following SBAC proficiency rate trends compare results from the 2018-2019 reporting year and the 2020-2021 reporting year.
SBAC English Language Arts (ELA) Proficiency Rate Trends, Grades Grades 3-8
Average: ELA showed consistent average growth of 1.3 percentage points. The current rate represents just over 68% of students during the pandemic year.
Proficiency: Proficiency rates for the 2020-2021 school year are much lower compared to SY 2018-2019. The largest decreases are among Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and White students.
Student groups: Student groups performed lower when compared to the most recent year of complete testing. Students with disabilities are relatively low, with only a 0.5% drop during the pandemic year.
Grade level comparison: There is a greater decrease among elementary grades with less impact on students in grades 6-8.
SBAC Mathematics Proficiency Rate Trends
Average: Assessment results reveal an 11.2% percentage point decrease, with just over 68% of students tested during the pandemic year.
Proficiency: Proficiency is much lower when compared to the most recent year of testing. The largest decreases in proficiency are among Pac Islander, Asian, and White students.
Student Groups: Students with disabilities have a smaller impact between the two reporting years.
Grade level comparison: Results for elementary school students showed a greater decrease, with lower impact in middle school grades 7 & 8.
ACT Results
ACT is Nevada’s federally reported high school English Language Arts (ELA) and Math assessment. Participation in the ACT is a graduation requirement per Nevada Revised Statutes. The ACT was administered to all grade 11 students in the 2019-2020 school year prior to pandemic-related school building closures. NDE was thus able to compare results between the 2019-2020 school year and the 2020-2021 school year.
High School English Language Arts (HS ELA)
Average: ACT data for 2020-2021 represents HS ELA proficiency only rather than proficiency and participation. HS ELA proficiency showed a 2.1% increase during the 2020-2021 pandemic school year. HS ELA proficiency dropped 2.1% in 2020-2021, compared to 2019-2020.
Race/Ethnicity: The proficiency rate for Asian students increased. The greatest decreases in HS ELA proficiency results among Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black students as well as students identifying as Two or More Races. Black students had to smallest decrease in HS ELA proficiency.
Student Groups: English Learners showed the greatest decrease in HS ELA proficiency.
HS School Mathematics (HS Math)
Average: HS Math showed consistent average growth from 2017-2018 to 2019-2020. For the 2020-2021 school year, proficiency decreased by 3.4%.
Race/Ethnicity: The greatest decrease in math proficiency was among Asian students who dropped 5.2% points, followed by Two or More Races and White students. Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian students show the smallest decrease in HS Math proficiency.
Student Groups: There is an overall decrease in HS Math proficiency. Students identified as economically disadvantaged showed the greatest decrease.
Presenters noted that participation assessment rates in Clark County, the largest school district in Nevada, were low due to remote learning since tests must be administered in person.
Board members expressed concern about how to interpret the results as many students were not in school buildings and therefore were not available to take tests in person. The board also expressed concerns regarding gaps in the data due to students that were not assessed; requests for more disaggregated data around proficiency, such as a comparison of students proficient before the pandemic year compared to the current school year; concerns about inequity related to the lower test participation rates for Black and other student groups; and concerns about low test scores in some of the assessment criteria.
Click here to view the SBAC Assessment Results presentation.
Board Approved Teach Nevada Scholarship Awards
The Teach Nevada Scholarship (TNVS) was created in the State General Fund during the 78th Legislative Session (2015) via Senate Bill 511 and is codified in NRS 391A.550 – NRS 391A.590. The scholarship program was continued and slightly modified in the 80th Legislative Session (2019) through appropriations in Senate Bill 555 and Assembly Bill 219. The purpose of TNVS is to provide scholarships to new students pursuing initial teacher licensure programs through state-approved universities, colleges, or alternative routes to licensure (ARL) providers. Awards are granted by the State Board of Education to the extent that money is available within the Fund.
The Board approved 250 Teach Nevada Scholarship Awards per the Cohort 2022 Table:
Click here to view the TEACH Nevada Scholarship presentation.
Future Agenda Items
Board members requested training for new board members to understand their roles as well as orientations for new board members to meet with key members of departments within the NDE to build relationships.
What happened at the Joint meeting?
Public Comment #1
Members of the public shared public comment on this agenda item regarding:
Concerns about staff outsourcing.
The need for thoughtful consideration around how unused funds are reallocated as carryover dollars and concerns around how those dollars will be used.
The need to clarify ambiguous terms in the reorganization plan, such as “to the greatest extent.”
Concerns that the school district is not upholding its requirement to select effective licensed staff policies as outlined in AB469.
Concerns about the morale of CCSD staff
Concerns about the lack of focus on the needs of students, impacts, and improving outcomes for students.
Lack of care or concern by teachers toward students, classes with a lot of subs, lack of communication by teachers to families unless there is a challenge in the classroom.
Support and appreciation for SOTs
Concerns about whether new principals are sufficiently well-trained to lead schools with high ELL student populations.
Board Discussed the Implementation of Assembly Bill 459 (2017) in First-ever State Board of Education & CCSD Joint Board Meeting
Assembly Bill 469 (2017) required the implementation of a plan to reorganize Clark County School District following the passage of Assembly Bill 394 (2015) which provides principals with increased autonomy over schools and budgets.
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction was given specific authority over monitoring the implementation of the reorganization.
At the State Board of Education meeting held on April 15, 2021, the Board discussed components of the implementation plan to be addressed by CCSD as well as problems to be solved by CCSD related to specific criteria. Initial concerns related to the implementation of the bill included how CCSD was facilitating the placement of licensed and qualified teachers in vacant classrooms; purchasing of equipment, services, and supplies; and school carry forward of year‐end balances, in alignment with AB 469.
In a first-ever joint board meeting between the State Board of Education (SBOE) and Clark County School District (CCSD), SBOE board members and CCSD trustees met to discuss the history of the bill, implementation concerns, implementation items to be resolved, and how to ensure the bill’s successful implementation.
SBOE is currently reviewing the following items:
Principals are reporting they are not being provided with authority as outlined in NAC 388G.110-140 related to Service Level Agreements or the option/ability to carry out transferred responsibilities.
Clarification of the definition of “to the greatest extent possible.”
Clarification of the definition of “in good standing.”
SBOE is currently monitoring the following items to be resolved by CCSD:
Placement of Licensed and Qualified Teachers and authority to select staff.
Negotiating collective bargaining agreements with Clark County Education Association and Education Support Employees Association that are consistent with the law.
Addressing the Service Level Agreement (SLA) process in order to provide principals and SOTs with true authority to carry out responsibilities as outlined in NAC 388G.110-140.
Authority for purchasing of equipment, services, and supplies.
Defining “to the greatest extent possible” and “in good standing.”
CCSD Update on the Current State of the Reorganization
Under NRS 388G.810, on or before October 1 of each year, superintendents of large school districts are required to prepare a report with information from the school year before the immediately preceding school year which includes:
A summary of the responsibilities for which authority to carry out was transferred to the local school precincts pursuant to NRS 388G.610
A summary of the results of the surveys administered pursuant to NRS 388G.800
An assessment of the performance of the local school precincts based upon specific measures of achievement which are established by the superintendent on or before January 1 of the immediately preceding school year
An assessment of the effectiveness of operating local school precincts and the large school district in the manner set forth in NRS 388G.500 to 388G.810
Any recommendations for regulations or legislation to improve the operation of the local school precincts and the large school district in the manner set forth in NRS 388G.500 to 388G.810, inclusive.
During the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of full-time distance education and the subsequent return to face-to-face instruction, the District did not produce a report by October 1, 2020. Therefore, CCSD’s report also includes information from the 2018-2019 school year.
The State Board President shared that the State Board’s goal is to help CCSD achieve the full implementation of the bill; support with clarity, ambiguity, and language; mend the relationship between CCSD Trustees & SBOE; and prevent failure of the implementation.
CCSD Trustees and board members discussed the need to understand what is and isn’t working regarding SOTs. Trustees welcomed thorough training and oversight by the SBOE.
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.
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.
Concerns over inequities for rural schools in the state
Concerns over policies relating to transgender students
Concerns over masks and vaccine rollout for students
Concerns over the political climate towards educators in regards to masks and COVID-19 policies
Concerns over Critical Race Theory being taught in schools
Concerns over Service Level Agreements and CCSD’s compliance with Nevada Law.
President’s Report
Back to School Update
The board expressed gratitude to educators and staff for their efforts in kicking off the new school year.
Board President Ortiz emphasized the need to pay attention to the social and emotional needs of students as they return to school.
Board Goals & Vision Communications Plan
The board heard an update on the communications plan for the Nevada Board of Education Goals and Vision. Highlights:
The SBOE’s two goals are 1) move up in State rankings from 18th in September 2020 to Top 10 by July 2026 and 2) increase the overall number of students receiving the College and Career Ready (CCR) diploma from 23.9% in July 2021 to 50% by July 2026 and eliminate gaps of student groups while raising the overall average.
Goal messaging: The goal of the communications plan is to establish Nevada’s current academic achievement ranking clearly to Nevada stakeholders; clearly communicate the two State Board of Education (SBOE) goals so that the general public knows and understands them; and illustrate the Vision of the SBOE in a way the public can understand and connect with.
Vision: The Vision of the SBOE is that All Nevada students are equipped and feel empowered to obtain their vision of success.
Strategic Timeframes: By Spring 2022, SBOE will share about how each stated goal is reached. In Fall 2022, the SBOE will communicate ongoing progress reports.
The SBOE will be putting together a toolkit for promotion including social media graphics, email templates, and other assets that the board and other stakeholders can use.
Click here to view the Communications Plan presentation.
Superintendent’s Report
Covid-19 Response
All staff regardless of vaccination status are required to wear masks.
School-based Covid testing options are being explored.
Summer Literacy Camps
Over 200 students participated in the Nevada LIT Camps program, which offered early childhood reading instruction for students in K-5 as well as teacher professional development instructional planning.
Digital Ambassadors Cohort
42 educators across the state will be working to provide digital support as Digital Ambassadors as part of the Nevada Digital Learning Collaborative.
Board Approved Consent Agenda
Consent agenda highlights:
Approval of career and technical education instructional materials, including:
Board Heard Petition for License Revocation of Julia Kerrigan
NRS 391.320 enables the State Board of Education to suspend or revoke a teacher’s license for any cause specified by law, including ethics violations. If a teacher violates ethics law, a petition for suspension or revocation can be filed. Teachers can ask for a hearing within 15 days to present their case. After that, the case is brought to the SBOE who makes a final determination and can do one of three things:
Accept the recommendation for the suspension or revocation;
Reject the recommendation for the suspension or revocation; or
Bring the report back to the hearing officer for further evidence and recommendation.
In the case of Julia Kerrigan, a petition for revocation was filed due to allegations made by students that Kerrigan helped students with tests by telling them how to solve test questions. The board approved the recommendation made by the hearing officer to suspend Kerrigan’s license for five years from the date of decision by the board.
Board Heard Update Regarding the Efforts of Workforce Connections
The mission of Workforce Connections is to connect employers to a ready workforce. Workforce Connections is Southern Nevada’s local workforce development board currently serving the Clark, Esmeralda, Nye, and Lincoln with its One-Stop Career Centers. The organization is currently working on a number of initiatives that benefit K-12 education:
Fellowship Program: Workforce Connections’ Fellowship Program, in partnership with CCSD, will create a pipeline for in-demand careers of the future, the first program of its kind in the nation. There are currently 13 CCSD high schools in the fellowship with a goal to get all 59 CCSD high schools involved.
CSSD Technical Training Academy: A new academy school will be developed in what was once the site of Bishop Gorman on Maryland Parkway. For the first time, a Workforce Connections One-Stop career center will live on a school campus. The goal of this initiative is not just to help the youth, but to help families of the youth through a generational approach and wraparound services.
ACT Work Ready Communities: Clark County became the largest work-ready community through ACT. The program includes 12 job profilers that will help employers apply a Work Ready Certificate to identify and hire the right person the first time to fill a role.
CCSD apprenticeship pipeline: The apprenticeship pipeline will align trades organizations with CCSD for students choosing to go directly into a career. Due to COVID, the program has been challenging to deploy.
Workforce Blueprint – The Workforce Blueprint will give students information about the industries that are arising in Southern Nevada.
Industry Sector Partnerships: Workforce Connections, in partnership with the Vegas Chamber, will work closely with Southern Nevada companies in fields such as logistics and supply chain management to understand the entire blueprint of their workforce needs and what they look for in future employees. This could include certificates employers look for, how companies grow an individual into middle management, and how individuals reach the top. The program will launch in October with a focus on two out of seven emerging industries to start.
NevadaV Business Hubs: The Nevada Business Hub is designed to connect employers to all available free resources available to help them create a plan for the future.
Click here to view the Workforce Connections presentation.
Board Heard Overview on Assembly Bill (AB) 469 (2017)
Assembly Bill 469 (2017) required the implementation of a plan to reorganize Clark County School District following the passage of Assembly Bill 394 (2015) which provides principals with increased autonomy over schools and budgets.
The board heard a presentation on the history of AB469. Its history includes passage of the bill in 2017, an issuance of the Attorney General’s opinion in 2018 at the request of the Superintendent to answer the question of whether a large school district could assign a teacher to a local school precinct without its consent, a declaratory order in 2020 to answer the question of whether state statute would allow CCSD to assign an employee in a school without the school’s consent, and service level agreements.
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.
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.
A need for guidance for SOTs to provide feedback on experiences with school staff
Concerns about the employee reassignment process
President’s Report
Silver State Governance Training
The Silver State Governance training supports boards in developing goals and guardrails to ensure that the board is focused on students and student outcomes. On April 9, 2021, the SBOE held a work session to begin drafting a new organizational vision focused on student outcomes in Nevada. SBOE will be scheduling an additional work session to continue the development of the draft. The draft vision speaks to ensuring that all Nevada students are equipped and feel empowered to foresee the future of their choosing as a result of collective efforts. SBOE will be seeking public feedback on the draft vision.
Superintendent’s Report
Legislative Update
Friday, April 9, was the deadline for bills in the Nevada Legislature to pass out of the houses in which they were entered. All six of the Nevada Department of Education’s (NDE) bills passed out of their respective houses. There were several amendments that were made to improve the bills. Assembly Bill 265 regarding Alternative Routes to Licensure for administrators will receive no further action because it did not pass out of its first house committee pursuant to the April deadline.
Pupil-Centered Funding Plan Update
On April 7, the NDE participated in a workshop with the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Ways and Means to discuss the pupil-centered funding plan and is also working with the Commission on School Funding. Superintendent Ebert shared that the funding formula should provide additional transparency to the use of education funds. Currently, the Nevada Legislature is considering a phased approach to implementing the formula and the NDE anticipates it moving forward.
Click here to read the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan Summary.
Blue Ribbon Commission for a Globally Prepared Nevada Update
SBOE is currently working with the Blue Ribbon Commission to begin implementation planning for competency-based learning.
Approval of digital development standards related to student competency and performance upon completion of an advanced high school Digital Game Development program
Board Approved Appointee to the State Public Charter School Authority Governing Board
The Nevada Department of Education is allotted two appointments to the State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA) board. The SPCSA is the governing body that authorizes the opening and operation of public charter schools throughout the state.
The board approved a motion to appoint Erica Mosca as the SBOE designee.
Applications for the appointment were open through March 2021 and screened by the Nevada Department of Education.
Board Heard Update Clark County School District’s Implementation of AB-469 (2017)
Assembly Bill 469 (2017) required the implementation of a plan to reorganize Clark County School District following the passage of Assembly Bill 394 (2015) which provides principals with increased autonomy over schools and budgets.
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction was given specific authority over monitoring the implementation of the reorganization. As such, the following components have been identified as necessary to be addressed by CCSD:
Authority to select school staff
Assignment of central staff to schools
Allocation funds to schools
Purchase of equipment, services, and supplies available from the district by schools
School carry forward of year‐end balance (e.g. school carryover funds)
Weighted per‐pupil funding
The Department identified the following problems to be solved by CCSD related to three of the six criteria:
Complying with the requirement to grant principals control of teacher selection and placement; cases still exist where the central office assigns teachers to schools.
Negotiating collective bargaining agreements with CCEA and ESEA that are consistent with the law (SB 224)
Complying with the requirement to grant principals the freedom to determine which services, suppliers, and equipment to acquire; cases still exist where the central office is unacceptably constraining the range of principal choice with respect to certain services, suppliers, and equipment
Providing schools precincts with access to carry forward funds early enough for schools to purchase additional personnel positions and instructional supports.
Board members discussed the need to determine the timely use of carryover dollars, the need for systems improvement to select licensed teachers, the need for solutions that help principals think outside the box to impact student outcomes, the potential for regulation that will give principals better access to carryover funds, and student outcomes-focused budget training for principals.
The Board plans to schedule work sessions with CCSD to understand its challenges and determine specific areas of support.
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.
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. There is a time limit of three minutes per speaker. Members of the community providing testimony must fill out a visitor card, available on-site the day of the meeting.
Members of the public provided testimony regarding:
Concerns about the implementation of the reorganization of the Clark County School District and changes that could impact school principal decision making
Concerns about adequate revenue to fund education
Concerns about the appropriate use of data from recently administered assessments
Superintendent’s Report
State Superintendent Ebert report highlights:
Legislative Engagement: Department staff recently presented to the Legislative Committee on Education regarding the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Taskforce. Additionally, the Interim Legislative Committee on Education has selected school bus safety inspections as a topic of an upcoming bill draft request for the legislative session.
National Equity Project: Department staff have been working to develop and deliver professional d equity. In collaboration with the National Equity Project, has delivered two trainings to NDE staff.
Teacher Licenses: To help alleviate the negative impact of COVID-19 on licensed teachers, the Department has issued a six-month extension to any licensee with an expiring license.
Board Approved Definition of At-Risk for Funding Formula
In follow up to discussions at the August 27 and October 8 Board meetings, an updated definition of the “at-risk” category for the Pupil Centered Funding Formula was approved by the Board. A pupil is “at-risk” if the pupil has an economic or academic disadvantage such that they require additional services and assistance to enable them to graduate with their cohorts. The term includes, without limitation, pupils who are members of economically disadvantaged families, pupils who are at-risk of dropping out of high school, and pupils who do not meet minimum standards of academic proficiency. The term does not include pupils with a disability or pupils who are English Learners.
Senate Bill 108, passed during the 2017 Legislative Session, required the State Board to create a subcommittee to study the manner to incorporate instruction concerning crimes that frequently involve people under 18 years old into social studies units. The subcommittee convened and provided the following recommendations:
Content should be addressed in age appropriate manner
Content should be delivered as part of an existing lesson
Appropriate professional learning should be provided to educators
Existing resources and lessons should be differentiated starting in the primary grades
Districts should work with external partners to accomplish the requirements of the bill
The Department of Education is working to implement the recommendations, first by curating a list of high quality instructional materials to be ready by summer 2021. Additionally, the Department will provide professional development opportunities for educators to learn how to incorporate materials into content areas by winter 2021.
Board Approved Investigation Into AB469 Implementation
Assembly Bill 469, passed by the Nevada Legislature in 2017, outlines the reorganization of large school districts in Nevada. The intent of AB469 is to provide increased localized decision making at school sites by principals and school organizational teams. Issues with the implementation of this bill were discussed by the Board regarding the placement of licensed and qualified teachers in vacant classrooms, specifically the authority to select staff, purchasing of equipment, services & supplies available from the District by schools, and school carry forward of year‐end fund balances.
Board members approved a directive to Department staff to complete an investigation into these issues and the implementation of the bill. The investigation will include any noncompliance with the implementation under the purview of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction as well as areas of ambiguity that can be addressed by the regulatory authority of the State Board of Education.
Board Heard Update on MAP Data and Read by Grade 3 Educator Supports
Representatives of NWEA provided Board members with an update on results from Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) growth assessment testing throughout the state. The MAP assessment was completed by students in various settings, including at home and in-person. NWEA representatives shared that this data should be considered as one point among many. Board members discussed the need to ensure that testing is accurate and variables, such as parental support during at-home testing, are controlled for to ensure that data provided is meaningfully related to student academic growth.
Additionally, the Board heard updates from Department Staff on supports that have been provided to educators regarding the Read by Grade 3 initiative. Department staff have been providing open “office hours” for general Q&A, ongoing updates regarding the impact of COVID-19, professional development sessions and workshops, and technical assistance in the form of memos and implementation guides for educators.
Board Heard District & School Operations and Education during COVID-19
Superintendents of three school districts and student representatives from across Nevada each provided updates to the Board on the implementation of school reopening.
Humboldt County School District (HCSD):
HCSD is engaged in hybrid learning for elementary and middle schools, with the combined school fully in person. All students have the option to continue with distance learning only.
HCSD has implemented social emotional learning supports including restorative practices and positive behavior intervention supports.
HCSD used AB3 funds to implement quality distance learning instruction for all HCSD students.
Click here to see the Humboldt County presentation
Lyon County School District (ECSD):
LCSD K-2 students and other specific populations are attending in-person full time. A hybrid model is being used, as well as a full distance learning option.
LCSD has implemented social emotional screeners for students in K-12, in addition to the implementation of social emotional learning curriculum.
LCSD used AB3 funding to purchase chromebooks as well as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
85% of WPCSD students are engaged in in-person learning.
WPCSD is focused on social emotional learning, including a two-day professional development workshop for all staff.
WPCSD is anticipating another 200 devices and 20 hotspots for students.
Click here to see the White Pine County presentation
Students from across the state provided the Board with information about how distance learning has impacted them and their peers. Students outlined issues with keeping up with school work amidst family responsibilities, concerns about their own and their peers’ mental health, issues with motivation, and the need for social interaction with peers.
Board Heard Updates to Regulations
R135-20, Crisis, Emergency, and Suicide Response Plans (Approved)
This regulation requires that the Department research best practices and develop a framework for schools and districts to appropriately respond to crises, emergencies, and suicide. The updates to this regulation were approved.
Regulation R064-20, Social and Environmental Factors (Not Approved)
This regulation requires that districts and charter schools assess the social and environmental factors that impact students’ educational experience, such as access to food, as well as plans to mitigate those factors. The Board discussed the need to ensure that requirements for schools do need exceed their current capacity without additional funds to supplement the completion. The Board directed staff to revise the regulation to remove cost-bearing requirements that are not attached to additional funds.
