Tag: clark county school district

Nevada Ed-Watch 02/24/2022

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees
Click here to find your Trustee District

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).

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas
Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

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, February 24, 2022

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda.
Watch the meeting playback on Facebook or CCSD EduVision.

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment #1 on Non-Agenda Items

Members of the public shared comments regarding: 

  • School safety and recent incidents of school violence
  • Teacher retention
  • Swim-related transportation issues
  • American Rescue Plan Act allocations 
  • Playground and recess guidelines
  • COVID-related restrictions relating to parents visiting classrooms

Trustees Approved the Consent Agenda (7-0)

Consent Agenda Highlights:

Members of the public provided comments on minutes from previous meetings, MAP assessments, an interlocal contract regarding Medicaid School Health Services, agreements with the YMCA of Southern Nevada and the City of Las Vegas, a consultant contract for training development services, licensed personnel employment, licensed personnel dismissal recommendations, and purchasing orders.

Trustees Approved a Notice of Intent to Adopt, Repeal, or Amend Clark County School District Policy 1101 on School Mascots and Other School Identifiers (6-1)

Staff provided an overview of proposed changes to Policy 1101 that would specify any school mascots, team names, logos, school colors, songs, or school identifiers not be racially discriminatory or contain racially discriminatory language or imagery. Such school identifiers must be respectful of diverse cultural values and reflect a positive school image. School identifiers would also be required to be unique and not duplicate professional, corporate, international, national, or local team mascots. This item will be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval on March 24, 2022.

Explore the proposed changes to the policy.

Trustees Approved the 2022 Goals for the Superintendent (6-1)

Trustees approved three goals for the Superintendent in alignment with the Focus: 2024 strategic plan and a February 2, 2022 work session with District staff and Trustees. These goals include increasing the proficiency of students in all racial/ethnic student groups by seven percentage points in reading by Grade 3 and by five percentage points in mathematics in Grades 6-8; decreasing the overrepresentation of the Black/African American student group in student suspensions and discretionary expulsions by five percentage points from 2021 to 2022; and hiring 1,655 classroom teachers (a 25 percent increase from the most recent three-year average) before November 1, 2022.  

Trustees discussed teacher recruitment, teacher retention efforts, vacancy rates, and alignment between the February 2 planning session, strategic plan, and these goals.

Explore the goals presentation.

Trustees Approved Memoranda of Agreement between the Clark County School District and the Education Support Employees Association, the Clark County Education Association, and the Clark County Association of School Administrators and Professional-Technical Employees Regarding Summer Acceleration 2022 (6-1-0)

A public hearing was held for new memoranda of understanding that provides for labor expenditures for the upcoming Summer Acceleration program (May 31 – June 17, 2022), with employees being paid either under their current contracts (with administrators receiving a $400 per day stipend), or additional straight or overtime pay. The fiscal cost of all memoranda is $66,024,000.

There was one abstention for this vote.

Explore the summary of fiscal impacts.

Explore the Memoranda of Agreement. 

Public Comment #2 on Non-Agenda Items

Members of the public shared comments on this item regarding: 

  • Inequity among school sports 
  • School safety and recent incidents of school violence
  • Elementary school-level behavioral concerns
  • Teacher and substitute teacher staffing shortages 
  • Special education concerns

Learn more about agenda items from this meeting in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for February 28, 2022 @ 5pm, as a joint meeting with the Attendance Zone Advisory Commission. 

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Nevada Ed-Watch 12/15/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5 pm. While all meetings are typically held at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121, all meetings are now held virtually due to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read directly into the record, rather an oral summary of each comment was provided to Trustees.

  • Click here & here to view public comment on agenda and non-agenda items.

Board Approved Summative Evaluation of the Superintendent of Schools

The purpose of the Summative Evaluation process is to develop a single Superintendent Evaluation that combines and synthesizes the individual evaluations each Trustee conducted for the Superintendent. The evaluation process was facilitated by Dr. Thomas Alsbury, founder and president of Balanced Governance Solutions.

Prior to the summative evaluation, the Board’s seven Trustees completed individual evaluations of Superintendent Jara for 2020. This is the Superintendent’s second evaluation following the first evaluation in December 2019. 

Growth Suggestions provided in the Trustees’ evaluations of the Superintendent were compiled and anonymously recorded in a rating sheet. Trustees rated each Growth Suggestion and returned the document to Dr. Alsbury on December 14. All Growth Suggestions scoring an average rating of 3 (Agree) or 4 (Strongly Agree) were compiled into a summative evaluation draft by Dr. Alsbury who also combined identical or similar suggestions, when possible, to avoid repetition. The draft was sent back to Trustees on December 14. At the December 15 meeting, Trustees discussed the summative evaluation draft to determine which Growth Suggestions to include in the final Superintendent Evaluation document.  

Click here to view the summative evaluation process.

Trustees also discussed the ratings from the Superintendent’s evaluation. Trustees used an evaluation tool that included nine indicators under four areas of focus, rating the Superintendent in each indicator on a scale of 1 to 4. The categories represent the focus areas agreed upon by the Board of Trustees and the Superintendent for the 2020 evaluation year.

Rating scale: 

1 = Did not meet the standard.
2 = Inconsistently met the standard or the standard was met with frequent and avoidable errors.
3 = Consistently met the standard with minimal errors.
4 = Consistently met the standard.

Superintendent Average Performance Ratings by Indicator: 

  1. Effective Operational Oversight 
    • 1A: Major changes to Organizational Structure – Total Average rating: 2.2
    • 1B: Focus on Student Success & Equity – Total Average rating: 2.1
    • 1C: Major Financial Issues – Total Average Rating = 3.2
  2. Effective Progress Monitoring & Reporting
    • 2A: Report Progress to Trustees – Total Average Rating = 2.9  
  3. Effective Communication
    • 3A: Communicates Effectively with Trustees – Total Average Rating = 2.4
    • 3B: Communicates Effectively with Broader Community – Total Average Rating = 2.3
    • 3C: Communicates Effectively with Internal staff – Total Average Rating = 2.0
  4. Effective Collaborative Leadership: 
    • 4A: Models Community Inclusion – Total Average Rating = 2.6
    • 4B: Promote a Collaborative Culture – Total Average Rating = 2.1

Trustees unanimously approved a motion for Dr. Alsbury to merge Growth Suggestions using feedback from Trustees to complete and finalize the Superintendent’s evaluation. The final Superintendent Evaluation, to include the merged Growth Suggestions along with ratings, is anticipated to be completed this week.

Click here to see Superintendent Jara’s self-evaluation.
Click here to see the summary rating scores from Trustee evaluations.
Click here to see submitted evidence for each focus area.
Click here to read more about this in The Nevada Independent.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 12/10/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5 pm. While all meetings are typically held at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121, all meetings are now held virtually due to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read directly into the record, rather an oral summary of each comment was provided to Trustees.

  • Click here to view public comment on agenda items.
  • Click here to view public comment on non-agenda items.  

Trustees Announced Board Meetings To Air On CCTV

Trustees announced that Clark County will now air CCSD Board of Trustees meetings to improve access and provide greater transparency for the public. 

Click here to read more about this from 8 News Now Las Vegas.

Trustees Approved Consent Agenda 

Highlights: 

Trustees Discussed Availability of Mental Health Services for Students and Staff

The Trustees approved spending of $761,000 to purchase a districtwide data platform and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and wellbeing universal assessment for all students and staff. The program would allow for early intervention and tiered supports for students as well as guide staff to services and resources that fit their needs. The funds for this initiative, paid through the Assembly Bill 3 Block Grant and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), would support its implementation through December 10, 2021. 

Trustees expressed their support for the program and agreed that mental health services must improve at all levels and at all schools. Some trustees brought up concerns about the sustainability of the program beyond the one-year it is currently committed. Trustees discussed their commitment to continue looking for creative solutions for all students and staff to receive mental health support. More information on the program will be available during the January 2021 meeting. 

Click here to see the proposal.

Trustees Approved Two Namesakes

In October 2020, the School Name Committee (SNC) considered nominations for one new elementary school and one new middle school facility to be named. The SNC recommended Hannah Marie Brown as a school namesake for the Clark County School District based on her contributions to education. The SNC also recommended Barry and June Gunderson citing their positive influence on the District and the Las Vegas community. The Trustees provided their broad support for both Hannah Marie Brown and Barry and June Gunderson to be added as a namesake for the District. 

Click here to see the Hannah Marie Brown school name proposal. 
Click here to see the Barry and June Gunderson school name proposal. 

Trustees Adopted the 2021 Amended Final Budget

In accordance with NRS 354.598005(9), CCSD must file an amended final budget no later than January 1, 2021. The final budget will be submitted to the County Auditor and filed with the Department of Education, the Department of Taxation, and the County Clerk. The Board heard a presentation from Jason Goudie, CCSD’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), on the modifications from the 2020-2021 final budget. 

While the budget includes predictions for changes in revenues, there are still uncertainties regarding the fiscal impact of COVID-19, enrollment, reduced reserve funds, the outcome of the Senate Bill 551 court case, and plans to remain in distance learning or return to a model with students in school buildings. 

As part of the Education Stabilization Fund in the CARES Act, the District received Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to address the impact of COVID-19. The District plans to utilize a large portion of the ESSER funds for utilities, personal protective equipment for employees, and technology services.

Due to the impact of Assembly Bill 3, CCSD’s CFO anticipated a shortfall of $93 million in the District’s budget, reducing support for several programs including the New Nevada Education Funding, Read by Grade 3, and Gifted and Talented Education (GATE). However, utilizing available funds from ESSER, additional reserves, and cuts to strategic budget plans, the District was able to restore the three programs. 

The budget reflects an increase in the cost-per-pupil by $68 from 2020, totalling $6,135 per student. Adding special education funds and local/federal funding outside of the District’s Distributive school Account (DSA), the total per pupil revenue is $7,938. This year, the District saw a decrease in student enrollment, which led to a decrease in revenue from the state by around $62 million. 

The budget also includes an unassigned funding balance of 2.25%. This will not serve as a rainy day fund, rather it is intended to drive bond ratings. An ending fund balance of at least 2% is required by district Regulation-3110.

Click here to view the presentation.
Click here to view the amendments.

Trustees Approved Employment Agreement for Vegas PBS

Trustees approved the employment agreement for Mary Mazur as the President and General Manager of Vegas PBS. Trustees thanked the outgoing President and General Manager, Tom Axtell, for his service to the community and his work to support students with disabilities.

Click here to view the employment contract. 

Trustees Approved Memorandum of Agreements With Education Support Employees Association

Trustees voted to approve two memoranda of agreements negotiated between the District and the Education Support Employees Association (ESEA).  The first memorandum extends the term for CCSD employees to donate sick leave for COVID-19 health issues to June 30, 2021. The second memorandum temporarily allows CCSD employees to perform work outside of their general work duties or eliminate any need for a reduction in workforce. This allows for flexibility of work during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Click here to view these agreements.

Trustees Honored Outgoing Board Members

Trustees took time to honor and thank Trustees Deanna Wright, Chris Garvey, and Linda Young for their years of contribution to the students, educators, and families in the district. 

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Nevada Ed-Watch 11/13/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5 pm. While all meetings are typically held at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121, all meetings are now held virtually due to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, November 12, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read directly into the record, and rather an oral summary of each comment was provided to Trustees.

  • Click here and here to view public comment submitted between October 16 and November 12
  • Click here to view public comment submitted between October 23 and November 9
  • Click here to view public comment submitted between November 9 and 10 
  • Click here to view public comment submitted between November 10 and 11
  • Click here and here to view public comment submitted on November 11
  • Click here and here to view public comment submitted between November 11 and November 12 
  • Click here to view public comment on non-agenda items 

Trustees Approved Consent Agenda 

Highlights:

  • Approval of Memorandum of Agreement to continue random drug and alcohol testing for student athletes. 
  • Approval of request to contract with the Las Vegas Natural History Museum to provide opportunities for students and families to engage in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics activities. 
  • Approval to continue the contract with dental providers for services to identified students.
  • Approval of professional service agreement for respiratory protection training and fit testing services. 

Trustees Approve Employment for General Counsel

Trustees approved the employment of P. Luke Puschnig to serve as the Clark County School District General Counsel. The Trustees expressed their gratitude for the outgoing General Counsel, Eleissa Lavelle, for her service and assistance to the district. 

Click here to see the employment agreement.

Trustees Provided Input on Hybrid Model Transition Plan

Trustees heard a presentation on a plan that transitions students to the hybrid instructional model for most schools, with a phased-in timeline for students, and possible transition to full-time face-to-face instruction for certain schools. The transition plan also details schools and specific strategies for COVID-19 spread prevention and mental health support. The plan meets all guidelines provided by the Nevada Department of Education (NDE). The consideration of the plan comes after the October 23 meeting, where Trustees heard a presentation on COVID-19 positivity rates from Dr. Fermin Leguen, Acting Director of the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), who shared SNHD’s support for reopening schools in the near future. The District is working to translate the plan into Spanish. 

Cohorts: The hybrid plan requires students to be divided into three cohorts, two of which would alternate between face-to-face instruction and distance education throughout the week and engage in distance learning on Wednesdays, and one cohort would engage in full-time distance learning. Families will have the option to enroll their child in the hybrid model or full-time distance learning.

Timeline: The recommended transition timeline would end staff telecommuting by December and invite small groups of students on a voluntary basis to participate in mental and/or emotional health supports and interventions, academic screenings, and campus orientation for students new to campus. The hybrid instruction would begin on January 4 for students in certain grade levels and on January 11 for remaining students. 

Health and safety: To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the transition plan includes the promotion of healthy behaviors through education of prevention practices, implementation of mask coverings and sanitizing protocols, and requirement of social distancing. The transition plan includes enhanced sanitation and cleaning practices and HVAC strategies to ensure a clean and safe learning environment. The district also plans to employ free, voluntary COVID-19 testing for employees and outlines a response plan to exposure or confirmed COVID-19 cases.  School buses and drivers will adhere to safety guidelines in Nevada’s Phase 2 restrictions with limited bus capacity to 50 percent. School buses will also ensure external airflow, one entrance and exit, disinfecting between routes, and nightly disinfecting schedule. 

Mental health support: The district plans to utilize multidisciplinary leadership teams who will work to identify and see students in person, assess their needs, and tailor tiered intervention strategies. 

Due to recent data on spikes of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Southern Nevada, most Trustees expressed concerns with approving a transition plan at this time. Trustees discussed the feasibility reality of the recommended timeline and the possibility of removing dates and maintaining the sequence of events. Superintendent Jesus Jara reaffirmed that the timeline is flexible and specific dates will be a management decision. Other Trustee concerns included staffing capabilities, unresolved distance learning issues, enforcement of new health and safety protocols, and the need to address distance learning issues before moving forward with a plan to transition to in-person instruction. Trustees offered the below suggestions to be included in an updated plan: 

  • Information on how the model adjusts to a higher number of COVID-19 cases and how to pivot from hybrid learning to distance learning if needed
  • Information on the amount of PPE provided to staff
  • Information on the financial impact 
  • Evaluation of any education loss and risks, specifically for ELL students 
  • Number of ventilation systems that have been serviced 
  • Elaboration on teacher school lunch monitoring 
  • Information on the District’s work with bargaining units

Trustees will reevaluate the reopening plan at a future meeting. 

This item was initially posted for possible action, however was pulled from consideration for action during the meeting.

Click here to see the presentation.
Click here to see the plan. 

Click here to read about this in the Las Vegas Review-Journal
Click here to read about this in the Las Vegas Sun
Click here to read about this in the Reno Gazette-Journal
Click here to read about this in a story from 8 News Now Las Vegas

Trustees Approved Memorandum of Agreement for Voluntary Testing

The Board approved an agreement between the Clark County School District and the Teachers Health Trust, a Nevada trust established by the Clark County Education Association, to provide free, voluntary COVID-19 testing for District employees through the Task Force Initiative for Educators Safety and Screening for COVID-19 (TIES) program. The program will bear no cost to the District or employees. Statewide, the testing program will expend up to $13.2 million of grant funds for testing and monitoring from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Click here to see supporting documentation.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 6/11/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to Find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Special Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read directly into the record, and rather an oral summary of each comment was provided to Trustees.

Click here to view public comment on agenda items. 

Click here to view public comment on non-agenda items. 

Board Approved the Consent Agenda

Consent Agenda Highlights: 

  • Amendments to Rainbow Dreams Academy charter contract to remove grades 1-8 and transition to a Pre-K and kindergarten only. Trustees and staff discussed ensuring accountability measures are in place for this new school configuration. 
  • Membership to the Council of Great City Schools. Trustees expressed their support for continuing the partnership and will be addressing communication concerns trustees have brought forward. (Vote: 6-0-1)

Board Appointed an Audit Advisory Committee Member

The board approved the reappointment of Joshua Robinson to the CCSD Audit Advisory Committee. The purpose of this committee is to advise the Board in strengthening accountability for the efficient stewardship of public funds; providing a communication link between external and internal auditors and the Board of Trustees; enhancing transparency of the District’s financial operations; and improving public trust in the honesty and integrity of public officials.

Board Approved Notices of Intent to Update Policies 

Final policies will be brought before the board at the July 25th CCSD Board of Trustees meeting. 

Policies that will be updated include:

GP-5: Board Officers 

GP-7 Vice President’s Role

GP-9 Meeting Planning

GP-10 Construction of Agenda 

Policy 6165: Programs and Services for English Language Learner Students 

Board Approved MOA with the Clark County Educators Association (CCEA)

The MOA is related to the implementation of school improvement grants,  and provides pay for additional teacher minutes at El Dorado HS and Bailey Middle school. 

Click here to view the MOA.

Board Reviewed the CCSD 2021 Legislative Platform 

CCSD Staff presented a draft legislative platform for the district, which includes topics specific to School Funding, Improved Learning Environments, and School Safety & Mental Health. Highlights from the platform include: 

  • Preserving the weighted funding formula  
  • Opposing all unfunded mandates 
  • Collaborating with the state to invest in digital learning 
  • Identifying opportunities to address and diversify the teacher pipeline 

Trustees discussed the necessity to ensure that public education is adequately funded in Nevada, including communication from the governor’s office on impacts to the budget due to revenue shortfalls from COVID. Other topics that trustees proposed for consideration in the platform include: adjustments to the reorganization of the district (AB469),  consideration of technology related to workforce and school building security.  

Trustees Heard Updates about the District’s Response to COVID-19

COVID response update highlights:

  • 3.5 million meals have been served, and USDA is extending waivers through the summer. 
  • From the time of school building closures through the end of the school year, 4,370 students were not successfully reached. Approximately 2/3 of those students not reached identify as Black or Hispanic. 
  • CCSD released a survey for the community to provide input on what should be prioritized for the reopening of schools. Approximately 94,000 responses were received from community members, teachers, students, and central office staff. 
  • Reopening Plan: Working groups have met and provided input to inform the initial school reopening plan. Currently, school department heads and subject matter experts are using input collected from the working groups to refine the plan. Unit chiefs will then present recommendations to the superintendent and cabinet for input. The final plan is expected to be presented to the board at the July 25th meeting, and is required to be available for the public no less than 20 days before the first day of school. 
    • Trustees discussed looking to other districts to understand how their reopening is impacting staff and students. Additionally, trustees discussed ensuring that feedback from educators is closely taken into consideration as plans are finalized. 
    • Trustees and Superintendent  Jara also discussed needing to connect with the Governor’s office and Nevada Department of Education to ensure  they are receiving information in a timely manner. 

Superintendent Jara’s prepared statement:

Click here to read about this in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 

Superintendent Communications

Superintendent Jara welcomed Sarah Cyprus, the new principal of Treem Elementary.

Requests for Future Agenda Items:

  • Detailed presentation on data related to CCSD Police policies and data about excessive force, including the use of pepper spray on campus.
  • Information about how Trustees will be updated on the work of the Nevada Department of Education Reopening Committee.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 5/14/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to Find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read into the record, and rather a summary of comments was provided to Trustees. Click here to see public comment submissions. 

Consent Agenda Highlights: 

Trustees Approved a Resolution to Advocate for Federal Funding for Public Schools 

The resolution is in conjunction with The Council of the Great City Schools. It asks for $200 billion in federal relief for public schools nationwide to mitigate learning loss caused by COVID-19 closures, and to accelerate student outcomes.

Click here to see the resolution.

Trustees Heard a Presentation about Improving CCSD’s Special Education

The Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) worked with CCSD to assess Special Education in the district. A report was developed that outlines opportunities to improve outcomes for students receiving special education services. The report includes data such as: 

  • In the 2018-2019 school year, 9.8% of students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) were on grade level in math, and 12.5% were on grade level in reading. 
  • The graduation rate for students with IEPs is 68%, compared to 85% for students that do not have IEPs.
  • Black students with IEPs are 3.39 times more likely to receive an out-of-school suspension than other students with IEPs.   

The report outlines the following 10 focus areas for the district to improve outcomes for students receiving special education services:

  1. Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) 
  2. Referral/eligibility data and determination practice to address overrepresentation of student subgroups receiving special education services (Black, Hispanic, those who are eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch, and English Language learners)
  3. The use of achievement, education environments, graduation, suspension, and absenteeism data to address disparities between local data and national data 
  4. Academic instruction and positive behavior support for students with disabilities 
  5. Parent support and engagement
  6. Interdepartmental collaboration within the district
  7. Student Support Division operational structure and regional alignment 
  8. School-based special education administration instruction and service support 
  9. Compliance, transportation, and fiscal management and accountability 
  10. Internal project management

Trustees and CGCS discussed challenges to improving outcomes for students with disabilities– including overcrowded classrooms, lack of strong Tier 1 instruction across the district, and lack of professional development to build the capacity of educators. 

Click here to see the presentation.

Click here to see the report.

Trustees Heard Updates on CCSD’s Human Capital Management System (HCMS) 

To address major payroll issues with its HCMS system, CCSD brought in a consultant to identify and resolve the issues. CCSD was able to recover $700,000 in continued support from the consultant company that built the system. 80% of necessary fixes have been implemented. 

Trustees requested a follow up presentation when all issues have been identified and addressed.

Click here to see the presentation.

Superintendent’s Report 

Report Highlights:

  • Superintendent Jara announced new principals: Andrea Hill (John Dooley Elementary) and Jaime Witte (Sue H. Morrow Elementary).
  • Regarding COVID-19 closures, a final decision on graduations will occur during phase 2 of the Governor’s reopening plan. All plans will follow the governor’s orders and the district will maintain social distancing protocols. 

Requests for Future Agenda Items:

  • Information about policies related to Librarians in schools  
  • Information about the selection criteria for forming the Reopening of Schools Committee, and ongoing updates 
  • Updates on work related to the Special Education Report developed by The Council of the Great City Schools

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Nevada Ed-Watch 5/7/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to Find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Emergency Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda & Addendum

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read into the record, and rather a summary of comments was provided to Trustees. Click here to see public comment submissions. 

Consent Agenda Highlights: 

Trustees Heard Updates about the District’s Response to COVID-19

Presentation Highlights: 

  • All CCSD buildings remain closed through phase 1 of Governor Sisolak’s reopening plan. Employees who are currently working at school sites will continue working. Other personnel will return to in-person work as phase 1 of the reopening plan proceeds. 
  • Meals: CCSD will continue to provide meal services for students (including on Memorial Day) until June 30th, or until the Federal Government’s state of emergency is lifted (whichever comes first). To date, CCSD has distributed 2 million meals. 
  • Attendance: During the week of April 20th, approximately 251,000 students were considered present. CCSD is continuing to conduct wellness checks for students that were not successfully contacted since the transition to distance learning. Out of the target of 2,362 students, 1,280 students were successfully contacted. There are 10 attendance officers and 50 social workers doing door-to-door contact. 
  • Chromebooks: 85,000 students have received Chromebooks. CCSD has 157,000 Chromebooks left to deploy. 
  • Professional Development: Over the summer, CCSD will be offering online professional development for educators to strengthen their distance learning skills. Additionally, CCSD is deploying  learning opportunities for parents to support their children’s learning at home. 
  • Summer School: Extended learning will be available throughout the summer on CCSD’s website and at food distribution sites. Extended School Year (summer school) will also be offered via distance education for credit-deficient 6th-12th graders. Summer school prices have been reduced to $70 per half credit. Students should reach out to their school counselors to apply for available fee waivers.
  • Reopening: CCSD is convening a Reopening Our Schools Working Group. Trustees directed staff to ensure that parents, educators, and support staff are each represented in the working group. The guiding principles of the group are as follows:
    • Ensure the safety and well-being of all students and employees. 
    • Promote equity and accessibility to learning for all students.
    • Provide instructional delivery systems to meet the needs of all students.
    • Foster positive relationships and interactions. 
  • Funding:
    • The Nevada Department of Education will release an application for districts and LEA’s to apply for federal emergency funds on May 12th. 
    • There are $26 million in additional education funds at the state level that have not yet been allocated.
    • CCSD is working with the federal delegation to advocate for a $250 billion request for additional funding for K-12 schools in the U.S. to serve the needs of at-risk students populations. 
  • PPE: CCSD is coordinating with the state and Superintendent Ebert’s task force to secure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Public Comment: Members of the public provided testimony regarding:  

  • Concerns for the safety of students and staff
  • Concerns about the academic success of students

Click here to see the presentation.

Trustees Discussed a Proposal to Increase Substitute Teacher Pay 

CCSD’s Chief Human Resource Office and Director of Substitute Services presented a proposal to increase pay for substitute teachers across the district. There are currently 4,264 active substitutes.

Proposed pay increases: 

  • Day to Day Substitute – $110 per day (+$20/day) 
  • Day to Day Early Hiring – $120 per day (+$40/day)
  • Long Term Substitutes – $130 per day on day 11 (+$30/day) 
  • Long Term Early Hiring – $140 per day on day 11 (+$20/day) 
  • Vacancy Substitutes – $140 per day (+$30/day) 
  • Vacancy Early Hiring $150 per day (+30/day)  
  • Special Education and Hard to Fill – $150 per day starting on day one, rather than on day 21

Trustees agreed that while this was an appropriate starting point, additional considerations for increased pay, eligibility for health benefits, and sick leave are necessary. Trustees also suggested establishing a policy that ensures non-union employee pay keeps pace with collectively-bargained pay increases. Superintendent Jara stated that providing additional pay and exploring the cost of providing benefits is a budget priority. 

Public Comment: Members of public provided testimony regarding:  

  • Support for increased pay for substitute teachers
  • Concerns that the current proposal does not include benefits or sick leave
  • Concerns that the substitute shortage will grow if wages are not increased

Click here to see the presentation.

Trustees Approved a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with ESEA

At the April 16th board meeting, Trustees approved agreements with the Education Support Employees Association (ESEA) that temporarily allows employees to “donate” unused sick leave to other employees impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, trustees approved additional pay for ESEA support staff who are actively serving the public. The new MOA extends these polices through December 21, 2020 and May 20,2020. 

Click here to see the ESEA additional pay agreement.

Click here to see the ESEA sick leave donation agreement.

Requests for Future Agenda Items:

  • A strategic plan to reach newly-adopted student ratios for school psychologists and counselors 
  • Additional information about access to summer school

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Nevada Ed-Watch 4/16/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to Find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Emergency Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda & Addendum

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted testimony online regarding:

  • Concerns about the safety of students and faculty due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • Concerns about salaries and health benefits for substitute teachers 
  • Concerns about the impact of COVID-19 closures on employee compensation
  • Support for closing schools through the rest of the school year 
  • Concerns about the transition to distance education 

Consent Agenda Highlights: 

Trustees Denied the Extension of Emergency Authority for the Superintendent (5-0-2)

At the March 23rd board meeting, trustees  approved a limited Grant of Authority permitting Superintendent Jara to approve contracts and purchase items that are essential to the operation of the District during COVID-19 school closures. This request would extend the emergency Grant of Authority through April 30th. Two trustees abstained from the vote, and five trustees voted against the extension. 

Click here to see the resolution.

Click here to read about this in The Nevada Independent.

Trustees Heard Updates about the District’s Response to COVID-19

Presentation Highlights: 

  • CCSD has implemented three different modalities for students to engage in distance education: online learning, paper work packets that can be accessed at food distribution sites, and educational TV programming through Vegas PBS. During the week of March 30th, 258,361 students were engaged in some form of distance learning. There are about 325,000 students enrolled in CCSD schools. 
  • CCSD is encouraging parents to reach out to their child’s school counselor for resources on how to talk to their kids about COVID-19. 
  • CCSD is implementing two-way communication between teachers and families to track attendance. Parents who have not heard from their school are encouraged to call the school. 
  • 55,000 Chromebooks have been deployed to middle and high school students. 145,000 additional Chromebooks are in the process of being distributed to elementary school students. 
  • Considerations for the upcoming school year include exploring opportunities for summer learning, as well as  front-loading quarter 4 academic content to the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. District staff are also developing a balanced assessment system for the upcoming school year, and considering administering MAP Growth assessments (grades 3-8) to measure academic progress. 

Click here to see the presentation.

Trustees Approved Collective Bargaining Agreements

Trustees approved agreements with the Education Support Employees Association (ESEA) and the Clark County Educators Association (CCEA) that temporarily allows employees to “donate” unused sick leave to other employees impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, Trustees approved additional pay for ESEA support staff who worked during the first week of closures (3/15/20 through 3/21/20). Additional pay will also be extended to employees that volunteered to work during closures and those who are actively serving the public, such as food service and custodial workers. The total cost of these agreements is $800,000.00.

Click here to see the ESEA additional pay agreement.

Click here to see the ESEA sick leave agreement.

Click here to see the CCEA sick leave agreement.

Superintendent Communications

Superintendent Jara has met with high school seniors, and is scheduled to meet with high school principals to make a determination about graduation for the class of 2020.  The district will continue to provide information with families regarding any action taken in response to the coronavirus. 

Requests for Future Agenda Items:

  • A memo that outlines the financial impact of COVID-19 on the district.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 3/23/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to Find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Emergency Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Trustees Approved a Limited Grant of Authority for the District Superintendent

The approved limited Grant of Authority permits Superintendent Jara to approve contracts and purchase items that are essential to the operation of the District during COVID-19 school closures. 

The following items were approved during this meeting:

  1. Veritas Hardware and Software products and services
  2. Elevator inspection services
  3. Renewal of Eide Bailly as CCSD’s external independent financial auditing firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020
  4. Review of annual reports for Vegas PBS 
  5. Submission of proposals to the Oversight Panel for School Facilities 
  6. Payment to counsel for the CCSD v. Las Vegas Review-Journal case
  7. Payment of change orders and contracts associated with CCSD construction

Trustees Discussed Distance Learning Plans During COVID-19 Closures

Trustees approved a memo to submit to the Nevada Department of Education, which states that the District is making  best efforts to provide distance learning to students, in compliance with state mandates. Superintendent Jara shared updates on the District’s efforts to develop a Distance Learning Plan and offer students access to online learning. The Superintendent also discussed equity concerns related to a lack of internet access for all students. Additionally, 63% of Clark County School District students have access to an online device at home. 

The District’s Distance Learning Plan involves student learning packets that are available online, as well as printed packets available at food distribution sites. Trustees suggested using internet hotspots to access the internet. Trustees also suggested creating a system allowing students to check-out devices.

More discussion highlights regarding Distance Learning included:

  • Tracking virtual attendance among students
  • Measuring the impact of closures on the length of the school year
  • Ensuring on-time graduation for high school seniors
  • Partnering with internet service providers to offer unrestricted access for Clark County residents
  • Maintaining public transparency and consistency around communications between District administrators

District Staff Addressed Questions Asked by Members of the Community

Superintendent Jara and District staff members responded to the questions below that were submitted by members of the community. These questions will be compiled into an FAQ that will be available on the CCSD website.

  1. Are teachers required to call students? 
    Teachers are to make contact with students at least once a week (via e-mail, Google Hangouts, or a phone call), and document the engagement for attendance purposes. 
  2. How can students with no access to technology or the internet receive schoolwork?
    The district is exploring ways to ensure that all students have access to distance learning packets. Trustees also encourage community members to assist in printing and sharing resources with neighbors. 
  3. How will students earn credits towards graduation? 
    The Superintendent is reviewing a plan for credit earning for high school seniors, which will be provided to the public by Wednesday, March 25.
  4. When will a decision be made on reopening schools or remaining closed for an extended period of time? 
    Updates from Nevada’s Chief Medical Officer will be shared on a regular basis, as available.
  5. How will school events be executed? 
    The District is in the process of considering this. 
  6. What are the distance learning protocols and expectations for special education teachers?
    The District will review the guidance received by the state Department of Education to assist the most vulnerable children. Upon review, the information will be shared with District staff.
  7. What is the requirement for employees to log in and out every day? 
    All employees, including support staff, are required to log in and log out every day and communicate daily with their supervisors.
  8. What are the considerations for parents who are learning English to access resources? 
    The ELL department is working on developing solutions.
  9. Will charter schools follow the same guidelines for district distance learning?
     The district cannot enforce authority on charter school distance learning programs. [NOTE: charter school families can access information regarding distance learning offerings at individual school websites or through the State Public Charter School Authority].
  10. Have Nevada Academic Content Standards (NACS) been considered in the creation of the distance learning packets? How are parents being supported? 
    Yes, the packets are aligned to Nevada Academic Content Standards (NACS). Through Vegas PBS, a homework helpline will be available this week.
  11. Will the state waive licensing requirements for student teachers? 
    The District is working on this with the Nevada Department of Education.
  12. How do teachers without online services log in? 
    Contact the school leader and/or supervisor by phone.
  13. Will student packet work count against students? How will these packets be differentiated for AP and honors level students? 
    No, they will not count against students and will not be graded. The packets are aligned to the Nevada Academic Content Standards (NACS).
  14. What is being done for substitute teachers? 
    Substitutes in vacancy positions are being paid, but long-term substitutes are not receiving pay.
  15. Are teachers required to use personal cell phones to contact students? 
    Educators can contact students via email if they prefer. The District will explore Google Voice as a paid option.
  16. What do parents do if teachers have not yet contacted them? 
    Contact the school’s principal or a school administrator.
  17. Where are the weekly packets located on the CCSD website? 
    The packets are located on the landing page of the CCSD website. 
  18. Will outside contractors be allowed to work? 
    This is unknown at this time.

NOTE: Trustees announced that the next regular board meeting will take place on April 16th, 2020– following the cancellation of the March meeting.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 2/13/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to Find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public provided testimony to Trustees regarding:

  • Support for continued funding of the AVID college readiness program 
  • Concerns about pay and benefits for substitute teachers 
  • Support for the unionization of substitute teachers
  • Requests to modify magnet school lottery weights– with more weight allocated to honor roll and GATE students 
  • Support of increased accountability for public schools 
  • Concerns about the decision to remove prayer from Trustee meetings
  • Concerns about honoring the rights of School Organization Team (SOT) members, and a report that 49% of SOT members are unsatisfied, according to climate survey responses

Trustees Approved the Consent Agenda

The consent agenda included the Chinese guest teacher program.

A member of the public provided testimony to Trustees regarding barriers to obtaining teacher licensure.

Trustees Heard Updates on CCSD’s MAP Growth Assessment Results

NWEA MAP Growth is a formative assessment administered across all CCSD elementary and middle schools to measure student academic growth over time. A student’s MAP data can follow them to their feeder school or to other schools within CCSD they transfer to. MAP measures a student’s growth in comparison to similar peers, and is designed to help teachers identify instructional areas students are ready to tackle—whether they are on, above, or below grade level. 

The District is working with principals to phase other, less comprehensive formative assessments out of its Balanced Assessment model.

CCSD MAP Growth Assessment Results:

There were questions among Trustees about the validity of the MAP Assessment, and how it differs from the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC)– which measures student proficiency. 

Click here to see the presentation.

Public Comment

Members of the public provided testimony to Trustees regarding:

  • Concerns about CCSD over-emphasizing student data
  • Request to conduct evaluations of classroom instruction to measure effectiveness
  • Concerns about differentiating student learning

Trustees Approved an Agreement with CCSD and the Clark County Association of School Administrators and Professional Technical Employees 

The agreement updates the deadline for completion of college courses that impact salary. 

Click here to see the agreement. 

Trustees Heard Updates About Student Achievement at CCSD Innovative Middle Schools 

Trustees heard from principals at schools designated as Innovative Schools. Principals shared their strategies to improve student achievement, as well as their MAP Growth Assessment data for Math, English Language Arts, and Science. It was noted by principals that MAP data provides important information about how quickly students are growing towards proficiency.

Click here to see each school’s 2019-2020 Academic Plan– including detailed MAP assessment results and strategies to reduce achievement gaps among students. 

Innovative Schools Strategy Highlights:

  • Initiation of state standards training to ensure instruction is delivered at the appropriate grade level 
  • Development of teacher grading calibration training for reading and writing assessments 
  • Implementation of tiered interventions for students who need intensive academic supports
  • Implementation of block scheduling for Math and English Language Arts 
  • Implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
  • Implementation of instructional rounds 
  • Incorporation of families and students in academic goal setting 

Trustees shared their appreciation for the principals’ focus on improving student achievement in high-need schools. Trustees also discussed the importance of social-emotional support, teacher incentives, and family engagement. 

Click on an Innovative School below to see its school performance profile from the 2018-2019 school year:

Superintendent Communications
Superintendent Jara provided an update that the CCSD Equity Report Blue Ribbon Commission is currently under development. Additionally, Superintendent Jara announced that a similar commission will be launched to study issues related to teacher vacancies, substitute teachers, and long-term substitutes.

Requests for Future Agenda Items

  • Review policies for support animals in schools 
  • Request that Trustees are informed of CCSD partnership events occurring in their districts

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