The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions
are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.
Nevada State Board of Education
What is the State Board of Education & what are they responsible for? The Nevada State Board of Education adopts regulations based on Nevada laws, which are passed down to individual school districts in Nevada to implement. The Board has 11 total (7 appointed and 4 publicly elected) members.
How often does the State Board meet? The Nevada State Board of Education meets once per month on Wednesdays at 9:00 AM or 2:00 PM. Click here to see the 2024 meeting materials.
Can community members engage at State Board Meetings? A time for public comment is provided at the beginning (for agenda items) and at the conclusion (on any matter) of each Board meeting. Members of the public may provide public comment in writing via email; public comment will be accepted via email for the duration of the meeting and shared with the State Board of Education during the public comment periods. Public comment may be emailed to NVBoardED@doe.nv.gov.
Click here for a list of all State Board Members.
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Nevada State Board of Education Meeting
Click here to see the regular SBOE meeting agenda.
Click here to watch the meeting playback.
What happened at the regular meeting?
Public Comment #1
- At-risk student funding
- Grad score usage regarding funding
- Support for adjusting high school start times
Vice President’s Report
Highlights included:
- Board Member Updates: Member Hughes shared that the curriculum adoption committee has met, discussing current process. Member Orr thanked Superintendent Ebert for commissioning an effectiveness and efficiency survey, in which she participated. Member Keyes attended the National Association of State Boards’ annual conference.
Superintendent’s Report
Highlights included:
- Alexia van Orden is the State’s new legislative liaison.
- Mike Patterson has been selected as the 2025 Nevada Teacher of the Year.
- The Department is hosting its Launch and Transform Conference at Mater Academy. The conference is about competency-based learning.
Board Approved the Consent Agenda
Consent agenda items included:
- Approval of Cybersecurity Standards with Complementary Course Standards
- Approval of the FY 2024 Q4 Class Size Reduction Report
- Approval of private school license renewals
Review the consent agenda.
Board Approved 2025 Meeting Dates/Times
Trustees approved the 2025 calendar of meeting dates and times. The meeting times for 2025 have been adjusted to 9:00 a.m. Additional meetings may be added in the spring to account for additional work with the legislative session.
Review the calendar.
Board Discussed the Results of the High School Start Time Survey
The Board received a summary of the results from the High School Start Time Survey. Highlights of the presentation included:
- After school factors such as sports and extracurriculars (both school-related and non-school related)
- Perceived potential benefits for later start times include improved mental health, better physical health, improved academic performance, and improved school attendance
- Perceived challenges include conflicts with parents’ work schedule, additional expenses related to childcare, less family time, and less time for after-school activities
- Preference for the new high school start time is between 8:00 – 8:30 a.m.
- Among high school affiliated respondents, the majority support the implementation of a later high with 24% of that group indicating that they would also like to see further study of the issue.
The Board voted to have the chair or vice chair of the Board to work with members of the Legislature for a potential bill draft request regarding later high school start times.
Explore the presentation.
Board Discussed Changes Undertaken by the State Board for Successful Student Outcomes
The Board discussed achievements of the State Board of Education, including the transition to a highly effective student outcome-focused board, modernization of the K-12 system, and promoting transparency.
Explore the presentation.
Board Received an Update on CCSD’s Exit/Transfer Survey
The Board received an update from Clark County School District on its most recent Exit/Transfer Survey. There are two levels of employee surveys: Separation/Leave of Absence (LOA) request, and an employee exit survey.
For Separation/LOA requests in the 2023-24 school year, the primary reasons for leaving the District include retirement, personal/family reasons, and relocation.
The employee exit survey is by invitation only. The response rate in 2023-24 was 18%. There are questions around overall experience working for CCSD, if the employee would recommend CCSD as a good place to work, and what would have encouraged the employee to remain in the position. Of those responses, pay increase, fewer student discipline problems, and different school administrators were the primary factors that may have encouraged the employee to remain in their role.
Explore the presentation.
Board Discussed Chronic Absenteeism
The Board received a presentation on current rates of chronic absenteeism, as well as interventions being used to mitigate absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism is defined as when a student is absent 10% or more of their enrolled school days. A student is considered absent if they miss 50% or more of a school day.
Statewide, the chronic absenteeism rate was 26% for the 2023-24 school year, with increased rates among student groups such as American Indian/Alaskan Native (49%), Black (29%), Hispanic (32%), and Pacific Islander (35%). Additionally, economically disadvantaged students and students with individualized education plans, or IEPs, also had increased chronic absenteeism rates.
Factors contributing to chronic absenteeism include barriers (illness, lack of healthcare, trauma, unsafe path to/from school, transportation, transiency, involvement with child welfare or juvenile justice systems); negative school experiences (struggling academically or socially, bullying, suspensions or expulsions, negative attitude of parents, undiagnosed disability, or lack of appropriate accommodation for disability); and lack of engagement (lack of culturally relevant instruction, no meaningful relationships with adults in schools, unwelcoming school climate, stronger ties with peers out of school, failure to earn credits, and teacher absences/long-term substitutes).
Several community partners were recognized for their work in addressing chronic absenteeism. Policy considerations for addressing chronic absenteeism include legislative action for defining chronic absenteeism, longitudinal tracking, and promoting equity and awareness.
The presentation also detailed the MTSS continued supports, including training opportunities and increasing school connectedness.
Explore the presentation.
Board Discussed 2024 School Designations for MRI/CSI/TSI/ATSI
The Board received an update on criteria for schools entering or exiting the following designations:
- More Rigorous Intervention (MRI) – 47 schools
- Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) – 31 schools
- Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI)
- Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI)
The presentation also reviewed federal funding available through Title I-A, Title I 1003(a), Title II-A, Title III, Title IV-A, Title IV-B, Title B-B, and Title VII-B programs, as well as the Resource Allocation Review process and implications, and strategies for improvement, detailed through the presentation linked below.
Success stories of schools that have exited the above designations include Manch Elementary, which has an in-house grocery store and a virtual reality room, Harry Reid Elementary (exited CSI status), and Doris Reed Elementary (exited MRI status).
Explore the presentation.
Board Discussed Nevada Educator Performance Framework 2023-24 Summative Evaluation and Monitoring for Continuous Improvement Data Review
The Board reviewed the outcomes of the Nevada of the 2023-24 NEPF summative evaluation. About 85 schools field testing redesigned NEPF rubrics and tools. The NEPF monitors 10 different employee classifications, but this presentation focused on administrators and educators.
Most educators fell into the “effective” category, consistent with previous years. Changes in educator groups were mixed, with some categories performing better than previous years and some performing worse. Over a five-year trend, about 70% of teachers are rated as “effective”, with 71.12% rated “effective” in the 2023-24 school year.
Most administrators were also rated as “effective.” Over a five-year trend, about 70% of administrators have been rated effectively. In 2023-24, 77.11% of administrators were rated “effective.”
Annually, a survey is administered on NEPF experience. The last survey, completed by July 15, 2024, reflected 6,688 responses, most of which were from teachers. Questions include opportunities for professional development, evaluation cycle timeline, and mentorship programs.
Explore the presentation.
Board Discussed The At-Risk Student Measures as Defined by SB 503
The State Board has been charged with supporting the identification mechanism for at-risk students. Currently, the grad score is being used, and there has been several concerns surfaced about using this specific metric. Previously, the measure had been students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.
Staff reviewed the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan (PCFP) funding allocation process by which local revenues are collected and then distributed by the State for different components of the PCFP, through different tiers of funding, including base-level funding, local special education, and weighted allocations.
Weighted allocations include English Learners, Gifted and Talented, and at-risk students. Prior year validation day counts are used for these weighted allocations. A student can only qualify for one weighted allocation, and will receive weighting for the single highest weight to which they are eligible.
Board members discussed process by which they would need to take to update the identification mechanism, historical context for defining at-risk students, weighted student funding, the importance of consistency of the mechanism year-over-year. Additional debate took place about process for creating new regulations and temporary regulations.
The Board voted to start the temporary regulation process to identify the measure by which at-risk pupils are determined. The Board and staff will work with districts and local education agencies to obtain their input.
Future Agenda Items
Suggestions for future agenda items include Read by Grade 3 cut scores and event planning for recognition and award ceremonies. Items include:
- Dual credit programs from the Nevada System of Higher Education
- CCSD Reorganization Compliance Report NRS 388G
- ESSER update
- Developmental delay, Disabilities Education Act
- Truancy
- NWEA pilot metrics and update on implementation
- Read by Grade 3 assessment update
- Board member onboarding
Public Comment #2
- Concerns regarding certain inputs on star ratings not reflecting student learning experience
The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, December 4, at 2:00 p.m.
