The Nevada State Board of Education: Shaping the Future of Education in Nevada
The Nevada State Board of Education plays a crucial role in shaping the educational landscape of the state. As the North Star of the Nevada education system, the Board develops the vision and policy goals for student achievement. It sets policy standards to ensure that all students receive equal and equitable access to a high-quality education in a safe, respectful, and culturally responsive environment.
Overview of the Nevada Department of Education
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) is responsible for administering and setting education policies, ensuring local compliance for federally-funded education programs such as Title I and IDEA, and assisting local school districts. The NDE is composed of the Nevada State Board of Education, the State Board for Career and Technical Education, and the Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction, appointed by the Governor, serves as the department’s executive officer and secretary to the board. This individual is responsible for enforcing education laws and supervising K-12 education statewide. The partially-elected board determines the policy priorities, student outcome goals, assessments, as well as approving and reviewing data.
History and Evolution
Organized public education in Nevada predates statehood. In 1861, the legislature of the Nevada Territory created a framework for schools, including a school board composed of the territorial-equivalents of the superintendent (as president), the auditor (secretary), and treasurer. In 1864, the Nevada Constitution established a state-wide elected office of superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent was elected to two-year, later four-year, terms to lead the state's public education. Additionally, the state board of education was also established, originally including the governor, the state superintendent, and the Nevada surveyor-general.
Before the 1956 reorganization of Nevada's K-12 education system, the department existed but was not explicitly created by law. In 1956, as a national trend in favor of school district unification and consolidation, a special session of the Nevada Legislature was convened to pass several education bills. One of the bills, Assembly Bill 1, closed the statutory gap legitimizing the existence of the department which had never officially been created. Before 1956, the state had over 200 local school districts, many serving single communities or even single schools. The legislature eliminated 208 local districts and consolidated them into 17 county-based school districts. Prior to consolidation, for example, Clark County alone had 19 separate school boards overseeing approximately 11,000 students.
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In 1959, the legislature approved a constitutional amendment (ratified by voters) changing the superintendent from an elected position to an appointed one. In 2011, the legislature restructured the state board by giving the power to appoint the superintendent to the governor. Under this structure, the governor appoints the superintendent from a list of candidates recommended by the board.
Board Composition and Responsibilities
The State Board of Education is composed of eleven members; four members are elected from the four congressional districts in Nevada, and seven members are appointed. By the twentieth century, the board’s composition evolved to include elected members. In 2013, at the behest of Governor Brian Sandoval, the Nevada Legislature restructured the board into a complex system of 11 members. Seven board members have voting power, of whom four are elected by the people of Nevada congressional districts while the remaining three are appointed by the governor including one who is appointed by the governor alone, one nominated by the majority leader of the Nevada Senate, and one nominated by the speaker of the Nevada Assembly. Additionally, the three voting members appointed by the governor must include a teacher, parent or legal guardian of a pupil, and an active member of business or industry in the state.
There are also four nonvoting members who are appointed by the governor to one-year terms - one nominated by the Nevada Association of School Boards, one nominated by the Nevada Association of School Superintendents, one nominated by the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada, and one student enrolled in a Nevada public school.
The board's duties include the development of goals and benchmarks for the state's education system and annual reviews of the state's progress in meeting those goals. The Nevada State Board of Education adopts regulations based on Nevada laws, which are passed down to individual school districts in Nevada to implement.
Strategic Improvement Plan (STIP)
Nevada law requires the Board to develop a 5-year strategic plan to improve the achievement of students enrolled in public schools across Nevada, officially referred to as a “Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils” (STIP). The Board must submit this plan, or a revised plan, on or before March 31 of each year.
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The STIP is prepared for the State Board’s consideration by the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) and reflects feedback and input gathered from school districts, education partners, and stakeholders across the State. The STIP must include evidence-based strategies to improve academic achievement, and address topics such as literacy, English language skills, school discipline, attendance, curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, professional learning, access to technology, graduation and progression, allocation of resources, and more. The STIP must also have clear goals, benchmarks, timelines, measurable criteria, and provisions for successful implementation and improvement. The STIP serves as a work plan and vision for improving education in Nevada over the next five years.
Key Issues and Initiatives
The Nevada State Board of Education is actively involved in addressing various challenges and promoting initiatives to enhance education in the state. Some of the key issues and initiatives include:
Student Success: Student Success is the Nevada System of Higher Education’s top priority. The connected higher education system in Nevada allows all institutions to benefit from each other.
Addressing 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. 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%). Several community partners were recognized for their work in addressing chronic absenteeism. The presentation also detailed the MTSS continued supports, including training opportunities and increasing school connectedness.
Nevada Educator Performance Framework (NEPF): 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. 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. Most administrators were also rated as "effective." Over a five-year trend, about 70% of administrators have been rated effectively. 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.
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Identifying At-Risk Students: 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. Weighted allocations include English Learners, Gifted and Talented, and at-risk students. Prior year validation day counts are used for these weighted allocations. 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.
Educator Licensure: Standards set for many requirements of educator licensure include minimum testing scores (for the Praxis Core, Praxis subject tests, etc), education requirements for different areas of licensure, and the policies regarding international teachers. The agency also has the authority to issue temporary emergency licenses. With the teacher shortage growing more acute in recent years, emergency licenses have been increasingly issued to highly-educated or skilled individuals for high-needs teaching areas who lack training in teaching methodology.
Board Member Updates and Activities
Board members actively participate in various committees and initiatives to improve education in Nevada. For example, 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. The Department is hosting its Launch and Transform Conference at Mater Academy.
Community Engagement
Community members can 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. The Nevada State Board of Education meets once per month on Wednesdays at 9:00 AM or 2:00 PM.
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