Education
More money leads to better school performance, evaluation finds
An external evaluation of seven educational programs authorized by the 2017 Nevada Legislature was released Tuesday and recommends continued funding for all programs. The education initiatives were proposed during Gov. Sandoval’s administration were approved by Nevada lawmakers. The programs were granted funding under the condition that their progress would be evaluated externally. Data from the programs […]
NSHE chancellor brushes off north-south split as “a tired discussion”
Thom Reilly knows there are many lenses a person can use to view the higher-education system here in Nevada. One brings into focus a north-south divide, in which the older research university nearest the state capitol is favored over the younger, scrappier institution located down south. The Nevada System of Higher Education chancellor flatly rejects […]
UNR shuffled into “R1,” too
Days after UNLV was named an “R1” research institution, the University of Nevada, Reno, has also made its way onto the list. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education gave UNR “R1” status, a designation reserved for institutions with “very high research activity.” As part of its stated mission UNR sought to achieve a […]
Carnegie shuffle moves UNLV up to “R1” status
Seven years ahead of schedule, University of Nevada, Las Vegas is now the first public university in Nevada to achieve “Tier 1” status. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education gave UNLV “R1” status, a designation reserved for institutions with “very high research activity.” The shift is the result of Carnegie reshaping categories to count advanced […]
State charter school graduation rate lags behind CCSD, WCSD
The Nevada Department of Education released graduation rates for the Class of 2018, and state-sponsored charter schools as a whole fared worse than traditional public school districts as a whole. Nevada’s overall statewide graduation rate was 83.17 percent. Clark County School District, which is by far the state’s largest district (320,000 students), had a graduation rate […]
Assemblywoman to charter school authority: We are watching you
The State Public Charter School Authority continues to face serious criticism from legislators for failing to conduct evaluative site visits at the dozens of charter schools it oversees, even amid their promises to begin such visits early next year. “I’m concerned there’s not real clarity on what you are supposed to be doing as a […]
Professors, donors make case for reining in NSHE
The Nevada System of Higher Education only cares about itself — and the University of Nevada, Reno. That was one of the harsh criticisms doled out by scholars and philanthropists last week during a Lincy Institute symposium on reforming higher education in Nevada. Speakers admonished NSHE for excessive administrative bloat and argued the bureaucratic office […]
Opposition to school “dragnet” policy unites rival groups
From guidelines involving gender-diverse students to stances on education savings account, the ACLU of Nevada and Power2Parent’s opinions on policies could not be further from one another. For once, the groups are united to oppose a Washoe County School District policy that requires parents to provide a government-issued photo identification. Board Policy 1505 uses IDs […]
Charter school authority talks diversity: ‘We have to get better’
Students at state-sponsored charter schools performed better on standardized testing than students within traditional school districts in all demographic categories except one: low-income students. That data point emerged Friday amid a discussion on diversity by the appointed board that authorizes the majority of the state’s charter schools. It underscores growing criticism of charter schools from […]
Titus goes to bat again for hungry kids
For close to two-thirds of Clark County students, the free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches they receive at school may be the most nutritious meals, or even their primary source of food, throughout the week. “That’s more than 203,000 students who face hunger at home and come to school unprepared to learn,” says Rep. Dina […]
Regents will ask Legislature to reform higher ed salary structure
K-12 teachers aren’t the only ones not satisfied with salaries. Many within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) are frustrated by its lack of an in-rank salary advancement structure and they want legislators to tackle the issue during the upcoming 2019 session. They argue salary compression — only slight differences between salaries for new […]
So now what?
Things might be more cut and dried if Sheldon Adelson and Adam Laxalt had won. Democrats, with hefty majorities in the state Legislature, would have been able to thwart all the truly egregious Adelson/Laxalt policy proposals. Next year’s legislative session would have been full of sound and fury, likely signifying, in the end, nothing much […]