| Horsford: We Can Create a World-Class Education System in Nevada |
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 Senate Majority Leader proposes sweeping reforms and accountability in Nevada’s school system March 18, 2009 (Carson City) – The Senate Health and Education Committee held a hearing today on SB 330, the Initiative for a World-Class Education in Nevada, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford. The legislation calls for sweeping regulatory reform of the Nevada Department of Education as well as providing extra support in the classroom where needed—but also holding educators more accountable. The reforms by SB 330 include: • Establishing clearly defined goals for student achievement. The goals should include but are not limited to: improving proficiency scores in core subjects; increasing the number of Nevada middle-school students entering high school with the skills necessary to succeed there; improving the percentage of Nevada high school students entering ninth grade who complete high school and obtain a high school degree; improving Nevada high school students’ performance on standardized college entrance examinations; increasing Nevada’s college matriculation rate. • Establishing a transparent and accountable mechanism to measure student achievement. This should come in the form of the Department of Education establishing measurable objectives for school districts and a system for tracking progress toward these objectives, such as proficiency testing data collection and improvements to the System of Accountability Information in Nevada (SAIN) to better track students through their high school years. • Improve Collaboration between the Department of Education and the Nevada System of Higher Education. The Nevada Higher Education System is an immense and untapped resource. We will enhance cooperation and collaboration with university education programs by establishing a formal relationship with the state’s universities to provide expertise to the Department of Education in the areas of teacher training and classroom methodologies. • Develop strategies to attract and retain the best teachers for Nevada’s Children. SB 330 proposes to increase the starting pay for new teachers to a statewide average of $40,000 beginning in 2010. • Change the process for selecting our Education Leadership. SB 330 will restructure the way that the Nevada Board of Education is assembled, shifting from 10 members elected by the public to a board of 7 members: 1 elected from each Congressional District, 1 nonvoting member from NSHE, and 1 each appointed by the Governor, the Speaker, and the Majority Leader. Also change the way the State Superintendent is selected. Under the new process, the new Board of Education will submit three names to the Governor, the Governor will select one of those three names, and the selected candidate will be submitted to the State Senate for confirmation every two years. • Establishes a body to oversee these reforms to ensure accountability to Nevada’s families. A special commission will be created for two years to oversee the Department of Education reform. This Nevada Education Reform Commission will include two members appointed by the governor, two members appointed by the Senate Majority Leader, two members appointed by the Assembly Speaker. The commission will produce a report for the 2011 Legislature outlining how the reform measures have been implemented. “It is clear that these are not ordinary times. But we cannot forget the fundamental promise of Nevada is about opportunity and faith in the future. In these difficult times, we must have the courage to protect and strengthen our schools,” said Senator Steven Horsford. “We need to restore hope and renew our commitment to the American dream that brought so many people to Nevada in the first place. And we need to start by re-investing in education.” Studies indicate Nevada’s school children fall behind as they proceed through their education. On the IOWA standardized tests, Nevada performs above national norms in 4th grade, below national norms in 7th grade, and far below national norms in 10th grade in every category—Reading, Language, Math, and Science. In Nevada, the average student teacher ration is 19.3 students per teacher, while the national average is 15.4 students per teacher. (NV Dept of Education QuickSTATS, February 2009) “This legislation is an opportunity to have a needed debate about the state of our education and how to implement sensible solutions that improve student achievement,” said Horsford. “It is a proposal that allows us to take bold action based on the concern of parents, teachers, students and business leaders, among others, who are concerned about the state of education in Nevada.” # # # |
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