Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 25–Assemblyman Carpenter

FILE NUMBER........

Whereas, During the past 2 years, this state has developed and enacted

sweeping reforms in the system of public education to improve the

academic achievement of pupils, including, without limitation, requiring the

adoption of rigorous academic standards of content and performance and

statewide assessments measuring the achievement of pupils in the new

standards of content and performance; and

Whereas, The rigorous new academic standards of content and

performance and other reforms made to the system of public education in

this state demand a high level of quality and performance by both pupils

and teachers; and

Whereas, As part of the educational reform, the Legislative Committee

on Education was created to evaluate, review and comment upon issues

related to education within this state; and

Whereas, Despite the significant progress made during the past 2

years, it is imperative that the educational reform be continually analyzed

and revised as necessary to ensure that the academic achievement of pupils

in this state improves; and

Whereas, Other states have been successful in adopting reforms, in

addition to the reforms that have been adopted in this state, that would be

useful for this state to consider; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the Senate

Concurring, That the Legislative Committee on Education may study the

components of the systems of public education in other states that have

proven successful and may determine whether Nevada’s system of public

education would benefit by:

1. Setting forth clear objectives for teachers that are closely linked to

the standards of content and performance;

2. Adopting a system of both sanctions and rewards for schools and

school districts that are linked to the results of the assessments, including,

without limitation, providing financial awards to schools that have

sustained the highest level of academic success or have demonstrated the

greatest academic improvement;

3. Ranking school districts as well as schools based upon achievement;

4. Authorizing the Superintendent of Public Instruction to conduct on

-site inspections of schools as part of the accreditation program of a school

district;

5. Reducing the size of the Department of Education and further

directing the Department to focus its efforts on accountability and

assessment programs, measuring and reporting test scores and organizing

resources for schools and school districts that are performing inadequately;

and

6. Establishing a Nevada Business and Education Coalition to develop

a plan to improve the system of public education and report to the

Governor, Legislative Committee on Education and the State Board of

Education regarding the plan and the steps that are necessary to carry out

the plan; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislative Committee on Education may, in

consultation with the school districts in this state, review Title 34 of NRS to

identify any statutes that the Committee determines should be

recommended for repeal by the Legislature to allow schools and school

districts more local control and flexibility in determining how to satisfy the

rigorous new academic standards of content and performance; and be it

further

Resolved, That the Legislative Committee on Education may evaluate

the statewide automated system of information concerning pupils

established by the Department of Education pursuant to NRS 386.650 to

determine the extent to which the system supports the program of

accountability for public schools, including, without limitation, whether the

system allows adequate access to testing data so that the information can be

used for diagnostic purposes and whether the system provides a method for

reports to superintendents, principals and teachers; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislative Committee on Education may evaluate

methods to shift resources to disadvantaged schools, including, without

limitation:

1. Allowing individual schools the flexibility to use the money for

class-size reduction to pay for full-day kindergarten and for remediation

programs that have proven successful in improving the academic

achievement of pupils; and

2. Requiring schools that are performing inadequately to coordinate the

use of all money received for remediation with the assistance of the

Department of Education; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislative Committee on Education shall report

any findings or recommendations for legislation to the 71st session of the

Nevada Legislature; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and transmit a

copy of this resolution to the Chairman of the Legislative Committee on

Education.

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