EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

1-1 Section 1. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general

1-2 fund to the:

1-3 Clark County School District $2,489,379

1-4 Douglas County School District $1,376,300

1-5 Elko County School District $1,275,342

1-6 Washoe County School District $1,652,703

1-7 2. A school district that receives an appropriation pursuant to

1-8 subsection 1:

1-9 (a) Shall use the money to establish and operate a regional training

1-10 center for the professional development of teachers and administrators,

1-11 including, without limitation, paying:

1-12 (1) The salaries and travel expenses of staff and other personnel

1-13 necessary to the operation of the center;

1-14 (2) Related administrative expenses; and

2-1 (3) The costs incurred to acquire equipment and space to operate the

2-2 center.

2-3 (b) Shall use the money to pay for the travel expenses of teachers and

2-4 administrators who attend the regional training center.

2-5 (c) May use the money to provide incentives for teachers to attend the

2-6 regional training center, including, without limitation, the:

2-7 (1) Arrangement for credit toward renewal of a license or an

2-8 endorsement for a license;

2-9 (2) Provision of books, supplies or instructional materials for the

2-10 classroom; and

2-11 (3) Provision of stipends.

2-12 3. The regional training center established by the Clark County School

2-13 District must primarily provide services to teachers and administrators who

2-14 are employed by school districts in:

2-15 (a) Clark County;

2-16 (b) Esmeralda County;

2-17 (c) Lincoln County; and

2-18 (d) Nye County.

2-19 4. The regional training center established by the Douglas County

2-20 School District must primarily provide services to teachers and

2-21 administrators who are employed by school districts in:

2-22 (a) Churchill County;

2-23 (b) Douglas County;

2-24 (c) Lyon County;

2-25 (d) Carson City; and

2-26 (e) Mineral County.

2-27 5. The regional training center established by the Elko County School

2-28 District must primarily provide services to teachers and administrators who

2-29 are employed by school districts in:

2-30 (a) Elko County;

2-31 (b) Eureka County;

2-32 (c) Lander County;

2-33 (d) Humboldt County; and

2-34 (e) White Pine County.

2-35 6. The regional training center established by the Washoe County

2-36 School District must primarily provide services to teachers and

2-37 administrators who are employed by school districts in:

2-38 (a) Pershing County;

2-39 (b) Storey County; and

2-40 (c) Washoe County.

3-1 7. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections 3 to 6, inclusive, each

3-2 regional training center shall, when practicable, make reasonable

3-3 accommodations for the attendance of teachers and administrators who are

3-4 employed by school districts outside the primary jurisdiction of the regional

3-5 training center.

3-6 8. Each regional training center must have a governing body consisting

3-7 of:

3-8 (a) The superintendent of schools, or his designee, for each school

3-9 district that is included within the primary jurisdiction of the regional

3-10 training center.

3-11 (b) Teachers who are considered masters, appointed by the

3-12 superintendent of schools of each school district that is included within the

3-13 primary jurisdiction of the regional training center. At least one teacher

3-14 must be appointed from each such school district.

3-15 (c) Representatives of the University and Community College System of

3-16 Nevada, appointed by the Board of Regents.

3-17 9. In addition to the representatives required pursuant to subsection 8,

3-18 the governing body may also include representatives of an institution of

3-19 higher education, other than those within the University and Community

3-20 College System of Nevada, nominated for appointment by the governing

3-21 authority of the institution.

3-22 10. The governing body of each regional training center shall adopt a

3-23 program of training for the center, taking into consideration other model

3-24 programs, including, without limitation, the program used by the

3-25 Geographic Alliance in Nevada. The governing body shall assess the

3-26 training needs of teachers who are employed by the school districts within

3-27 the primary jurisdiction of the regional training center and adopt priorities

3-28 of training for the center based upon the assessment of needs. The board of

3-29 trustees of each such school district may submit recommendations for the

3-30 types of training that should be offered by the center. Based upon the

3-31 assessment of needs for training within the region and the priorities of

3-32 training adopted, each regional training center shall provide at least one of

3-33 the following types of training:

3-34 (a) Training for teachers in the standards adopted by the Council to

3-35 Establish Academic Standards for Public Schools pursuant to section 45 of

3-36 chapter 473, Statutes of Nevada 1997.

3-37 (b) Training for teachers and school administrators in the measurement

3-38 of pupil achievement and the effective methods to analyze the test scores of

3-39 pupils to improve the achievement and proficiency of pupils.

4-1 (c) Training for teachers in specific content areas to enable the teachers

4-2 to provide a higher level of instruction in their respective fields of teaching.

4-3 Such training must include instruction in effective methods to teach in a

4-4 content area provided by teachers who are considered masters in that

4-5 content area.

4-6 (d) Training for teachers in the methods to teach basic skills to pupils,

4-7 such as providing instruction in reading with the use of phonics and

4-8 providing instruction in basic skills of math computation.

4-9 11. The training required pursuant to subsection 10 must:

4-10 (a) Include appropriate procedures to ensure follow-up training for

4-11 teachers and administrators who have received training at the center.

4-12 (b) Incorporate training that addresses the educational needs of:

4-13 (1) Pupils with disabilities who participate in programs of special

4-14 education; and

4-15 (2) Pupils whose primary language is not English.

4-16 12. A regional training center may include model classrooms at the

4-17 center which demonstrate the use of educational technology for teaching

4-18 and learning.

4-19 13. The governing body of each regional training center shall:

4-20 (a) Establish a method for the evaluation of the success of the regional

4-21 training center; and

4-22 (b) Submit an annual report to the State Board of Education, the

4-23 Commission on Professional Standards in Education, the Legislative

4-24 Committee on Education and the Legislative Bureau of Educational

4-25 Accountability and Program Evaluation that includes:

4-26 (1) The priorities of training adopted by the governing body pursuant

4-27 to subsection 10;

4-28 (2) The type of training offered at the center;

4-29 (3) The number of teachers and administrators who received training

4-30 at the center during the immediately preceding year; and

4-31 (4) An evaluation of the success of the regional training center in

4-32 accordance with the method established pursuant to paragraph (a).

4-33 14. The board of trustees of each school district shall submit an annual

4-34 report to the State Board of Education, the Commission on Professional

4-35 Standards in Education, the Legislative Committee on Education and the

4-36 Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program Evaluation

4-37 that includes:

4-38 (a) The number of teachers and administrators employed by the school

4-39 district who received training at a regional training center during the

4-40 immediately preceding year; and

5-1 (b) An evaluation of whether that training included the standards of

5-2 content and performance adopted by the Council to Establish Academic

5-3 Standards for Public Schools pursuant to section 45 of chapter 473,

5-4 Statutes of Nevada 1997.

5-5 15. Any remaining balance of the appropriations made by subsection 1

5-6 must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2001, and reverts to

5-7 the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have

5-8 been made.

5-9 Sec. 2. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund to

5-10 the legislative fund created pursuant to NRS 218.085 the sum of $100,000

5-11 for use by the Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and

5-12 Program Evaluation.

5-13 2. The Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program

5-14 Evaluation shall use the money appropriated by subsection 1 to hire a

5-15 qualified, independent consultant to conduct an evaluation of the success of

5-16 the four regional training centers established pursuant to section 1 of this

5-17 act. The evaluation must include, without limitation, a review of the annual

5-18 reports submitted by the governing body of each regional training center

5-19 pursuant to subsection 13 of section 1 of this act and the annual reports

5-20 submitted by the board of trustees of each school district pursuant to

5-21 subsection 14 of section 1 of this act.

5-22 3. On or before February 1, 2001, the consultant shall submit a written

5-23 report of the results of his evaluation to the Legislative Bureau of

5-24 Educational Accountability and Program Evaluation. On or before

5-25 February 19, 2001, the Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability

5-26 and Program Evaluation shall submit a copy of the written evaluation,

5-27 including any recommendations for legislation, to the Director of the

5-28 Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmission to the 71st session of the

5-29 Nevada Legislature.

5-30 4. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1

5-31 must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2001, and reverts to

5-32 the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have

5-33 been made.

5-34 Sec. 3. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.