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 Whereas, The education of the children of this state and our nation is a

1-2 primary concern of the residents of this state and of the United States; and

1-3 Whereas, During the past 2 years, this state has developed and enacted

1-4 sweeping reforms in the system of public education to improve the

1-5 academic achievement of students, including, without limitation, rigorous

1-6 academic standards of content and performance; and

1-7 Whereas, The rigorous new academic standards of content and

1-8 performance and other reforms made to the system of public education in

1-9 this state demand a high level of academic performance by both students

1-10 and teachers; and

1-11 Whereas, The Education Trust is an independent nonprofit

1-12 organization whose mission is to encourage collaboration among schools,

1-13 colleges and universities to promote the common goal of providing a

1-14 quality system of education; and

1-15 Whereas, The Education Trust encourages universities and school

1-16 districts to offer constructive feedback to each other, to make joint

1-17 decisions about the academic qualifications of new teachers and to

1-18 establish academic standards for persons who desire to enter into the

1-19 teaching profession that are aligned to the academic standards established

1-20 for the pupils in public schools; and

2-1 Whereas, The Council to Establish Academic Standards for public

2-2 schools in this state has concluded that teaching children in elementary

2-3 school how to read is the highest educational priority of this state; and

2-4 Whereas, There is evidence that across the nation and in this state,

2-5 persons who are enrolled in educational programs for entry into the

2-6 teaching profession do not receive sufficient training in teaching children

2-7 how to read and how to apply basic mathematical principles of

2-8 computation; and

2-9 Whereas, As part of the reform made to the system of public education

2-10 in this state, each year the school districts of this state are required,

2-11 pursuant to NRS 385.347, to report the percentage of students who

2-12 graduate from high school and who subsequently enroll in remedial

2-13 courses in reading, writing or mathematics at a university or community

2-14 college within the University and Community College System of Nevada;

2-15 and

2-16 Whereas, Pursuant to NRS 396.548, the Board of Regents of the

2-17 University of Nevada requires employees of the University and

2-18 Community College System of Nevada to provide to the board of trustees

2-19 of each school district of this state information regarding:

2-20 1. The number of pupils who graduated from a high school in the

2-21 district in the immediately preceding year and enrolled in remedial courses

2-22 in reading, writing or mathematics; and

2-23 2. Any costs incurred by the University and Community College

2-24 System of Nevada to provide such remedial instruction; and

2-25 Whereas, The University and Community College System of Nevada

2-26 reported that for the summer and fall of 1997, more than 1,187 students

2-27 who graduated from high schools within this state were required to

2-28 complete remedial programs in mathematics or English, or both subjects,

2-29 and the cost of providing such remedial instruction was approximately

2-30 $414,000; and

2-31 Whereas, Further collaboration between the University and

2-32 Community College System of Nevada and the school districts of this state

2-33 that will increase the flow of information concerning the progress of

2-34 students in meeting the new academic standards and teachers in teaching

2-35 the new academic standards is essential to foster the success of the reforms

2-36 made to the system of public education in this state; and

2-37 Whereas, The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C.

2-38 educational records of students in elementary, secondary and

2-39 postsecondary schools; and

2-40 Whereas, Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act,

2-41 postsecondary educational institutions may not release information that

3-1 reveals personal information about the student without the consent of the

3-2 student; and

3-3 Whereas, The ability of school districts to acquire accurate and

3-4 detailed information about the academic readiness of freshmen at the

3-5 community colleges and universities of the University and Community

3-6 College System of Nevada who recently graduated from high schools in

3-7 this state is crucial for the school districts to tailor their academic programs

3-8 so that future students are prepared for the challenges of postsecondary

3-9 education; now, therefore, be it

3-10 Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the Assembly

3-11 Concurring, That the members of the 70th session of the Nevada

3-12 Legislature urge the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada to

3-13 ensure that the universities and community colleges within the University

3-14 and Community College System of Nevada obtain, in accordance with the

3-15 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the consent of students as is

3-16 necessary for the universities and community colleges to provide the

3-17 school districts of this state with more detailed information about the

3-18 academic readiness of freshmen and the academic deficiencies of students

3-19 in mathematics, English and science; and be it further

3-20 Resolved, That as part of the collaboration between the University and

3-21 Community College System of Nevada and the school districts of this

3-22 state, the members of the 70th session of the Nevada Legislature urge the

3-23 school districts to provide constructive feedback to the colleges of

3-24 education of the University and Community College System of Nevada

3-25 concerning the strengths and areas for improvement of teachers who are

3-26 trained in such colleges in teaching students the rigorous new academic

3-27 standards adopted for this state; and be it further

3-28 Resolved, That the Department of Education shall provide assistance

3-29 to the collaboration by means of the statewide automated system of

3-30 information concerning pupils that is maintained by the Department or by

3-31 means of other sources of information concerning pupils maintained by the

3-32 Department; and be it further

3-33 Resolved, That the Department of Education, in cooperation with the

3-34 University and Community College System of Nevada, shall study the

3-35 effectiveness of the collaboration between the University and Community

3-36 College System of Nevada and the school districts of this state and submit

3-37 a report of the results of its study and any recommendations for legislation

3-38 to the members of the 71st session of the Nevada Legislature; and be it

3-39 further

3-40 Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and transmit a

3-41 copy of this resolution to the Board of Regents of the University of

3-42 Nevada, the board of trustees of each school district in this state and the

3-43 Superintendent of Public Instruction.