Nevada State Board of Education Adopts Vision and Goals to Support Student Success

CARSON CITY, Nev. – On Thursday, July 15, the Nevada State Board of Education (Board) officially adopted its Vision and five-year Goals to support student success. Details and guardrails supporting the Vision and Goals will be further discussed at the Nevada State Board of Education meeting on Thursday, August 19, at 2:00 PM. 

The adopted Vision statement is: All Nevada students are equipped and feel empowered to attain their vision of success.

The two Goals are:    

1. From Top 20 to Top 10: Move up in State rankings from 18^th in September 2020 to Top 10 by July 2026, as measured by Academic portions of Quality Counts K-12 Student Achievement.
2. 50% Achieve CCR Diploma: Increase the overall number of students receiving the College and Career Ready (CCR) diploma from 23.9% in July 2021 to 50% by July 2026 and eliminate gaps of student groups while raising the overall average.   

“We know that student outcomes don’t change until adult behaviors change,” said Felicia Ortiz, President of the State Board of Education. “With these Goals and Vision in place, our Board and the team at the Nevada Department of Education are signaling our unwavering commitment to do the work necessary to improve outcomes for all of Nevada’s students, especially those who have been historically underserved.”

These Goals and Vision set by the Board build on the foundation of The Nevada Department of Education’s (NDE) five-year strategic plan, known as the Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils (STIP). The STIP is the operational plan to help realize the Board’s Goals.

“I commend the State Board of Education for establishing an ambitious Vision and Goals,” said Jhone Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction. “For improvement to take hold, Goals must be coupled with thoughtful plans, clear roles, and effective follow-through. The team at NDE stands ready to support these Goals while keeping our Values at the center of all of our work to support students, educators, and communities.” 

NDE’s work is guided by six Values defined in the STIP: equity, success, access to quality, inclusivity, transparency, and community.  

Goal #1: From Top 20 to Top 10  

The Board’s first goal is for Nevada to advance into the top 10 in the Quality Counts K-12 Achievement Index rankings in five years, by July 2026. 

The K-12 Achievement Index examines 18 distinct measures of reading and mathematics performance, high school graduation, and success on Advanced Placement tests. Nevada currently ranks 18^th in the nation when it comes to K-12 Achievement, as established by the Quality Counts September 2020 rankings based upon data from the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress. 

The September 2020 rankings also recognized Nevada as one of the five “most improved” states in the country. In 2019, Nevada earned recognition as the number one “most improved” state for overall grades.

“Nevada typically receives a negative perception in national rankings, but our student achievement levels continue to increase year-over-year,” said Superintendent Ebert. “We are proud that our students have attained the 18^th ranking nationally and are committed to supporting them in equitable achievement gains in the coming years.”

“Nevada has met its previous goal to become the ‘fastest improving State in the nation,’” said President Ortiz. “Now, we are ready to take the next step and establish ourselves in the top 10. This is long overdue, and our students’ achievement levels indicate that it is possible.” 

 Updated K-12 Achievement rankings are anticipated to be released by Quality Counts in September 2021. 

Goal #2: 50% Achieve CCR Diploma

The Board established a second Goal: to increase the overall number of students receiving the College and Career Ready (CCR) Diploma from 23.9% of July 2021 to 50% by July 2026 and eliminate gaps between student groups while raising the overall average. 

The CCR Diploma was made available to Nevada’s students for the first time in the 2017-18 school year. Earning this diploma indicates that students are qualified for and prepared to succeed in college or job training in high-demand occupations.

 For a student to receive a CCR Diploma, they must complete credit units and GPA requirements of the Advanced Diploma, plus additional advanced coursework and one of two associated endorsements. To be eligible, a student can receive a College-Ready Endorsement, which reflects their performance on the CCR Assessment (ACT), or a Career-Ready Endorsement, which can be earned through the CTE Skill Attainment Certificate, an industry-recognized credential, or passing one of the State’s two career-readiness assessments.  

In the 2020 graduating class, 7,390 students or 23.9% of the student population earned a CCR Diploma. This is a 7.1% increase from 5,211 students or 16.8% of the 2019 graduating class. CCR Diploma counts for the 2021 graduating class will not be available until December 2021.

While 23.9% of the class of 2020 earned a CCR Diploma, there were inequities among student groups:   

These discrepancies between student groups’ representation in the graduating class and their representation among CCR diploma recipients are the reason the Board’s second Goal aims for an overall student CCR Diploma increase as well as an elimination of gaps among student groups.

“As a Nevada high school student, it is powerful to see our Board establishing a priority of ensuring all students are prepared for college and the workforce,” said Christina Nguyen, senior at Valley High School and Student Representative to the Board. “I am proud that the Board is being explicit about the need to address existing opportunity gaps among student groups. Increasing access to advanced coursework, career and technical education, and CCR diplomas will help ensure no student is left behind.” 

Going forward, the Board will work with NDE to identify which strategies in the STIP are best positioned to advance the SBE goals, then will establish guardrails, which are specific qualifiers to ensure each Goal maintains a focus on student outcomes. These Goals will now become the north star guiding NDE’s work for the next five years.

Attachments:   

• College and Career Ready Diploma Requirements
• Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils