March 20, 2020

CARSON CITY, Nev – Jhone Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced today that Nevada has submitted a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education for assessments, accountability, school identification, and reporting requirements established by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for the 2019-2020 school year.

“We are proud that educators, students, and families are demonstrating a continued commitment to education during the current school building closures,” said Superintendent Ebert. “However, we recognize that this worldwide health crisis has made it impossible to reliably administer required federal assessments and comply with the related accountability, school identification, and reporting requirements. The Nevada Department of Education will continue to work closely with districts and schools to serve our students while prioritizing their health and safety, as well as that of our educators, staff, and communities.”

Betsy DeVos, U.S. Secretary of Education, today granted states the authority to waive the assessments under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and emergency Assistance Act.

As a condition of the waiver, school accountability designations from the 2019-20 school year will be maintained in the 2020-2021 school year and identified schools will continue to receive supports and interventions consistent with the school’s support and improvement plan in the 2020-2021 school year.

“Due to the extraordinary circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting school closures, I am providing flexibility to all States regarding the assessment and accountability requirements under the elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by (ESSA),” DeVos shared in a letter with States.

We will be posting the waiver request to the Nevada Department of Education’s website for public comment for 30 days.

About the Nevada Department of Education

The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) leads and collaborates with Nevada’s 17 school districts and the State Public Charter School Authority to advance educational equity Statewide. With offices in Carson City and Las Vegas, NDE oversees all pre-K-12 education in the State, working to achieve its mission to improve student achievement and educator effectiveness by ensuring opportunities, facilitating learning, and promoting excellence. Under the leadership of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, NDE impacts the achievement of nearly half a million children and 30,000 educators.