September 15, 2026

CARSON CITY, Nev. – On Tuesday, the Nevada Department of Education released annual student achievement and school performance results while launching a new framework for measuring the performance of Nevada’s school districts.

Together, the results provide the public with a clearer picture of how Nevada’s students, schools, and districts are performing, while giving educators and leaders information to identify what is working, where improvement is needed, and where additional support may be necessary.

“Accountability starts with a shared vision for student success, clear expectations for what strong schools and districts do to enable that success, and accessible information about our progress,” said Dr. Victor Wakefield, Superintendent of Public Instruction. “With the tools provided through Senate Bill 460, we are building a more aligned system of accountability designed to guide action, not simply label performance.”

To view performance data for the state, school districts, and schools, visit the Nevada Report Card website at nevadareportcard.nv.gov.

Graduation rates for the Class of 2026 will be released in November.

Strengthening Accountability

Senate Bill 460, passed during the 2025 Legislative Session and signed by Governor Joe Lombardo, provided Nevada with new tools to strengthen accountability and support improvement at the school and district levels.

The legislation strengthens Nevada’s existing school accountability system, establishes a new Nevada District Performance Framework (NDPF), and provides for escalating support and intervention when schools or districts do not improve.

These stronger accountability tools are paired with investments and strategies to improve student outcomes, including early literacy and intervention, expanded district support through the new Education Service Center, and investments to strengthen Nevada’s educator workforce.

“Every Nevada student deserves the opportunity to succeed, and that starts with knowing where we are making progress and where we need to do better,” said Governor Joe Lombardo. “We passed SB 460 to strengthen accountability, raise expectations, and make sure schools and districts have the support they need to improve. We will continue building on the progress we’ve made and remain focused on delivering better outcomes for every Nevada student.”

“I introduced Senate Bill 460 because Nevada's public schools gave me my start, and every family deserves to feel confidence in theirs,” said Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro. “These results show communities where their schools stand and tell the state where we should invest more resources. Public education is the foundation of opportunity in Nevada, and we need to give every school the support it takes to deliver on that promise.”

Student Assessment Results

The Nevada Department of Education has also released statewide third through eighth grade student results on the Smarter Balanced assessments in English language arts and mathematics from the 2025-26 school year.

• English Language Arts: 45.2 percent of students demonstrated proficiency, down 0.4 percentage points compared with the 2024-25 school year.

In third grade, the proficiency rate is 15.6 percentage points below the Nevada State Board of Education’s newly established goal of 60 percent by the 2030-31 school year.

Proficiency decreased across nearly all student groups, with declines ranging from 0.2 to 2.9 percentage points.

Fifth-grade students experienced the largest gain at 4 percentage points, while seventh-grade students experienced the largest decline at 5.3 percentage points.

• Mathematics: 36.2 percent of students demonstrated proficiency, up 0.8 percentage points compared with the prior year.

In eighth grade, the proficiency rate is 12.1 percentage points below the Nevada State Board of Education’s newly established goal of 40 percent by the 2030-31 school year.

Mathematics proficiency increased across all grades 3-8, with the largest gain occurring in seventh grade at 1.7 percentage points.

Gains were observed among most student groups. The largest gain was among Hispanic students, whose proficiency increased by 1.4 percentage points.

• Science: Science proficiency rates were 17.4 percent for elementary school students (down 0.3 percentage points compared with the prior year), 33.4 percent for middle school students (down 3.1 percentage points), and 26.5 percent for high school students (up 3.4 percentage points).

“After recent gains, these results are a clear reminder of both the progress Nevada has made and the work still ahead,” Superintendent Wakefield said. “The ambitious goals in our new statewide strategic plan reflect the outcomes Nevada students need to thrive in school and beyond. Now, our focus must be on translating that plan into action and ensuring every Nevada student has the strong academic foundations that deeper learning depends on.”

School Star Ratings

The Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) star rating system determines a school’s performance based on multiple measures, including the English Language Arts and mathematics Smarter Balanced assessments, science assessments, chronic absenteeism, and graduation rate.

Schools earn points for their performance in each measure. Results are added together for a total index score, ranging from one to 100. The index score corresponds to a star rating from one to five.

Table 1: Nevada Star Ratings – Three-Year Trend

School Year	2023-2024	2023-2024	2024-2025	2024-2025	2025-2026	2025-2026
Number of Stars	Number of Schools	Percentage of Schools	Number of Schools	Percentage of Schools	Number of Schools	Percentage of Schools
5-Star	96	11.2%	146	17.0%	122	14.2%
4-Star	92	10.7%	116	13.5%	119	13.8%
3-Star	157	18.3%	156	18.2%	162	18.8%
2-Star	198	23.1%	217	25.3%	219	25.5%
1-Star	232	27.1%	140	16.3%	162	18.8%
Not Rated*	82	9.6%	84	9.8%	76	8.8%
Grand Total	857	100.0%	859	100.0%	860	100%

*"Not-Rated" is for schools that lacked data in one or more measures required for receiving a star rating.

In total, 11 schools saw a gain of two or more stars in 2026:

• Clark County School District: R. Guild Gray Elementary School and Green Valley High School

• Esmeralda County School District: Goldfield Elementary School

• Humboldt County School District: McDermitt Junior High School

• Nye County School District: Amargosa Valley Middle School

• State Public Charter School Authority: Learning Bridge Charter School, Founders Academy of Las Vegas, Discovery Preparatory Academy Hillpointe, and Silver Sands Montessori

• Washoe County School District: Jerry Whitehead Elementary School

• White Pine County School District: Lund Elementary School

The Nevada Department of Education is refreshing the NSPF during the 2026-27 school year to make the framework clearer, more actionable, and more closely aligned with the student outcomes Nevada expects schools to deliver.

The Department will also expand efforts to identify and celebrate schools achieving remarkable results, including Nevada’s highest-performing and most-improved schools, as well as schools making significant progress in reducing achievement gaps among student groups.

The goal will be to make bright spots more visible and create opportunities to learn from what is working across the state.

New Accountability for Nevada School Districts

For the first time, Nevada is implementing the Nevada District Performance Framework (NDPF), extending the state’s accountability system beyond individual schools to the districts and charter school sponsors responsible for supporting them.

Created through Senate Bill 460, the NDPF establishes districtwide achievement and performance targets and provides a common framework for assessing performance across Nevada’s school districts.

It is designed to make district performance more transparent, identify areas requiring improvement, and connect performance to differentiated state support and, when necessary, intervention.

“Schools are where students learn every day, but districts play a critical role in whether schools have the people, resources, instructional support, and systems they need to succeed,” Superintendent Wakefield said. “The District Performance Framework gives Nevada a clearer way to understand how districts are delivering for students, recognize strong performance, and act earlier when improvement is needed.”

For the 2025-26 school year, the NDPF overall rating is based on two components: School Outcomes and District Supports.

The results establish a baseline for the new NDPF and are intended to provide an initial picture of performance. These results are informational and do not carry formal accountability consequences.

Last school year:

• 3 districts were identified as Level 1, indicating they did not meet performance expectations.

• 12 districts were identified as Level 2, indicating they had intermediate performance.

• 3 districts were identified as Level 3, indicating they exceeded performance expectations.

A stakeholder group called the Metrics Subcommittee for Accountability Redesign (SAR) guided the development of the NDPF, meeting eight times for day-long sessions between November 2025 and June 2026.

Members represent Pre-K to 12 education, the Nevada System of Higher Education, businesses, governance, and the community.

“The NDPF will give school trustees and the public a clearer picture of how districts are serving students,” said Irene Bustamante Adams, Nevada Association of School Boards President and member of the Metrics Subcommittee for Accountability Redesign (SAR). “As a trustee, I believe its greatest potential is in helping school boards and district leaders across the state recognize strengths, identify areas that need greater attention, and make informed decisions that support student success.”

Beginning with the 2026–27 results, Student Outcomes will be incorporated into the overall NDPF rating, with a focus on early literacy, middle school mathematics, high school graduation and advanced diploma attainment, and an additional student outcome selected by each district. Districts that do not meet expectations under the framework may be designated as low-performing.

Beginning in fall 2028, a district that is designated as low-performing for two consecutive years (2026-2027 and 2027-2028) may be designated as an underperforming, or Priority District.

For more information on how NDPF ratings are calculated, visit the NDPF webpage.

From Information to Action

Nevada’s strengthened accountability system is designed not simply to report results, but to turn information into action.

The Nevada Department of Education will use student, school, and district performance information to target resources and support, learn from schools and districts demonstrating strong results, and take action when persistent underperformance requires a stronger response.

This work also supports Nevada’s refreshed five-year Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils, which establishes statewide priorities, measurable outcomes, and strategies for improving student performance.

The Department is seeking public input - please contact ndeinfo@doe.nv.gov for ADA assistance on the draft plan through Oct. 21. Educators, families, students, community members, and other education partners are encouraged to review the draft and provide feedback.

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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. Learn more at https://doe.nv.gov/ and join us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.