Commission Reconsiders At-Risk Funding

ENN talks supporting Latino students and CCSD search begins!

After years of expressing deep concerns, the Commission on School Funding voted unanimously to reexamine the new definition of “at-risk” and the method used for determining which students will be eligible for at-risk weighted funding. ENN has testified at numerous meetings about our concern with the new at-risk model, which uses AI and machine learning to determine which students will receive additional state funding. Not only did the new at-risk definition limit eligibility to the bottom 20th percentile those deemed “least likely to graduate,” but the AI model has been wrought with problems during its implementation. Read our public comment here to learn more about these issues.  

The Commission voted unanimously to engage a third party to study the impact of the model, revisit the definition and term of “at-risk,” and consider making recommendations to the legislature to revisit the percentile limitation. The Commission also recommended a review of at-risk eligibility every two years, ahead of each legislative session.  

While we agree that using the Free and Reduced Lunch designation to determine who is eligible for at-risk funding is no longer the best method, we are glad to see that the Commission has reconsidered their position to impose a cap on resources and instead ensure they accurately capture and serve all students who need the additional support. 

We will continue to advocate for Nevada’s vulnerable students. ENN is hopeful that the state will honor the intention of the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan by meeting the needs of all students that may need additional support to succeed. 

ENN Takes the Stage at the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus Policy Summit

Early this month, Educate Nevada Now was invited to be on the “Building an Equitable Education System” panel at the 2024 Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus Policy Summit. 

We would like to thank Assemblywoman Selena Torres who moderated the discussion, along with all the wonderful people who put together such a successful and informative event. 

Michelle Booth, ENN’s Communication’s Director, participated in a panel that discussed several ways to support our Latino students.  Much of the discussion centered around one of the most pressing issues in education - the teacher shortage. 

Unfortunately, there was not enough time to get into all the issues affecting Latino students, but below are a few notable things to consider.Read MoreThere is a national teacher shortage crippling the country, and of course, Nevada is not immune to this. In fact, Nevada has one of the largest student to teacher ratios in the country. In the Clark County School District, there are more than 1,500 teaching vacancies, and many of those vacancies tend to be in schools with significant Latino student populations. 

A recent report produced by the Nevada Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found that “[i]n urban school districts, teacher vacancies are concentrated in schools with high percentages of Black and Latino students. The results are inequities in access, quality of teaching offered to students, and learning outcomes.” The same report also found “schools with the most shortages have over 40 percent, even over 60 percent, absenteeism rates.” In addition to higher teacher vacancies, Black and Latino students also tend to have less experienced teachers than their counterparts.

Source: Nevada Department of Education 

The outcomes of these inequities correlate to  significantly low achievement rates among Latino students, with only 22% of Latino students considered proficient in math and only 32.9 proficient in English Language Acquisition

Solutions: The 82 Nevada Legislative session resulted in many good programs to improve teacher recruitment and retention, along with growing the diversity pipeline. Legislators approved teacher raises, new educator scholarship programs and an increase in K-12 funding. Results take time but we appreciate the priority our legislature gave to education this session, especially for students with the higher need.  

We are grateful for the insightful discussion on education at the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus Policy Summit and look forward to continued conversations and support from legislators and the community to best serve our students. 

ENN Pushes for Broad Superintendent Search

ENN submitted public comment amidst discussion by the Clark County School Board regarding replacing former CCSD superintendent, Jesus Jara. After deliberation from the trustees and input from the community, the Board voted unanimously to put out a request for proposal to hire a search firm to help find a new superintendent for the district. 

A thorough and widespread search will better ensure confidence in the next leader of CCSD.  A transparent process that invites community input is critical to foster buy-in from the community and allow healing after several years of mistrust and conflict. You can read our submitted public comment here.