Nevada Submits State Education Plan Under Every Student Succeeds Act to the U.S. Department of Education
Carson City, NV – The Nevada Department of Education today submitted its State Consolidated Plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to the U.S. Department of Education. ESSA replaces the No Child Left Behind Act and reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
“Nevada’s plan that was submitted today is a reflection of the ambitious education reforms Gov. Brian Sandoval set into motion during the last biennium,” said Steve Canavero, Ph.D., Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Nevada is indebted to the hundreds of stakeholders that volunteered countless hours of time to assist the Nevada Department of Education in the development of this plan. In all, these stakeholders came together for roughly 40 meetings over the course of the past year.”
Three areas of focus in Nevada’s plan (Nevada ESSA Consolidated Plan State Plan) include:
Developing and supporting great school leaders
Using data to inform decisions impacting Nevada schools
Identifying and improving our lowest-performing schools
Nevada’s ESSA Plan takes advantage of the return of authority and flexibility to states to set policies that make sense for each state’s unique context. Nevada seized this opportunity to create timelines for progress and develop school improvement plans that meet the needs of Nevada’s students.
“Nevada’s ESSA plan puts the new federal law in service to Nevada’s priorities,” Canavero said. “I propose using ESSA as a catalyst for improvement and an opportunity to rally the state behind the singular goal of becoming the fastest improving state in the nation.”
To achieve the goal of becoming the fastest improving state in the nation, the plan proposes to continue the many efforts already underway, such as the Zoom program for English Learners that leads to improved student achievement and the expansion of advanced coursework such as Advanced Placement which has led to Nevada being the fastest improving state in the nation for scores of three or higher. For example, Gov. Sandoval’s 2017 legislative agenda calls for expanding existing Zoom funding by $42 million.
In developing the plan during the past year, the Superintendent called together an advisory group that consisted of parents, teachers, principals, district superintendents, policy advocates, college professors, and business leaders to outline a path forward to address the needs of Nevada’s students. Additional work groups of stakeholders from across the state were convened to develop issue specific recommendations. The six additional work groups focused on Accountability, Assessment, English Learners, Funding Streams, School Improvement in addition to Teaching and Leading. A preliminary plan (The New Nevada ESSA Plan For Initial Public Comment) was released earlier this year to gain more stakeholder input, which resulted in greater clarity and inclusion.