Council decides on educational standards levels

Friday, Jan. 16, 1998 | 4:10 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A state council decided Friday that requiring children in kindergarten and first grade to meet academic standards was just too early.

The state Council to Establish Academic Standards for Public Schools voted to set the educational standards for students to achieve at grades 2, 3, 5 and 8 in Nevada's elementary schools.

The council accepted the recommendation of member Scott Craigie who said, "I don't want to put a stern requirement on first graders." He said more patience should be shown for children that age.

The council had been urged by a number of witnesses, including Senate Majority Leader William Raggio, R-Reno, to set standards that students must achieve in every grade in the elementary school system.

Raggio said establishing standards in every grade and then measuring to see if the student meets them is the cornerstone to the educational reform act he helped pass in the Legislature.

Setting the standards at the earliest possible time will allow children with problems to be identified and to get help where they fall short, Raggio argued.

Craigie argued that many of these first graders would fail to the achieve the standards. He said he had no problem with setting the standards starting in the second grade and then testing the child to determine if he or she achieved them.

The council was created by the 1997 Legislature to adopt rigorous academic standards in English, math and science in the public schools to improve the performance of students. These standards will outline what is expected of the student by a certain grade level.

Debbie Smith, head of the council, said setting the grade levels is the most difficult decision the group has made so far.

Council members Johnnie Rawlinson of Las Vegas and Assemblywoman Vonne Chowning, D-North Las Vegas, favored early assessments at each of grades 1,2 and 3. Chowning said, "We must establish standards in grades 1-3 in reading. "

There had been a suggestion that standards not be in place until the third grade. But Chowning said that those pupils with learning problems must be identified early.

The next step is to write these standards. For example, at what grade level should a student be required to learn the multiplication tables? Or when should an elementary student be able to read proficiently?

Three task forces have been established to draw up recommended standards. They will meet Jan. 27-29 at Cashman Field in Las Vegas to develop achievement levels.

Proposed standards will then be put out to public hearing before the council adopts them.

The council also voted to offer a contract to A Plus Communications of Arlington, Va., to help inform the public of the standards and to build acceptance.

The company beat out Katz & Associates of Las Vegas for the contract, which will pay about $160,000. It will conduct a public opinion survey, prepare video tapes to explain the standards; write press releases and set up public meetings.