Guinn to ask for study of high-school grads

Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2000 | 11:18 a.m.

Guinn's fundamental review committee is recommending the governor use part of the 2 percent of the scholarship money used to administer the program to pay for the study.

The study would look at trends in grading practices, student testing and achievement data and job opportunities for the state's high school graduates.

Elko superintendent and review committee member Marcia Bandera said the scholarship program has motivated students for college, but the state needs to know what it's getting for its money. The state is expected to get about $1.2 billion over the next 25 years, 40 percent of which goes toward scholarships.

The review committee also is asking the Legislative Commission to look at education oversight.

Nevada has had an 11-member elected state board for years. But lawmakers frustrated with the state board's inability to set academic standards for students several years ago began farming out the board's responsibilities to other groups.

"I'd like them to look at wisdom of the continuation of the state board. I think it ought not be an elected body," said review committee member Dale Erquiaga. "The Legislature has quite effectively demonstrated it has no confidence in those elected officials and created these other boards."

In recent years the Legislature has created the Council to Establish Academic Standards, Commission on Educational Technology, a commission on school facilities, a teacher licensing commission and the Legislative Committee on Education, which reviews all aspects of the state's education system.

State deputy superintendent Keith Rheault said the state Board of Education and the Department of Education would welcome the chance to talk about the roles of the various groups.

"Part of the problem is the proliferation of councils, commissions and boards," he said. "People do not know who is in charge of what."