Nevada’s grade schools face fed failure

Friday, July 26, 2002 | 11:09 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- More than 50 percent of Nevada's elementary schools could be listed next year as failing, under a new federal education act.

Jack McLaughlin, state superintendent of public instruction, said there are 21 schools listed as needing improvement now. He told the state Board of Education Thursday that the number is estimated to rise to 200 next year.

"And the year after (2004), it conceivable 400 schools will be in need of assistance," he said.

The state Department of Education does not currently have the ability to provide the required help to these schools, said McLaughlin, who has proposed a reorganization of the agency to accomplish that goal.

Board member Gary Waters of Las Vegas said the board "can no longer ignore or defer curriculum activity. We will have to be more responsible over curriculum."

"That's frightening," he said. "We're not ready for that now."

McLaughlin said the state does not have a basic curriculum guide to help the deficient schools start making improvement. The state agency, he said, will have to look at how teachers are instructing and provide assistance. And it will have to examine what is being taught in each school, he said.

Schools characterized as failing are those that have not made improvement for two years in reading and math. The federal law also says that subgroups in the school must also improve their performance, or the whole school can be classified as deficient.

Otherwise, if a minority group or special education students do not show improvement in the two-year cycle, the whole school will be classified as failing.

The improvements must come during a 12-year period.

The estimates of deficient schools by McLaughlin were based on a study of 1999 and 2001 student test results.

McLaughlin suggested that 50-85 percent of the schools nationally could be declared failing under the federal act HR1, called the "No Child Left Behind" law pushed by the Bush Administration.

Board member John Gwaltney of Reno, said "HR1 will come as a major surprise to the Legislature and schools." He said the role of the state board is changing. "We didn't ask for this. They put it on us."

During a break in the meeting, Gloria Dopf, assistant deputy of the Education Department, said the agency should have a preliminary list this October on the 100 to 200 schools that may be classified as failing in July 2003.

She said the department will work with them to improve their performance before the final list is released in July 2003.

If the school fails to make improvement, the state can replace the school officials, appoint a trustee to take it over or transfer the students to a different school. Students could be provided a choice of schools. Of if the district doesn't make progress, the state could take it over, education officials said.

This law does not apply to private schools in Nevada. Clark County School Superintendent Carlos Garcia said one benefit of the law is that administrators in each state will have some say about the criteria used to judge students.