Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2002 | 11:30 a.m.
Nevada colleges have received a D average according to a national report released today -- a grade that would place any student on academic probation.
"You couldn't even get into a university with a D average," Regent Steve Sisolak said. "Obviously, we need some remedial education as a system."
The report put out by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education says that not only are Nevada students poorly prepared to meet the rigors of college, but few high school students go directly to college and even fewer finish with a degree.
Of the six categories graded by the nonprofit group based in San Jose, Calif., Nevada received a D in K-12 student preparation, a C+ in college participation, a D+ in affordability, an F in college completion and a C- in the impact the university system made on the state's economy.
Jane Nichols, chancellor of the University and Community System of Nevada, said she was disappointed with the results.
"The problem that the state of Nevada is facing has to do with getting the college-going rate up," Nichols said. "That is both a higher education issue and a cultural issue."
"Measuring Up 2002" is the second such report released by the nonprofit group. Only two of Nevada's grades changed from the last report in 2000. The state's grade in participation went from a D+ to a C+. Its grade for affordability went from a B to a D+.
The states that received the most A's were Massachusets, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey. California, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah were the only Western states to receive A's.
Officials at the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education say if Nevada is to improve its grades, it must focus on the way it prepares students for college.
"We know that as you increase the level of preparation for students, that's one key aspect to bringing up participation and completion rates," said Will Doyle, a senior policy analyst for the national center.
While the report shows failings by both the K-12 and higher education systems, officials say the unique demographics of the state explain a large part of the results. They caution the report does not reflect recent strides they have made to change the educational system.
In terms of college preparation, the report card shows that only 34 percent of Nevada students in grades 9-12 are enrolled in upper-level math courses, compared to 57 percent in the top states. Only 13 percent of eighth graders are enrolled in an algebra class, compared to 30 percent in top states.
State educators point to the lack of a statewide curriculum requiring higher standards, the lack of early education programs and the exceptional growth of Clark County as problem areas to work on.
"Nevada is an emerging state," said Jack McLaughlin, superintendent of public instruction for the Nevada Education Department. "There's not as big of a push for advanced classes as I'd like to see. On top of that, Clark County is constantly changing with their redistricting. It's like having a new team every year."
McLaughlin said that 25 percent of all incoming students went to preschool. Those attending kindergarten only go two hours a day -- causing early childhood learning to stagnate, he said.
Added to that are the difficulties the Clark County School District faces with crowded classrooms, changing demographics, teacher attrition and the influx of non-English speaking students.
"We are really trying on our end to ratchet the curriculum up so it is broader and harder for kids," said Augie Orci, deputy superintendent of instruction for the School District. "We're already seeing the beginnings of a very good movement upwards based on things we have changed. How soon it will show up in the report, I don't know."
Of those who do go to college, 75 percent return for their sophomore year in Nevada, compared to 83 percent in top states. Only 29 percent of students here complete their degrees, compared to the national high watermark of 66 percent.
Nichols said Nevada's F in college completion was based on fall 2000 data and does not reflect higher college participation prompted by the Millennium Scholarship, a program that guarantees $10,000 to any graduating high school student with a B average.
The state's college completion rate was also negatively affected by the state's disproportionate number of part-time students, making it more difficult for the majority of students to finish college in a five-year period, Nichols said.
"We feel that because we have the highest percentage of part-time students in the country, it affects our completion rate," Nichols said. "Clearly, when you judge us on a standard on a five-year completion rate, our students are not going to do very well."
archive
