Schools facing scrutiny as new year set to begin

Friday, Aug. 22, 2003 | 11:27 a.m.

When the 2003-04 academic year begins Monday, everything from student test scores to teacher licenses to the quality of campus facilities will face intense scrutiny as the Clark County School District strives to meet tougher standards at both the state and federal level.

"Accountability has been our watchword from Day One," Clark County Schools Superintendent Carlos Garcia said Thursday. "There are more expectations spelled out."

The district faces a slate of requirements from federal law to self-imposed standards. Challenges that await the district include:

"What we're working toward is in alignment with what's coming down from the state and the federal government," said Clark County School Board President Sheila Moulton. "Accountability means preparing our students to reach these new benchmarks."

The federal No Child Left Behind Act seeks to have all of the nation's students proficient in mathematics, science and reading by 2014. Children in grades three through eight must be tested annually.

Schools that fail to demonstrate "adequate yearly progress" could be labeled deficient, requiring districts to offer students at those schools transfers to more successful campuses.

In addition to showing gains by each grade, progress must also be made in sub-groups, including ethnicity, non-native English speakers, special education students and children from low-income families.

"No Child Left Behind requires us to include every single child in our accountability model, that's something that's never been done before," said Nevada Schools Superintendent Jack McLaughlin. "This isn't about looking at a grade or a school or a district. It's about assessing every individual student and helping them reach their highest point."

The act also has more rigorous requirements for teachers. Teachers in the district will have to pass their own proficiency exams, and the district is working to help staff members qualify by the 2005 deadline.

The act has sanctions, including loss of federal funding, for schools that don't clear the hurdles.

The district will also likely see increased scrutiny from state officials and parents after a rancorous school-funding debate. The school district announced it would cut popular specialized programs because of the funding crisis this summer.

Accusations of insufficient funding for education, along with complaints about the delay in approving school funding, became a central theme during the Legislature's two special sessions this summer, Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas.

"The overall cry became 'Fund education, fund education,' and no one talked about the details," said Williams, who chairs the Legislature's interim education committee. "I know I have questions about where the money is really going."

Williams said he would keep a close watch on the district, especially when it comes to financial matters.

Garcia said he welcomed scrutiny from all corners, particularly when it comes to the district's spending.

"We have absolutely nothing to hide," Garcia said. "We're doing more with less, not the other way around."

Williams, who filed a lawsuit to try and block Edison from coming into the district in 2000, said he'll also be keeping tabs on the company's activities in Clark County.

The private Edison Schools took over seven underperforming Clark County campuses in 2001.

Edison, which manages more than 100 schools nationwide, has floundered over the past 18 months as the company lost contracts in several states.

In Clark County, a committee of parents, teachers and administrators recommended the Clark County School Board put off extending Edison's contract until after the results of proficiency tests this fall.

Edison must show gains when the test is given in October, Garcia said.

"We're a data-driven organization and so are they," Garcia said. "It's time to say, 'Let's see what they can do.' We're all hoping they're successful."

Edison spokesman Adam Tucker said his company wants to make the relationship work.

"We feel like we have a very strong partnership there," he said. "We also understand the importance people are placing on the next round of (proficiency) scores."

It's not just the Edison-managed campuses that will need strong showings on the statewide exams. The rest of the district's 289 campuses also must improve.

The district has begun implementing a new computer system for tracking student performance, making it easier to chart progress for each individual child. The complete system should be in place by late fall, Garcia said.

"We're going to have a student information system that's user friendly, where every teacher, principal and region superintendent can look at a kid and see immediately where they need to improve," Garcia said.

The district has also put an increasing emphasis on several programs to improve the quality of education.

Garcia wants to increase the number of students who complete algebra by the eighth grade. The percentage has climbed from 13 percent in 2000 to 46 percent last year. District officials hope to reach 65 percent by June.

The district is also trying to reduce the overall dropout rate and improving the graduation rate for students who are not native English speakers.

And the district wants to improving passing rates on the high school proficiency exam, particularly the mathematics section. Beginning this year algebra -- which makes up about 30 percent of the exam -- is now a requirement for graduation. Critics of the proficiency exam have complained that the material on the test isn't aligned with what's required by Nevada's high schools for graduation.

"These are the results we're going to be judged by and we need to produce," said Edward Goldman, superintendent of the district's southeast region. "We can say we've taught our kids a lot and they're wonderful scholars, but it won't mean anything if they can't demonstrate those skills when they're asked to do so."