School Board told to put Edison expansion plans on hold

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Friday, June 13, 2003 | 9:29 a.m.

The Clark County School Board was told Thursday any plans of expanding its contract with Edison Schools Inc. should be put on hold until the district has results from next fall's basic skills tests.

The seven campuses being managed by Edison Schools Inc. are showing some "positive trends" but it's too soon to say where the private company is making a difference in student achievement, Agustin Orci, deputy superintendent of instruction, told the board.

Because Nevada schools switched last year from the TerraNova to the Iowa Basic Skills test, the October 2002 exam became the new baseline for measuring student performance, Orci said. By next winter the board will have results from the second round of the Iowa test and be able to compare "apples to apples," he said.

Laverne White, regional vice president for Edison Schools Inc., said prior to the board meeting she agreed with Orci's findings.

"We would be very pleased to expand our presence in Clark County, be it after-school programs, summer classes or taking on additional school sites," White said. "But we understand the district wants to wait until there's something tangible to compare to the new benchmark."

As part of a settlement of a lawsuit filed by the state teachers' union and the county education support employees' union, the district agreed to form two committees to conduct annual reviews of Edison's performance at the seven Clark County campuses it has managed since the 2001-02 school year.

The first committee reviewed scores from last fall's Iowa Basic Skills test and compared results at the Edison schools to campuses of similar socio-economic profiles. The difference between the two groups of schools was negligible, the committee found.

The second committee, which included representatives from the two unions as well as Edison and the district, focused on possible expansion plans by Edison. The committee agreed that any such plans should wait.

School Board member Shirley Barber asked Orci whether there were any success stories he was aware of beyond test scores.

Visits to the schools show "they're paying close attention to student achievement," Orci said, and reviews of Edison's own reports suggest students are making gains.

Edison requires teachers track student performance against a series of weekly and monthly benchmarks. However, the district does not have a way of double-checking those findings, Orci said.

Clark County School Board President Sheila Moulton praised the committees Thursday for their work.

"I look forward to seeing some real successes at the (Edison) schools," Moulton said.