Monday, May 22, 2006 | 7:18 a.m.
The bad news is that more than 1,900 high school seniors are still waiting to hear whether they'll receive diplomas at graduation next month. The good news is the results of the dreaded Nevada State High School Proficiency Exam have been coming back a little faster this year.
Seniors took the exam last week, their final opportunity to qualify for graduation. Students who complete the required course credits but do not pass the math, reading and writing tests are given a certificate of attendance.
Electronic results should be available by the first week in June and students will be notified in person, said Sue Daellenbach, testing director for the Clark County School District.
The district's smaller high schools - including Boulder City and Indian Springs - will hold commencement ceremonies on June 9. Ceremonies for the metropolitan-area campuses begin June 12.
In prior years the proficiency test has been marred by late results, missing answer sheets and improperly handled materials. By contrast, this year has been largely free of mishaps.
"Knock on wood," Daellenbach said with a laugh.
The state's high school proficiency exam is administered by Measured Progress, a New Hampshire-based company hired in by the state Education Department in November 2004 to take over a $13.4 million contract that runs through June 2007.
The prior testing company, Harcourt Measurement, was dumped by the state after a series of high-profile mistakes, including incorrectly telling thousands of students they had failed the state proficiency exam.
Robert Bray, a math teacher at Las Vegas High School, said he's noticed significant improvement in the turnaround time for the proficiency test since Measured Progress took over. Last year Bray, along with a handful of his senior students, criticized the district for not returning results more quickly.
"We're definitely getting the results much faster," Bray said.
The district's pass rate on the high school proficiency exam has been slowly climbing. But issues of fairness continue to abound, particularly for English language learners and students who may not have been taught all of the material covered by the exam.
Next question: which of Nevada's lawmakers will be the first to make hay from a California judge's recent ruling that the Golden State's high school exit exam discriminated against poor and minority students?
Bagels, fruit salad and chocolate were plentiful. So were the hugs.
At Lois Craig Elementary School in North Las Vegas, teachers gathered for an early morning feast courtesy of the Las Vegas chapter of the National Association of Insurance Women.
Robin Valdez, vice president of claims at Brown & Brown Insurance, said the chapter's volunteers are regular visitors to the North Las Vegas campus.
"Our presence tells the kids that we care about them, that they are important," Valdez said.
In September volunteers distributed fully stocked backpacks to every student. Before the winter holiday break the women were back with more than 700 pairs of brand-new shoes.
"It's nice to have a group that's not about political rhetoric and actually shows up when we need something," said Brooke Lamb, who is in her third year teaching at Craig.
The Las Vegas chapter will offer another "thank you" breakfast on Wednesday at Palace Station - this time for their own bosses who have supported their employees' volunteer activities. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will be the keynote speaker.
When it comes to transportation, Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes has no intention of taking taxpayers for a ride.
The superintendent's contract calls for a monthly vehicle allowance of $500. Rulffes, who recently leased a white 2006 Infinity sedan for $550 a month, said he estimates 30 percent of his driving will be on personal time. Therefore the district will cover only 70 percent - $385 - of his monthly lease bill.
"It's the prudent thing to do," Rulffes said. "I don't want anyone to interpret that I'm being reimbursed for nondistrict use of a company car."
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