NRS385.3593. Plan by State Board to improve achievement of pupils: Preparation; contents; inclusion of 5-year strategic plan; establishment of goals and benchmarks; annual review and submission.

      1.  The State Board shall prepare a plan to improve the achievement of pupils enrolled in the public schools in this State. The plan:

      (a) Must be prepared in consultation with:

             (1) Employees of the Department;

             (2) At least one employee of a school district in a county whose population is 100,000 or more, appointed by the Nevada Association of School Boards;

             (3) At least one employee of a school district in a county whose population is less than 100,000, appointed by the Nevada Association of School Boards; and

             (4) At least one representative of the Statewide Council for the Coordination of the Regional Training Programs created by NRS 391.516, appointed by the Council; and

      (b) May be prepared in consultation with:

             (1) Representatives of institutions of higher education;

             (2) Representatives of regional educational laboratories;

             (3) Representatives of outside consultant groups;

             (4) Representatives of the regional training programs for the professional development of teachers and administrators created by NRS 391.512;

             (5) The Bureau; and

             (6) Other persons who the State Board determines are appropriate.

      2.  A plan to improve the achievement of pupils enrolled in public schools in this State must include:

      (a) A review and analysis of the data upon which the report required pursuant to NRS 385.3572 is based and a review and analysis of any data that is more recent than the data upon which the report is based.

      (b) The identification of any problems or factors common among the school districts or charter schools in this State, as revealed by the review and analysis.

      (c) Strategies based upon scientifically based research, as defined in 20 U.S.C. § 7801(37), that will strengthen the core academic subjects, as set forth in NRS 389.018.

      (d) Strategies to improve the academic achievement of pupils enrolled in public schools in this State, including, without limitation, strategies to:

             (1) Instruct pupils who are not achieving to their fullest potential, including, without limitation:

                   (I) The curriculum appropriate to improve achievement;

                   (II) The manner by which the instruction will improve the achievement and proficiency of pupils on the examinations administered pursuant to NRS 389.550 and 389.805 and the college and career readiness assessment administered pursuant to NRS 389.807; and

                   (III) An identification of the instruction and curriculum that is specifically designed to improve the achievement and proficiency of pupils in each group identified in the statewide system of accountability for public schools;

             (2) Increase the rate of attendance of pupils and reduce the number of pupils who drop out of school;

             (3) Integrate technology into the instructional and administrative programs of the school districts;

             (4) Manage effectively the discipline of pupils; and

             (5) Enhance the professional development offered for the teachers and administrators employed at public schools in this State to include the activities set forth in 20 U.S.C. § 7801(34) and to address the specific needs of the pupils enrolled in public schools in this State, as deemed appropriate by the State Board.

      (e) Strategies designed to provide to the pupils enrolled in middle school, junior high school and high school, the teachers and counselors who provide instruction to those pupils, and the parents and guardians of those pupils information concerning:

             (1) The requirements for admission to an institution of higher education and the opportunities for financial aid;

             (2) The availability of Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarships pursuant to NRS 396.911 to 396.945, inclusive; and

             (3) The need for a pupil to make informed decisions about his or her curriculum in middle school, junior high school and high school in preparation for success after graduation.

      (f) An identification, by category, of the employees of the Department who are responsible for ensuring that each provision of the plan is carried out effectively.

      (g) A timeline for carrying out the plan, including, without limitation:

             (1) The rate of improvement and progress which must be attained annually in meeting the goals and benchmarks established by the State Board pursuant to subsection 3; and

             (2) For each provision of the plan, a timeline for carrying out that provision, including, without limitation, a timeline for monitoring whether the provision is carried out effectively.

      (h) For each provision of the plan, measurable criteria for determining whether the provision has contributed toward improving the academic achievement of pupils, increasing the rate of attendance of pupils and reducing the number of pupils who drop out of school.

      (i) Strategies to improve the allocation of resources from this State, by program and by school district, in a manner that will improve the academic achievement of pupils. If this State has a financial analysis program that is designed to track educational expenditures and revenues to individual schools, the State Board shall use that statewide program in complying with this paragraph. If a statewide program is not available, the State Board shall use the Department’s own financial analysis program in complying with this paragraph.

      (j) Based upon the reallocation of resources set forth in paragraph (i), the resources available to the State Board and the Department to carry out the plan, including, without limitation, a budget for the overall cost of carrying out the plan.

      (k) A summary of the effectiveness of appropriations made by the Legislature to improve the academic achievement of pupils and programs approved by the Legislature to improve the academic achievement of pupils.

      (l) A 5-year strategic plan which identifies the recurring issues in improving the achievement and proficiency of pupils in this State and which establishes strategic goals to address those issues. The 5-year strategic plan must be:

             (1) Based upon the data from previous years which is collected by the Department for the plan developed pursuant to this section; and

             (2) Designed to track the progress made in achieving the strategic goals established by the Department.

      (m) Any additional plans addressing the achievement and proficiency of pupils adopted by the Department.

      3.  The State Board shall:

      (a) In developing the plan to improve the achievement of pupils enrolled in public schools, establish clearly defined goals and benchmarks for improving the achievement of pupils, including, without limitation, goals for:

             (1) Improving proficiency results in core academic subjects;

             (2) Increasing the number of pupils enrolled in public middle schools and junior high schools, including, without limitation, charter schools, who enter public high schools with the skills necessary to succeed in high school;

             (3) Improving the percentage of pupils who enroll in grade 9 and who graduate from a public high school, including, without limitation, a charter school, with a standard or higher diploma upon completion;

             (4) Improving the performance of pupils on standardized college entrance examinations;

             (5) Increasing the percentage of pupils enrolled in high schools who enter postsecondary educational institutions or who are career and workforce ready; and

             (6) Reengaging disengaged youth who have dropped out of high school or who are at risk of dropping out of high school, including, without limitation, a mechanism for tracking and maintaining communication with those youth who have dropped out of school or who are at risk of doing so;

      (b) Review the plan annually to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan;

      (c) Examine the timeline for implementing the plan and each provision of the plan to determine whether the annual goals and benchmarks have been attained; and

      (d) Based upon the evaluation of the plan, make revisions, as necessary, to ensure that:

             (1) The goals and benchmarks set forth in the plan are being attained in a timely manner; and

             (2) The plan is designed to improve the academic achievement of pupils enrolled in public schools in this State.

      4.  On or before January 31 of each year, the State Board shall submit the plan or the revised plan, as applicable, to the:

      (a) Governor;

      (b) Committee;

      (c) Bureau;

      (d) Board of Regents of the University of Nevada;

      (e) Council to Establish Academic Standards for Public Schools created by NRS 389.510;

      (f) Board of trustees of each school district; and

      (g) Governing body of each charter school.

      (Added to NRS by 2003, 19th Special Session, 8; A 2005, 707, 1335, 1647, 1975; 2007, 1932; 2011, 548, 2305; 2013, 1900, 3238)—(Substituted in revision for NRS 385.34691)