Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

School Board eyes better graduates

The state Board of Education is holding a town hall meeting Saturday in Las Vegas to seek input on how the school system can produce the best graduates possible.

Board members have adopted three issues to focus on this year: completion of kindergarten for every student, dropout prevention and proficiency-based graduation.

The meeting is set to begin at 2 p.m. in the Clark County Classroom Teachers Association's Sedway Rooms A, B, and C at 2950 E. Rochelle St.

The meeting is meant to gauge community sentiments on the board's priorities.

As the state board sees it, kindergarten lays the groundwork for students to acquire the skills and abilities they will need to succeed in school. Dropout prevention is an important issue in Nevada because the dropout rate has increased over the past two years. The board will also examine approaches to high school graduation requirements that are based on student performance and proficiency rather than solely on the amount of time a student spends receiving instruction.

"We want to hear from the citizens in all communities. We want to know what Nevadans think about (these priorities)," said board President Liliam Hickey. "We want to know what Nevadans think students should know and be able to do before they graduate from high school."

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