State receives B in education accountability

Nevada's education system earned a solid "B" in the area of standards, assessments and accountability, according to a national study released today.

The Silver State ranked among the top 18 states in the nation in educational accountability.

"Both finance and accountability are expected to be prominent issues throughout the state this year," Education Week reported in its annual "Quality Counts" report.

Education Week, a leading education journal, every year compiles a report that compares the conditions of education in each state. This year's survey focused on how states are dealing with ever-increasing pressure to implement accountability initiatives. Nevada earned high marks for holding schools accountable for student performance and for offering assistance to struggling schools. Much of that is attributed to the 1997 Legislature, which labeled schools "inadequate, adequate and high-achieving," test scores show. Schools deemed "inadequate" were eligible for part of $3 million in state money to be used for remediation programs.

Clark County last year had 13 of the state's 23 inadequate schools.

The magazine also gave Nevada points for having "clear and specific" standards in language arts, mathematics and science. A state-appointed council has been working to revise standards in mathematics, language arts and science.

Clark County Superintendent Brian Cram was generally pleased with the Legislature's accountability efforts. Now lawmakers must examine whether the money was enough and whether it went to the right places, Cram said.

The schools chief added that increasing student achievement also hinges on factors such as increasing teacher training and forcing a fundamental shift in the way families value education.

"That's as important as a whole lot of money," Cram said.

The Education Week report also graded Nevada in several other categories: efforts to raise teacher quality (C), funding adequacy (C-), funding equity (B-) and funding allocation (D).

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