Nevada students inching up in math and English proficiency, report shows

Nevada still ranks among the bottom 10 states in education nationwide, but a new report shows small wins across the state in test scores and graduation rates.

Nevada’s third through eighth grade students showed slight improvements in math and English proficiency last year, according to a new report released by the Nevada Department of Education.

The 2023-2024 school year performance results report found that for the second consecutive year, all grade levels made improvements in mathematics proficiency. About 32.6% of Nevada’s nearly 480,000 students showed proficiency in math – a 1.3 percentage point increase compared with the 2022-23 school year. 

But English Language Arts (ELA) seems to be a greater challenge — the statewide proficiency rate of 41.3% increased just 0.3 percentage points from last year. 

While Nevada still ranks among the bottom 10 states when it comes to education, education officials are optimistic about the small wins documented in the report. 

“The proficiency results are encouraging and are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, educators, and families,” Jhone Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction, said in a statement. “These results are moving in the right direction, and the Nevada Department of Education is committed to using this data to monitor academic performance to inform initiatives to improve student outcomes across our state.”

The report also showed that students across all demographics improved in math, including students with disabilities, English learners, and those who live in poverty. Asian and Black students saw the greatest improvement in proficiency scores, the report showed. 

Schools gain stars in CCSD

Two hundred of Clark County School District’s 380 schools increased their overall scores from 2023 to 2024, and 80 schools received a higher star rating. 

The Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) star ratings system determines a school’s performance based on multiple measures, including assessment scores, chronic absenteeism, graduation rate, and school designations. Schools earn points for their performance and receive a score ranging from one to 100, which corresponds to a star rating from one to five.

The number of 5-star schools in CCSD remained the same as the prior school year, but six schools saw their ratings jump by two stars, bringing them up to three or four star ratings in the 2023-2024 school year. 

“Seeing our students continue improving across the district is so encouraging,” CCSD Board of School Trustees President Evelyn Garcia Morales, said in a statement. “These improved star ratings and index scores are the result of the hard work and commitment of the educators working in our schools across the District to provide students with the opportunity to succeed.”

The district said that with funding from the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Act (ARP ESSER III), CCSD invested in additional learning support and materials for students.

Graduation rate

The report also showed that Nevada’s high school graduation rate for the Class of 2023 decreased slightly to 81.4% compared with 81.7% the previous year. 

In 12 of Nevada’s 17 school districts, as well as the State Public Charter School Authority,

students graduated at a higher rate than the state average. In CCSD, the graduation rate increased for the second year in a row — with over 21,600 students, the class of 2023’s graduation rate was 81.5%, while the class of 2022’s was 81.3%. 

Storey County, which has about 400 students and already had an 88% graduation rate in 2023, saw the greatest increase in graduation rate, with over 95% of students graduating in 2024.