Nevada’s third through eighth-grade students demonstrated gains in both mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) on the Smarter Balanced assessments for the 2023-24 school year, according to the Nevada Department of Education.
For a second consecutive year, all grade levels showed improvements in mathematics proficiency. Overall, 32.6 percent of students demonstrated proficiency in mathematics, marking a 1.3 percentage-point increase from the previous year. In ELA, the statewide proficiency rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 41.3 percent.
“The proficiency results are encouraging and are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, educators, and families,” said Jhone Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction. “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 Smarter Balanced Assessment revealed that all student groups made gains in mathematics last school year. Notably, Asian students saw a 2.2 percentage-point increase while Black students experienced a 2.1 percentage-point increase.
In terms of grade-specific performance in mathematics, third graders had the highest level of proficiency at 43.2 percent, followed by fourth graders at 39.8 percent and fifth graders at 31.8 percent.
In ELA, Black students achieved the largest gain with a 1.3 percentage-point increase. Fifth graders led with a proficiency rate of 45.3 percent, followed by fourth graders at 43.5 percent and seventh graders at 42 percent.
Governor Joe Lombardo and the Nevada Department of Education allocated $6 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds for Nevada’s Read by Grade 3 program earlier this year to support professional development projects focused on reading education.
Statewide chronic absenteeism improved significantly last school year with a rate of 25.9 percent compared to 34.9 percent previously recorded.
“This nine-percent improvement in chronic absenteeism is a major accomplishment that reflects concerted efforts across our education system and community,” said Ebert.
Under the Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF), five- and four-star schools increased compared with last year’s ratings based on multiple measures including assessments in English Language Arts and mathematics as well as science assessments among other criteria.
A total of twenty schools experienced two-star gains across various districts including Clark County School District which maintained its number of five-star schools while seeing an increase in four-star schools by over four percentage points.
Science assessment results varied; middle school students saw an improvement with a gain of 3.6 percentage points whereas high schoolers experienced a slight decrease by one-tenth percentage point along with elementary schoolers who saw their scores drop by over five percentage points.
Graduation rates slightly declined from last year’s figure dropping from an overall rate of approximately eighty-two down three-tenths per cent though twelve out seventeen districts alongside State Public Charter School Authority reported higher than average graduation rates led notably Storey County showing most significant gains amongst others improving include Churchill Clark Douglas Elko Lander Lincoln Lyon Mineral counties respectively
To view detailed performance data for individual schools or districts visit Nevada Report Card website nevadareportcard.nv.gov
