In the last two years, more Douglas County students have attended schools on the federal watch list for No Child Left Behind than in the previous five years combined.
Between last year and this year, nine of the district's schools have been on the watch list. Efforts to clear schools that were on the list last year were successful. However, five different schools ended up on the watch list this year. Those include Zephyr Cove Elementary, which went from a six-year streak at high achieving to the watch list.
On the positive side, Douglas High School went from the watch list to high achieving in growth in one year.
The scores for achieving adequate progress under No Child Left Behind started becoming increasingly difficult this year. The scores will flatten out next year and then begin a steep increase until 2014, when every school must hit 100 percent in order to achieve adequate progress.
We know Douglas County school officials take the challenge of meeting the requirements of No Child Left Behind seriously, but as Nevadans, we know when the odds are stacked against us.
You don't have to be a bookie to see that as the scores required for adequate progress increase, so will the number of schools on the watch list.
Victory in 2014 may be measured not by the number of schools that are off the watch list, but by number that have been on the list the shortest amount of time.
