3 Carson City schools receive 4-star rating

Carson and Eagle Valley Middle Schools and Fritsch Elementary School each received four out of a possible five stars in the state’s new rigorous Nevada School Performance Framework ratings released Thursday.

Seeliger, Bordewich Bray and Mark Twain Elementary Schools each received three stars and Empire and Fremont each received two stars.

The new NSPF is built on different criteria from its previous release in 2014, realigning expectations to a national bar with more rigorous requirements. The new NSPF has a renewed emphasis on student growth, a commitment to students from all backgrounds succeeding and added measures of English language proficiency.

The NSPF provides information about how a school is performing on a scale from one star (not meeting standards) to five stars (superior). New policy descriptors for each star level emphasize equity and guide performance expectations. The new star ratings are based on a three-star model in which a three-star school has all students meeting the state’s 2017 measures of interim progress or have a high number of students making improvement.

Points were assigned so about half of the total points possible were earned one of two ways: meeting the state’s 2017 measures of interim progress or by being ranking in the top half of the state’s schools in 2016-17. Maximum points are earned by meeting the 2022 long-term goals or by being ranked in the top 85 percent of the state’s schools in 2016-17.

Essentially, Seeliger, Bordewich Bray and Mark Twain are meeting standards while Carson and Eagle Valley Middle Schools and Fritsch were above standards.

“We are really proud of all of our schools,” Carson City Schools Assistant Superintendent Susan Keema said. “To score a 3 in this new rigorous system is challenging. We are proud of our continuous academic planning and anticipate increases in future star ratings results.”

State Superintendent Steve Canavero said the scores show Nevada has a chance to be the fastest improving state in the nation when it comes to education.

“The updated NSPF reflects the starting line on our path to becoming the fastest improving state in the nation while taking a holistic approach to measuring school performance against high expectations,” he said. “The NSPF provides actionable information for the continuous improvement of our education system.”

The star ratings were originally set to be released in September, however, school districts across the state requested a phased implementation. High schools will earn only an index score and not receive a star rating until September 2018.

The updated NSPF is designed to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Under the ESSA, states are tasked to “meaningfully differentiate” schools based on: Academic proficiency on state assessments; graduation rates for high school; English language proficiency; growth or other statewide academic indicator for K-8 schools; at least one other state set indicator of school quality or student success; 95 percent assessment participation rate.

The breakdown of how elementary schools did across the state were as follows: One-star schools index score of zero to less than 27 (49 schools); two-star schools index score of greater than 27 and less than 50 (113 schools); three-star schools have an index score of greater than 50 and less than 67 (84 schools); four-star schools have an index score of greater than 67 and less than 84 (72 schools); five-star schools have an index score of greater than 84 and less than 102 (48 schools).

The breakdown of how middle schools did across the state is as follows: One-star schools index score of zero and less than 29 (20 schools); two-star schools have index score of greater than 29 and less than 50 (43 schools); three-star schools index score of greater than 50 and less than 70 (38 schools); four-star schools an index score of greater than 70 and less than 80 (17 schools); five-star schools index score of greater than 80 and less than 102 (22 schools).

Among the criteria that needs to be met before high schools receive star ratings is the College and Career Ready index still needs to be fully developed.