Carson High receives four stars in report

When it comes to the finished product, so to speak, the Carson City School District is doing its job according to a report released by the Nevada Department of Education.

Carson High School was rated as a 4-star school in the Nevada School Performance Framework report. The report was released for the first time since 2014.

Schools that receive three and four stars are considered to be meeting expectations while a school that receives five stars is considered to be exceeding expectations.

CHS almost reached the 5-star category of a school that exceeds expectations as it received a score of 79 out of 100. Schools that scored 81 or higher are considered 5-star schools that exceed expectations.

“We’re very proud of Carson High School’s outstanding performance,” Carson City Schools Superintendent Richard Stokes said. “There’s some outstanding work being done there. We were pleased with their effort.”

Stokes, though, stressed the rating CHS received was due to a district and community wide effort.

“We feel fortunate in Carson City to have a supportive board and supportive community,” said Stokes, adding there are “some wonderful community partners. It all comes together in the end for the students.”

But as Stokes said, “there are some ups and downs along the way.”

Schools that receive one or two stars are considered schools that need improvement. While several Carson City elementary schools received two stars, the scores seemed to show students continue to improve as they progress as both Eagle Valley and Carson Middle Schools were considered to be meeting expectations.

Both Carson and Eagle Valley middle schools were rated as 3-star schools.

And it should be noted the framework that goes by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act is more difficult than in the past.

“The standards are more rigorous,” Stokes said. “We have a goal in our district to have all of our schools at a 3 or 4 star rating.”

Seeliger and Fritsch elementary schools were rated as 3-star schools while Bordewich Bray, Mark Twain, Empire and Fremont were all rated as 2-star schools.

Schools are rated in several areas and Stokes said some areas are weighted higher than others. He said the district focuses on the areas each school needs to improve in.

Pioneer High School was rated as just a 1-star school. Stokes, though, said the school is challenged as far as the rankings are concerned because while it operates as a comprehensive high school like CHS it’s also an alternative school that deals with a high-risk population.

Stokes also noted Pioneer’s graduation rate has risen to 81 percent but that with Pioneer, “one or two students can impact a measurement.”

He added “it doesn’t take many students” to cause a “high positive or low impact.”

“That staff and those students are doing a terrific job,” Stokes also said about Pioneer.