Nevada schools failing 'No Child'

CARSON CITY - Thirty-seven percent of Nevada schools failed to meet federal "No Child Left Behind Act" progress standards last school year, according to a report to state school administrators.

The finding that 210 of 567 Nevada public schools did not measure up was an improvement from 2002-2003, when 42 percent of schools in the state fell short, according to a draft improvement plan presented Saturday to the state Board of Education.

Gloria Dopf, deputy superintendent of public instruction, said a final plan with suggestions for improvement will be presented to the state board Dec. 4.

The draft said 122 of the 210 schools were on the list for a second year in a row, putting them in the "in need of improvement" category.

Under the No Child Left Behind law, parents are allowed to transfer children out of those schools.

Nine of the state's 17 school districts, including Clark County, have also been identified as in need of improvement. No school district received exemplary or high achievement designations.

Because annual achievement goals will increase, the report said more than 200 schools will likely be placed in the "in need of improvement" category this school year, and more than 300 schools after 2005-2006, when the standards go up again.

A 63 percent high school graduation rate for 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 put Nevada 39th among the 50 states.

The report said Hispanics and blacks had the lowest graduation percentages, at about 48 percent. Girls graduated at a 67 percent rate, compared with 61 percent of boys.

The report said 5,590 Nevada students took the American College Test and received an average score of 21.3, compared with the national average of 21.

The 5,937 students who took the Scholastic Aptitude Test scored an average of 1,027, one point above the national average.

However, the report said Nevada ranked last among states in the percentage of students going to college, at 27 percent.