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Charter schools in Nevada
 in Nevada |
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| Education policy in the U.S. |
| Public education in the U.S. |
| School choice in the U.S. |
| Charter schools in the U.S. |
| Higher education in the U.S. |
| Glossary of education terms |
| Education statistics |
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Charter schools in Nevada are public schools operated independently of public school systems, either by nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Although they are largely publicly funded, charter schools are exempt from many of the requirements imposed by state and local boards of education regarding hiring and curriculum. As public schools, charter schools cannot charge tuition or impose special entrance requirements; students are usually admitted through a lottery process if demand exceeds the number of spaces available in a school. Charter schools generally receive a percentage of the per-pupil funds from the state and local school districts for operational costs based on enrollment. In most states, charter schools do not receive funds for facilities or start-up costs; therefore, they must rely to some extent on private donations. The federal government also provides revenues through special grants. As of March 2017, 44 states and the District of Columbia had approved legislation authorizing the creation of public charter schools. Six states had not.
Background
History
The concept of creating public charter schools as alternatives to traditional public schools was first brought to public attention in the late 1980s by a small group of policymakers and educators. The notion gained traction in the early 1990s, and in 1991 Minnesota became the first state to pass a charter school law.[1]
The National Conference of State Legislatures defines charter schools as follows:[2]
| “ |
Charter schools are publicly funded, privately managed and semi-autonomous schools of choice. They do not charge tuition. They must hold to the same academic accountability measures as traditional schools. They receive public funding similarly to traditional schools. However, they have more freedom over their budgets, staffing, curricula and other operations. In exchange for this freedom, they must deliver academic results and there must be enough community demand for them to remain open.[3] |
” |
| —National Conference of State Legislatures | ||
Across the nation, charter schools have grown in number since the passage of the first public charter school law. As of March 2017, 44 states plus the District of Columbia had enacted charter school laws, and in 2013 it was estimated that 4.6 percent of all public school students attended charter schools. Performance results of charter schools nationally have been mixed, with some performing demonstrably better and others closing because they could not meet required standards.[2][4][5]
The Nevada State Legislature made several changes to the state's charter school law in 2013. One such change gave charter schools the option of incorporating as nonprofit organizations. Among other things, this allows charter schools that become nonprofit corporations to file for certain tax exemptions. The second change eliminated the requirements for charter schools to provide security interests for all properties they owned. Prior to this change, charters had to pay additional fees to maintain these security interests and often contracted with or organized outside nonprofit corporations to manage these properties. The passage of this revision freed the funding that was going to these securities, allowing schools to spend more on other needs. The third major change from the 2013 revision allowed charter schools to take control of their facility spending and gave them the option to work directly with the state to procure bonds to fund construction and maintenance. This eliminated the need for charter schools to work with other institutions when it came time to fund facility work.[6]
Participation
According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 38 total charter schools in Nevada in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 34,000 students. Overall, charter school students accounted for 7.41 percent of total public school enrollment in Nevada in 2015.[7]
| Charter schools, 2015-2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Total number of charter schools | Estimated enrollment | Percentage of total public school enrollment |
| Nevada | 38 | 34,000 | 7.41% |
| Arizona | 535 | 177,600 | 15.90% |
| California | 1,234 | 581,100 | 9.18% |
| Utah | 111 | 64,800 | 10.03% |
| United States total | 6,824 | 2,930,600 | 5.85% |
| Note: The percentages in the column labeled "Percentage of total public school enrollment" were calculated by taking the estimated number of charter school students in a given state and dividing by the total estimated number of public school students in that state in 2015. Total public school enrollment estimates came from the National Center for Education Statistics. Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016 | |||
Demographics
The table below presents information about the race/ethnicity of charter school students in Nevada in the 2013-2014 school year, as reported by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. To facilitate comparison, the same figures are also provided for all public school students.[8][9]
| Enrollments by ethnicity, 2013-2014 (as percentages) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data sample | White | Black | Hispanic | Asian | Other |
| Charter schools in Nevada | 51.0% | 16.0% | 21.0% | 5.0% | 7.0% |
| Public schools in Nevada | 36.0% | 9.9% | 40.6% | 5.6% | 8.0% |
| Charter schools in the U.S. | 34.9% | 27.1% | 30.0% | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Public schools in the U.S. | 50.3% | 15.6% | 24.8% | 4.8% | 4.4% |
| Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 203.70. Percentage distribution of enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by race/ethnicity and state or jurisdiction: Fall 2003 and fall 2013," accessed June 7, 2016 National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Charter Public School Movement: A State-by-State Analysis," March 2016 | |||||
State law
Authorizers
Charter school authorizers are, according to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), the organizations "designated to approve, monitor, renew, and, if necessary, close charter schools." NASCA has identified six primary types of charter school authorizers:[10]
- Higher education institutions (HEI)
- Independent charter boards (ICB)
- Local education agencies (LEA)
- Non-education government entities (NEG)
- Not-for-profit organizations (NFP)
- State education agencies
The table below lists charter school authorizers in Nevada as of June 2016. Click [show] to expand the table's contents.
| Charter school authorizers in Nevada, June 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Authorizer | Authorizer type |
| Carson City School District | LEA |
| Clark County School District | LEA |
| Nevada State Public Charter School Authority | ICB |
| Washoe County School District | LEA |
| Source: National Association of Charter School Authorizers, "Nevada Authorizers," accessed June 15, 2016 | |
Enrollment regulations
As charter schools are public schools, they are required, by law, to admit any student who wishes to attend. However, charter schools in Nevada may give preference to individuals based on certain criteria. For instance, siblings of a student currently enrolled in a charter school may be permitted enrollment before other students. Preference may also be given to students who reside in the district in which the charter school is located.[11]
According to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, there is one other charter school admissions provision related to race in Nevada law:
| “ | Nevada law also states that If the local school board of the school district in which the charter school is located has established zones of attendance, the charter school must, if practicable, ensure that the racial composition of pupils enrolled in the charter school does not differ by more than 10% from the racial composition of pupils who attend public schools in the zone in which the charter school is located.[11][3] | ” |
Funding
Charter school financing differs from state to state, and even between districts within states. Charter schools in Nevada receive 100 percent of the per-pupil funding provided by the state. Additional funds may be allocated for special education requirements based on the students attending the charter school.[12]
Accountability
Nevada charter schools must provide annual reports to their sponsors, district superintendents, and legislative representatives who then present these reports to Nevada state legislators. These reports must contain information on that school's progress towards the goals set forth in its charter. Additionally, if the charter specifically works to deal with specific demographics, such as at-risk youth, the report must contain reports on those demographics as well.[12]
The law also establishes grounds for charter revocation. These grounds include failure to fulfill terms set forth in the charter, severe financial instability, or demonstration that the health and/or safety of students is not guaranteed by the school. If a charter is revoked, the law does not allow for an appeals process. However, sponsors (also called authorizers) are required to notify a charter that it is being considered for closure/revocation. The sponsor must then inform the school that it has at least 30 days to address the issue(s), or it will be closed. A school may also be closed if it receives the state's lowest possible performance rating for three consecutive years.[12]
At least once every three years, the state must conduct an evaluation of a sponsor's authorizing performance. If the state determines it is not functioning in the best interest of its students, the state my revoke the sponsor's authorizing powers.[13]
Charter school law rankings
In January 2016, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released a report ranking all of the nation's charter school laws. Nevada's law ranked eight out of 43. The organization ranked each state's law by considering what it called "20 essential components of a strong charter school law." The table below compares Nevada's score with that of neighboring states. To access the full report, including methodology, click here.[14]
| Charter school law rankings, January 2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | 2016 ranking | 2015 ranking | Ranking difference | 2016 score | 2015 score | Score difference |
| Nevada | 8 | 14 | 6 | 162 | 150 | 12 |
| Arizona | 10 | 12 | 2 | 154 | 151 | 3 |
| California | 15 | 11 | -4 | 152 | 152 | 0 |
| Utah | 20 | 18 | -2 | 145 | 145 | 0 |
| Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016 | ||||||
Issues
Debate
Proponents of charter schools such as the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools argue that, due to their freedom from some state oversight and regulation, they can adopt more innovative educational approaches. This allows them to cater to their particular higher-risk school age populations, which are generally composed of more minority and poor students. In addition, advocates argue that charter schools empower parents and improve traditional public schools through competition.
Meanwhile, critics such as Diane Ravitch argue that charter schools have not been proven to produce significantly higher levels of academic achievement as promised. It is difficult to find data comparable to traditional public schools. Critics also contend that charter schools divert funds from traditional public schools, which continue to enroll significant majorities of public school students, thereby compounding problems at failing schools and generating unequal outcomes for students.[15]
Funding inequity
In 2014, the University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform released a report identifying disparities between charter school funding and traditional public school funding. Examining 31 states, the researchers considered all sources of charter school funding, including public funds, grants, and philanthropic donations. Researchers found that charter schools received on average 28.4 percent less than traditional public schools. Tennessee's funding disparity was lowest at 0.1 percent, while Louisiana's was highest at 58.4 percent. Nevada was not studied.[16]
Charter school management organizations and other groups
- See also: Charter school management organization
In the 2010-2011 school year, 22 schools in Nevada were freestanding and five operated under education management organizations.[17]
The Office of Charter Schools in Nevada's Department of Education is an agency devoted to authorizing charter schools on a larger scale than any local education agency in the state. This authorizing body seeks to use its resources to better understand and develop more successful authorizing practices.[18]
The Charter School Association of Nevada was founded in 2008 to advocate for the state's charter schools. It works with other education organizations in the state to support more school choice in the state.[19]
Innovation
Charter school proponents argue that charter schools have the freedom to adopt more innovative practices, which in turn lead to improved academic performance. To get a sense of the level of innovation occurring in charter schools, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools surveyed charter schools across the country on the various innovative education practices they employed. In Nevada, an average of 14 percent of charter schools reported using innovative practices in the 2011-2012 school year. The table below displays the prevalence of a variety of innovative practices in Nevada as a percentage of all charter schools in the state. The figures are compared with those in surrounding states.[20]
| Charter schools with innovative practices, in percents (2011-2012) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Extended day | Extended year | Year-round calendar | Independent study | School-to-work | Higher education courses | Average | |
| Nevada | 57% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 0% | 7% | 14% | |
| Arizona | 40% | 15% | 10% | 31% | 13% | 25% | 22% | |
| California | 49% | 24% | 6% | 33% | 7% | 22% | 23% | |
| Utah | 27% | 19% | 4% | 27% | 15% | 31% | 21% | |
| Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014 | ||||||||
Ballot measures and legislation
Ballot measures
- See also: School choice on the ballot and List of Nevada ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked no statewide ballot measures relating to school choice in Nevada.
Legislation
The following is a list of recent charter school bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Nevada state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
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Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Nevada charter school. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Charter schools
- Charter school statistics for all 50 states
- School choice
- Public education in Nevada
- School choice in Nevada
- Nevada Department of Education
- Charter school management organization
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Public School Review, "What is a Charter School?" accessed October 2, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Charter School Finance," accessed October 9, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Center for Research on Education Outcomes, "National Charter School Study," accessed October 9, 2014
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Total Number of Students," accessed October 9, 2014
- ↑ Drinkwater Law Offices, "Changes to charter school law," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 203.70. Percentage distribution of enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by race/ethnicity and state or jurisdiction: Fall 2003 and fall 2013," accessed June 7, 2016
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Charter Public School Movement: A State-by-State Analysis," March 2016
- ↑ National Association of Charter School Authorizers, "Types of Authorizers," accessed June 6, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Clear student recruitment, enrollment, and lottery procedures," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Education Commission of the States, "State profile - Missouri," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring up: Nevada," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016
- ↑ The New York Review of Books, "The Myth of Charter Schools," November 11, 2010
- ↑ University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, "Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands," accessed October 22, 2014
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014
- ↑ National Association of Charter School Authorizers, "The fund at work - Nevada Department of Education," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ Charter School Association of Nevada, "About us," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014
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