Washoe County School District 2018-2019 District ...

Washoe County School District

425 E Ninth Street Reno, NV 89520 Ph: 775-348-0200, Fax: 775-348-0397

Board Members

Katy Simon Holland, President Scott Kelley, Trustee District A Andrew Caudill, Trustee District C Jacqueline Calvert, Trustee District F

Traci Davis, Superintendent Website: washoeschools

Malena Raymond, Vice President Ellen Minetto, Trustee District B Angela Taylor, Trustee District E

2018-2019 District Accountability Report

For more information visit nevadareportcard.

Mission Statement

The Washoe County School District sets out to create an education system where all students achieve academic success, develop personal and civic responsibility, and achieve career and college readiness for the 21st century.

Superintendent's Highlights

Washoe County School District (WCSD) Graduation Rate The District again had the strongest performance ever on the graduation rate. The WCSD has eclipsed the 85% graduation rate marks. This includes a significant narrowing of the achievement gap among all student populations.

WCSD Eliminates its General Fund Budget Deficit and Passes a Balanced Budget The board adopted a goal to eliminate the District's structural deficit within three years. In June, the board accomplished this one full year early when it passed a balanced budget for the General Fund for Fiscal Year 2019-20. This was the district's first balanced budget in 16 years and reflects WCSD's efforts to reduce General Fund costs by over $60 million over the last three years. WCSD is the first school district in the United States to implement priority based budgeting, a national best practice for government budgeting.

WCSD Earns National Recognition for Financial Excellence For the 18th consecutive year, the WCSD has been recognized for responsible fiscal practices by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). The group awarded its Certification of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the WCSD Office of Business & Financial Services in recognition of its award-winning Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2018.

WCSD Applauded for Fiscal Responsibility: Annual Independent Audit Shows Excellent Outcomes WCSD's external auditors, Eide Bailly LLC, praised the District for achieving the highest level of assurance during its annual audit for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2018. In issuing its opinion, Eide Bailly LLC identified no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies or findings.

WCSD wins Award of Excellence from ReEnergize Reno The WCSD won an award of excellence from the ReEnergize Reno project for its energy and water retrofit projects. The District has committed to retrofit all schools in the district with LED lighting, heating ventilation and air conditioning controls in the mobile units, and interior/exterior water conservation efforts. The District completed the first third of the schools and is currently working on the second third. Upon completion of all facilities, the District will have reduced energy use by 14%, water use by 20%, and utility costs by 27%.

WCSD New School Construction Projects WCSD Capital Projects is finalizing the construction of three new schools. Desert Skies Middle School, Sky Ranch Middle School, and Nick Poulakidas Elementary School will open for students on August 12, 2019. Construction has also started at Marce Herz Middle School and John Bohach Elementary School that were bid in early 2019 and are anticipated to be opened for school in August 2020.

Nevada Shows Solid Growth In Year-Over-Year Smarter Balanced Math Assessment Results All Nevada third through eighth grades improved their Smarter Balanced math assessment results from last year. Carson, Churchill, Clark, Elko, and Washoe County School Districts demonstrated the most growth in math. The increase in eighth grade math performance is partly attributed to the change in status of the End of Course exams that were taken by many middle schoolers. All grade levels except seventh grade showed an increase in performance on ELA results. Most districts saw improvement in their ELA scores as well with Churchill and Elko showing significant increases in performance over last year. Final complete Smarter Balanced data is available at .

Middle School Science Performance Improves By 5.4 Percentage Points

Website:nevadareportcard.

Page 1 of 76

2018-2019 District Accountability Report

Nevada eighth grade students showed a 5.4 percentage point improvement on the 2017-18 science assessment over last year. All Nevada students in grades 5, 8, and 10 must participate in the science assessments and results is included in the Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) Washoe County middle schools lead the state in 2017-18 science performance at 47.6 percent proficiency. This rate represents a 5 percentage point increase over the prior year.

Roy Gomm Elementary School and Mt. Rose K-8 School of Languages Named National Blue Ribbon Schools The U.S. Department of Education has designated Roy Gomm Elementary School and Mt. Rose K-8 School of Languages as National Blue Ribbon Schools, based upon their students' overall academic performance. This national honor recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools whose students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students' level of achievement. The National Blue Ribbon Schools award program honored Roy Gomm Elementary School and Mt. Rose K-8 School of Languages in the "Exemplary School Performance Category." One other school in Nevada--John & Judy Goolsby Elementary School in Clark County--was similarly recognized. All three schools were nominated by the Nevada Department of Education. In its 36-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this award on more than 8,800 schools. On November 7 and 8, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education celebrated with all honorees at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Dolan Auto Group to Presented $10,000 to Class Project Winner For this year's $60,000 Dolan Class Project, 10 classrooms received $5,000 each based on votes from teachers who submitted a classroom project. One classroom, the third-grade class at Sarah Winnemucca Elementary School, received $10,000 as the top vote-getter in the community-wide online voting.Ryan Dolan, Dolan Auto Group CEO, formed the Dolan Class Project back in 2011. This simple project transformed into a huge community partnership which strives to support schools and local organizations. This year, all students, teachers or administrators needed to do was submit a short video explaining how they would use the funds to improve their classroom or school.

WCSD Superintendent Traci Davis Receives "Courageous Leadership Award" from Big Picture Learning WCSD Superintendent Traci Davis was awarded the annual Courageous Leadership Award from Big Picture Learning. The award recognizes educators who exemplify "the fighting spirit necessary to bring about a re-imagined system of education."Superintendent Davis received the award during Big Picture's annual Leadership Conference in Reno, which has drawn more than 200 progressive school leaders from across the country and around the world. The conference brings together school and district leaders of its national network to share best practices in meeting the needs of students. Innovations High School in Reno is the only Big Picture Learning school in Nevada. For almost 25 years, Big Picture Learning has worked to put scholars at the center of their own learning, encouraging them to identify their interests and personalize their learning experiences. Each scholar is part of a small learning community of 15 scholars called an advisory, led by an adviser--a teacher who works closely with the group to form personalized relationships with each scholar.In the past five years, Innovations High School's graduation rate has risen from the low teens to 70 percent in 2018.Hundreds of Big Picture network schools in the United States and around the world work together and in their communities to reimagine and reshape education.

WCSD Superintendent Traci Davis Receives Prestigious National Award for Excellence Superintendents Association (AASA) awarded WCSD Superintendent Traci Davis the Dr. Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award for 2019. This prestigious honor is given to national leaders who champion equity and excellence in education. Nominees for the Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award must demonstrate courageous leadership in addressing social justice issues among children and adults, share generously of their own knowledge, skills, and resources to promote women and minorities in education, and address equity issues among children. Superintendent Davis has worked throughout her career in Nevada to encourage and empower aspiring leaders in the field of education, and many have achieved their leadership goals.

Education Alliance Awards 2019 Partner in Education PiE Champions The Education Alliance of Washoe honored three organizations for their support and expertise as Partners in Education (PiE). Nominations for the PiE Champion Award were submitted by WCSD educators and community members to recognize outstanding Partners in Education. Following an extensive review, a panel selected recipients based on the years of educational partnership, number of schools supported, level of engagement with students within the school district, and the dollar and in-kind value of support. This year's exceptional PiE Champions selected include NV Energy, Assistance League of Reno-Sparks, and THE ROW. NV Energy has participated as a partner in education since 1992, contributing more than $1.7 million to support educational programs and teachers through its company and charitable foundation. The Assistance League of Reno-Sparks maintains many programs benefitting students and educators including their generous Links to Learning classroom grants for teachers. THE ROW (Eldorado Hotel, Circus Circus Reno, and Silver Legacy Resort) has been a long-time Partner in Education and has given generous donations to their partner schools, including student incentives, event space, food, and teacher recognition, as well as support of the Education Alliance's annual Run for Education.

Education Alliance Grants $2,000 each to 51 WCSD Elementary Schools for Student Health and Wellness through the Kids in Motion Program The Run for Education hosted by the Education Alliance of Washoe County raises funds for elementary school physical education and student wellness and connects more than 8,500 students, families, teachers, business, and community leaders. Run sponsorships, in addition to grants and donations, fund the Kids in Motion program and to date, $1.9 million has been raised to fund health and wellness initiatives. Nearly 4,000 runners participated, 3,000 students from 90 schools, including charters.

Education Alliance Secures $108,397 in financial gifts and in-kind donations valued at $209,070 for Washoe County Schools in SY2018-19 In partnership with University of Nevada, Reno, Truckee Meadows Community College, generous private donors, and Partners in Education throughout the community, Education Alliance facilitated a total of $317,466 in financial and in-kind donations to support student achievement and provide needed educator resources.

Website:nevadareportcard.

Page 2 of 76

2018-2019 District Accountability Report

Education Alliance Celebrates Teachers at the Teachers' Warehouse In collaboration with the WCSD and the Washoe Education Association, Education Alliance secured office and art supplies valued at $50,000 donated by our generous community to stock the Teachers' Warehouse along with week-long discounts at local businesses and raffle prizes for teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week.

Sparks High School Teacher Wins National Award for Exceptional English Language Instruction Dr. T?nde Csepelyi, a Sparks HS teacher who immigrated from Hungary has won the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and National Geographic Learning 2019 TESOL Teacher of the Year award. Dr. T?nde Csepelyi, who was born in Hungary, overcame many obstacles while achieving her goal. She taught at Truckee Meadows Community College, organized the English Language program at RISE Academy for Adult Achievement, and has taught ESOL--English for Speakers of Other Languages--at Sparks High School since 2016.

Ten WCSD Schools Rank Among Nevada's Top 30 High Schools District makes strong showing in U.S. News & World Report rankings A national report issued by U.S. News & World Report ranks 10 Washoe County School District (WCSD) high schools among Nevada's top 30 high schools: Incline High School ranked 9th in the state; Academy of Arts, Careers & Technology (AACT) ranked 10th; Reno High School ranked 11th; Galena High School ranked 13th; McQueen High School ranked 15th; Damonte Ranch High School ranked 20th; Wooster High School ranked 22nd; TMCC High School ranked 23rd; Reed High School ranked 26th; and Spanish Springs High School ranked 27th. The annual U.S. News & World Report examines data on more than 20,500 public high schools in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Rankings are based on the following factors:

College readiness, based on the proportions of 12th-grade students who took and passed Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams College curriculum breadth, based on proportions of 12th-grade students who took and passed AP and/or IB exams in multiple content areas Math and reading proficiency, based on student performance on state-required tests Math and reading performance, based on whether performance on state assessments exceeded expectations given the school's proportion of underserved students Under-served student performance, based on how African American, Hispanic, and low-income students performed on state assessments compared with those who are not under-served in the state Graduation rates, based on the proportion of students who entered ninth grade in 2012-2013 and graduated four years later

WCSD high schools also ranked high in another ranking system this year: the Jay Mathews Challenge Index recognized 17 Nevada schools in its 2019 report, and 10 of those schools are located in WCSD. The Jay Mathews Challenge Index ranks high schools by the number of AP, IB, or Cambridge tests given at the school each year divided by the number of seniors that graduated that year.

Math Facilitator becomes published author Denise Trakas, K-5 Math Program Facilitator in Curriculum & Instruction, contributed to a book published this spring through the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics titled, "Instructional Leadership in Mathematics Education".

Two WCSD Teachers Chosen to Become NASAAirborne Astronomy Ambassadors Two Washoe County School District (WCSD) teachers are among 28 teachers nationwide selected to participate in NASA's Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) program. This is a professional development opportunity for high school science teachers designed to improve science teaching and learning, and increase student engagement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) studies. Mickey Smith, who teaches chemistry and physical science at Wooster High School, and Aaron Shoolroy, who teaches physics at Reno High School, have been selected for the elite, week-long immersion program at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California. They will receive training in astrophysics and planetary science, and will participate in a research flight onboard NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). The teachers chosen for the program represent eight states, and will be provided with lessons to present to their students at school.

Smithridge STEM Academy Designated "Governor's STEM School" School excels in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM Studies) Smithridge STEM Academy in Reno has been designated as a Governor's STEM School by the Nevada Advisory Council on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM Council) and the Governor's Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT). In order to earn this prestigious designation, the school must meet the highest standards of STEM instruction and serve as a model for schools around the state. Smithridge STEM Academy is one of 10 schools in the state that earned the designation, and the only school in the Washoe County School District (WCSD) to receive the award this year. In 2017, Kate Smith Elementary School in Sparks was designated a Governor's STEM School, and in 2018, Lemelson STEM Academy also was awarded the designation.

Brown Elementary School Recognized as Model Professional Learning Community at Work In recognition of its sustained success in raising student achievement, Brown Elementary School has been named a Model Professional Learning Community at Work (PLC) by Solution Tree. The school is among just 200 schools and districts in the U.S. and Canada to achieve this honor in 2019, and is the only school in the state of Nevada to receive the recognition this year.

Highlights in the Department of GATE Programs WCSD's GATE Programs conducted a universal assessment of 2nd and 5th students. The aforementioned procedures provided the opportunity to assess approximately 9,560 students in order to address the equity and diversity in gifted identification. Over 90% of magnet students entered high school on an advanced math and science pathway.

Website:nevadareportcard.

Page 3 of 76

2018-2019 District Accountability Report

54% of the graduating students at the GATE Institute earned an AP Capstone diploma. Collaboration between community members and WCSD yielded approximately 150 students to earn credit for internships this year. The Gifted and Talented Advisory Panel (GTAP), comprised of teachers, administrators, parents of both GT and non-GT students, psychologist, counselor and community members. GTAP members met monthly to focus on assessment and identification for underrepresented students, record keeping systems for student interests, goals, and academic performance, board policies and procedures, and the development of a comprehensive communication procedure in the 2018-19 school year. The Department of GATE presented at the World Gifted Conference on WCSD's gifted programming.

WCSD Honors Employees and Schools of the Year WCSD honored three schools and six District employees for their outstanding work on behalf of the District's 64,000 students and their families. Twelve employee finalists received honorable mentions. The three Schools of the Year are Rollan Melton Elementary School, Pine Middle School, and North Valleys High School. Principals Jeff Batavia (Melton Elementary School), Brad Boudreau (Pine Middle School) and Jeana Curtis (North Valleys High School) accepted awards on behalf of their students and staff members. Staff members and finalists in the Employees of the Year categories are:

School Police: Officer Layfayette Webb (School Police Officer of the Year) Officer Michelle Burrell Sgt. Connie Harper Licensed Administrator: Jonna Aucoin, principal of Lemelson STEM Academy (Licensed Administrator of the Year) Amy Wright, principal of Agnes Risley Elementary School Taylor Harper, principal of Innovations High School Certified Employee: Connie Hall, first grade teacher at Diedrichsen Elementary School (Certified Employee of the Year) Jodie Black, kindergarten teacher at Melton Elementary School Stephanie Mayfield, kindergarten teacher at Veterans STEM Academy Education Support Professional: Janice Comphel, administrative secretary at Melton Elementary School (Education Support Professional of the Year) Gloria Palma, administrative assistant at Innovations High School Judy Shively, administrative assistant at Wooster High School Professional and Technical / School Psychologist: Rick Martin, WCSD Director of Transportation (Professional/Technical Employee of the Year) Brian Moll, school psychologist Kate Schum, Human Resources Manager Guest (Substitute) Teacher: Lana Marazzo (Guest Teacher of the Year) Barbra Jacquez, Guest Teacher Chris Batory, Guest Teacher

Damonte Ranch Senior Wins U.S. Senate Scholarship Jack W. Heinemann, a senior at Damonte Ranch High in Reno, earned a $10,000 2019 U.S. Senate Youth Program (USSYP) scholarship in a statewide competition run through the Nevada Department of Education.

Over 40 students from around the district placed first in state-level career technical student organization (CTSO) competitions Students traveled to national competitions across the country, meeting and competing with peers from around the U.S. and the globe in events organized by the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), and SkillsUSA.

Reno High School Huskies Battalion Celebrates Centennial 100 years of tradition and excellence for JROTC Program The Reno High School Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps (JROTC) Huskie Battalion observed its centennial year. The battalion is one of very few in the nation to have been in existence for 100 years. Reno High School is the District's oldest high school. It opened its doors as a one-room building on First and Virginia streets in 1869 and was moved to its current building on Booth Street in 1951.The JROTC program began at Reno High School in 1919 and has continuously trained students in citizenship, character, student achievement, wellness, leadership, and diversity. There are JROTC programs offered at all 11 comprehensive WCSD high schools, and more than 2,000 students currently participate District-wide.

County School District K-12 Students Showcase Creativity in New Taxi-Tops The EDAWN Foundation and the Washoe County School District (WCSD) announced the ten winning schools in the 5th Annual Taxi-Top Design Competition. Students were asked to create a taxi-top design representing "why the Greater Reno-Sparks region and Northern Nevada is a great place to live, work and play". The three First Place Winning designs will be displayed on Whittlesea taxis for a year. One winner was selected from each category of school; high school, middle school, and elementary. The ten winning designs included students from North Valleys and McQueen High School, Depoali Middle School, Mount Rose K-8 School of Languages and Jesse Hall Elementary Schools.The First Place winning schools were:

North Valleys High School - Meredith SinkA beautifully done design with impressive style and technique that captures our regions spirit and diversity - everything good about our community! Depoali Middle School - Keira A. Fraga A real representation of the breadth of experience to be found in the "New Reno" while beautifully depicting Lake Tahoe! Mount Rose K-8 School of Languages - Cooper Sandoval Dynamic colors host a representation of our regional "Team

Website:nevadareportcard.

Page 4 of 76

2018-2019 District Accountability Report

Spirit" and "Family Fun" community!

Student from Incline High School Wins National Merit Scholarship The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced that a senior from Incline High School has been awarded a collegesponsored scholarship beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. Paul Anthony Larson will receive an annual award ranging from $500 to $2,000 for up to four years of undergraduate study at Arizona State University, which is financing the scholarship. He plans to study aerospace engineering.This year, 173 higher education institutions are underwriting Merit Scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Program. Sponsor colleges and universities include 95 private and 78 public institutions located in 43 states and the District of Columbia.

Four WCSD Students Awarded National Merit Scholarships Four high school seniors from the Washoe County School District (WCSD) have been awarded scholarships for the 2019-2020 school year. The four students were named as finalists in the scholarship competition for their accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. They were chosen from among more than 1.6 million high school juniors in some 22,000 high schools who first entered the competition last fall. Each student will receive $2,500. The students are, Matthew Cornell from Incline High School, Jacob D. Freed from McQueen High School, Yun Seung Kim from Reno High School and Daniel Sorensen from Reno High School.

Performance Outcomes:

WCSD has eclipsed the 85% graduation rate mark for the firsttime in its history. This also includes a significant narrowing of theachievement gap among student populations since 2014. Again this year, nearly half of our graduates earnedadvanced/honors/CCR diplomas. All 11th grade students took the ACT test in 2017-2018 and outperformed the state. WCSD MS students increased 5 percentage points overall in Science from 41% to 46% in 2018. WCSD continues to work toward and has seen a narrowing of the gap between Title I and non-Title I schools in terms of teacher experienceand the percentage of teachers with advanced educational degrees. WCSD continues its efforts around supporting students inadvanced coursework. In fact, students are twice as likely as the rest of Nevada to take AP courses and to pass the national AP exams.

Goals and Objectives

Ensure annual student academic growth through a system of curriculum, instruction, and assessment that is aligned, rigorous, and relevant. Instruction will be designed to meet the needs of every child in our diverse student population. To develop and retain highly effective personnel who are driven to support students and their academic success as well as the success of the District. The Washoe County School District will accomplish this goal through recruitment, selection, professional development, and training. Engage family, staff, Trustees, and community members in strong relationships, provide meaningful opportunities to increase their educational expertise and trust, and share responsibility for student success. Provide and continuously improve operational systems that are effective, efficient, transparent, and accountable by using meaningful structures and processes. Ensure our schools are safe, secure, supportive, and welcoming environments where students and staff are able to succeed academically and professionally at the highest possible levels.

District Communication Efforts

The following was accomplished in family engagement during the 2018-2019 school year in support of the Washoe County School District's (WCSD) strategic plan. The Title I Department, the Department of Family-School Partnerships, the Office of Student Support Services and the Department of Child & Family Services worked in collaboration with the District's Council on Family Engagement (COFE) to implement district-wide initiatives for family engagement that included:

The Department of Child & Family Services partners with families in multiple ways including: providing program wide family events on literacy, math and science, parent workshops on the Nevada Pre-K Standards, the transition between Pre-K and Kindergarten and literacy bags to support learning at home. Children are also provided with books at every event to support literacy. Teachers provide monthly family engagement activities in addition to having a classroom library for parents to check out books to take home. Title I funded and provided supports to Family and Community Engagement (FACE) liaisons hired at each of the district's Title I schools in order to provide families academic support and fulfill the vision of family engagement in ESSA. FACE liaisons worked collaboratively with the 21st Century Team Up after school site coordinators to align family engagement events and activities at their school sites. There were 22 Title I schools in the 18-19 school year that had after school programming. Professional learning on family engagement for support staff, teachers and administrators through district programs such as Teal Tuesdays with Learning Strategists as part of Nevada Kids Read, Social and Emotional Mini-Conferences, Alternative Routes to Licensure and with various departments in WCSD. FACE and high school Family Graduation Advocate (FGA) academic contacts tracked with families in Infinite Campus Student Information System to provide continuous improvement and focus the FACE and FGA positions on supporting families with their child's academic achievement and development. Improved this process so schools can now pull their own reports in the district's data warehouse. Efforts have continued through district funds to support Nevada KIDS Read. This district has provided specific support to numerous schools on family literacy including but not limited to increased the number of schools implementing Academic

Website:nevadareportcard.

Page 5 of 76

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download