The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) has developed a framework to measure individual school performance in important educational areas. The Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) was developed to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to “meaningfully differentiate” schools based on the following performance indicators:
- Academic Achievement
- English Language Proficiency
- Student Growth (Elementary & Middle School)
- Closing Opportunity Gaps (Elementary & Middle School)
- Student Engagement
- Graduation Rate (High School)
- College and Career Readiness (High School)
Each performance indicator is comprised of various measures.
Each school year, the NDE will release a star rating for each school based on an index score. Each performance indicator has a point value. Schools will earn points on each indicator based on their performance, and schools can earn between 0 and 100 points on the NSPF School Rating Report. Refer to the Point Attribution Tables for information on how schools earn points.
- Elementary School Point Attribution Tables
- Middle School Point Attribution Tables
- High School Point Attribution Tables
The index score is determined by dividing the number of points earned by the number of points possible for each school and multiplying by 100.
A school’s star rating is determined by the total index score earned.
What does a star rating mean?
Elementary & Middle Schools
| Star Rating | Descriptor |
|---|---|
| 5 | Recognizes a superior school that exceeds expectations for all students and subgroups on every indicator category with little or no exception. A five-star school demonstrates superior academic performance and growth with no opportunity gaps. The school does not fail to meet expectations for any group on any indicator. These schools are recognized for distinguished performance. |
| 4 | Recognizes a commendable school that has performed well for all students and subgroups. A four-star school demonstrates satisfactory to strong academic performance for all students. Further, the school is successfully promoting academic progress for all student groups as reflected in closing opportunity gaps. The school does not fail to meet expectations for any group on any indicator. Schools identified for targeted support and improvement are not eligible to be classified as four-star school or higher. |
| 3 | Identifies an adequate school that has met the state’s standard for performance. The all-students group has met expectations for academic achievement or growth. Subgroups meet expectations for academic achievement or growth with little exception; however, no group is far below standard. The school must submit an improvement plan that identifies supports tailored to subgroups and indicators that are below standard. Schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement are not eligible to be classified as a three-star school or higher. Schools identified for targeted support and improvement are eligible to be classified as three-star schools. |
| 2 | Identifies a school that has partially met the state’s standard for performance. Students and subgroups often meet expectations for academic performance or growth but may have multiple areas that require improvement. Areas requiring significant improvement are uncommon. The school must submit an improvement plan that identifies supports tailored to subgroups and indicators that are below standard. A two-star school in consecutive years is subject to state intervention. Schools identified for targeted support and improvement or comprehensive support and improvement are eligible to be classified as two-star schools. |
| 1 | Identifies a school that has not met the state’s standard for performance. Students and subgroups are inconsistent in achieving performance standards. A one-star school has multiple areas that require improvement including an urgent need to address areas that are significantly below standard. The school must submit an improvement plan that identifies supports tailored to subgroups and indicators that are below standard. The school is subject to state inventions. |
High Schools
| Star Rating | Descriptor |
|---|---|
| 5 | Recognizes a superior school that exceeds expectations for all students and subgroups on every indicator category with little or no exception. A five-star school demonstrates superior academic performance and a superior graduation rate. The school does not fail to meet expectations for any group on any indicator. These schools are recognized for distinguished performance. |
| 4 | Recognizes a commendable school that has performed well for all students and subgroups. A four-star school demonstrates satisfactory to strong academic performance for all students. Further, the school’s graduation rate meets expectations. The school does not fail to meet expectations for any group on any indicator. Schools identified for targeted support and improvement are not eligible to be classified as four-star school or higher. |
| 3 | Identifies an adequate school that has met the state’s standard for performance. The all-students group has met expectations for academic achievement. Subgroups meet expectations for academic achievement or show progress with little exception; however, no group is far below standard. The school must submit an improvement plan that identifies supports tailored to subgroups and indicators that are below standard. Schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement are not eligible to be classified as a three-star school or higher. Schools identified for targeted support and improvement are eligible to be classified as three-star schools. |
| 2 | Identifies a school that has partially met the state’s standard for performance. Students and subgroups often meet expectations for academic performance but may have multiple areas that require improvement. Areas requiring significant improvement are uncommon. The school must submit an improvement plan that identifies supports tailored to subgroups and indicators that are below standard. A two-star school in consecutive years is subject to state intervention. Schools identified for targeted support and improvement or comprehensive support and improvement are eligible to be classified as two-star schools |
| 1 | Identifies a school that has not met the state’s standard for performance. Students and subgroups are inconsistent in achieving performance standards. A one-star school has multiple areas that require improvement including an urgent need to address areas that are significantly below standard. The school must submit an improvement plan that identifies supports tailored to subgroups and indicators that are below standard. The school is subject to state inventions. |
2017-2018 School Year
For the 2017-2018 School Year, the NDE released star ratings on September 14, 2018, for all schools.
Changes to the framework:
The following changes were implemented for the 2017-2018 Nevada School Performance Framework:
- High schools were included in star ratings.
- The End-of-Course exam was removed from the Academic Achievement performance indicator for high schools and middle schools.
- ACT replaced the End-of-Course exam as the assessment used to measure Academic Achievement.
- Chronic Absenteeism is now measured by identifying students with 10% or more days absent of the days enrolled at the student’s last school of record. Students enrolled for 10 or more school days were included in the calculation.
- College & Career Readiness measures were changed for high schools. The performance indicator now measures the percentage of students participating in a post-secondary preparedness program, the percentage of students completing a post-secondary preparedness program, and the percentage of students earning an Advanced Diploma. The population measured for College & Career Readiness is comprised of Grade-12 students in the class of 2018 only.
- Grade-10 Credit Sufficiency was removed from the high school framework.
- Grade-9 Credit Sufficiency was moved to the Student Engagement performance indicator.
- The Academic Learning Plans measure was removed from the high school framework.
- The Nevada Science Assessment was added to the Academic Achievement performance indicator at all levels.
To access the 2017-2018 NSPF School Rating Reports, visit the Nevada Report Card website.