Existing law prescribes the duties of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. (NRS 385.175) Section 1 of this bill requires the Superintendent to develop a strategic plan for the recruitment of teachers and other licensed educational personnel and establishes requirements for the contents of the strategic plan. Existing law: (1) creates the Commission on Professional Standards in Education to prescribe qualifications for the licensure of teachers and other educational personnel; and (2) provides that the Commission consists of 11 members who are appointed by the Governor, including a person who has expertise and experience in the operation of a business. (NRS 391.011, 391.019) Section 1.5 of this bill: (1) removes the member who has expertise and experience in the operation of a business; and (2) adds three additional members, including the dean of the School of Education at Nevada State College or the dean representing the Teacher Education Program at Great Basin College, as well as two human resources professionals from school districts of different enrollment sizes. Section 1.8 of this bill makes a conforming change to refer to provisions that have been renumbered by this bill. Existing law requires the Commission to adopt regulations prescribing the qualifications for licensing teachers and other educational personnel, including regulations governing examinations for the initial licensing of teachers and other educational personnel and the procedures for the issuance and renewal of those licenses. (NRS 391.019, 391.021) Section 3 of this bill requires the Commission to adopt regulations that authorize an applicant to be exempt from any requirement to pass a competency test in basic reading, writing and mathematics prescribed by the Commission if the applicant completes a course of study approved by the Department of Education with a grade of B or better in each subject area of the competency test that the applicant previously did not pass. Existing law requires the Commission to adopt regulations prescribing course work on parental involvement and family engagement and multicultural education. (NRS 391.019, 391.0347) Sections 2 and 4.5 of this bill require the Commission to establish standards for professional development training which may be used to satisfy such course work requirements. Section 6 of this bill requires a school district and the governing body of a charter school to provide professional development training on: (1) parental involvement and family engagement in accordance with the standards adopted by the Commission; and (2) multicultural education in accordance with the standards adopted by the Commission. Section 6 requires that such training be provided at no cost to the employee. Section 7 of this bill makes a conforming change to indicate the proper placement of section 6 in the Nevada Revised Statutes. Existing law requires the Commission to adopt regulations which provide for the issuance of provisional licenses to teachers and other educational personnel before completion of all courses of study or other requirements for a license in this State. (NRS 391.032) Section 4 of this bill requires the Commission to adopt regulations that require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a provisional license to teach if a person has graduated with a bachelor's or higher degree and is awaiting conferment of the degree and is otherwise qualified for a license. Existing law requires the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada to establish a program of student teaching and practicum which allows students to be assigned to a school district as student teachers, counselors or trainees in a library. (NRS 396.519) Existing law authorizes school districts to enter into agreements with certain institutions of higher education for the assignment of students to schools as student teachers, counselors or trainees in a library. (NRS 391.095) Section 5 of this bill authorizes: (1) a governing body of a charter school or university school for profoundly gifted pupils to similarly enter into agreements; and (2) a school district or governing body of a charter school or university school for profoundly gifted pupils to compensate a student who is assigned within the school district for training purposes as a student teacher, counselor, student social worker or trainee in a library. Existing law requires that pupil growth account for 15 percent of the evaluation of a teacher or administrator who provides direct instructional services to pupils. (NRS 391.465) Section 5.3 of this bill eliminates this requirement. Sections 5.1 and 5.5 of this bill make conforming changes to eliminate references to this requirement. Existing law: (1) requires the State Board of Education to annually review the statewide performance evaluation system to ensure accuracy and reliability; and (2) sets forth certain items which are required to be analyzed in such a review. (NRS 391.485) Section 5.7 of this bill: (1) eliminates from that analysis certain data used to evaluate pupil growth; and (2) eliminates a requirement that the Department of Education, in reviewing the manner in which the statewide performance evaluation is carried out by each school district, include a review of the manner in which learning goals for pupils are established and evaluated. Existing law requires each postprobationary teacher to receive certain evaluations that are based upon a certain number of observation cycles of that teacher. (NRS 391.690) Section 5.9 of this bill revises the circumstances under which a postprobationary teacher is required to, and may request to, be evaluated. Section 5.9 also prohibits an administrator from: (1) directly or indirectly requiring such a teacher to participate in an observation cycle or receive an evaluation; or (2) conducting an observation cycle or evaluation of such a teacher without the consent of that teacher under certain circumstances. Section 11 of this bill makes these provisions retroactively applicable to include evaluations received for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years. Section 10.1 of this bill makes an appropriation to the Department of Education for: (1) certain costs relating to an interim study concerning the Praxis II and pedagogy examinations required by section 10.3 of this act; and (2) other personnel and legal costs to carry out the provisions of this bill. Section 13 of this bill repeals provisions requiring: (1) the development of learning goals for pupils; (2) the establishment of assessments to measure pupil growth; and (3) the evaluation of certain teachers and administrators to determine the extent to which learning goals were achieved.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 385.175, 391.019, 391.021, 391.032, 391.095, 391A.345
Reprint 1: 385.175, 391.019, 391.021, 391.032, 391.0347, 391.095, 391A.345
Reprint 2: 385.175, 391.011, 391.017, 391.019, 391.021, 391.032, 391.0347, 391.095, 391.460, 391.465, 391.470, 391.485, 391.690, 391A.345, 391.480
BDR: 385.175, 391.019, 391.021, 391.032, 391.095, 391A.345