Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt regulations that provide a uniform grading scale for all public high schools, including, without limitation, a grading scale for dual credit courses, international baccalaureate courses, advanced placement courses and honors courses. (NRS 389.007) Section 2 of this bill provides that the teacher who provides instruction to a pupil, regardless of the grade in which the pupil is enrolled, maintains sole discretion over: (1) the assignment of a grade to the pupil; and (2) the determination of any components or weights used in calculating the grade assigned to a pupil. Section 2 provides that a person or entity, including, without limitation, the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, the board of trustees of a school district, an administrator or a teacher other than the instructor of the course, is prohibited from interfering with the professional judgment of a teacher in assigning a grade to a pupil. Section 2 further: (1) prohibits any such person or entity from adopting a regulation, policy or other directive that interferes with the professional judgment of a teacher in assigning a grade to a pupil; and (2) voids and makes unenforceable any regulation, policy or other directive that interferes with the professional judgment of a teacher in assigning a grade to a pupil. Section 4 of this bill makes a conforming change by removing the authority of a public high school to determine how the results of the examination for civics will affect the grade of a pupil in the course in which the examination is administered. (NRS 389.009) Section 3 of this bill provides that an administrator or a parent or legal guardian of a pupil is guilty of a misdemeanor if he or she intimidates, threatens, coerces or harasses a teacher with the intent to interfere with or compel the teacher to alter any grade assigned to the pupil or the components or weights used to calculate such a grade. Section 3 provides that an administrator is guilty of a misdemeanor if he or she disciplines or retaliates against a teacher for: (1) the grade assigned to a pupil; or (2) the refusal of the teacher to alter such a grade or the components or weights used to calculate such a grade. Existing law: (1) requires each teacher and each administrator who provides direct instructional services to pupils at a school to develop learning goals for his or her pupils; (2) provides that pupil growth may be determined by the extent to which the learning goals of a pupil are achieved; and (3) requires such learning goals and pupil growth to be included in the evaluations of such teachers and administrators. (NRS 391.480) Section 9 of this bill repeals those provisions. Sections 5-8 of this bill make conforming changes to remove other references to learning goals and pupil growth in existing law.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 389.009, 391.460, 391.465, 391.470, 391.485, 391.480
BDR: 389.009, 391.460, 391.465, 391.470, 391.485, 391.480