In Nevada, Proficiency Rates Are NOT Used to Determine Graduation Rates
Overall, less than 50 percent of students are literate, yet over 80 percent are graduating
By Megan Barth, October 1, 2024 11:54 am
Last month, The Globe reported that only 20 percent of high school students are proficient in math. Overall, less than 50 percent of Nevada students are proficient in math and English. Yet, the state reports over 80 percent graduation rates. How is this possible?
We asked the Nevada Department of Education (NV DOE) to explain this anomaly and their answer, if grades matter anymore, receives an F-.
In an email exchange, I asked the NV DOE’s Public Information Officer:
Upon reviewing the latest report card published by the DOE yesterday, I am seeking clarification on a data point. I will be including your comment in an article.
According to the data, less than 20 percent of high school students are proficient in math and less than 50 percent are proficient in English. Overall, less than 50 percent of students are proficient in math and English.
With these numbers, how is it that the graduation rate exceeds 80 percent?
What metrics are included in these graduation rates that are beyond the proficiencies of the core subjects outlined in this report?
The response I received is attributable to the Nevada Department of Education:
Students are required to participate in the high school assessment for English Language Arts (ELA) and math as a graduation requirement. They are not required to attain a minimum level of performance. Proficiency levels on both assessments are not used to calculate the graduation rate. (emphasis added)
For information about how the graduation rate is calculated, please visit: https://nevadareportcard.nv.gov/DI/MoreDownload?filename=Adjusted%20Cohort%20Graduation%20Rate%20Data%20Validations%20Guidance.pdf
Why are students mandated to take proficiency tests as a graduation requirement if proficiency (literacy) is not a requirement for graduation? What is the requirement for graduation? Having a pulse?
The link provided by the NV DOE is a 22-page instruction manual on how to determine graduation rates. If anyone attempts to follow the instructions to generate a report, well, don’t bother.
Since I am not a statistician, I contacted a source within the Clark County School District (CCSD) to decipher the 22-page document (see below).
Their response: “This was extremely hard to navigate even for me. I gave up. Because for every search screen inquiry, you had to start all over to look for something else. Every time I have tried to run a report, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.”
According to our source, requesting reports from CCSD is met with resistance and obfuscation. CCSD is also having trouble with math (and reports) as they face a massive budget shortfall despite record funding.
Editor’s note: I have, again, reached out to the NV DOE for a detailed report on graduation rates and will update our readers with their response.
Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate Data Validations Guidance
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I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for a explanation of graduation requirements because there are probably aren’t any. Just try and deal with one of these dopes who thinks they’re geniuses because they have been told that there whole life.
A quick search of the NV DOE website reveals a clear explanation of graduation requirements:
https://webapp-strapi-paas-prod-nde-001.azurewebsites.net/uploads/24_25_diploma_requirements_one_pager_7d76501bd0.pdf
It’s worth noting that graduation rates and proficiency rates were much closer when students were required to pass the Nevada High School Proficiency Exams prior to the Common Core era. The shift to requiring students to merely participate in the ACT brings with it a number of concerns, including whether a college entrance exam is the best measure of every high school student’s proficiency, especially given the ACT hasn’t been shown to clearly align with Nevada Academic Content Standards.