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Interim superintendent says cyber recovery complete, highlights federal grant draws, NSPF gains and upcoming regulatory work
Summary
Interim State Superintendent Steve Canavero told the Nevada State Board of Education that the department has restored user-facing services after a cyber incident, and that earlier planning limited disruption from a planned state accounting transition and the federal government shutdown.
Interim State Superintendent Steve Canavero told the board Wednesday that Nevada’s Department of Education has largely recovered user-facing systems after a recent cyber incident and that districts should see limited interruption to services.
“From the user or the client aspect … it's likely that you're seeing limited to no interruption,” Canavero said, thanking the governor’s Office for Technology and department staff for the “tremendous lift.”
Canavero said the state and the department were entering a planned two-week transition for statewide accounting and payroll systems beginning Oct. 6; the department worked with districts and grantees to process reimbursements in advance of the transition. That planning, he said, reduced potential disruption created by the federal government shutdown. "We received our formal notices of our grant awards from the federal government, title 1, IDEA, etc.," he said, and the department can request draws for federal programs even during the shutdown. He cautioned longer shutdowns could change that outlook.
Canavero highlighted results released Sept. 15 from the Nevada School Performance Framework. "We're seeing increases in English language arts and mathematics in the elementary school 3 through 8. We're seeing increases in achievement in science. We're seeing increases in achievement in the ACT, and we're seeing, higher graduation rates, lower chronic absenteeism rates," he said, calling the across-the-board gains "new terrain" in his experience.
On legislative implementation, the interim superintendent described the department's use of guidance memorandums and stakeholder workgroups. He said the department has posted about ten guidance memoranda—ranging from school calendar requirements to open-enrollment rules under Assembly Bill 533—and will host regulatory workshops starting Oct. 20 to implement legislative changes. "So you will start to see those regulations in late winter, early spring as the hearings come through," Canavero said.
Canavero thanked Interim Deputy Superintendent Lisa Ford for filling multiple roles during the transition and noted the incoming superintendent, Dr. Victor Wakefield, will begin Oct. 27.
Board members asked procedural questions about membership and public access to a metrics subcommittee for accountability design; Canavero said the group's meetings will be public and that Vice President Hughes will serve on the group as the state board's representative.
Canavero said the department is recruiting members for a district performance framework working group and plans monthly meetings from November through June to produce recommendations on the Nevada School Performance Framework.
