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SPCSA adopts K–3 academic framework to rate early‑childhood charter schools
Summary
The State Public Charter School Authority approved a revision to its academic performance framework to produce ratings for schools that serve only kindergarten through grade 3, using K-entry and Read by Grade 3 data when standard NSPF ratings are unavailable.
The State Public Charter School Authority voted unanimously to add a K–3 academic framework allowing the authority to rate charter schools that serve only early‑childhood grades and therefore do not receive Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) star ratings.
The new K–3 framework uses kindergarten entry assessment measures and Read by Grade 3 proficiency and growth, compared to SPCSA schools in the school's ZIP code, along with the existing chronic absenteeism and mission‑specific indicators. SPCSA staff said the change is intended to give the authority evaluative data for authorizing decisions when NSPF data are not available.
Why it matters: Nevada’s NSPF relies on state assessments in grades 3–8. Schools that operate only in kindergarten through grade 3 lack the state assessment data the NSPF uses, which until now left those schools without an SPCSA academic rating. SPCSA staff and presenters said the K–3 addendum will provide comparable academic information for contract, renewal and amendment decisions.
SPCSA staff said they drafted the K–3 framework with input from charter leaders and the Nevada Department of Education Office of Early Learning and Development. The framework described by staff includes: - A kindergarten entry assessment indicator composed of up to 11 measures (each worth up to 4 points) capturing percent of kindergarten students meeting or exceeding expectations on a spring checkpoint of the Nevada kindergarten entry assessment. - A Read by Grade 3 indicator evaluating current‑year proficiency and growth, with growth weighted more heavily than proficiency and with a ZIP‑code comparison to SPCSA schools. - The chronic absenteeism reduction and mission‑specific indicators carried over unchanged from the standard academic framework.
Board discussion noted the proposal was narrowly scoped: it does not change the standard framework for other schools and was presented because one school in the portfolio currently could not receive an NSPF rating. Vice Chair Haddad Bennett asked whether the change had been discussed with NDE and the state accountability group; staff said they had worked with NDE and plan to participate in an NSPF/district accountability working group following the legislative session.
Motion and vote: Member Holmes Sutton moved to approve the revisions as presented; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Next steps: Staff will incorporate the technical manual language attached to the agenda and apply the K–3 framework to eligible SPCSA schools when needed. The authority indicated it will monitor how the addendum operates and coordinate further with NDE as appropriate.
