Committee hears AB 495 amendment to pause mandatory charter closures and convene review of Nevada School Performance Framework

Assemblymember Selena Torres Faucett presented Assembly Bill 495 as amended, a proposal to revise the statewide accountability system for public schools and create temporary flexibility for public charter schools rated one star under the Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF).

Why this matters: Sponsors said the NSPF’s current scoring can penalize schools that demonstrate measurable student growth but still fall below proficiency thresholds. The amendment seeks to (1) convene an advisory group to review and recommend changes to the NSPF and (2) give charter sponsors discretion to delay mandatory termination for certain one‑star charter schools that meet objective growth criteria for up to two academic years while the framework is reviewed and revised.

What the amendment would do:

- Advisory group and review: The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) would convene an advisory group including educators, NDE representatives, students, parents and education association representatives to inform creation of a revised NSPF. NDE would contract with an entity or individual with subject‑matter expertise in accountability for a cost not to exceed $250,000 per year of the biennium.

- Temporary waiver for charter closure: A public charter school classified as a one‑star school could be allowed to continue operating for up to two academic years if the school meets objective benchmarks showing growth. Sponsors would not be required to terminate charters that meet the growth criteria.

- Growth thresholds described in the amendment: For elementary or high schools, the amendment uses a baseline of 22 index points (the top quartile of one‑star schools) or higher; for middle schools the analogous number cited was 24 points. Schools scoring below those cut scores but showing a 23 percent increase in the NSPF index from the prior reporting period could also be allowed to continue for the temporary period.

- Sunset and implementation: Language in the amendment contemplates a sunset/transition tied to the new NSPF implementation, with target implementation around October 2027 (the amendment references 10/01/2027 as the date tied to when the reviewed framework would be in place).

Public testimony: Supporters included charter operators, principals and advocacy organizations. The Charter School Association of Nevada and several charter principals testified in support, saying the amendment would preserve schools showing growth and prevent disruptive closures for students. Several Title I and small charter leaders described how small sample sizes and high transiency produce volatile NSPF results and urged the committee for temporary relief while the review proceeds.

NDE in neutral: Peter Zutz, Office of Assessment Data and Accountability Management at the Nevada Department of Education, testified in neutral and explained how the NSPF aggregates measures and rolls points up into a 100‑point index at each school level; he confirmed the framework emphasizes both achievement and growth and described the framework’s development and its alignment with federal ESSA requirements.

What the committee did: This was a hearing; no formal committee vote was recorded on the amended measure during the session excerpted here. The testimony established a record of support and concerns and requested further technical details and follow‑up from NDE as the advisory group and rulemaking work move forward.

Provenance: The presentation of AB 495 and the subsequent testimony appear in the transcript section where the committee opened the hearing on AB 495 and heard multiple supporters and neutral witnesses.