Washoe-led bill would let districts choose reading assessments to reduce double-testing

Assembly Bill 386, presented March 16 to the Nevada Assembly Committee on Education, would let local school districts submit plans to the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) to use district-selected literacy assessments in place of the state-selected test, provided districts demonstrate comparability and meet regulatory standards. Proponents said the change is intended to reduce repeat testing that consumes classroom instructional time.

Dylan Shaver, representing the Washoe County School District, told the committee the measure — described to members as the Education Assessment Choice Act — would “reclaim some of that instructional time” by allowing districts to choose assessments that better meet local needs rather than having students repeatedly take multiple interim tests with overlapping functions.

The bill would permit districts to submit district-specific assessment plans; NDE would retain authority to set standards by regulation and to offer a common statewide assessment. Dr. Laura Davidson, director of research and evaluation for Washoe County School District, said Washoe adopted i‑Ready in 2023 after concluding a prior interim assessment, MAP, did not meet local needs for reading instruction. Davidson said interim tools like i‑Ready are intended to guide classroom instruction, while Smarter Balanced and other summative assessments support cross-district comparisons.

“Assessment is best used in the classroom to guide instructional decision making,” Davidson said. She told the committee that linking or equating different assessments is a common and technically feasible practice that can preserve statewide comparability without double-testing students.

NDE staff confirmed there are practical limits to implementation. Peter Zutz, who oversees the department’s Office of Assessment, Data and Accountability Management, told the committee that procuring an assessment under the state process — from issuing an RFP to contract execution — typically takes about six and a half months. He also confirmed that the current statewide contract for MAP growth to meet the Read by Grade 3 law is managed and paid for by the state.

Teachers and local educator groups testified in favor. Angie Joy, a first‑grade teacher at Mountain View Elementary, said some assessment programs are easier for students and teachers to use and provide actionable skill‑level breakdowns for instruction. Erica Jackson, a 27‑year K‑5 educator in Clark County, urged support and said the bill would allow districts and charter schools “to choose from at least two state‑approved valid and reliable literacy assessments.” Tom Clark of the Nevada Association of School Boards also voiced support, saying districts should be able to select tools that match local circumstances.

Committee members asked how long regulatory and procurement steps would take and whether the bill would meaningfully reduce testing time in the next school year. Zutz’s six‑and‑a‑half‑month procurement timeline prompted members to discuss whether regulatory deadlines or expedited processes should be built into implementation plans. Dr. Davidson said districts would need to demonstrate evidence of reliability and validity, typically with vendor support to equate scores across measures.

The bill’s sponsors and supporters emphasized the distinction between statewide accountability and classroom‑level interim assessment use. They said the proposal preserves the department’s ability to set comparability standards while giving districts flexibility to choose assessments that produce more usable instructional information and reduce unnecessary repetition.

No formal committee vote on AB386 was recorded in the transcript of the March 16 hearing. The hearing record shows lawmakers pressed for regulatory timing details and said they would continue deliberations in subsequent committee work sessions.