District endorses pitch to state for multiple paths to graduation — ACT, WorkKeys, ASVAB
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Summary
Trustees unanimously agreed to back a district proposal asking state education leaders to allow multiple assessment options for high‑school graduation (ACT, ACT WorkKeys, ASVAB), and to seek broader NASB support before presenting to the State Board of Education.
A proposal from Dayton High School principal Julie Bubgartner and Board President Tom Hendricks to pursue flexible high‑school graduation assessments won unanimous board support on Dec. 12.
Bubgartner described a pilot at Dayton that used ACT WorkKeys and said some students bought into that assessment more readily than the ACT. She and President Hendricks urged the board to seek statewide action so students could choose an assessment aligned to their career paths — for example, ACT for college preparatory students, ACT WorkKeys for CTE pathways, or the ASVAB for students pursuing military or technical routes. Bubgartner cited examples of other states that have completed crosswalk work to compare scores across tests.
Trustees recommended bringing the idea to the Nevada Association of School Boards (NASB) president’s council to build broader district support before submitting a formal presentation to the Nevada Department of Education and the State Board of Education. Trustee Farr urged a coordinated NASB approach, noting that broad district backing would give the proposal more influence at the state level.
Trustees emphasized that the board’s action was to support pursuit of the policy change and outreach — it does not change local graduation requirements unilaterally. The district will seek NASB backing and prepare materials for the state as next steps.
What happens next: district leaders plan outreach to NASB and the Nevada Department of Education to explore crosswalks and the feasibility of multiple assessment pathways for graduation.