150 STUDENTS SET TO GRADUATE; TWO POSITIONS LOST IN STAFF REDUCTIONS

The Virgin Valley High School received a Four-Star rating from the Clark County School District under the School Performance Framework that measures how much students improve in academic performance over time.

Under the new performance measurements, school can earn from one to five stars based on points earned under the SPF. VVHS slipped into the four-star category, earning 65 points overall.

"We're excited about it," VVHS Principal Clifford Hughes said. "It's a great accomplishment for our school, our students, and our staff. Our goal is to be a Five-Star school. Now we have to work hard to achieve that goal. That's what we'll be working toward."

Schools are measured in six categories according to the SPF that is part of the Nevada Growth Model. The model was implemented in response to the Nevada Legislature's 2009 call for improving the measurement of student achievement.

Academics is 90 percent of a school's SPF score. (See chart at the end of this story.)

Hughes said his staff will be focusing on improvements in two areas; the Graduation rate and College & Career Readiness. Of the 90 points available in the academic area, those two areas absorb 70 points.

Test scores from Tenth Graders at VVHS show the school is above the District averages in all categories. (See chart at the end of this story.) Minority students outscored non-minority students in Math.

"There's hardly any school in the District that can show that kind of indicator with their minority students. That's always the big push, to close the gap between minority and non-minority students. That's an exciting thing. Now we want to close the gap in the reading and English area and the Science area."

Hughes said the High School lost two positions to staff reductions forced on the Clark County School District as a result of a recent arbitrator's decision in union contract negotiations. "Fortunately I had two positions that I did not have people in," Hughes commented. "One of them was a long-term substitute teacher position. The other position we held open because we got it late last year and didn't fill it. We don't have to surplus [lay off] any people."

He added that "It's obviously going to affect our school with some class size adjustments. But at least we didn't lose any full-time teachers."

Hughes also reported that 150 students will graduate Thursday, June 7 during the graduation ceremonies that begin at 8:00 pm at the High School's football field. Nineteen students will receive an 'adjusted diploma' or Certificate of Attendance because they didn't pass their proficiency exams.

VVHS School Growth Summary

The two charts below show the School Growth Summary for the Virgin Valley High School. School growth rates are determined by combining growth percentiles from individual students. Growth rates for individual students are calculated by comparing their 10th grade High School Proficiency Exam scores in reading and mathematics to those of their 8th grade Criterion Reference Test (CRT) academic peers. These individual growth scores are combined into a single number: the school's median growth percentile. (Source: Clark County School District Web site: http://www.ccsd.net/district/growth-model/perfdata/HS//Math-Reading/944MR.pdf )

How Points are allocated under the SPF and Nevada Growth Model

5 Stars	4 Stars	3 Stars	2 Stars	1 Star
105-80 points	79-65 points	64-51 points	50-30 points	29-0 points

Academics is 90 percent of a school's SPF score.

20 points	Growth: How much more has each student learned in 10th grade compared to 8th grade?
17.5 points	AP/IB/Dual Enrollment Participation/Performance:: What percent of students are enrolled & earn credit in these classes?
14 points	Credit Sufficiency: What percent of 10th, 11th and 12th graders have earned enough credits to be on track to graduate?
14 points	Graduation Rate: What percent of students are graduating?
8.75 points	Career & Technical Education: What percent of students are enrolled in CTE CSN articulated courses and & earn credit in these classes?
8.75 point	4 years math; 3 years science:: What percent of 12th graders earn credit for 4 years of math (non-remedial) and 3 years of a lab science?
7 points	High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE): What percent of 10th graders passed the math, reading, and science HSPE?
Total 90 points
Graduation: 35 points, College & Career Readiness (CCR): 35 points, Academic Growth to a Standard (Growth): 20 points

School Climate is 10 percent of a school's SPF score.

2 points	Attendance: Do 90 percent or more of students attend school daily? (full points if 92% or higher of students attend daily; half points if 90-91.99%)
2 points	Limited English Proficient student equity: Did Limited English Proficient students meet state targets on the English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA)? (half points for increasing)
2 points	Special Education student equity: Did the percent of Special Education students in their Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) meet the state target or the time students spend in their LRE increase?
1 points	Engaging staff: Did 80 percent or higher of staff members respond positively on the climate survey?
1 point	Engaging students: Did 80 percent or higher of students respond positively on the climate survey?
2 points	Engaging parents: Did the school create a Parent Engagement plan?

Academics 90 + School Climate 10 = 100 percent of a school's SPF score.

Other factors involved in measuring a school's performance include:

--The CCSD must use a framework that evaluates all schools fairly. An Open Access multiplier is included for schools that do not require students to apply in order to attend (open access schools).

--The CCSD recognizes different schools may have different goals. A met Focus Goal is a 5 percent bonus added to the school's overall score (added from step 1 and step 2).

--The CCSD must align with the federal and state accountability systems. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is a gatekeeper to the highest ratings and from the lowest rating.

--The CCSD must align with the federal and state accountability systems. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is a gatekeeper to the highest ratings and from the lowest rating.