New data from Washoe County shows that the school district has some big challenges ahead. After a big increase in the high school graduation rate last year, WCSD announced a drop this year.
In addition, the rates of student proficiency show more than two thirds of Washoe County schools are not meeting federal standards.
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, states give proficiency tests that measure "Adequate Yearly Progress," or AYP. Last school year, about 31 percent of Washoe County schools reached a level considered adequate or better by the federal government.
District officials acknowledge the low number, but say it makes a clearer picture of what they need to work on.
"It is not a simple story," WCSD Superintendent Pedro Martinez said. "We have been playing catch-up with these kids every year. And I'll tell you, the work is getting harder."
NCLB rates schools, from lowest to highest, "needs improvement," "watch," "adequate," or "high achieving."
In AYP, 35 percent of Washoe County elementary schools, or 23 out of 66, passed with a score of "adequate" or better. Just one of WCSD's 16 middle schools passed, with a grade of "adequate." 41 percent of the 17 high schools passed with "adequate" or better.
In all-- that's not great news. But the numbers can be misleading. NCLB counts every subgroup in the total, so if groups like special education students, and English language learners don't pass, that means the school as a whole doesn't pass.
That is one reason why Nevada applied for a waiver to NCLB.
"I think [NCLB] only gives us a narrow view of what we're doing," Wooster High School Principal Leah Keuscher said, "and I am really excited about the new framework because of the state waiver that was granted."
"We have to raise students with disabilities, children that are English language learners, and high poverty children," Martinez said. "More than half of our children today have a disability, are English language learners, or live in high poverty."
Nevada's NCLB waiver will allow the state to monitor growth within those types of groups, instead of the pass/fail system.
But what about graduation rates?
69 percent of seniors in the class of 2012 graduated last year, which is a one percent drop from the year before.
Wooster High School is one of the only schools bucking the trend, with a whopping 16 point increase in grad rates from last year. But Keuscher says, if parents district-wide are worried, they are not alone.
"I would say, so am I," Keuscher said. "I think it's important that we all know that it's a never-ending battle. We have to get out there and think outside the box."
"We know we have about 1,000 students that are within reach [of graduating]," Martinez said, "that if we work together, we can graduate those children on time this year."
The district is holding a door-to-door campaign to get at-risk students back in school this year, and they are hoping to get 200 volunteers from the community. For more information on how you can help, click here.
Written by Arianna Bennett
