District-Sponsored Charter Schools in Nevada

While there are pockets of success, Nevada’s educational landscape is characterized largely by dismal outcomes. Among the successes are some of the State Public School Charter Authority (SPSCA)-sponsored charter schools. An analysis of recent accountability data indicates that state-sponsored (SPSCA) charter schools have higher star ratings, on average, than traditional district public schools. However, there is significant variation among charter schools. Specifically, virtual state-sponsored charter schools and district-sponsored charter schools, as a group, are among the lowest performing schools in the Silver State. This policy brief provides an overview of the performance of district-sponsored charter schools in the state’s two largest urban school districts, the Clark County School District (CCSD) and Washoe County School District (WCSD).