Equity Implications of CCSD’s Reorganization Proposal
October 13, 2015
The Clark County School District presented a reorganization plan to the Advisory Committee on Reorganization of CCSD on October 12, 2015.
This infographic shows the demographic and educational equity implications of the proposal.
On October 12, 2015, Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky presented a reorganization plan to the Advisory Committee to Develop a Plan to Reorganize the Clark County School District (CCSD). The plan would create “Instructional Precincts” that follow the boundaries of the seven CCSD Trustee Districts. As the Advisory Committee considers this plan, it should evaluate the impact of the plan on demographic and educational equity as recommended in the Guinn Center’s report: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: Issues to Address in the Reorganization of the Clark County School District.
This map shows the current boundaries of the seven districts and key demographics for 2014-15, including enrollment, the percentage of Free and Reduced price Lunch (FRL) students, the percentage of English Language Learners (ELLs), and the percentage of Special Education students.
Source: Data from the Clark County School District, map courtesy of the Las Vegas Review Journal
This table illustrates that using the Trustee Districts to create Instructional Precincts would create significant levels of isolation for minority groups, low income students and ELLs. Trustee Districts C, D, and G have the highest levels of Latinos, students eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch, and ELLs. African American students are concentrated in Trustee Districts B and C. In contrast, the highest concentration of White students is in Trustee Districts A, B, E, and F.Source: Clark County School District
The trustee areas with high levels of minority, low income and ELLs also tend to have lower levels of academic achievement. The previous table shows that the Trustee Districts with the highest levels of minority, low income, and ELL students are C, D, and G. This table shows that Trustee Districts C, D, and G also have the largest number of schools with one or two stars under the Nevada School Performance Framework, as well as the lowest percentage of students proficient in math and reading (FY 2014). In contrast, Trustee Districts A, E, and F have the largest concentration of white students, the highest numbers of five-star schools, and the highest reading and math proficiency rates.Graduation data departs slightly from this trend. The Trustee Districts with FY 2013 graduation rates that were lower than the district average were Districts B, D, and G.Source: Nevada Department of Education, Nevada Report Card and Nevada School Performance Framework
Teacher vacancies and new teachers with no experience are also currently concentrated in Trustee Districts with high levels of minorities, low income students, and ELLs. Districtwide, 4.22 percent of licensed positions at schools are vacant and 4.25 percent of teacher positions are filled with employees who do not have previous teaching experience. This table shows that Trustee Districts B, C, D, and G have vacancy rates and new teacher rates that exceed the district average. As shown in the previous tables, these Trustee Districts also have the highest percentage of at-risk students and the lowest academic performance.Source: Clark County School District
The average year that a CCSD school was built is 1989. The oldest buildings are in the central part of Clark County and in rural areas. Some buildings in the central area have been replaced by newer facilities, but most new facilities are on the periphery of Clark County. This is a reflection of settlement patterns over time in Clark County.This table shows that the average age of school facilities is highest in Trustee Districts C, D, and G, which also have the highest percentage of at-risk students and the lowest academic performance.Source: Clark County School District
