Education Commons^™

Retention Starts With Preparation: Preparing Black And Latinx Teachers Through Alternative Routes To Licensure, Iesha Jackson, Doris L. Watson

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. Critical to the support and success of students of color is support for Black and Latinx teachers. Yet, teacher preparation programs often neglect the culturally relevant perspectives and experiences of teachers of color. This can contribute to retention issues given challenging school climates that Black and Latinx teachers must navigate. Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of sound teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention practices nationally and draw alignment to the state of Ne- vada. We focus on alternative routes to licensure (ARL) because such programs are touted for increasing the number of teachers of …

Prepping For Another Recession: Re-Assessing The Validity Of Teacher Evaluation Systems For Human Capital Decision-Making, Bradley D. Marianno, Adam Kho, Tiberio Garza, Jonathan Hilpert

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. The school budget cuts concomitant with the COVID-19 pandemic mean educator jobs may again be threatened by layoffs. During prior recessions, school district administration primarily deter- mined teacher layoffs by virtue of seniority. However, as new evidence emerges that seniority policies may not be the most equitable way to determine teacher layoffs, some have turned towards performance-based measures from evaluation systems. Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to examine the validity and reli- ability of the Nevada Educator Performance Framework (NEPF) for making human capital decisions like layoffs. Recommendations. We recommend that Nevada and other states improve the …

Challenges And Opportunities For Virtual Teaching In Nevada, Linda F. Quinn, Lois B. Paretti

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. School closures in Nevada due to the COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented chal- lenge to schools, districts, teachers, parents and students. The rapid switch to virtual teaching left many students unaccounted for and teachers unprepared for teaching virtually. Therefore, there exists a need for advanced planning to assure education in Nevada continues at a high level, whether through on-prem- ise learning in schools or through remote teaching. Purpose. This policy paper discusses ways virtual teaching requires adaptations to teacher professional development, access to technology, and teacher preparation. Ways to improve the viability of virtual teaching to enhance student achievement, …

Educational Equity Perspectives In Response To The Black Lives Matter Movement: A Road Map For Nevada, Patrice Leverett, Lawrence Jackson, Neffisatu Dambo, Jared Lau

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. Communities across Nevada call for more equitable practices, especially to reduce contact between communities of color and law enforcement, particularly in the African American community. By increasing our cultural awareness and highlighting the commitment of the state to support an Antirac- ist Nevada, we foresee a reduction in unrest and an increase in educational outcomes across all student groups. Purpose. The purpose of this policy paper is to highlight the importance of addressing racism and racialized bias in education. Recommendations. To address the rising need for equity practices and poli- cies in Nevada, we propose six recommendations to acknowledge …

The Covid-19 Pandemic And Its Implications For Nevada’S Future Workforce, Stefani R. Relles, Mark L. Spinrad

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. Nevada’s capacity for economic recovery in the pandemic’s wake has been jeopardized by COVID-related educational impacts. The diversity of Nevada’s student population and inequitable rates of college participation and degree attainment infer imminent skilled labor shortages. Purpose. Based on the assumptions of prior research, the authors suggest a multi-tiered strategy of policy triage to address workforce pipeline erosion at its weakest juncture, when students transition from high school to college. Recommendations. The paper outlines short-term and long-term policy options that target students and institutions. During school closures, nudge interventions are a low-cost option that sends text messages to remind …

Eliminating Exclusionary Practices In Early Childhood Education In Nevada, Melissa Beck Yarczower, Jenna Weglarz-Ward, Claire T. Tredwell

Policy Issues in Nevada Education: Policy Papers

Problem. Many young children under 5 years old spend a significant part of their days in early childhood settings which provide them access to environments and activities that foster their learning. Unfortunate- ly, in many of these early childhood settings, young children are expelled and suspended at a rate that is three times the rate of students in a K-12 setting leading to detrimental, long-term outcomes for young children, families, and the community. Purpose. This paper gives an overview of exclusionary practices in early childhood, discusses causes and consequences of these practices, and provides recommendations to eliminate exclusionary practices in …

Nevada Ballot Question 1: Reforming Higher Education Governance, 2020, Olivia K. Cheche, Vanessa Booth, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr., Fatma Nasoz

Elections & Governance

This fact sheet explores voting data of 1,407,761 Nevadans who participated in the 2020 election through in-person early, mail-in, absentee, or election day voting. The Secretary of State publishes the outcomes of each race, and results are broken down by county. Voting data are displayed as raw vote totals and percent shares of the total vote. Also included are data on the number of voters who declined to vote on each of Nevada’s five ballot questions. These data are calculated by subtracting the “yes” and “no” votes for each ballot measure from the total number of ballots cast both statewide …

Community College Funding In The Mountain West, Peter Grema, Vanessa Booth, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown

Higher Education

This fact sheet summarizes data from the Center for American Progress report “Tapping Local Support to Strengthen Community Colleges,” by Marcella Bombardieri. The original report highlights the potential for local funding to compensate for the resource gap that community colleges face throughout the country. This fact sheet reports data on Mountain West states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah).

Teachers’ Unions, Collective Bargaining, And The Response To Covid-19, Annie A. Hemphill, Bradley D. Marianno

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education Faculty Research

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, school districts worked quickly to roll out distance learning plans in the spring. Sometimes these plans impinged upon or were directly in conflict with provisions found in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) negotiated between teachers' unions and district administration. In this brief, we unpack how urban school systems changed CBAs to make way for learning under COVID-19 conditions. We review COVID-19–related contract changes in 101 urban school districts around the country. We find that twenty-five urban school districts returned to the bargaining table with teachers’ unions to negotiate short-term fixes to CBAs that allowed for …

Nevada System Of Higher Education (Nshe) Administrative Costs, 2019, Olivia K. Cheche, Saha Salahi, Marie A. Falcone, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

The purpose of this Fact Sheet is to examine expenditures of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), particularly expenses allocated to staff salaries. This data is collected from the FY19 State of Nevada operating budget, and Transparent Nevada, a website that posts the salaries of public employees including NSHE staff.

An Analysis Of The Nevada K.I.D.S. Read Program Funding, Allie Ryerson

Student Research

The United States has a literacy problem; in fact, it has an education problem in general. Piecemeal reforms that differ wildly from state to state, and even county to county, have had varying levels of success from none to showing real potential. Nevada is not exempt from this literacy problem. In 2015, only 47.57% of the students taking the state mandated third grade exams were deemed proficient on the English Language Arts portion of the exam. The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficacy of one such literacy program, “Nevada K.I.D.S Read”, with a goal of establishing early …

The Las Vegas Medical District And The Unlv School Of Medicine: An Economic Analysis And Tax Revenue Study, Jaewon Lim, Robert E. Lang, Sabrina Wang

Policy Briefs and Reports

In the 2011 report, “Unify, Regionalize, Diversify,” The Brookings Institution, SRI International, and Brookings Mountain West detailed Las Vegas’s experiences during and after the Great Recession, and identified the health and medical industry as a particularly potent opportunity for economic diversification – one that could improve health outcomes while also generating sustainable economic activity and high-quality jobs. The Las Vegas Metro medical industry began growing in 2006, grew during the Great Recession, and is expected to continue to grow for the next 10-year period spurred by the rapidly growing population in Southern Nevada. The establishment and launch of the UNLV …

Analysis Of The School-To-Work Transition Of Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jessica Balistreri

Student Research

When immediately entering the labor market post-high school graduation, Transitional Age Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (TAY-ASD) face significant barriers to employment compared to both their disabled and non-disabled peers. With employment outcomes characterized by low wages, short work hours, and social isolation, TAY-ASD from low income households with lower levels of functioning face the greatest hardship in seeking employment after high school graduation. Current vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs show inefficiency in servicing individuals with the greatest need for assistance due to lack of program monitoring and little emphasis for post-secondary education (PSE) attainment. This study suggests that reform to …

Higher Education & Economic Mobility In Nevada, Ember Smith, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

Using methods from both the Opportunity Insights Project and the Brookings Opportunity Engines Project, this fact sheet examines Nevada’s public higher education system and attempts to measure the success of these institutions in creating economic mobility opportunities for lower- and middle-income students. Only colleges with over 200 students from each of the 1980-1982 birth cohorts are included in the Brookings Opportunity Engine’s analysis. This fact sheet follows suit and focuses on only those in Nevada: University of Nevada, Reno (UNR); University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV); Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC); College of Southern Nevada (CSN); and Western Nevada College …

A Graphic Novel Tasting: Develop Your Professional Palate For Young Adult Comics, Amanda Melilli

Library Faculty Presentations

Staying knowledgeable of the newest YA graphic novels can be a daunting task. This session will discuss some of the struggles that educators new to graphic novels face as well as a fun activity that participants can do on their own (or together!) to increase their knowledge of the format.

Development Of The Smartphone And Learning Inventory: Measuring Self-Regulated Use, Kendall Hartley, Lisa D. Bendixen, Lori Olafson, Dan Gianoutsos, Emily Shreve

Teaching and Learning Faculty Research

Smartphone use in learning environments can be productive or distracting depending upon the type of use. The use is also impacted by the learner’s view and understanding of the smartphone and self-regulated learning skills. Measures are needed to specify uses and learner understandings to address the implications for teaching and learning. This study reports on the development of a multi-factor inventory designed to measure multitasking while studying, avoiding distractions while studying, mindful phone use, and phone knowledge. The inventory was completed by 514 undergraduate students enrolled in a first-year seminar. The results indicate good reliability and a three-factor structure with …

2021 Graduate Program Rankings For Unlv & Unr, Madison Frazee-Bench, Marie A. Falcone, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Higher Education

This Fact Sheet presents the 2021 U.S. News and World Report graduate program rankings for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The rankings for 2021 are important when taking into consideration that both UNLV and UNR achieved Carnegie R1 status in 2018. This status marks their place in the top 130 research universities in the country.

The Re-Enrollment Tendencies Of "Some College, No Degree" Students In The U.S., Marie A. Falcone, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Higher Education

This Fact Sheet highlights information from a National Student Clearinghouse Research Center report titled, “Some College, No Degree: A 2019 Snapshot for the Nation and 50 States.” The data on re-enrolled college students in Mountain West states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah) show the percentage of individuals who re-enrolled at an academic institution other than their initial college or university.

2014, 2015, 2016,& 2017 National Science Foundation (Nsf) Rankings By Total R&D Expenditures, Marie A. Falcone, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Higher Education

This Fact Sheet presents NSF data for ten individual research universities in addition to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) for the years 2014-2017. The Fact Sheet compares the NSF funding received by 10 individual research universities to the combined funding received by UNLV and UNR.

Brain Drain In The Mountain West, Ember Smith, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Economic Development & Workforce

This Fact Sheet highlights the effects of major shifts in geographic mobility patterns of highly-educated citizens in the Mountain West (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado). The phenomenon, dubbed “brain drain” by experts, is characterized by the out-migration of a group of highly-educated people. “Brain gain” describes the opposite: when a location attracts highly-educated people. Several states are keeping and welcoming more highly-educated adults, while other states are rapidly losing talent. This migration pattern has important implications for social, political, and economic issues facing the country.

Policy Making In The Nevada Legislature: How Interest Groups Make The Difference, Madison Frazee

Student Research

This paper examines the structure of the Nevada legislature and how interest groups influence the policy making process. In particular, this paper aims to answer the questions of how interest groups are able to make a difference in the legislative process and how those groups are able to gain access to the political environment in the state. By understanding how interest groups advocate for certain policies, the best methods to engage citizens in the political process can be understood. By utilizing SB179 as the case study for this analysis, the processes of the legislature can be examined. Through moving to …

Learning To Serve: A Comparison Of Appointed And Elected School Boards, School District Deconsolidation, And Their Effects On School, Yanneli Llamas

Student Research

The way in which school districts are governed has long been a topic of interest and controversy. While there are broadly differing opinions about which governing structures to implement and how, the most important thing to note might be the widespread discontent. Just as student achievement is a result of many factors, both at home and in the classroom, activists and politicians have sought to change any number of educational policies—including school district governance—in an attempt to bolster student outcomes. This drive has sparked the debate surrounding school boards, the governing authority in charge of policy decisions at the local …

Reframing Library Student Employment As A High-Impact Practice: Implications From Case Studies, Erin Rinto, Rosan Mitola, Kate Otto

Library Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how academic libraries can directly contribute to campus student success initiatives through student employment programs. Case studies from the perspectives of two supervisors demonstrate how library student employment programs can intentionally incorporate the characteristics of High-Impact Practices. This paper builds upon a previously published systematic review of the academic library literature on student employment, which found a significant gap in the discussion of employment as a mechanism for learning and retention. This paper aims to address this gap by focusing on practical applications for creating more learner-centered student employment programs.

State & Local Per Pupil Funding For Higher Education In The Mountain West States, Eshaan Vakil, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Higher Education

This Fact Sheet summarizes and expands upon the findings of the College Board’s 2016-17 State and Local Funding for Higher Education per Student and per $1,000 in Personal Income and 10-Year Percentage Change in Inflation-Adjusted Funding per Student, by State report on per pupil and per $1,000 in personal income governmental funding for higher education in the United States in 2016-17. For the purposes of this Fact Sheet, the focus of the report has been narrowed to states located within the Mountain West region of the United States (Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico).

2014, 2015, & 2016 National Science Foundation (Nsf) Rankings By Total R&D Expenditures, Ashley Leclair, William E. Brown, Caitlin Saladino

Higher Education

This Fact Sheet presents NSF data for ten individual research universities in addition to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) for the years 2014-2016. The Fact Sheet compares the NSF funding received by 10 individual research universities to the combined funding received by UNLV and UNR.

Allocation To Groups: Examples Of Lord's Paradox, Daniel B. Wright

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education Faculty Research

Background Educational and developmental psychologists often examine how groups change over time. Two analytic procedures – analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and the gain score model – each seem well suited for the simplest situation, with just two groups and two time points. They can produce different results, what is known as Lord's paradox. Aims Several factors should influence a researcher's analytic choice. This includes whether the score from the initial time influences how people are assigned to groups. Examples are shown, which will help to explain this to researchers and students, and are of educational relevance. It is shown that …

Making A Middle Class: Colleges And Cities In The Mountain West, Richard Reeves

Brookings Mountain West Publications

A stronger middle class is important for the economic and political future of both cities and nations. Analyses focusing on the size of the middle class can be misleading, providing information on income inequality or temporary economic conditions. More important than the size of the middle class is the quality of life of the middle class. Higher education can serve students from middle-class backgrounds, helping them sustain a middle-class standard of living and rise up the economic ladder, as well as providing “on ramps” to the middle class for those from low-income backgrounds. We show that middle class wage earners …

The Causes And Consequences Of Student Discipline Disparities, Jon Valant

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West invites you to a lecture titled "The Causes and Consequences of Student Discipline Disparities " by Fellow in Governance Studies, Brown Center on Education Policy, Jon Valant. Students of color and students from low-income families are suspended or expelled from school at much higher rates than their white and non-poor peers. This lecture presented data on discipline disparities. It considered explanations such as discrimination in how schools punish students and whether majority-minority and majority-white schools approach discipline differently. This discussion is placed in the context of local, state, and …

Identi-Tea Podcast: An Original Play, Karsyn Wilson

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Creative Works Winner for 2019:

Identi-Tea Podcast is an original play based on the word-for-word interviews of three LGBTQ+ students of color from UNLV who explore all the various facets of their identities formatted in the style of a podcast. In various moments during the play, audience members are prompted by the actors to critically engage with the ideas presented.

Select Proceedings Of The 2nd Annual Graduate Student Conference: Games, Sins & Mafia, Samuel Gilpin, Carly Hunter, Jenessa Kenway, Alexander Valle, Jarret Keene

Graduate Student Conference

The four papers collected here were originally presented at the Second Annual Graduate Student Conference: "Games, Sins & Mafia." Hosted by the UNLV World Languages & Cultures department and the Organization of Vistas of Hispanic Studies, the conference took place on the UNLV campus on March 16, 2019. These proceedings feature three (at the time) graduate students and one undergraduate student from the UNLV English department. Taken as a whole, the proceedings explore the aesthetic, sociological, and philosophical concerns of a range of authors—William Faulkner, Juan Rulfo (Mexico), Roberto Harrison, and Clarice Lispector (Brazil).