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| State education agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1956 |
| Jurisdiction | Nevada |
| Headquarters | 700 E. Fifth Street ,Carson City |
| Annual budget | $2,962,485,269 |
| State education agency executives |
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| Website | doe |
TheNevada Department of Education orNDOE is a department responsible forpublic educationU.S. State ofNevada. Established by statute in 1956, it consists of the Nevada State Board of Education, the State Board for Career and Technical Education, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. NDOE implements policies set by the state board, administers state and federal education programs, and provides guidance and technical assistance to local school districts. The superintendent serves as department’s executive officer and secretary to the state board, responsible for enforcing education laws and supervising K-12 education statewide.
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Organized public education in Nevada predates statehood. The territorial legislature of 1861 created a framework for schools, including a territorial Board of Education composed of the territorial superintendent of public Instruction (as president), the Territorial Auditor (secretary), and the territorial treasurer. Early duties of this board focused on managing a school fund and selecting textbooks. The Nevada Constitution of 1864 established a system of common schools and provided for a statewide elected Superintendent of Public Instruction. From 1865 onward, the Superintendent was elected to two-year, later four-year, terms and was the chief school officer of the state. A State Board of Education was constituted in 1865, originally including the Governor, the Superintendent, and the Surveyor-General (later replaced by the President of the State University in 1895). Although references to a "department" of education appeared during this era, it did not exist formally as an agency until the 1950s.[1]
A major reorganization of Nevada’s education system occurred in 1956. At that time, the state had over 200 local school districts, many serving single communities or even single schools. The Nevada Legislature eliminated 208 local districts and consolidated them into 17 county-based school districts. Prior to consolidation, for example, Clark County alone had 19 separate school boards overseeing approximately 11,000 students. The move was intended to ensure equitable access to education and administrative efficiency across the state's sparsely populated areas.[2]
The Nevada Department of Education was formally created in 1956 along with the reorganizing of school districts. Chapte officially established the Department. In 1959, the Legislature approved a constitutional amendment (ratified by voters) changing the Superintendent of Public Instruction from an elected position to an appointed one. Beginning in 1957, the State Board of Education gained authority to appoint the Superintendent to a four-year term.[1]
The department’s responsibilities expanded with the passage of federal education laws, including theElementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and the development of the Nevada Plan for school finance.[1]
Significant reforms occurred in 2011 when the Legislature restructured the State Board of Education and transferred appointment authority for the Superintendent to the Governor. Under this structure, the Governor appoints the Superintendent from a list of candidates recommended by the Board. In 2014, the Department reorganized internally, dividing into divisions focused on student achievement, educator effectiveness, and operational support.[1]
TheNevada State Board of Education is the principal governing body setting policy for K–12 public education in the state. Although not created by the Nevada Constitution, the board established in 1861 as the Territorial Board of Education. In its earliest form, the Board was composed of state officials servingex officio, including the governor, the territorial superintendent, and other designated officers.[1][3]
By the twentieth century, the board’s composition evolved to include elected members. From 1973 to 2011, the Board was fully elected, with members representing specific geographic areas or serving at-large.[1]
In 2011, significant governance reforms were enacted. The State Board was restructured into a hybrid body comprising seven voting members: one elected from each congressional district and three appointed by the Governor based on nominations from legislative leaders. The appointed members must include a current K–12 teacher, a parent of a public school student, and a representative of the business community. Additionally, four non-voting members are appointed to represent local school boards, school superintendents, the Nevada System of Higher Education, and students.[1]
The Board is responsible for setting statewide education policy, approving regulations, and overseeing academic standards. It appoints the Superintendent of Public Instruction, who serves as the chief executive of the Nevada Department of Education.[1]
SafeVoice is a state-wide school safety initiative operated jointly by the Nevada Department of Education and theNevada Department of Public Safety. It was authorized by the 2017 legislature in Senate Bill 212 during the to provide students and community members a confidential system to report threats to school or student safety.[4]
The SafeVoice program launched statewide during the 2018–2019 school year.[4] It allows students, parents, and others to report information anonymously via a 24/7 hotline, mobile app, or website.[4] Reports are monitored around the clock by professionals at the Department of Public Safety, who triage information and dispatch it to appropriate school officials or law enforcement agencies.[4]
The program was developed as part of broader school safety initiatives following national concerns about campus violence.[4] Within its first year, SafeVoice received thousands of tips statewide, including reports of bullying, threats, and mental health crises.[5] Officials have credited the system with preventing potential suicides and violence.[5]
SafeVoice remains a central part of Nevada's school safety strategy, with continuous efforts to promote awareness and train school personnel in using the system effectively.[4]
NDOE issueslicenses to teach under the requirements of state statute. Historically, teacher certification evolved from a decentralized system to a standardized statewide process. In the 1800s, most teachers were certified by county boards of examiners, and a teaching license was initially valid only within the county.
In 1885, the State Board of Education adopted uniform qualifications for teachers and began to issue state teaching diplomas valid for six years. By 1907, the State Board assumed full authority over teacher certification, creating a uniform statewide licensure system. In 1965, procedural changes further streamlined the application process.
Today, educator licensing is overseen by theCommission on Professional Standards in Education, a body created by the Legislature in 1979 and made permanent in 1987. The Commission consists of nine members appointed by the Governor, including classroom teachers, administrators, a counselor or psychologist, a representative of private education, a higher education representative, and a public member.
The Commission establishes qualifications and requirements for obtaining and renewing educator licenses, including academic degree standards, background check requirements, and continuing education mandates. Regulations adopted by the Commission have the force of law, but the State Board of Education retains authority to veto regulations within 90 days under specific circumstances.
Recent years have seen efforts to reform Nevada's licensure system to address teacher shortages and streamline the credentialing process. In 2017, state officials promoted legislation to expedite licensure for teachers and social workers relocating from other states.[6] Additional regulatory changes clarified moral character requirements for licensure applicants, including attempts to define "moral turpitude" for disciplinary actions.[7]
All public school teachers, administrators, and licensed education professionals in Nevada must hold valid credentials issued by the Nevada Department of Education.