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- 83rd Session (2025)
Senate Bill No. 278–Senators Cruz-Crawford, Ohrenschall; Doñate,
Flores and Nguyen
Joint Sponsors: Assemblymembers
González and Torres-Fossett
CHAPTER..........
AN ACT relating to education; requiring the Commission on
Professional Standards in Education to consider certain
changes when adopting regulations governing licensure for
teachers and other educational personnel; eliminating the use
of local assessments to determine whether a pupil has a
deficiency in the subject area of reading for certain purposes;
revising certain reporting requirements concerning pupils
who receive certain services and instruction to address a
deficiency in the subject area of reading; and providing other
matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law creates the Commission on Professional Standards in Education
and requires the Commission to adopt regulations prescribing the qualifications for
licensing teachers and other educational personnel. (NRS 391.011, 391.019)
Section 1.1 of this bill requires the Commission to consider any changes necessary
to improve access to licensure or endorsement when adopting such regulations.
Existing law requires a public elementary school to provide certain programs,
services and instruction to certain pupils who have a deficiency in the subject area
of reading based on state or local assessments and other relevant information. (NRS
392.750, 392.755) Sections 2.6 and 3 of this bill eliminate the use of local
assessments to determine whether a pupil has a deficiency in the subject area of
reading. Section 3 further provides that a pupil is not required to continue receiving
services or instruction to correct a deficiency in the subject area of reading if the
pupil achieves a score on the statewide assessment that falls within the level
established by the State Board of Education for the grade level in which the pupil is
enrolled.
Existing law requires the board of trustees of e ach school district and the
governing body of a charter school to prepare a report containing certain
information regarding pupils who rece ive intervention services and intensive
instruction to address a deficiency in t he subject area of reading. (NRS 388A.487,
392.775) Sections 1 and 3.5 of this bill eliminate this requirement. Section 2.2 of
this bill prohibits any entity other than the State Board of Education from req uiring
a public school, the board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of a
charter school to report information concerning pupils who receive intervention
services and intensive instruction to address a deficiency in the subject area of
reading. Section 2.4 of this bill applies the existing definition of “subject area of
reading” to the provisions of section 2.2.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. NRS 388A.487 is hereby amended to read as
follows:
388A.487 [1.] The governing body of a charter school that
operates as an elementary school shall adopt rules for the provision
of intervention services and intensive instruction to pupils who are
enrolled in the charter school that are consistent with NR S 392.750,
392.760 and 392.765. The rules must:
[(a)] 1. Prescribe the programs and instruction which will be
provided to a pupil who has been identified as deficient in the
subject area of reading in accordance with the plan established
pursuant to NRS 388.157.
[(b)] 2. Require the school to provide to a pupil who has been
identified as deficient in the subject area of reading with
intervention services and intensive instruction in accordance with
the plan established pursuant to NRS 388.157.
[2. On or before October 15 of each year, the governing body
of each charter school that operates as an elementary school shall:
(a) Prepare a report concerning the number and percentage of
pupils at the charter school who were:
(1) Designated in grade 3 to be provided intervention
services and intensive instruction while enrolled in an elementary
school of a charter school pursuant to NRS 392.760 for a deficiency
in the subject area of reading, including whether or not any such
pupils were previously provided intervention services and intensive
instruction while enrolled in an elementary school of a charter
school; and
(2) Received educational programs or services identified
pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 392.750 at each grade level and
whose proficiency in the subject area of reading:
(I) Did not improve at a rate prescribed by the governing
body of a charter school, indicating a need for more intensive or
different interventions;
(II) Improved at a rate prescribed by the governing body
of a charter sc hool, indicating growth toward performing at a level
determined by a statewide assessment to be within the level
established by the State Board for pupils enrolled in the same grade
in which the pupils are enrolled; and
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(b) Submit a copy of the report to the Department, the
Legislature and the sponsor of the charter school; and
(c) Post the report on the Internet website maintained by the
charter school and otherwise make the report available to the parents
and legal guardians of pupils enrolled in the ch arter school and the
general public.
Section 1.] Sec. 1.1. NRS 391.019 is hereby amended to
read as follows:
391.019 1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 391.027,
the Commission shall adopt regulations:
(a) Prescribing the qualifications for licensing teachers and other
educational personnel and the procedures for the issuance and
renewal of those licenses. The regulations:
(1) Must include, without limitation, the qualifications for
licensing teachers and administrators pursuant to an alternative route
to licensure which provides that the required education and training
may be provided by any qualified provider which has been approved
by the Commission, including, without limitation, institutions of
higher education and other providers that operate independently of
an institution of higher education. The regulations adopted pursuant
to this subparagraph must:
(I) Establish the requirements for approval as a qualified
provider;
(II) Require a qualified provider to be selective in its
acceptance of students;
(III) Require a qualified provider to provide in -person or
virtual supervised, school -based experiences and ongoing support
for its students, such as mentoring and coaching;
(IV) Significantly l imit the amount of course work
required or provide for the waiver of required course work for
students who achieve certain scores on tests;
(V) Allow for the completion in 2 years or less of the
education and training required under the alternative rout e to
licensure;
(VI) Provide that a person who has completed the
education and training required under the alternative route to
licensure and who has satisfied all other requirements for licensure
may apply for a regular license pursuant to sub -subparagraph (VII)
regardless of whether the person has received an offer of
employment from a school district, charter school or private school;
and
(VII) Upon the completion by a person of the education
and training required under the alternative route to lic ensure and the
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satisfaction of all other requirements for licensure, provide for the
issuance of a regular license to the person pursuant to the provisions
of this chapter and the regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter.
(2) Must require an applican t for a license to teach middle
school or junior high school education or secondary education to
demonstrate proficiency in a field of specialization or area of
concentration by successfully completing course work prescribed by
the Department or completing a subject matter competency
examination prescribed by the Department with a score deemed
satisfactory.
(3) Must not prescribe qualifications which are more
stringent than the qualifications set forth in NRS 391.0315 for a
licensed teacher who applies fo r an additional license in accordance
with that section.
(b) Identifying fields of specialization in teaching which require
the specialized training of teachers.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in NRS 391.125, requiring
teachers to obtain from the Depar tment an endorsement in a field of
specialization to be eligible to teach in that field of specialization.
(d) Setting forth the educational requirements a teacher must
satisfy to qualify for an endorsement in each field of specialization.
(e) Setting f orth the qualifications and requirements for
obtaining a license or endorsement to teach American Sign
Language, including, without limitation, being registered with the
Aging and Disability Services Division of the Department of Health
and Human Services pursuant to NRS 656A.100 to engage in the
practice of sign language interpreting in a primary or secondary
educational setting.
(f) Requiring teachers and other educational personnel to be
registered with the Aging and Disability Services Division pursuant
to NRS 656A.100 to engage in the practice of sign language
interpreting in a primary or secondary educational setting if they:
(1) Provide instruction or other educational services; and
(2) Concurrently engage in the practice of sign language
interpreting, as defined in NRS 656A.060.
(g) Prescribing course work on parental involvement and family
engagement. The Commission shall:
(1) Work in cooperation with the Office of Parental
Involvement and Family Engagement created by NRS 385.630 in
developing the regulations required by this paragraph.
(2) Establish standards for professional development training
which may be used to satisfy any course work requirement
prescribed pursuant to this paragraph.
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(h) Establishing the requirements for obtaining an endorsement
on the license of a teacher, administrator or other educational
personnel in cultural competency.
(i) Authorizing the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue
a license by endorsement to an applicant who holds an equivalent
license or authorization issued by a governmental entity in another
country if the Superintendent determines that the qualifications for
the equivalent license or authorization are substantially sim ilar to
those prescribed pursuant to paragraph (a).
(j) Establishing the requirements for obtaining an endorsement
on the license of a teacher, administrator or other educational
personnel in teaching courses relating to financial literacy.
(k) Authorizing a person who is employed as a paraprofessional
and enrolled in a program to become a teacher to complete an
accelerated program of student teaching in the same or a
substantially similar area in which the person is employed as a
paraprofessional while remaining employed as a paraprofessional.
(l) Requiring the Department to accept a program of student
teaching or other teaching experience completed in another state or
foreign country by an applicant for a license if the Department
determines that the pr ogram or experience substantially fulfills the
standards of a program of student teaching in this State.
(m) Authorizing a person who is employed by a public school to
provide support or other services relating to school psychology, if
the person does not hold a license or endorsement as a school
psychologist but is enrolled in a program that would allow the
person to obtain such a license or endorsement, to complete a
program of internship in school psychology while remaining
employed in such a position.
(n) To carry out the provisions of NRS 391B.010.
2. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 391.027, the
Commission may adopt such other regulations as it deems necessary
for its own government or to carry out its duties.
3. Any regulation which increases the amount of education,
training or experience required for licensing:
(a) Must, in addition to the requirements for publication in
chapter 233B of NRS, be publicized before its adoption in a manner
reasonably calculated to inform those persons affected by the
change.
(b) Must not become effective until at least 1 year after the date
it is adopted by the Commission.
(c) Is not applicable to a license in effect on the date the
regulation becomes effective.
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4. When adopting the regulations required by this section, the
Commission shall consider any changes necessary to improve
access to licensure or endorsement . Such changes may include,
without limitation, changes to streamline procedures, consolidate
requirements or otherwise simplify and improve the process for a
person who is enrolled in a program for an alternative route to
licensure or who has completed the education and training
required for licensure through an alternative route to licensure.
Sec. 2. (Deleted by amendment.)
Sec. 2.2. Chapter 392 of NRS is hereby amended by adding
thereto a new section to read as follows:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no
entity other than the State Board may req uire a public school, the
board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of a
charter school to report information relating to the provisions of
NRS 392.748 to 392.785, inclusive.
Sec. 2.4. NRS 392.748 is hereby amended to read as follows:
392.748 As used in NRS 392.748 to 392.785, inclusive, and
section 2.2 of this act, unless the context otherwise requires,
“subject area of reading” includes, without limitation, phonological
and phonemic awareness, deco ding skills, reading fluency and
vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Sec. 2.6. NRS 392.750 is hereby amended to read as follows:
392.750 If a pupil enrolled at a public elementary school in
kindergarten or grade 1, 2 or 3 or who newly enrolls in a public
elementary school exhibits a deficiency in the subject area of
reading based upon state [or local] assessments and the observations
of the pupil’s teacher, the principal of the school must provide
written notice of the deficiency to the parent or legal guardian of the
pupil within 30 days after the date on which the deficiency is
discovered. The written notice must, without limitation:
1. Identify the educational programs and services that the pupil
will receive to improve the pupil’s proficiency in the subject area of
reading, including, without limitation, the programs and services
included in the p lan to improve the literacy of pupils enrolled in
elementary school that has been approved by the Department
pursuant to NRS 388.157;
2. Explain that if the pupil does not achieve adequate
proficiency in the subject area of reading before the completion of
grade 3, the school will provide the pupil with intervention services
and intensive instruction each year that the pupil is enrolled in the
elementary school, unless it is determined that such services and
instruction are no longer necessary;
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3. Describe, explain and, if appropriate, demonstrate the
strategies which the parent or legal guardian may use at home to
help improve the profici ency of the pupil in the subject area of
reading;
4. Explain that the criterion-referenced examination in only the
subject area of reading administered pursuant to NRS 390.105 is not
the only factor used to determine whether the pupil will be provided
intervention services and intensive instruction while the pupil is
enrolled in an elementary school;
5. Describe the policy and specific criteria adopted by the
board of trustees of the school district or governing body of a
charter school, as applicable, pursuant to NRS 392.765 regarding
the provision of intervention services and intensive instruction to a
pupil enrolled in an elementary school;
6. Include information regarding the English literacy
development of a pupil who is an English learner;
7. Describe, explain and, if appropriate, demonstrate the
strategies which the parent or legal guardian may use at home to
help improve the English literacy of a pupil who is an English
learner;
8. To the extent practicable, be provided in a language that th e
parent or legal guardian can understand;
9. Explain that a plan to monitor the growth of the pupil in the
subject area of reading will regularly assess the pupil and the
elementary school will provide notice to the parent or legal guardian
the status of the growth of the pupil; and
10. Explain that services and the programs provided to the
pupil will be adjusted to improve the deficiency in the subject area
of reading.
Sec. 3. NRS 392.755 is hereby amended to read as follows:
392.755 1. A public elementary school that has notified the
parent or legal guardian of a pupil that, based upon the results of
state [or local] assessments, it has been determined that the pupil has
a deficiency in the subject area of reading pursuant to NRS 392.750
shall, within 30 days after providing such notice, establish a plan to
monitor the growth of the pupil in the subject area of reading.
2. A plan to monitor the growth of a pupil in the subject area of
reading must be established by a licensed teacher and any other
relevant licensed school personnel and approved by the principal of
the school and the parent or legal guardian of the p upil. The plan
must include a description of any intervention services and intensive
instruction that will be provided to the pupil to correct the area of
deficiency and must include that the pupil will receive intensive
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instruction in reading until the pu pil achieves adequate proficiency
in the requisite reading skills and reading comprehension skills
necessary to perform at a level determined by a statewide
assessment to be within a level established by the State Board of
Education for a pupil enrolled in the same grade in which the pupil
is enrolled. Such instruction must include, without limitation, the
programs and services included in the plan to improve the literacy of
pupils enrolled in elementary school approved by the Department
pursuant to NRS 388.157.
3. A school that establishes a plan to monitor the growth of a
pupil in the subject area of reading shall regularly assess the growth
of the pupil in any area of deficiency in the subject area of reading
to ensure that the programs and services pro vided to the pupil
pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 392.750 continue to increase the
proficiency of the pupil in the subject area of reading until the pupil
performs at a level determined by a statewide assessment to be
within a level established by the Sta te Board for a pupil enrolled in
the same grade in which the pupil is enrolled.
4. A pupil for whom a plan is established pursuant to
subsection 1 must not be required to continue receiving services or
instruction to correct a deficiency in the subject area of reading if
the pupil performs at the level described in subsection 3.
Sec. 3.5. NRS 392.775 is hereby repealed.
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