"No other people in America, violated the law at the risk of death, and taught themselves by candlelight to read and write. Literacy has always been valued in our community and is a right of passage." Yvette Williams, Founder/CCBC Chair
CALL TO ACTION
MISSION
An education justice initiative supporting proficiency for ALL students, and bringing awareness about the 32,371 Black students in Nevada that struggle for opportunity and access to an equitable education, invisible under the designation of FRL; and to eliminate proficiency gaps in English, math, and science, while increasing access to higher learning and career opportunities.
OVERVIEW
The United States of America recently commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 60th anniversary of Brown vs Board of Education. This is an appropriate opportunity to reflect on current education and economic opportunity for Blacks living in Nevada, and the progress - or should we say lack of progress for Black students. Therefore, in the spirit of our ancestors who risked the possibility of death, to read and write, we've launched our education initiative, Operation32371.org, in honor of the 32,371 African American students on free or reduced lunch and still struggling for education equity, funding equity, and acknowledgement that they exist. Their educational needs must be met.
On October 1, 2014 the Clark County Black Caucus received notification from the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans indicating that Secretary Duncan announced guidelines to ensure that all students have equal access to educational resources such as academic and extracurricular programs, strong teaching, technology and instructional materials, and safe school facilities, so that they have an equal opportunity to succeed in school careers and in life. Sent to all states, school districts and schools, these guidelines identify how the Office of Civil Rights addresses resource equity in our nation’s schools and reminding them of their obligation.
Most of Las Vegas’ Black students historically attended one of the Prime Six schools on the historical west side in Las Vegas years ago. Today, 30 schools have Black populations of over 25% and although not all, some have the lowest math and English proficiency in the Clark County School District (CCSD.) While it’s been established that poverty is a key barrier to student achievement, an equal hindrance is the lack of a full-time teacher in every classroom. At the start of the 2014-2015 school year CCSD had more than 600 classrooms without a licensed teacher available to deliver instruction to students. In the 30 schools with a black student population greater than 25% -- which collectively have a FRL population of 72.7% and an average ranking of 2.4 stars -- there were nearly 110 teacher vacancies on the first day of school. It is imperative that we find systematic solutions to our teacher pipeline crisis. Our commitment to quality education for all students is severely diminished if we’re unable to provide the most basic element of a student’s success: a high qualified licensed educator.
Data shows that although this does not apply to every student, students overall receiving free and reduced lunch commonly test lower than their peers. However, depending on ethnicity we see the greatest gaps, with Black student proficiency as low as 17.9% in math and 23.4% in English. It’s shocking to note that Black students receiving free and reduced lunch represent almost 80% of the total Black student population in Nevada, and 72% in Clark County numbering 32,371 students. ELL or “English as a second language” students also struggle with lower proficiency and represent approximately 15% or 51,000+ students in CCSD. Combined, both student populations represent over 83,000 students and may soon reflect 25% of the total student population in CCSD.
Although lower proficiency appear tied to areas of concentrated poverty, we believe that under the cloak of “free and reduced lunch” Black students have remained invisible without the ability to address discriminatory policy and equitable resources that address their needs and barriers. For example, Black students are over represented in IEP at almost 15% of that total student population, the highest of any ethnicity. Often, these students were referred as a behavioral problem, where Black students are almost three times more likely to be referred than other students. It is vital that legislation and school policy implement the tracking of student performance by ethnicity and other subgroups, so that data can be obtained, analyzed, and addressed to improve educational outcomes for these students and identify discrimination and inequality. We can protect our children in 2014 and ensure that every child has access to an equitable education declared sixty years ago, regardless of race, gender, or place of origin, “which must be made available to all on equal terms.”
This staggering number of students on free and reduced lunch is a direct reflection of the lack of job opportunity for their parents. Jobs traditionally passed down generation to generation, such as building trades, hospitality and service industries elude many Blacks in recent years that may apply. It’s important to note that students qualify for free and reduced lunch based on their parents income, and as we continue to see high and disproportionate unemployment and under employment for Blacks living in Clark County, we as a community must seriously address economic disparity if we want to achieve the goals established in 1954 on education, and in 1964 for civil rights.
Let us, AS A COMMUNITY break down systemic barriers that disenfranchise and discourage student success. We invite each of you to join us in this endeavor.
On October 1, 2014 the Clark County Black Caucus received notification from the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans indicating that Secretary Duncan announced guidelines to ensure that all students have equal access to educational resources such as academic and extracurricular programs, strong teaching, technology and instructional materials, and safe school facilities, so that they have an equal opportunity to succeed in school careers and in life. Sent to all states, school districts and schools, these guidelines identify how the Office of Civil Rights addresses resource equity in our nation’s schools and reminding them of their obligation.
Most of Las Vegas’ Black students historically attended one of the Prime Six schools on the historical west side in Las Vegas years ago. Today, 30 schools have Black populations of over 25% and although not all, some have the lowest math and English proficiency in the Clark County School District (CCSD.) While it’s been established that poverty is a key barrier to student achievement, an equal hindrance is the lack of a full-time teacher in every classroom. At the start of the 2014-2015 school year CCSD had more than 600 classrooms without a licensed teacher available to deliver instruction to students. In the 30 schools with a black student population greater than 25% -- which collectively have a FRL population of 72.7% and an average ranking of 2.4 stars -- there were nearly 110 teacher vacancies on the first day of school. It is imperative that we find systematic solutions to our teacher pipeline crisis. Our commitment to quality education for all students is severely diminished if we’re unable to provide the most basic element of a student’s success: a high qualified licensed educator.
Data shows that although this does not apply to every student, students overall receiving free and reduced lunch commonly test lower than their peers. However, depending on ethnicity we see the greatest gaps, with Black student proficiency as low as 17.9% in math and 23.4% in English. It’s shocking to note that Black students receiving free and reduced lunch represent almost 80% of the total Black student population in Nevada, and 72% in Clark County numbering 32,371 students. ELL or “English as a second language” students also struggle with lower proficiency and represent approximately 15% or 51,000+ students in CCSD. Combined, both student populations represent over 83,000 students and may soon reflect 25% of the total student population in CCSD.
Although lower proficiency appear tied to areas of concentrated poverty, we believe that under the cloak of “free and reduced lunch” Black students have remained invisible without the ability to address discriminatory policy and equitable resources that address their needs and barriers. For example, Black students are over represented in IEP at almost 15% of that total student population, the highest of any ethnicity. Often, these students were referred as a behavioral problem, where Black students are almost three times more likely to be referred than other students. It is vital that legislation and school policy implement the tracking of student performance by ethnicity and other subgroups, so that data can be obtained, analyzed, and addressed to improve educational outcomes for these students and identify discrimination and inequality. We can protect our children in 2014 and ensure that every child has access to an equitable education declared sixty years ago, regardless of race, gender, or place of origin, “which must be made available to all on equal terms.”
This staggering number of students on free and reduced lunch is a direct reflection of the lack of job opportunity for their parents. Jobs traditionally passed down generation to generation, such as building trades, hospitality and service industries elude many Blacks in recent years that may apply. It’s important to note that students qualify for free and reduced lunch based on their parents income, and as we continue to see high and disproportionate unemployment and under employment for Blacks living in Clark County, we as a community must seriously address economic disparity if we want to achieve the goals established in 1954 on education, and in 1964 for civil rights.
Let us, AS A COMMUNITY break down systemic barriers that disenfranchise and discourage student success. We invite each of you to join us in this endeavor.
GOALS
Goals are re-evaluated consistent with each bi-annual Nevada Legislative session, and determined by student outcomes as demonstrated in school performance real data. 2019-2020 Goals:
- Additional funding to reduce proficiency gaps and improve student achievement for Black students not yet proficient in English, math, and science and fully fund SB178 so that ALL schools can serve their least proficient students effectively
- Build support to continue weighted funding (SB178 model) of "least proficient" students in Nevada's new weighted funding formula
- Expand English Mastery Council to include English first students that are least proficient to reduce literacy gap
- Promote policy decisions that are data driven and based on proven student outcomes
- Enforce cultural competency teacher certification and multicultural academic standards in District curriculum
- Improve high school graduation rates and advanced diplomas, including CCR diploma that prepare students to be career ready after graduation; and access to apprenticeships and training programs
- Decrease the disproportionate suspension and expulsions of Black students
- Decrease disparity of Black student participation in Magnet/CTA's, CTE programs, G.A.T.E., Honors/AP courses, and other higher learning opportunities
- Increase the participation in BSU clubs on campus and grow the Network to include middle schools
- Eliminate a hostile and/or intimidating school environment motivated by racism and racial bias
- Identify and increase funding to provide wrap around services and mental health support to high risk students in poverty
- Increase Black participation within CCSD teaching staff and administrative positions, including at the Cabinet level
- Increase access to full day kindergarten at all schools, pre-k interventions and free summer school in communities of poverty
- Adopt a uniform, district wide "real time" monthly assessment with teaching strategies that drive instruction and provide accountability and improve student outcomes where students can self-manage
- Increase and maintain the number of "high performing" teachers in high risk schools
- Establish strategies to eliminate persistently low performance in schools
- Dismantle the prison to pipeline system and redefine on campus policing and use of funds that support students
- Support teachers/administrators with their needs to best serve our students
- Improve relationships with education stakeholders and decision makers to build stronger alliances around this work
- Advocate for the protections provided in the civil and constitutional rights of students to access an equal education
Celebrating Progress
A very small sample, but some of our biggest accomplishments since launching this initiative in 2014:
Transparency & Accountability - Policy is adopted District wide to capture and report all student achievement and data by race and ethnicity. This is a huge first step in being able to identify proficiency gaps, inequities, disparities, and policy that disenfranchise certain students and to dismantle systems of racism and bias. Nevada Legislature, the following year passed NRS requiring the same policy in every school district in Nevada.
Mentor Students in Civil Engagement & Legislative Process - Organize and escort student groups to participate in the legislative process each legislative session, and meet with their representatives about bill drafts important to their education. Students also host a luncheon for legislators and have an opportunity to hear from their Black elected representatives with a Q&A. While there students visit the Nevada Dept of Education and participate in a Superintendent Round table. They also visit the UNR campus and when time allows the Supreme Court.
ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) - Requires State/District Dept of Educations to prioritize student groups LEAST PROFICIENT in their State education plans to reduce proficiency gaps in schools nationwide, with Federal dollars. Along with other education advocates around the Nation, advocated The White House to acknowledge "students least proficient" as a student group needing a priority to reduce the proficiency gap as a national policy.
Multicultural Academic Standards & Cultural Competency Adopted - Advocated and supported Assemblyman Munford in his efforts to pass these standards along with cultural competency in the Nevada Legislature. Students from the Black Student Union joined in this worth while effort lending their support and advocacy. They identified this as a top priority for them. However, we're still waiting for CCSD to implement the standards in their curriculum that was required instruction in 2019-2020 school year.
Victory Schools Established -To address the inequity in schools located in the poorest neighborhoods.
Nevada ESSA Plan - Part of the Nevada Department of Education work group, as a community stakeholder, to establish Nevada's ESSA Plan.
Desert Rose Technical Center - Worked with CCSD over 2 years to launch this tech center for 5 North Las Vegas schools, as an answer to our concerns that students had to bus all the way over to SECTA for any vocational training, and providing some access to these kinds of programs more locally to Black students. https://www.ktnv.com/raisingthebar/north-las-vegas-students-building-a-career-in-high-school
AB469 Reorg Advisory Committee -As a member representative, tasked to develop a Plan to reorganize the Clark County School District giving schools more autonomy as school precincts within CCSD.
Black Student Union Network - Established in CCSD to help support students racially isolated on campus and improve school climate. The Network has grown from 8 high schools in 2015 to 29 high schools and 2 middle schools in 2020.
Nevada Education Funding Plan/SB178 - Recognizes and fund students in the lowest 25% quartile of proficiency, where dollars follow the student with specific interventions to reduce the proficiency gap. This is the first weighted funding formula provided by the Nevada Legislature in NRS. We are currently fighting to keep these students in the Nevada Education Funding Plan when the weighted funding formula is established by the Nevada Legislature.
Reliving the Freedom Rides Tour - An opportunity for high risk students to experience Black history through the lens of the civil rights movement. The inaugural trip honored Dr. M.L. King on the 50th anniversary of his assassination and recreated the "I Am A Man" campaign and freedom ride from Washington D.C. to Memphis, TN. Highlights of the tour students visited included the U.S. Congress and tour of national monuments, the Lorraine Motel (and site of Dr. King's assassination & Civil Rights Museum, and an Underground Railroad restored home.
Adoption of Restorative Justice Discipline - Disproportionate discipline of Black students is addressed for the first time at the Nevada Legislature and NRS is established to help dismantle the school to prison pipeline. Several other Bills passed also that are important.
CCSD Magnet Schools/CTA's Criteria - After over 10 years of advocacy, CCSD has finally modified eligibility requirements for these elite schools in efforts to provide more access to Black students disproportionately under represented on these high quality campuses. We are not seeing the access we had hoped and have asked CCSD to implement a weighted lottery for those Magnet/CTA's that are under represented by a student group. These schools must be accessible to all students. This should also apply to our CSN high schools, where in some cases there are zero Black students enrolled.
Expand English Mastery Council - Includes English as a first language students, who are least proficient and struggling to master English in NRS. We want all students to master English regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or place of origin.
North Career Technical Academy - CCSD announced the expansion of CTA's to North Las Vegas after years of advocacy for more CTE programs accessible to Black students. North Las Vegas has a high Black student population and geographically should increase access for these students. This will be a brand new school paid for through Bond dollars.
More coming soon... Stay tuned.
Transparency & Accountability - Policy is adopted District wide to capture and report all student achievement and data by race and ethnicity. This is a huge first step in being able to identify proficiency gaps, inequities, disparities, and policy that disenfranchise certain students and to dismantle systems of racism and bias. Nevada Legislature, the following year passed NRS requiring the same policy in every school district in Nevada.
Mentor Students in Civil Engagement & Legislative Process - Organize and escort student groups to participate in the legislative process each legislative session, and meet with their representatives about bill drafts important to their education. Students also host a luncheon for legislators and have an opportunity to hear from their Black elected representatives with a Q&A. While there students visit the Nevada Dept of Education and participate in a Superintendent Round table. They also visit the UNR campus and when time allows the Supreme Court.
ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) - Requires State/District Dept of Educations to prioritize student groups LEAST PROFICIENT in their State education plans to reduce proficiency gaps in schools nationwide, with Federal dollars. Along with other education advocates around the Nation, advocated The White House to acknowledge "students least proficient" as a student group needing a priority to reduce the proficiency gap as a national policy.
Multicultural Academic Standards & Cultural Competency Adopted - Advocated and supported Assemblyman Munford in his efforts to pass these standards along with cultural competency in the Nevada Legislature. Students from the Black Student Union joined in this worth while effort lending their support and advocacy. They identified this as a top priority for them. However, we're still waiting for CCSD to implement the standards in their curriculum that was required instruction in 2019-2020 school year.
Victory Schools Established -To address the inequity in schools located in the poorest neighborhoods.
Nevada ESSA Plan - Part of the Nevada Department of Education work group, as a community stakeholder, to establish Nevada's ESSA Plan.
Desert Rose Technical Center - Worked with CCSD over 2 years to launch this tech center for 5 North Las Vegas schools, as an answer to our concerns that students had to bus all the way over to SECTA for any vocational training, and providing some access to these kinds of programs more locally to Black students. https://www.ktnv.com/raisingthebar/north-las-vegas-students-building-a-career-in-high-school
AB469 Reorg Advisory Committee -As a member representative, tasked to develop a Plan to reorganize the Clark County School District giving schools more autonomy as school precincts within CCSD.
Black Student Union Network - Established in CCSD to help support students racially isolated on campus and improve school climate. The Network has grown from 8 high schools in 2015 to 29 high schools and 2 middle schools in 2020.
Nevada Education Funding Plan/SB178 - Recognizes and fund students in the lowest 25% quartile of proficiency, where dollars follow the student with specific interventions to reduce the proficiency gap. This is the first weighted funding formula provided by the Nevada Legislature in NRS. We are currently fighting to keep these students in the Nevada Education Funding Plan when the weighted funding formula is established by the Nevada Legislature.
Reliving the Freedom Rides Tour - An opportunity for high risk students to experience Black history through the lens of the civil rights movement. The inaugural trip honored Dr. M.L. King on the 50th anniversary of his assassination and recreated the "I Am A Man" campaign and freedom ride from Washington D.C. to Memphis, TN. Highlights of the tour students visited included the U.S. Congress and tour of national monuments, the Lorraine Motel (and site of Dr. King's assassination & Civil Rights Museum, and an Underground Railroad restored home.
Adoption of Restorative Justice Discipline - Disproportionate discipline of Black students is addressed for the first time at the Nevada Legislature and NRS is established to help dismantle the school to prison pipeline. Several other Bills passed also that are important.
CCSD Magnet Schools/CTA's Criteria - After over 10 years of advocacy, CCSD has finally modified eligibility requirements for these elite schools in efforts to provide more access to Black students disproportionately under represented on these high quality campuses. We are not seeing the access we had hoped and have asked CCSD to implement a weighted lottery for those Magnet/CTA's that are under represented by a student group. These schools must be accessible to all students. This should also apply to our CSN high schools, where in some cases there are zero Black students enrolled.
Expand English Mastery Council - Includes English as a first language students, who are least proficient and struggling to master English in NRS. We want all students to master English regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or place of origin.
North Career Technical Academy - CCSD announced the expansion of CTA's to North Las Vegas after years of advocacy for more CTE programs accessible to Black students. North Las Vegas has a high Black student population and geographically should increase access for these students. This will be a brand new school paid for through Bond dollars.
More coming soon... Stay tuned.
