Nevada Revised Statutes 388.890 – State Board to establish recommendations for ratio of pupils per teacher and specialized instructional support personnel; posting on Internet website of approved ratio of pupils per teacher in each class; adoption of…
1. The State Board shall develop nonbinding recommendations for the ratio of pupils per licensed teacher and specialized instructional support personnel in the public schools of this State for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The board of trustees of each school district shall consider the recommendations in establishing the ratio of pupils per licensed teacher or specialized instructional support personnel, as applicable, in the school district.
Terms Used In Nevada Revised Statutes 388.890
- counselor: means a person who holds a license issued pursuant to chapter 391 of NRS and an endorsement to serve as a school counselor issued pursuant to regulations adopted by the Commission on Professional Standards in Education or who is otherwise authorized by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to serve as a school counselor. See Nevada Revised Statutes 385.007
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- psychologist: means a person who holds a license issued pursuant to chapter 391 of NRS and an endorsement to serve as a school psychologist issued pursuant to regulations adopted by the Commission on Professional Standards in Education or who is otherwise authorized by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to serve as a school psychologist. See Nevada Revised Statutes 385.007
- Public schools: means all kindergartens and elementary schools, junior high schools and middle schools, high schools, charter schools and any other schools, classes and educational programs which receive their support through public taxation and, except for charter schools, whose textbooks and courses of study are under the control of the State Board. See Nevada Revised Statutes 385.007
- social worker: means a social worker licensed pursuant to chapter 641B of NRS who holds a license issued pursuant to chapter 391 of NRS and an endorsement to serve as a school social worker issued pursuant to regulations adopted by the Commission on Professional Standards in Education or who is otherwise authorized by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to serve as a school social worker. See Nevada Revised Statutes 385.007
- State Board: means the State Board of Education. See Nevada Revised Statutes 385.007
2. The recommendations developed by the State Board must:
(a) Prescribe a suggested ratio of pupils per licensed teacher for each classroom and course of instruction, except choir, orchestra and band, in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive;
(b) Prescribe a suggested ratio of pupils per each type of specialized instructional support personnel for each kind of public school described in NRS 388.020;
(c) Be based on evidence-based national standards set forth by the licensing body for teachers and the licensing body for each type of specialized instructional support personnel;
(d) Take into account the unique needs of certain pupils, including, without limitation, pupils who are English learners;
(e) Require that administrators and other licensed educational personnel, including, without limitation, counselors, coaches and special education teachers, who may be present in a classroom but do not teach every pupil in the classroom may not be counted in determining the ratio of pupils per licensed teacher; and
(f) Count only teachers who are actively teaching pupils during a class period and teach a subject, and are the teacher of record assigned to the classroom of pupils, for which the ratio of pupils per licensed teacher is being determined.
3. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to relieve a school district of its obligation to comply with the requirements of NRS 388.700 and 388.720, as applicable to the school district.
4. Not later than 30 days after the beginning of each school year, the board of trustees of each school district shall post on an Internet website maintained by the school district the ratio of pupils per licensed teacher that has been approved for each class in the district.
5. The board of trustees of a school district with one or more schools that exceed the recommended ratio of pupils to specialized instructional support personnel shall develop a 15-year strategic plan to achieve the ratio of pupils to specialized instructional support personnel in the district.
6. On or before February 1 of each odd-numbered year, the board of trustees of each school district shall submit a report on the progress of the school district in obtaining the ratio of pupils per licensed teacher and specialized instructional support personnel recommended pursuant to this section to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmittal to the Senate and Assembly Standing Committees on Education.
7. As used in this section:
(a) ’English learner’ has the meaning ascribed to it in 20 U.S.C. § 7801(20).
(b) ’Specialized instructional support personnel’ includes persons employed by each school to provide necessary services such as assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational services, therapeutic services and related services, as defined in 20 U.S.C. § 1401(26), to pupils. Such persons employed by a school include, without limitation:
(1) A school counselor;
(2) A school psychologist;
(3) A school social worker;
(4) A school nurse;
(5) A speech-language pathologist;
(6) A school library media specialist; and
(7) Any other qualified professional.