Magdalena Martinez Abstract: State governance of colleges and universities is an indicator of the state’s relationship with key stakeholders, such as business leaders, elected officials, policy makers, and local residents. Accordingly, a state’s college governance structure shapes two-year public colleges’ institutional priorities and how these vital institutions respond to local workforce…

Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition, Lincy Institute, UNLV Urban Sustainability Initiative, and UNLV School of Community Health Sciences Abstract: The following report is intended to describe current conditions in the Southern Nevada region. It is focused on findings relating to key areas such as: the economy and jobs, housing, transportation, the environment, and community health.…

  Shannon M. Monnat, Anna Smedley, and Fatma Nasoz Abstract: This brief presents the results of a partnering survey designed to measure the partnering power of each health, education, and social service non‐profit in southern Nevada indicated by the connections between these organizations. The survey documents which organizations engaged in the most partnering, increasing the…

Sonya Douglass Horsford Abstract: When it comes to education, Nevada’s reputation as a low-performing state in no way reflects a shortage of reforms. The politics of high-stakes accountability characteristic of federal education policy since the 1980s has resulted in much reform, but “small change” in terms of funding and improved outcomes in the Silver State. This brief examines the…

Sonya Douglass Horsford and Carrie Sampson Abstract: By increasing the capacity of local child and youth-serving organizations, building a continuum cradle-to-college and career solutions, and integrating programs and respective data systems in ways that leverage existing assets and resources, the Promise Neighborhood model shows promise in our ability to advance educational…

Sonya Douglas Horsford, Christina Mokhtar, and Carrie Sampson Abstract: The purpose of this report is to provide the public with an easy to understand review of the status of education for Nevada’s English Language Learner1 (ELL) population with a focus on Clark County. Nevada is ranked first in the U.S. for having the highest growth rate of Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals…

Christina Mokhtar, Annenberg Institute for School Reform Abstract: As the largest school district in Nevada and the fifth-largest school district in the country, Clark County School District (CCSD) served approximately 10,000 students in 341 schools during the 2010-2011 school year. Typical of urban districts, more than half of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and 68…

Sonya Douglass Horsford and Tonia Holmes-Sutton Abstract:Parent and family engagement in the educational lives of children and youth positively influence student learning and achievement. While this connection may seem obvious, varying ideals of parent engagement limit the ways in which school communities understand, encourage, and benefit from meaningful school-home-community interactions…

Sonya Douglass Horsford Abstract:School readiness continues to be an area of growing concern in education and public policy circles. The notion that "all children should arrive at school ready for the first day" has important implications not only for parents, early childhood educators, and K-12 schoolteachers, but also policymakers, business owners, and our local and state economies. The…