Magdalena Martinez and David F. Damore Abstract: Nevada's educational outcomes – both K-12 and higher education – are woeful. The consequences of this for the state's present and future are myriad and alarming. Poor educational outcomes mean that the state receives little return on investment from current educational spending. High dropout rates and sub-par academic achievement fail to…

Tripp Umbach Abstract: The Lincy Institute releases an update on the return on investment (ROI) data for a UNLV School of Medicine (SOM). Lincy first presented this data from the consulting firm Tripp Umbach in 2013 as part of an analysis on the potential economic impact of a medical school in southern Nevada. The data shows that by the middle of the next decade, a UNLV SOM launched in 2017…

Augenblick, Palaich, and Associates (APA) Abstract: The Institute commissioned the PJ study as part of a review of Nevada’s school funding system. The review called for studies like this one to update the 2006 Nevada education funding adequacy study. This current study is an adequacy study examining the base cost and adjustments needed for students in Nevada to meet state standards. In the…

David F. Damore Abstract: During the 2013 legislative session, Nevada’s higher education funding structure was reformed. Yet, to date, there has been no comprehensive analysis of the impact of these policy changes. In “Held Harmless: Higher Education Funding and the 77th Session of the Nevada Legislature,” UNLV Political Scientist and Brookings Institution Nonresident Fellow David Damore…

Magdalena Martinez, David F. Damore, and Robert E. Lang Abstract: The Case for a New College Governance Structure in Nevada provides a governance model that integrates higher education with economic development. Specifically the authors, in response to a call for recommendations by the Committee to Study Community College Governance, identify governance models that are evidence based and…

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…

  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 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…

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 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…