David F. Damore, William E. Brown, Jr., and Robert E. Lang Abstract: This report analyzes 11 bills introduced during the 79th Session of the Nevada Legislature that proposed to reorganize, reform, and realign various aspects of the state’s higher education system. The analysis reveals the following: (1) despite bipartisan support for higher education reform, nearly all of the reform bills…

David F. Damore, Robert E. Lang, Fatma Nasoz, William E. Brown Jr., and Caitlin J. Saladino Abstract: Cooperative Extension is a partnership jointly funded by federal, state, and county governments that seeks to extend the services of the University of Nevada to Nevadans. As the original branch of Nevada’s land-grant institution, the University of Nevada, Reno has administered Cooperative…

Fatma Nasoz, Robert E. Lang, and William E. Brown Jr. Abstract: For more than a century, cooperative extensions and the land-grant universities have translated and extended research-based knowledge and provided non-formal higher education to their communities. Today, more than 80% of the nation’s population are living in urban areas (The World Bank, 2015). Challenges facing diverse…

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…

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…

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…

Robert E. Lang Abstract: The City of North Las Vegas, operating in the shadow of the Las Vegas Strip, one of the world's most iconic urban settings, faces a series of financial and political challenges that threaten its ability to perform basic municipal services. This paper explores how North Las Vegas reached the edge of insolvency, the implications for North Las Vegas and the surrounding…

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…