As much as any legislation can receive unqualified bipartisan support, Nevada’s zoom schools proposal did.
Signed into law by Governor Sandoval a little over a year ago, the initiative promised $50 million dollars earmarked for Nevada’s more than 70,000 English Language Learners.
The aim of zoom schools is to give non native English speakers, especially those in early grades, a jump start. The classroom experience includes reading centers, longer school days and smaller class sizes.
Some preliminary numbers are in and it looks like the zoom schools effort can tentatively be called a success.
For example, at the beginning of the school year, 10 percent of Pre-K students could speak English. By the end of the school year that number was at 80 percent.
At the start of the year only 35 percent of pre kindergarten students had age appropriate reading skills. By the end of the year, that number was almost 100 percent.
GUESTS
Scott Hammond, Nevada State Senator
Patty Rosales, principal, Cortez Elementary
Tim Adams, principal, Martinez Elementary
Dr. Sylvia Lazos, UNLV Boyd School of Law
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