EXEMPT (Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 3, 2023) FIRST REPRINT S.B. 72 - *SB72_R1* SENATE BILL NO. 72–COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (ON BEHALF OF THE JOINT INTERIM STANDING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION) PREFILED JANUARY 23, 2023 ____________ Referred to Committee on Education SUMMARY—Directs the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Education to conduct certain studies during the 2023-2024 interim. (BDR S-441) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No. Effect on the State: Yes. ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. AN ACT relating to education; directing the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Education to conduct certain studies during the 2023-2024 interim and report its findings to the Legislature; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law creates the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Education. (NRS 1 218E.320) Existing law authorizes the Committee to: (1) evaluate, review and 2 comment upon issues related to education in Nevada; (2) conduct investigations 3 and hold hearings; (3) conduct studies as directed by the Legislature or the 4 Legislative Commission; and (4) make certain recommendations to the Legislature. 5 (NRS 218E.330, 218E.615) This bill directs the Committee to conduct five separate 6 studies during the 2023-2024 interim and report its findings for each study to the 7 Legislature. Specifically, this bill directs the Committee to study: (1) the mental 8 health and wellness of pupils; (2) the workload of teachers, including any relevant 9 statutory and regulatory requirements; (3) requirements governing the licensing of 10 teachers and administrators and the effect of such requirements on the diversity and 11 effectiveness of teachers and administrators and the recruitment of local teachers 12 and administrators; (4) trends in graduation and achievement of pupils enrolled in 13 high school and any divergence between those trends; and (5) groups of pupils that 14 may require additional resources, and policies and strategies that may address the 15 needs of such groups. 16 – 2 – - *SB72_R1* THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. 1. The Joint Interim Standing Committee on 1 Education shall, during the 2023-2024 interim: 2 (a) Conduct a study concerning the mental health and wellness 3 of pupils in this State and programs to improve the mental health 4 and wellness of such pupils, including, without limitation, evidence-5 based mental health therapies and practices. 6 (b) Conduct a study concerning the workload of teachers in this 7 State, including, without limitation, provisions of law and 8 regulations that affect the workload of teachers in this State, to 9 better understand and evaluate the workload of teachers in this State. 10 (c) Conduct a study concerning requirements governing the 11 licensing of teachers and administrators in this State, including, 12 without limitation, any requirement that an applicant for a license as 13 a teacher or administrator, as applicable, must pass the “Praxis Core 14 Academic Skills for Educators” examination in reading, 15 mathematics and writing, prepared and administered by the 16 Educational Testing Service, to: 17 (1) Identify whether such requirements are barriers to 18 increasing the diversity of teachers or administrators, as applicable, 19 in this State and increasing the number of pupils in the public 20 schools in this State and students at institutions of higher education 21 in this State who eventually become teachers and administrators in 22 this State; and 23 (2) Ensure that requirements concerning the competency of 24 applicants for a license as a teacher or administrator, as applicable, 25 are reasonable indicators of the future effectiveness of such an 26 applicant as a teacher or administrator. 27 (d) Conduct a study concerning: 28 (1) Trends in the graduation rates of, and the types of 29 diplomas awarded to, pupils enrolled in high school in this State, 30 based on the information included in the annual report of 31 accountability pursuant to NRS 385A.260; 32 (2) Trends in achievement of pupils enrolled in high school 33 in this State, including, without limitation, information relating to 34 such trends that is included in the annual report of accountability 35 pursuant to NRS 385A.200; 36 (3) A comparison of the trends described in subparagraphs 37 (1) and (2); and 38 (4) Any factors which may be responsible for the trends 39 described in subparagraphs (1) and (2) and any divergence between 40 the trends described in subparagraph (1) and the trends described in 41 subparagraph (2). 42 – 3 – - *SB72_R1* (e) Conduct a study concerning: 1 (1) Groups of pupils who may require additional resources to 2 receive a reasonably equal educational opportunity; 3 (2) The specific educational needs of such groups of pupils; 4 (3) Policies and strategies that target such groups of pupils, 5 address specific needs and provide specific interventions, including, 6 without limitation, policies and strategies to increase enrollment in 7 postsecondary education or vocational training; and 8 (4) Long-term strategies to fund and implement such policies 9 and programs. 10 2. On or before February 1, 2025, for each study listed in 11 subsection 1, the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Education 12 shall submit a report of its findings and any recommendations for 13 legislation to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for 14 transmittal to the 83rd Session of the Legislature. 15 Sec. 2. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2023. 16 H