Twenty-five Clark County School District (CCSD) schools have been recognized as Shining Stars Schools by the Nevada Department of Education (NDE).
A Shining Stars School is a high-performing school serving a high percentage of students in poverty. A high-performing school is one that achieved a 4- or 5-Star rating on the most recent Nevada School Performance Framework.
An elementary or middle school serving a high percentage of students in poverty has at least 75 percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL). For high schools, the cutoff is at least 50 percent of students eligible for FRL.
“One of our core beliefs is that all students can succeed, regardless of their background and challenges,” said CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara.
“These Shining Stars Schools demonstrate to our community that, with the right supports and dedication to rigor, every child can thrive in our traditional public schools,” Dr. Jara said. “I hope the community joins me in celebrating the success of these schools, including their students, teachers, support professionals, and principals.”
One of the 25 CCSD Shining Stars Schools was Helen M. Smith Elementary School, whose school’s student population has 100 percent eligibility for FRL. In this year’s Nevada School Performance Framework assessment, the elementary School was designated a 5-Star School.
“We appreciate the ‘Shining Stars’ designation because it validates all of the hard work and the many sacrifices that the teachers and support professionals make to educate the students,” said Robert Hinchliffe, principal of Helen M. Smith Elementary School. “They are the individuals who made this happen and I am fortunate to get to work alongside them as they lead the students to success.”
Statewide Smarter Balanced assessment data for elementary and middle schools show that students qualifying for FRL have a proficiency rate approximately 10 percentage points below the average for all students. The majority of elementary and middle school Shining Stars outperformed the state average in math and reading, some by as much as 27 percentage points in math and 21 percentage points in English Language Arts.
This year’s CCSD Shining Stars Schools include 17 elementary schools, two middle schools and six high schools.
This is the third year that NDE has published a Shining Stars Schools list. Following is this year’s complete list of CCSD schools meriting this distinction:
CCSD Shining Stars – Elementary Schools
- James H. Bilbray
- Blue Diamond
- Marion E. Cahlan
- Crestwood
- Ruben P. Diaz
- Pat Diskin
- Doris French
- James I. Gibson
- Addeliar D. Guy
- Fay Herron
- Mabel Hoggard Math and Science Magnet
- Martha P. King
- Estes McDoniel
- Lewis E. Rowe
- Helen Marie Smith
- Joseph E. Thiriot
- Louis Wiener Jr.
CCSD Shining Stars – Middle Schools
- Indian Springs
- Odyssey (CCSD sponsored charter school)
CCSD Shining Stars – High Schools
- East Career and Technical Academy
- Rancho
- Sandy Valley
- Southeast Career and Technical Academy
- Veterans Tribute Career and Technical Academy
- West Prep Academy
