Nevada Assembly Bill AB386

Nevada 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/10/25
• Refer: 3/10/25
• Report Pass: 4/21/25
• Refer: 4/21/25
• Report Pass: 5/29/25
• Engrossed: 5/31/25
• Refer: 5/31/25
• Report Pass: 6/1/25
• Failed: 6/3/25
• Failed: 6/2/25

Caption

Revises provisions relating to assessments administered to pupils to assess reading proficiency. (BDR S-828)

Summary

AB386 authorizes the Washoe County School District to run a one-year pilot program during the 2025-2026 school year using an alternative reading assessment for elementary pupils instead of the statewide assessment, so long as the alternative test is approved by the State Board of Education. The bill requires the State Board to approve an assessment if it is a valid, reliable, standards-based reading assessment and the Department of Education has established a way to translate its score into an equivalent statewide-assessment score. If Washoe County uses an approved alternative assessment, the district would not have to administer the statewide reading assessment for the literacy plan required under existing law. In that case, the Department of Education must provide the district a grant equal to the state savings from not administering the statewide test. The district must also submit a report by August 31, 2026, to the Department and the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Education describing the assessment used, how score equivalency was determined, and the grant received. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, and expires June 30, 2026.

Impact

The bill creates a narrow, temporary exception to Nevada’s existing elementary literacy assessment requirements in NRS 388.157, but only for the Washoe County School District and only for the 2025-2026 school year. It also adds a new state funding obligation by directing the Department of Education to award a grant to the district in an amount equal to the state’s savings from not administering the statewide assessment, and it requires reporting to state education officials and the interim legislative committee. The bill affects the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, and Washoe County School District, while leaving the broader statewide assessment framework in place for other districts and schools.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong bipartisan support and no recorded opposition: the Assembly passed the bill 40-0 and the Senate passed it 21-0. With no committee transcript provided, there is no evidence of public disagreement in the materials supplied. Overall, the bill appears to have been viewed favorably as a limited pilot and testing flexibility measure rather than a major policy overhaul.

Contention

The main policy issue is whether a district should be allowed to substitute a locally chosen reading assessment for the statewide test, and under what safeguards. Any concern would likely center on maintaining comparability and accountability, which the bill addresses by requiring State Board approval, standards-based validity and reliability, and an equivalent-score methodology from the Department. Another possible point of discussion is the grant mechanism, since it ties district funding to state testing savings, but the unanimous votes suggest these issues were not politically divisive in the materials provided.