Bill > AB286

This bill establishes a pilot program within the Nevada System of Higher Education to create an alternative pathway for assessing the competency of teachers seeking initial licensure. The program will select up to 100 participants annually, including those with provisional licenses or substitute teaching endorsements, and will involve a comprehensive professional development curriculum with monthly mentorship from experienced teachers. Participants must receive at least two consecutive effective or highly effective performance evaluations during the program. The alternative assessment methods aim to provide a more inclusive and equitable evaluation of teaching competency, with a focus on collecting data to potentially implement broader alternative assessment strategies in the future. The Department of Education will extend participants' provisional license deadlines by 24 months and remove competency test requirements upon successful program completion. Each participating institution must submit annual progress reports and a final implementation plan, and the pilot program is set to expire on July 1, 2029. The bill modifies existing regulations to allow participants who complete the pilot program to be exempt from standard competency testing in the principles and methods of teaching, offering a more flexible approach to teacher certification.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/83rd2025/Bill/12341/Overview