Courtney L. Miller
Recent Work
No More Excuses: Goals for Education in Nevada
Nevada’s government schools have honorable intentions. Unfortunately, these intentions seldom generate meaningful results. For example, Nevada’s children are not able to read as well as they should. According to the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 21 percent of the Silver State’s fourth graders can read at or above grade level. Nevada has educational standards for reading and other key subjects—standards are not where the state is falling short. Rather, Nevada’s curriculum, testing measures and quality of teaching force all need to improve. Promising remedies to the state’s education woes include holding teachers and principals accountable for results, using accurate testing and assessment tools earlier and more frequently and harnessing the power of the market. These tools have worked in other states, and they will work in Nevada—if legislators can muster the courage to use them.
