August 16, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Suzanne Ernst (702) 889-8426

Board of Regents Approves Membership in P-16 Council

RENO, Nevada--The Board of Regents voted today to approve the initial membership of a Nevada P-16 Council, a collaborative effort between the Board of Regents and the State Board of Education.

At a joint meeting in January 2002, both Boards discussed a variety of educational issues affecting students in K - 12 and higher education. In addition to renewing their joint agreement, Nevada Collaborative for Academic Success: A Blueprint for Nevada P-16 Initiatives, both Boards agreed to develop a standing P-16 council that would identify, discuss, and take coordinated action on areas of concern to both groups.

Some of these concerns include increasing the college-going rate of Nevada's students; preparing students for entry into higher education; improving teaching preparation and professional development programs; and increasing communication to students of the academic expectations of the education and business communities.

The Council will also serve to support key projects of the American Diploma Project. At the October 2001 Board of Regents meeting, Chancellor Jane Nichols announced that Nevada was a recipient of this award, one of only five states to receive this honor. The award will help the state create a strategic plan for education that includes improving K-12 standards, increasing high school graduation rates, and increasing attendance at UCCSN institutions.

"The development of this council is good news for students throughout Nevada," said Douglas Seastrand, chair of the Board of Regents. "This collaboration further cements the commitment of both boards to improve our educational standards, help our students succeed, and ensure our educators have the training and resources they need."

Voting members of the P-16 Council include:

• Dr. Jane Nichols, chancellor of the UCCSN
  
• Jack McLaughlin, state superintendent of public instruction
  
• Mike Hillerby, deputy chief of staff for Gov. Kenny Guinn
  
• Douglas Seastrand, chair of the Nevada Board of Regents
  
• Dr. Paul Killpatrick, president of Great Basin College
  
• David Sheffield, president of the state board of education
  
• Debbie Smith, chair of the Council for Academic Standards
  
• Danny Thompson, head of the AFL-CIO in Nevada
  
• Ray Bacon, representative from the northern Nevada business community
  
• Mary Kay Cashman, representative from the southern Nevada business community
  
• State Sen. Bill Raggio, chair of the Interim Legislative Committee on Education
  
• Assemblyman Wendell Williams, representative from the Assembly Education Committee
  
• Debbie Verges, executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Las Vegas
  
• Denny Martindale, President of the Education Collaborative of Washoe County, Inc

Additional members not yet named will include the chair of the Washoe Educational Collaborative, a community education leader from the south; and a K - 12 superintendent.

Non-voting members will include one representative from the Board of Regents; one representative from the State Board of Education; one K-12 teacher; and one UCCSN faculty member to be selected by the System's faculty senate chairs.

The Nevada Board of Regents is the elected, 11-member governing body for the University and Community College System of Nevada. Comprising two doctoral granting universities, a state college, four comprehensive community colleges and one internationally acclaimed research institute, the UCCSN serves the educational and job training needs of the nation's fastest growing state. As Nevada's only system of higher education, the UCCSN provides educational opportunities to nearly 100,000 students.

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