49°F
weather icon Clear

Grant will help NSHE corequisite education

The Nevada System of Higher Education has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the ECMC Foundation to assist NSHE’s seven degree-granting institutions in the implementation of corequisite math and English to full scale.

ECMC Foundation is a Los Angeles-based, nationally focused foundation whose mission is to inspire and to facilitate improvements that affect educational outcomes — especially among underserved populations — through evidence-based innovation. It makes investments in the focus areas of college success and career readiness and uses a spectrum of funding structures, including strategic grantmaking and program-related investments, to invest in both nonprofit and for-profit ventures.

Historically, far too many NSHE students have entered into below college level math and English remedial courses that have created additional costs for students and delayed graduation. Recognizing both NSHE institutional data and growing national research supporting reform in remediation, the NSHE Board of Regents adopted a policy that eliminates traditional remediation pathways.

The NSHE Corequisite and College Ready Gateway Policy requires all students to be enrolled in college-level gateway English and math courses in their first year of enrollment, with or without corequisite support, effective Fall 2021. Corequisite instruction is a nationwide movement of delivering “just-in-time” support for college level math and English coursework in place of traditional remediation.

“This new Corequisite and College Ready Gateway policy sends a clear message to all students, said Jason Geddes, chair of the Nevada Board of Regents. “When you come to college, you will take college-level courses, and if you need it, just-in-time support will be provided for you.”

“We are determined to see more of our Nevada students graduate,” NSHE Chancellor Thom Reilly said. “We are grateful for this partnership with ECMC Foundation and for their generous support. The corequisite model of math and English remediation reform is proven to work across the country and is directly in line with the system’s strategic plan goals.”

“ECMC Foundation is excited to support the Nevada System of Higher Education as they continue to take bold steps that are affirmed in system policy to increase on-time graduation and to help eliminate student achievement gaps,” ECMC Foundation senior program director Sarah Belnick said. “We look forward to seeing the scaled implementation of corequisite math and English support courses across Nevada as this kind of strategic innovation is proven to help students of all backgrounds successfully cross the college finish line.”

The content of some math and English courses will not only change, but the approach to delivery will change as well. Corequisite instruction closes achievement gaps and builds equity by starting with the basics: providing collaborative learning environments and intrusively supporting students when they get stuck through just-in-time support.

“Much of these ECMC funds will be distributed to each of NSHE’s seven teaching institutions through subgrants,” said Crystal Abba, NHSE vice chancellor of academic and student affairs. “Institutions are expected to use this money for direct activities of scaling corequisite support, including faculty and advisor professional development, hiring embedded student supports in corequisite classes and to support credentialing activities for faculty.”

Since the policy’s passage, NSHE System leadership created a statewide Corequisite Implementation Task Force that includes individuals from each of NSHE’s seven teaching institutions. This task force meets regularly to streamline the implementation of corequisite reform to scale in a manner that utilizes collective impact across the state.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Beatty riled by sheriff’s substation closure

Lone staffer will be relocated to Pahrump to help with workload there; be onsite in Beatty just once a month.

Sales tax question headed to the ballot

Road conditions in the Pahrump Valley are a sore point for many drivers as well as a source of frustration for the crews dedicated to maintaining them but with only so many road dollars to go around, it can be hard to keep pace with the demand.

How historical storytelling is highlighting Tonopah attractions

Preserving history for generations to come while simultaneously boosting tourism – that’s the goal of Tonopah Main Street: Historical Storytelling, a project that’s using the digital age to promote all of the fascinating facts about the bygone days of Tonopah.

Bake sale rakes in $2k for splash pad shade

Pahrump Mother’s Corner is on a mission to see the town of Pahrump build a community splash pad but this group of local parents is doing more than just advocating for the project – they are actively raising money to assist with paying for what they all feel will be a crucial addition to it, a shade structure.

The Veterans Extravaganza – an information hub for former military

The 7th Annual Cles Saunders Memorial Veterans’ Extravaganza took place last week, giving former military service members a chance to learn all about the various resources the area has to offer.

Want to be the county clerk? Applications due March 13

Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf announced his pending resignation last week and the Nye County Commission must now select someone to assume the soon-to-be-vacated office.

Older resident dies in fire

Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services, along with the Nevada State Fire Marshal’s office are investigating the exact cause of a structure fire that claimed the life of a man early Wednesday morning.

How has the town fared with Fall Festival? Here’s an overview

When the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce made the decision to divest itself of the Pahrump Fall Festival, the town of Pahrump stepped in to reassume the popular community event.