September 2024

Attendance Awareness Month and “Nebraska Every Day Counts!” Campaign

Student attendance and chronic absenteeism remains an important indicator of student engagement and success for Nebraska schools. At its peak, in 2021, the statewide chronic absence rate was nearly 24%, or approximately, 73,000 students were chronically absent. Chronic absence is defined as a student missing 10% or more of their time in the school. Chronic absence disproportionately affects economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and students learning English.

Chronic absence can be caused by many factors including physical and emotional health, lack of academic engagement, homelessness, among others. While rates have been declining since 2021, it remains an important data point.

As part of the State Board Legislative Priorities for the 2025-27 Biennium, the NDE is raising awareness about chronic absenteeism, its root causes, and potential solutions. The NDE is leading the “Nebraska Every Day Counts!” campaign, and has updated resources for parents, teachers, and administrators.

Resolution Attendance Awareness Month and Nebraska Every Day Counts Campaign

Nebraska Teacher of the Year Quarterly Report

Scott Phillips, 2024 Nebraska Teacher of the Year, from Aurora Middle School gave his quarterly update to the board. Highlights included NASA Space Camp in Alabama where Scott worked with other Teachers of the Year in an immersive learning experience. He also talked about the impact of teaching, not just academically but on the impact teachers have on who students become as people.

Expanded Learning Opportunity Grant Program

The Expanded Learning Opportunity Grant Program Act was created by the Nebraska Legislature to promote academic achievement in high-need schools during out-of-school time afterschool and during summer break. Beginning July 1, 2016, one percent of education proceeds from the Nebraska Lottery are transferred to this fund. Eligible sites must be receiving funding from a 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) Continuation Grant for the 2024-26 school year.

2024-2026 Two-Year Expanded Learning Opportunity Grants

McKinney-Vento Grants

Through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, federal funds are available to each state to support programs that meet the needs of homeless children and youth. The Nebraska Department of Education uses the funds to distribute subgrants to local educational agencies through a competitive grant process to promote the enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless children and youth.

McKinney-Vento Grant Allocations

2025-27 Biennial Budget Request Submission

The Department’s biennial budget request for Fiscal Years 2025-26 and 2026-27 must be submitted
to the State Budget Division by September 15th, 2024. The State Board approved NDE’s
budget request submittal during the September board meeting.
In preparation for the September board vote on the proposed budget submission NDE covered
the budget process and gave an overview of the budget to the Budget and Finance Committee
in addition to the full board during the August meeting. Additionally, NDE provided potential
items to be included with the Department’s budget request and support for those items during
the August board meeting.

Biennial Budget Requests

Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Grant

CLSD is a discretionary grant program of the US Department of Education designed to create a
comprehensive literacy program to advance literacy skills for children from birth through grade 12,
with an emphasis on disadvantaged children, including children living in poverty, English learners,
and children with disabilities. The program provides five-year grants to states to identify and address literacy gaps.
The NDE applied for the CLSD grant for $11 million per year, for the next five years and was awarded $55 million. As part of the application process, the NDE worked with and gained support from Governor Pillen.
As NDE was considering statewide activities, reviewing data, consulting with stakeholders, and
aligning to current work, a focus on NeMTSS framework emerged. Utilizing the NeMTSS regions for
professional learning opportunities, literacy coaching, and feedback necessary for continuous
improvement and literacy planning updates, NDE proposes to establish an Office of Literacy and set a long-term goal of a 50% increase in grade-level proficiency, based on Nebraska’s ELA assessments.

CLSD Grants

Nebraska College and Career Ready Standards for Science 2024

The State Board of Education is required by law to adopt measurable academic content standards for the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies every seven years. The review of the 2017 Nebraska College and Career Ready Standards for Science began in October 2023.
A Public Input Survey was available on the NDE website from May 3 – May 30, 2024. Seventy-three responses were submitted.
The standards writing team reconvened on June 13 to review the public input and update the standards into a final draft for review in August 2024. The board approved the science standards in September, 2024.

Science Standards

Statewide Assessment Contract

The Nebraska Department of Education uses a comprehensive selection process to choose a vendor to provide statewide assessments in public schools across the state.  This year four vendors submitted proposals to provide statewide assessments.

The State Board approved a contract with NWEA to provide and operate an innovative, balanced assessment system whose primary objective is to benefit the students of Nebraska. A secondary, but very important, objective is to pass peer review requirements established by the federal government to ensure we have a valid instrument to measure student proficiency.

The contractor will provide the assessment of learning for students in grades 3-8 in English Language Arts and Mathematics and grades 5 and 8 in Science through the general assessment, the assessment of learning for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in grades 3-8 and 11 in English Language Arts and Mathematics and grades 5, 8, and 11 in Science through the alternate assessment and the reporting of the performance of school districts.

Statewide Assessment Contract