Christina Mokhtar, Annenberg Institute for School Reform

Abstract: As the largest school district in Nevada and the fifth-largest school district in the country, Clark County School District (CCSD) served approximately 10,000 students in 341 schools during the 2010-2011 school year. Typical of urban districts, more than half of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and 68 percent are students of color. Many schools are located in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty, as well as racial and linguistic isolation (Terriquez, Flashman & Schuler-Brown 2009). Also, the patterns of enrollment show dramatic increases in the proportions of English language learners (ELLs) in CCSD over the last two decades. Currently, 23 percent of students in the district are limited English proficient (LEP).