Teaching

The Clark County School District (CCSD) serves nearly 300,000 students who attend more than 337 schools. The academic achievement of students in the CCSD varies by school, but students in low-income communities continue to significantly lag behind their peers.

In the Las Vegas Valley, the achievement gap begins at the age of three. There is a high percentage of English language learners and families living in poverty, which demands an increased emphasis on competitive early childhood programs. Data show that children living in poverty are often less prepared to enter kindergarten than their more affluent peers, which is why we place teachers at Acelero (Head Start) sites to begin closing the achievement gap at the earliest point in a child’s academic development.

• Children in Clark County have limited pre-K options with Head Start and only a handful of pre-K classrooms throughout the district.
• In 2008, only 29.6 percent of the district’s 3rd-5th grade students met or exceeded proficiency goals on the writing assessment, compared to the district average of 49 percent.
• Fewer than half of high school seniors passed their math proficiency exams last year. Of all the freshmen that enter high school, less than 60 percent graduate.

While academic achievement isn’t where we need to be, the district remains focused on improving the performance of all students. The 2010 corps will join the mighty 47 2009 corps members to assume a leading role in ensuring that all students have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.

View a map of our placement areas.

Certification and Testing

In order to join the Las Vegas Valley corps, all corps members must take and pass both the Praxis I and Praxis II exams that are required for their placement. Applicants assigned to the Las Vegas Valley will receive more information about these exams once they are accepted.

Teach For America • Las Vegas Valley established a partnership with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, (UNLV) enabling corps members to pursue certification. In addition, most corps members enroll in the dual Master's of Education and Teacher Licensure program. It is possible for corps members to successfully earn a master’s of education at the end of their two-year commitment, but Nevada requires three years of teaching experience to become eligible for licensure. As a result, nearly 65 percent decide to continue to teach for a third year in order to obtain their Nevada state teaching license.