Last updated on November 22, 2022
When people think about Las Vegas, they usually first imagine our hotels, casinos, and tourist attractions. However, Las Vegas is also home to the Clark County School District, the fifth-largest school district in the nation, with 326,953 students being enrolled as of 2016. Five months after Governor Sisolak shut down Nevada schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, students are returning to school on Monday the 24th to begin an online model of learning to help stem the summer surge in coronavirus cases that the city is currently experiencing. Although the district and local news has focused largely on reactions from the district, teachers, administration, and parents, students have also voiced their opinions and perspectives on the upcoming school year. Here are some of these perspectives as well as resources to help have a great start to the 2020-2021 school year.
Internet Connection
The academic environment of Las Vegas is extremely diverse, ranging from magnet schools that bring together all types of students in schools at the center of our city to newer schools sprouting up in suburbs and expanding neighborhoods. One of the largest challenges that have arisen with the pandemic has been equity and ensuring that all students have equal access to technology and a secure internet connection. At the end of the 2019-2020 school year, the district provided buses that carried Wi-Fi to neighborhoods without secure internet connection so students could move to these hotspots to finish assignments. In addition, companies such as Cox have stepped in to provide free internet connection for Las Vegas residents to provide a more sustainable solution, although concerns still remain for many neighborhoods. Families can call the CCSD Family Support Center at 888-616-2476 ASAP to get registered for an internet hotspot near their homes.
Registration
Schools across the district are currently working to ensure that every student is registered for the upcoming school year. Many schools currently have forms available through email in order to help with this process or in-person events at schools to help register for the upcoming school year.
Chromebooks and GoGuardian
In response to the technology gap, CCSD has provided Chromebooks which are currently being distributed at schools through drive-through or walk-through events. However, one of the more controversial aspects of online learning among students has been the implementation of GoGuardian software in the form of a Chrome extension for CCSD student email accounts. The district initially implemented GoGuardian in order to monitor search history and apps being used on distributed Chromebooks. Unfortunately, many students have started to compare GoGuardian to various spyware technologies, raising concerns about privacy.
In early August, a document was released by CCSD to students explaining the functions and abilities of GoGuardian. Among these, students were particularly concerned by the ability of the software to read and scan through all the applications and files on an individual’s computer if they were using a Chromebook or Microsoft Windows. Many view the installation as an intrusion of student privacy, especially students with personal devices. In addition, students were concerned by the software’s ability to allow, “teachers to view the entire desktop, close and open applications, block Microsoft Edge, and even lock the entire screen.”
In order to address these concerns, a disclaimer was included at the beginning of the document for students with personal devices, and a section at the end of the document was included to help avoid GoGuardian from reading files on personal devices.
Scheduling Concerns
As it is yet undetermined whether or not second semester will consist of an in-person, hybridized, or online learning model, scheduling classes for high school students has posed a unique set of challenges. For high schools throughout the district, class sizes are typically greater than 35 students, averaging greater than 40 students for many classes. Even the smallest classes are often no smaller than 20, which is greater than the CDC recommendation of 18 students per class in the event that students return to school in person second semester.
Thus, whereas students in the past have been able to change schedules to accommodate academic electives such as AP or Honors classes, or to have certain teachers, schedule changes have become less flexible. In response, students have found it difficult to take certain courses which may be designated as electives or switch out of certain electives and courses that they may find unappealing. From my conversations with certain juniors, being unable to request classes with certain teachers has also raised concerns about recommendation letters when they apply to college. However, these may ultimately have to be compromises that students must make during this pandemic in order to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances.
Standardized Testing
Over the last few weeks, CCSD announced that all testing sites for exams including the SAT and ACT at CCSD high schools are to be closed until December. As a result, the only site currently available for students to take these exams is The Meadows School during the October, November, and December administrations of the exams. Although many universities have announced test-optional policies for the upcoming admissions cycle, many juniors and seniors are concerned about testing availability and the loss of one more factor that may be able to support a students’ application amid canceled sports seasons, extracurriculars, and competitions. For the Class of 2022, concerns have also been raised about the status of the PSAT and its impacts on the National Merit Scholarship for Nevada students if schools are to remain closed until second semester.
Although the upcoming school year has posed challenges for students and teachers alike, it’s important for us to remember to be resilient and work through these challenges to find solutions during this pandemic. With the start of the upcoming school year, it’s the hope of many students that returning to school will return a semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy.
Online Resources
Student’s AD usernames have been changed to their school emails (i.e. ben.123456 if the email is ben.123456@nv.ccsd.net) and are available on Infinite Campus
Clever is a new online hub that can be accessed through your school email account. Teachers and schools have posted various resources including websites commonly used and class-specific resources.
Canvas is what teachers will primarily be using to handle classes. Here, students can access assignments, contact their teachers, view grades, and view upcoming assignments and tests. Teachers have also posted their Google Meet links on Canvas. Parents can also make accounts to help guide their students through courses.
Below are guides for using Canvas:
Canvas for Students: https://venngage.net/pl/hSFjVqLu9A
Canvas for Parents: https://venngage.net/pl/is9n4WPbqF4
CCSD Family Guide: https://ccsd.net/schools/back-to-school/index.php
Infinite Campus is a resource where students and teachers can view schedules, grades, and register for school. In addition, students can view a wide range of different reports and resources by clicking on the More section in the left menu.
Google Meet is the video call software that will be used to hold synchronous learning, meetings with counselors, and parent meetings by the administration.
Adobe Connect is another video calling software that may be used by some teachers to hold classes. Adobe Connect requires a student to download the app or access through a browser. Adobe Connect Meetings tend to work better on browsers such as Google Chrome and Firefox, although the software can crash frequently depending on the computer being used.
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