Joe Lombardo STATE OF NEVADA Rebecca Feiden

Governor Executive Director

STATE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL AUTHORITY

1749 North Stewart Street Suite 40 2080 East Flamingo Road Suite 230
Carson City, Nevada 89706-2543 Las Vegas, Nevada 89119-5164
(775) 687-9174 · Fax (775) 687-9113 (702) 486-8895 · Fax (702) 486-5543

ACTION MEMORANDUM
TO: SPCSA Authority Board
FROM: Danny Peltier, Management Analyst III
SUBJECT: Nevada Virtual Academy – Charter Amendment Request to Change
Education Management Organization
DATE: April 14, 2023

Summary of Request and Recommendation

Nevada Virtual Academy (NVVA) has submitted an amendment application requesting that the
State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA) approve a change in Education Management
Organization. More specifically, NVVA is requesting approval to terminate its Education
Management Organization (EMO) agreement with Stride (formerly K12) and to enter into a
new EMO agreement with Accel Online West LLC (Accel).
SPCSA staff has reviewed the application, and recommends that the Authority approve the
request, with conditions. A proposed motion along with conditions can be found on page 7 of
this memo.
Background and Overview of the Amendment
NVVA is a full-time, virtual charter school serving students statewide. As of Validation Day
2022, NVVA had 2153 students enrolled in grades 6 – 12.
According to the amendment application, NVVA seeks the Authority’s approval to terminate
its existing EMO contract with Stride (formerly K12). According to the amendment
application, the mission of NVVA will continue to be “providing Nevada students with a world
class education grounded in high academic standards which will help them achieve their full
academic and social potential and help them become productive members of society.” If
approved to separate from Stride (formerly K12), NVVA plans to contract with Accel for

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curriculum, platform, instructional support services, student computers and technology
assistance services, and school support services. NVVA will continue to use Virtual
Technologies Group (VTG) for technology support services as well.
In addition to plans to contract with Accel, NVVA plans to contract with the Charter School
Management Company (CSMC) for back-office support.
The following table lists the responsibilities that were held by Stride (formerly K12) which will
now be handled by CSMC, Accel, and VTG according to information provided to SPCSA
through the amendment.

Responsibilities of Stride (formerly NVVA’s Proposed Plan with Accel

K12) within Approved Charter and Charter School Management
Application Company
Assessment • Testing computers and equipment • NVVA will continue to use VTG through
s (Testing Accel.
Computers • VTG, invoiced through Stride.
and
Equipment)

Education • Student curriculum (including use of a • Accel will provide to the School the
and synchronous communication platform, currently following educational services (the
Instruction- Newrow, for use with that curriculum) “Educational Services”):
Related • Curriculum. Provide support for
Services implementation of educational
programs designed to achieve the
goals set forth in the Charter
Contract (the “Educational
Program”). In the event Accel
determines it is necessary to
materially modify the Educational
Program, Accel shall inform the
School of any such proposed
material changes and obtain School
approval, and if required under the
Charter Contract, approval of the
Sponsor (it being agreed that the
School shall cooperate in obtaining
such approval).
• Coordination of curriculum and
related training to be provided by
instructional and administrative
personnel, and the School’s
leadership team and its teachers and
support staff, all in accordance with
ARTICLE VI below.
• Selection of instructional tools,
equipment and supplies, including
computers, curriculum, software and
multi-media teaching tools

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 • Teacher access • Accel will provide training in its
instructional methods, curriculum,
educational program and support technology
to the School’s personnel on a regular and
continuous basis. The training will enable
the School’s instructional staff to provide in-
service training to each other.
• Grade 6-12 Physical and Digital Materials • Accel Management Platform (“AMP”),
which provides an integrated system for
education and school operation. It includes
integration of rigorous and research-based
online courses and functions as a powerful
learning management system; a
comprehensive student information system
and reporting system; a live Webinar tool; a
balanced student assessment system; and
instructional data integration and
presentation tools. AMP is a single sign-on
experience that hosts synchronous and
asynchronous lessons allowing for student-
centered learning. AMP is capable of
providing real-time progress monitoring,
and can allow teachers instantaneous access
to standards-aligned and performance-based
data about each student. Using AMP,
teachers can better identify students who
need small group or one-on-one
instructional support.
• Student computers and technical • NVVA will lease from Accel computers and
support related technology equipment.

Business • IT Operations • During the Term, Accel or its Affiliates will

Operations provide or cause to be provided to the School
the following technology products and services
(the “Technology Services”):
• Monitor production services, i.e., the
learning management and content
management systems;
• Monitor and analyze data to fix
production issues as they arise;
• Generate reports on student academic
performance, attendance and progress;
• Seek and secure competitive pricing and
centralized purchase discounts for
computers, monitors, printers, software
and other peripherals (“Computer
Equipment”) for use by the School’s
students and staff working for the School;
• Determine hardware configurations
(including software and operating
systems) for the School’s technology
needs;
• Provide support for School administration
in troubleshooting system errors; and
• Other technology support services
requested and mutually agreed upon by
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 the Board and Accel

• School specific reporting • Charter School Management Company

(CSMC) will provide support. NVVA’s
operations team will continue to be
primarily responsible for state reporting.
• Program administration. • NVVA’s Academic leaders (principals, APs,
SPED Director, Instructional Coaches) will
be responsible for supervising the academic
program.
• Business administration and financial • CSMC
management

Additionally, according to the amendment application, NVVA will use supplemental programs such
as Brain Pop, Newsela, Flocabulary, Gizmos, and more, to meet student needs. The academic
calendar will not be affected by this transition, and NVVA notes in the amendment submission that
the testing calendar aligns with the state testing calendar windows. According to the amendment
application, NVVA employs a Special Program Director who oversees all special programs and all
special education teachers, general resource teachers, and alternative special education teachers,
hold the appropriate licensing and will not be affected by the change.
Legal Authority
Existing charter schools that are sponsored by the SPCSA may submit a charter school contract
amendment application to the SPCSA – which is reviewed by SPCSA staff and presented for
SPCSA Board action – in order to, among other things, increase enrollment, add grade levels
above and beyond what the charter school is approved to serve, or add a new campus. When
determining whether to approve an amendment request, the sponsor considers the charter
school’s compliance with applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations and evidence
relating to the academics, finance and organization of the charter school. (See NAC
388A.400(8) and NRS 388A.276).
Analysis and Staff Recommendation
When reviewing an amendment application, SPCSA staff reviews the academic, financial and
organizational performance of the applicant charter school. Academically, NVVA was most
recently rated as 3-stars for both the middle and high school. The NVVA middle school
received 37.2 points and the high school received 44.1 points on the 2021-2022 SPCSA
Academic Performance Framework, neither of which met the standard.

According to the most recent organizational data, NVVA earned 100 points (out of 100) on the
2021 – 22 Organizational Framework which was approved at the December 16, 2022 SPCSA
Board meeting. NVVA was also rated as Meets the Standard on the SPCSA Financial
Framework which was approved at the March 3, 2023 SPCSA board meeting. Given the recent
academic, organizational, and financial performance under SPCSA Performance Frameworks,
SPCSA staff finds that overall, Nevada Virtual Academy is meeting performance expectations.
Regarding this amendment request, SPCSA staff’s analysis is broken down by section here, and
corresponds to the three sections within the chart on page 3.

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Assessments (Testing Computers and Equipment)
According to the amendment application, and as previously stated in this memo, NVVA will
continue using VTG for testing computers and equipment as it previously did when it was
contracting with it previous provider.
SPCSA staff has no issues with NVVA continuing to use VTG in future school years.
Education and Instruction- Related Services
According to the amendment application, and as stated earlier in this memo, NVVA plans to
contract with Accel for curriculum, platform, instructional support services, student computers
and technology assistance services, school support services where needed, and state testing.
NVVA provided SPCSA staff with a proposed contract between the school and Accel and also
provided SPCSA staff with Accel’s AMP 1 2023-24 course catalog. Additionally, NVVA noted
in its amendment application that that the majority of courses have been approved by the
Nevada Department of Education. The remaining courses expected to be approved by May 1,
2023 are: 9 – 12 chemistry, 9 – 12 honors chemistry, 6 – 12 credit recovery chemistry, Intro to
Networking, Computer Maintenance I, Culinary Arts I, Digital Design I, Digital Media
Fundamentals I, Hospitality and Tourism I, Hospitality and Tourism II, Management I,
Network Security Fundamentals I, Principles of Business Marketing I, and Workplace and
Internships Readiness. Once approved NVVA will provide this evidence to the SPCSA along
with an updated course list. Additionally, according to the amendment application, Accel has
chosen an instructional design plan that balances various methods within a high-quality digital
curriculum to support academic excellence. Instructional strategies include the Backwards
Design Method (BDM).
Accel will also be responsible for delivering computers to students at NVVA. NVVA will
continue to use VTG for technical support which the school has used in previous years.
According to the amendment application, NVVA teachers will have access to curriculum,
platform, training, supplemental programs, data reports, assessments, etc. needed to deliver
quality instruction through Accel.
According to the amendment application, NVVA will continue to use its Response to
Intervention (RTI) process which teachers implement to address specific student’s academic
and behavioral concerns. Regarding special student populations described in the amendment
application, NVVA will continue the same continuum of services which have been used in
previous years.
SPCSA finds the transition strategy provided by NVVA with regard to education and
instruction - related services to fill in gaps left by the elimination of the previous service
provider and maintain existing implementations the school used for the previous school years.
Business Operations
The majority of changes due to the elimination of the contract with Stride (formerly K12) will
occur in the business operations of NVVA. According to the amendment application, one of the
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Accel Management Platform (“AMP”), which provides an integrated system for education and school operation
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key reasons for the decision to terminate the agreement with Stride (formerly K12) was due to
financial impacts on NVVA by continuing to contract with Stride (formerly K12). NVVA
described in their amendment application that the financial costs of continuing its contract with
Stride (formerly K12) was a key driver of this decision and terminating that contract would
affect back office support the most. As previously stated, NVVA will replace the services
provided by Stride (formerly K12) with CSMC regarding business administration and financial
management. According to the amendment application, CSMC has already begun to transfer
and upload all financial data into its accounting system as part of the start of the transition.
According to representatives of CSMC, during this time CSMC will also verify all Year-to-
Date expenses, status of grant and restricted funds expenditures, and reporting. CSMC has also
begun work to gain a comprehensive understanding of all financial and compliance matters
specific to NVVA. The primary goal of this initial work and transfer will be for CSMC to bring
better transparency and clarity to school leaders and the board of NVVA which was an issue
under the previous provider.
Regarding state and federal compliance reporting, CSMC will assist when needed. NVVA
already has an employee dedicated to reporting on behalf of the school and was found to be
meeting standards under the SPCSA’s Organizational Performance Framework, thus SPCSA
staff sees no issue with the school continue to utilize this setup.
Under the previous agreement, Stride (formerly K12) was tasked with the administration of the
academic program. NVVA’s academic leaders (principals, APs, SPED Director, Instructional
Coaches) will now be responsible for supervising the academic program. According to the
amendment application, the current leadership team has been in place for close to four years
and consists of Executive Director Dr. Yolanda Hamilton, Middle School principal Dr. Andre
Denson, and High School Principal Dawna Alexander.
Overall, SPCSA staff has been in close communication with leaders at NVVA and is supportive
of the school’s amendment request. SPCSA staff understands that this decision by NVVA
represents a significant shift in the school and its operations. It is apparent that school
leadership and the governing board engaged in significant thought and planning to determine
the best path forward for the school. NVVA has determined that termination of the previous
service agreement will benefit students, families, and staff of the school by allowing leadership
to have more control over its direction and will allow for the school to maintain a stronger
financial position moving forward. While NVVA has had academic and financial challenges in
the past, the school continues to show improvement and remains dedicated to providing a
quality option for students across the state of Nevada. The leadership of the school has found a
beneficial partner in CSMC who will help to fill in any gaps that may occur with the
termination of the agreement with Stride (formerly K12).
SPCSA staff would also note that since Accel is defined as an EMO pursuant to NRS
388A.030 2 the NVVA board will be responsible for oversight and compliance reporting such as
the EMO Revenue and Expenditure Report and the EMO evaluation annually.
Finally, SPCSA staff will request that the school submit its final, NDE-approved, distance

2
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-388A.html#NRS388ASec030
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education application, the executed contract with the new EMO, Accel, and the NDE-approved
course list of Accel courses in the coming months which can be found as conditions in the
proposed motion below. SPCSA staff recommends the Authority approve NVVA’s request to
approve its termination of the contract with Stride, Stride (formerly K12).
Proposed Motion: Grant the Good Cause Exemption request of Nevada Virtual
Academy and approve the school’s request to terminate its agreement with K12
Virtual Schools LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of Stride, Inc.) with the following
conditions:
• That by May 1, 2023 NVVA provide SPCSA staff with the final, executed,
contract between NVVA and Accel Online West LLC
• That by June 1, 2023 NVVA provide SPCSA staff with:
o The Nevada Department of Education’s approval of NVVA’s distance
education application; and
o The State Board of Education’s final, approved course offering, for
Accel.

The currently approved enrollment cap for Nevada Virtual Academy is listed below. Under the
proposed amendment, this would not change if approved3:

Grade Level Maximum Enrollment

6 300
7 400
8 450
9 400
10 400
11 400
12 257

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The maximum total enrollment at the Charter School shall not exceed 2,100 students (the “Maximum Enrollment
Number”). In addition, the Charter School shall not enroll new students into the 12th grade after the first day of
school for each school year. In the event that the number of students matriculating from the 11th grade to the 12th
grade exceeds the maximum enrollment for 12th grade, there is no requirement to unenroll students, however, no
new students could be enrolled into the 12th grade.
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 Historical Performance and Demographic Information – NVVA

School Total Enrollment and Demographics since 2017

Year Enrollment A B C H I M P IEP ELL FRL

17-18 2097 5.5% 17.2% 48.7% 24.2% 1.5% 0.0% 2.7% 11.6% <5% 46.9%
18-19 1840 5.1% 16.6% 45.7% 28.2% 1.1% 0.0% 3.0% 11.1% <5% 51.4%
19-20 1461 5.0% 15.0% 44.4% 31.9% 1.0% 0.0% 2.3% 11.7% <5% 53.4%
20-21 2187 4.7% 18.9% 43.1% 28.7% 0.7% 1.3% 2.3% 11.1% <5% 62.5%
21-22 2027 5.4% 21.5% 37.2% 31.9% 1.1% 0.0% 2.6% 11.4% <5% 56.7%
22-23 2153 5.0% 22.8% 32.6% 35.1% 0.8% 0.2% 3.2% 12.3% <5% 57.3%
A – Asian
B – Black
C – Caucasian
H – Hispanic
I – American Indian/Alaskan Native
M – Two or more races
P – Pacific Islander
IEP – Individualized Education Plan – A student with a disability/special education student
ELL – English Language Learner
FRL – A student who qualifies for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch

Nevada Virtual Academy Financial Performance

Year Rating
2021 – 2022 Meets the Standard

2020 – 2021 Meets the Standard

2019 – 2020 Notice of Concern

Nevada Virtual Academy Organizational Performance

Year Rating

2021 – 2022 Meets the Standard

2020 – 2021 Meets the Standard

2019 – 2020 Meets the Standard

Nevada Virtual Academy Academic Performance

Year Rating

2021 – 2022 Index Scores MS: 42.0

HS: 53.5

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 2020 - 20214 MS: 3 stars
HS: 3 stars
2019 – 20205 MS: 3 stars
HS: 3 stars
2018 – 2019 MS: 3 stars
HS: 3 stars
2017 – 2018 MS: 2 stars
HS: 3 stars
2016 – 2017 MS: 3 stars
HS: Not Rated

Nevada Virtual Academy 2021-22 SPCSA Academic Performance Framework Results 6

Campus 2021-22 SPCSA Academic 2021-22 SPCSA Academic
Framework Score Framework Rating
Nevada Virtual MS 37.2 DOES NOT MEET
STANDARD
Nevada Virtual HS 44.1 DOES NOT MEET
STANDARD

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Due to COVID-19, the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) applied for and was granted a 2020 – 21 school year
waiver from the US Department of Education for certain requirements established by the Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA). Nevada statewide assessments were administered in the 2020 – 21 school year, but the NDE did not calculate
Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) school ratings for the 2020 – 21 school year.
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Due to COVID-19, the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) applied for and was granted a 2019 – 20 school year
waiver from the US Department of Education for certain assessment, accountability, school identification, and
reporting requirements established by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Accordingly, for the 2019 – 20 school
year, Nevada statewide assessments were not administered and the NDE did not calculate Nevada School
Performance Framework (NSPF) school ratings
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The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) calculated NSPF index scores for the 2021-22 school year but did not
calculate corresponding star ratings (shown as N/A). 2021-22 NSPF details and rules can be found at:
http://nevadareportcard.nv.gov/DI/MoreDownload?filename=Nevada%20School%20Performance%20Framework
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