Clark County Schools Map Out Plan To Connect Classrooms with Career Preparation

Clark County School District students are calling for more individualized, career-connected learning experiences as the district builds its next five-year strategic plan, one they hope will align their classroom work with real-world pathways before they graduate.

The district wrapped up its community Dream Session series Feb. 25 at Foothill High School in Henderson, concluding a months-long feedback process led by The Center for the Future of Learning. The sessions drew on nearly 48,000 surveys, more than 60% of which were completed by students, and identified three focus areas guiding the plan's development: experiences, environments, and relationships.

"They're talking about being prepared for life after high school," said Jeanine Collins, who helped organize the sessions. "They talk about tech, they talk about AI. They have a sense of how dynamic it is, and I think they'd like to see those experiences more in school."

Students across the sessions pointed to hands-on biology labs, dual enrollment opportunities, and industry partnerships as examples of the learning environments they want CCSD to expand. Northeast Career and Technical Academy in North Las Vegas — the first school in Nevada to use a competency-based model, where students advance upon mastery rather than seat time — was cited as a model the district aims to scale districtwide.

Akilah Bello, a senior in the premed magnet program at Rancho High School, attended multiple Dream Sessions, motivated in part by younger siblings still in CCSD schools. She pushed for personalized learning tracks alongside core academics.

"I definitely want learner agency, but also learner accountability," said Bello, whose dream school is Cornell University. "I feel like we always talk about giving students more autonomy when it comes to their education, and I think that's important, because students deserve to be able to decide what their education looks like."

Superintendent Jhone Ebert said the district plans to release a full draft of the strategic plan in early May, with implementation targeted for the fall.

"When we get all of our high schools to that point, hands-down, we will be the destination district that we've been moving toward," she said.