Nevada Department of Education

The Nevada Department of Education or NDOE is a semi-independent state education agency responsible for public education for the U.S. state of Nevada. It is composed of the Nevada State Board of Education, the State Board for Career and Technical Education, and the Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction. It is responsible for administering education policies set by the state board, state and federal education programs (such as Title I and IDEA), and provides guidance and technical assistance to local school districts.

Appointed by the governor under the executive branch, the Superintendent of Public Instruction serves as the department’s executive officer and secretary to the board, responsible for enforcing education laws and supervising K–12 education statewide. The partially-elected board determines the policy priorities, student outcome goals, assessments, as well as approving and reviewing data. When there is a vacancy in the superintendent position, the board creates a short list of candidates from which the governor may choose.

Together with the Nevada Department of Public Safety, the department launched SafeVoice in 2018, a reporting tool allowing for anonymous reports of actual or suspected abuse, self-harm, bullying, and violent behavior directly to the Nevada State Police and school administration of the subject of the report. People can report tips to SafeVoice by phone, online, or with its dedicated smartphone app.

Until 1956, the department existed but was not authorized by law. Several laws refer to it, but no law ever created it until the 8th Special Session of the Nevada Legislature. Until then, the law simply referenced a "department," without any law establishing it in the first place. The 8th Special Session of the Nevada Legislature focused on reorganizing public education, also establishing the department formally.

The department's headquarters are in Carson City with an office in Las Vegas.