Math & reading standards and testing in Nevada
Updated June 2026
Nevada's Academic Content Standards are the Common Core State Standards. Students in grades 3-8 take the Smarter Balanced assessments each spring in both subjects.
Does Nevada hold kids back in 3rd grade for reading?
No (repealed). Nevada removed its planned mandatory 3rd-grade retention in 2019 before it took effect; Read by Grade 3 continues with reading plans but no gate.
Standards
Nevada Academic Content Standards
Aligned to the Common Core State Standards, so grade-level skills match what most of the country teaches.
The key test
The Nevada state test
Smarter Balanced (SBAC) covers both math and reading in grades 3-8.
Reading the results
Spring.
Levels 1 to 4; Levels 3 to 4 are proficient.
On grade level means Level 3 or above on Smarter Balanced ELA.
What's distinctive about Nevada
Nevada repealed its retention mandate before it ever applied, keeping the literacy supports but dropping the gate.
Practice the skills, by grade
Whatever Nevada calls its test, the underlying math and reading skills are grade-level. Practice them directly:
Practice the skills behind the test
Nevada teaches the Common Core standards. What a third grader has to do does not change: multiply, find the main idea, read a paragraph and say what it meant. KangarooKiddo drills those skills in daily sessions of a handful of questions that end on their own. You see where your kid actually stands, they earn rewards you set up and approve.
Source: Nevada Department of Education. Verified for the 2025-26 school year; policies can change, so confirm with your school.
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