Vassiliadis Elementary is reaching about 80% proficiency in math and English language arts—roughly twice the Clark County School District average cited in the Nevada Report Card.

That number will catch any Summerlin parent’s eye. But the more useful story is what happens behind the score: teachers study student data, families support classroom goals, and school leaders keep the focus on individual progress.

For families comparing schools, Vassiliadis offers a practical question to consider: What systems help students get the right support at the right time? The answer begins with a team culture that treats learning as a shared responsibility.

How Vassiliadis builds its academic approach

Principal Jennifer Aznarez, who became the school’s principal this year, mentioned that teachers and parents are central to the campus culture. She also described students as challenged and engaged at high levels.

The school’s roughly 80% proficiency rates come from Nevada Report Card information cited in the report. Those results help explain why the Summerlin campus is often recognized among Nevada’s stronger public elementary schools, but they do not tell the whole story.

Test results are a snapshot. Families also care about classroom relationships, communication, support for different learning needs, and whether students feel motivated to keep working when a lesson becomes difficult.

Teachers use data as a working tool

Fifth-grade teacher Rachel Levandusky has been at Vassiliadis since the school opened 10 years ago. She pointed to the campus culture and supportive leadership as important reasons she has stayed.

Levandusky also said teachers use data to guide instruction. Grade-level common assessments help staff identify which skills students have mastered, where more practice is needed, and how lessons should change.

The goal is not to place every student on the same track.

It is to give teachers enough information to extend learning for students who are ready for more challenge and provide additional explanations for students who need them.

That process can make parent-teacher conversations more useful. Instead of discussing grades in broad terms, families can ask which skills are being measured, what the results show, and what practice would help at home.

Parents are part of the school’s support system

School staff also credit parents with giving time, resources and donations to support classroom goals. Aznarez said fundraising supports classrooms and staffing, connecting family participation to the school’s day-to-day work.

Parent involvement does not have one required format. It may include volunteering, attending meetings, responding to teacher requests, helping with homework routines, or contributing supplies and financial support.

For students, that consistency matters. When school and home communicate about expectations, children receive a clearer message about effort, attendance, practice, and asking for help.

Families should still ask what participation looks like at a specific campus. Not every household has the same work schedule, transportation options, or resources, and a strong school partnership should make room for those differences.

What the school’s approach emphasizes

• Regular assessment: Teachers review performance data rather than waiting for an end-of-year result.
• Targeted instruction: Lessons can be adjusted for students who need more practice or added challenge.
• Teacher collaboration: Common assessments give grade-level teams a shared reference point.
• Family partnership: Parents contribute time, resources, and feedback connected to student goals.
• Classroom support: Fundraising is directed toward classroom needs and staffing, according to the principal.

Vassiliadis serves about 1,100 students. A campus of that size needs routines that allow teachers to share information and keep support from depending on one person’s memory or availability.

The school’s performance also comes as CCSD works to improve results across the valley. The district reported that 32 schools earned five-star ratings during the last school year, 51 improved their scores by at least 10 points, and four schools achieved both milestones.

Those district figures provide context, but they do not make every school identical. Vassiliadis’s results reflect its own staff, students, families, and resources in Summerlin.

For West Valley families, the takeaway is practical. Strong academic performance is built over time through teaching quality, feedback, student engagement, and a support network that includes caregivers.

Parents evaluating any school can carry forward a few straightforward questions:

• How are students assessed?
• How are lessons adjusted when needs differ?
• What resources are available for families?
• How can parents participate without a one-size-fits-all expectation?

The answers will vary by campus. Vassiliadis Elementary’s example shows how teachers and parents can share the work of helping students move forward—one lesson, conversation, and adjustment at a time.