Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb36%20intr.htm&yr=2013&sesstype=RS&i=36
Timestamp: 2018-03-20 17:36:25
Document Index: 334129842

Matched Legal Cases: ['§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18']

sb36 intr
(By Senators Plymale and McCabe)
[Introduced February 13, 2013; referred to the Committee on Education.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18-2-23a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2-39; and to amend and reenact §18-2E-5 of said code, all relating to college and career readiness; requiring the State Board of Education, the Higher Education Policy Commission and the Council for Community and Technical College Education to collaborate in adopting uniform and specific college- and career-readiness standards for English/language arts and math; setting forth methods for determining whether students have met the college- and career- readiness standards; requiring that an explicit focus be embedded in each course on the development of English/language arts and math skills; requiring a twelfth-grade transitional course for both English/language arts and math for students not on track to be college ready; requiring professional development on teaching the college- and career-readiness standards be included in the state board's goals for professional staff development and ultimately in its Master Plan for Professional Staff Development; requiring the state board to require all teacher preparation programs to include appropriate training for teachers teaching in at least grades eight through twelve on how to teach the adopted standards; requiring the use of certain assessments or exams, as applicable, to determine whether a student is to enroll in a remedial course or be placed immediately in a college-level introductory course; requiring accountability for increasing the percentage of students who meet the standards and for increasing the percentage of students who are making adequate progress toward meeting the standards; and deleting the requirement that a school or school system that achieves adequate yearly progress is eligible for no less than full accreditation or approval status as applicable.
That §18-2-23a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2-39; and that §18-2E-5 of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
§18-2-23a. Annual professional staff development goals established by State Board; coordination of professional development programs; program development, approval and evaluation.
(a) Legislative intent. -- The intent of this section is:
(1) To provide for the coordination of professional development programs by the state board;
(2) To promote high-quality instructional delivery and management practices for a thorough and efficient system of schools; and
(3) To ensure that the expertise and experience of state institutions of higher education with teacher preparation programs are included in developing and implementing professional development programs.
(b) Goals. -- The state board annually shall establish goals for professional staff development in the public schools of the state. As a first priority, the state board shall require adequate and appropriate professional staff development to ensure high quality teaching that will enable students to achieve the content standards established for the required curriculum in the public schools.
The state board shall submit the goals to the state Department of Education, the Center for Professional Development, the regional educational service agencies, the Higher Education Policy Commission and the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability on or before January 15, each year.
The goals shall include measures by which the effectiveness of the professional staff development programs will be evaluated. The professional staff development goals shall include separate goals for teachers, principals and paraprofessional service personnel and may include separate goals for classroom aides and others in the public schools.
In establishing the goals, the state board shall review reports that may indicate a need for professional staff development including, but not limited to, the report of the Center for Professional Development created in article three-a, chapter eighteen-a of this code, student test scores on the statewide student assessment program, the measures of student and school performance for accreditation purposes, school and school district report cards and its plans for the use of funds in the strategic staff development fund pursuant to section thirty-two, article two, chapter eighteen of this code.
(c) The Center for Professional Development shall design a proposed professional staff development program plan to achieve the goals of the state board and shall submit the proposed plan to the state board for approval as soon as possible following receipt of the state board goals each year. In developing and implementing this plan, the Center first shall rely upon the available expertise and experience of state institutions of higher education before procuring advice, technical assistance or consulting services from sources outside the state.
The proposed plan shall include a strategy for evaluating the effectiveness of the professional staff development programs delivered under the plan and a cost estimate. The state board shall review the proposed plan and return it to the Center for Professional Development noting whether the proposed plan is approved or is not approved, in whole or in part. If a proposed plan is not approved in whole, the state board shall note its objections to the proposed plan or to the parts of the proposed plan not approved and may suggest improvements or specific modifications, additions or deletions to address more fully the goals or eliminate duplication. If the proposed plan is not wholly approved, the Center for Professional Development shall revise the plan to satisfy the objections of the state board. State board approval is required prior to implementation of the professional staff development plan.
(d) The state board approval of the proposed professional staff development plan shall establish a Master Plan for Professional Staff Development which shall be submitted by the state board to the affected agencies and to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability. The Master Plan shall include the state board-approved plans for professional staff development by the State Department of Education, the Center for Professional Development, the state institutions of higher education and the regional educational service agencies to meet the professional staff development goals of the state board. The Master Plan also shall include a plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the professional staff development delivered through the programs and a cost estimate.
The Master Plan shall serve as a guide for the delivery of coordinated professional staff development programs by the State Department of Education, the Center for Professional Development, the state institutions of higher education and the regional educational service agencies beginning on June 1 in the year in which the Master Plan was approved through May 30 in the following year. This section does not prohibit changes in the Master Plan, subject to state board approval, to address staff development needs identified after the Master Plan was approved.
(e) Pursuant to section thirty-nine of this article, the state board shall include in its goals for professional staff development and in its Master Plan for Professional Staff Development:
__________(1) Professional development for teachers teaching the transitional courses on how to teach the adopted college and career readiness standards for English/language arts and math; and
__________(2) Appropriate professional development for other teachers in at least grades eight through twelve on how to teach the adopted college and career readiness standards in English/language arts and math directly, as embedded in other subject areas or both, as appropriate.
(2) The postsecondary remediation rates of students entering postsecondary institutions directly out of high school indicate that a large percentage of students are not being adequately prepared at the elementary and secondary levels;
(3) This high level of postsecondary remediation is causing both students and the state to expend extra resources that would not have to be expended if the students were adequately prepared at the elementary and secondary levels;
(4) A strong foundation in English/language arts and math provides a basis for learning in all other subject areas and for on-the-job training;
(5) A comparison of the percentages of students considered proficient in eighth grade reading and math by the state assessment and the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicate that the state assessment currently does not accurately reflect college and career readiness; and
(6) In 2010, the Southern Regional Education Board and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education issued a policy brief entitled "Beyond the Rhetoric Improving College Readiness Through Coherent State Policy" which set forth a model statewide readiness agenda. This college and career readiness initiative is based on that policy brief.
(b) Before the 2014-2015 school year, the state board, the Higher Education Policy Commission and the Council for Community and Technical College Education shall collaborate in formally adopting uniform and specific college and career readiness standards for English/language arts and math. The standards shall be clearly linked to state content standards and based on skills and competencies rather than high school course titles. The standards shall allow for a determination of whether a student needs to enroll in a postsecondary remedial course. Initially, the standards for English/language arts and math may remain lower for a high school diploma, but the standards for a high school diploma shall increase gradually so that the standards for a high school diploma and the college and career readiness standards are eventually uniform. The state board shall develop a plan for gradually bringing the standards for a high school diploma and college and career readiness into uniformity, and report this plan to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability before December 31, 2013. The state board, the Higher Education Policy Commission and the Council for Community and Technical College Education shall collaborate at least annually to validate that the standards ensure college and career readiness by comparing student performance on the standards to actual performance in introductory English/language arts and math courses.
(c) Initially, the results on the comprehensive statewide student assessment program in grade eleven in reading/language arts and mathematics shall be used to determine whether a student has met the college and career readiness standards adopted pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, the state board shall have developed and implemented end-of-course exams for Algebra II and English 11 which shall be designed for determining and which shall be used to determine whether a student has met the college and career readiness standards. In order to allow for the enrollment in transitional courses in the twelfth grade if necessary pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, the courses, assessments and exams, as applicable, shall be administered before the twelfth grade. A minimum score for each assessment or exam, as applicable, shall be set that is highly predictive of success in college-level introductory courses. When the data becomes available, this score shall be empirically-based on actual college performance correlated with test scores.
(d) Starting at least as early as the eighth grade, the curriculum shall be modified as necessary to ensure that there is an explicit focus embedded in each course on the development of English/language arts and math skills that enable learning at the college level.
(e) The state board shall develop a twelfth grade transitional course for both English/language arts and math for those students who are not on track to be college ready based on the assessment or exam, as applicable, required pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. The transitional courses shall be aligned with the standards adopted pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. The state board shall develop end-of-course exams for each of the two transitional courses and shall set a minimum score on each end-of-course exam that is highly predictive of success in college-level introductory courses. When the data becomes available, this score shall be empirically-based on actual college performance correlated with test scores. All high schools in the state shall offer these transitional courses. All students who fail to attain college and career readiness as indicated by the applicable assessment or exam, required by subsection (c) of this section, shall enroll in the applicable transitional course.
(f) The state board shall include in its goals for professional staff development required by section twenty-three-a of this article professional development for teachers teaching the transitional courses required by subsection (e) of this section on how to teach the adopted college and career readiness standards. The state board also shall include in its goals appropriate professional development for other teachers in at least grades eight through twelve on how to teach the adopted college and career readiness standards directly, as embedded in other subject areas or both, as appropriate. This professional development ultimately shall be included in the state board approved Master Plan for Professional Staff Development.
(g) Under its authority granted in section one, article three, chapter eighteen-a of this code, the state board shall require all teacher preparation programs in the state to include appropriate training for teachers seeking to teach in at least any of grades eight through twelve on how to teach the adopted college and career readiness standards. This training shall be on how to teach the standards directly, through embedding the standards in other courses or both, as appropriate.
(h) Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, all state institutions of higher education shall use no factor other than the assessment or exam, as applicable, required pursuant to subsections (c) and (e) of this section to determine whether a student is to enroll in a remedial course or is to be placed immediately in a college-level introductory course.
(i) The state board shall:
(1) Hold high schools and districts accountable for increasing the percentages of students who meet the college and career readiness standards as indicated by the assessments or exams, as applicable, required pursuant to subsections (c) and (e) of this section. This accountability shall be achieved through the school and school system accreditation provisions set forth in section five, article two-e of this chapter;
(2) Align the comprehensive statewide student assessment for all grade levels in which the test is given with the college and career readiness standards adopted pursuant to subsection (b) of this section or develop other aligned tests at each grade level so that progress toward college and career readiness in English/language arts and math can be measured; and
(j) Except as otherwise specified, this section become effective with the 2014-2015 school year.
(a) Legislative findings, purpose and intent. -- The Legislature makes the following findings with respect to the process for improving education and its purpose and intent in the enactment of this section:
(A) Standards which set forth the knowledge and skills that students should know and be able to do as the result of a thorough and efficient education that prepares them for the twenty-first century, including measurable criteria to evaluate student performance and progress;
(C) A system of accountability for continuous improvement defined by high quality standards for schools and school systems articulated by a rule promulgated by the state board and outlined in subsection (c) of this section that will build capacity in schools and districts to meet rigorous outcomes that assure student performance and progress toward obtaining the knowledge and skills intrinsic to a high quality education rather than monitoring for compliance with specific laws and regulations; and
(D) A method for building the capacity and improving the efficiency of schools and school systems to improve student performance and progress.
(2) As the Constitutional body charged with the general supervision of schools as provided by general law, the state board has the authority and the responsibility to establish the standards, assess the performance and progress of students against the standards, hold schools and school systems accountable and assist schools and school systems to build capacity and improve efficiency so that the standards are met, including, when necessary, seeking additional resources in consultation with the Legislature and the Governor.
(3) As the Constitutional body charged with providing for a thorough and efficient system of schools, the Legislature has the authority and the responsibility to establish and be engaged constructively in the determination of the knowledge and skills that students should know and be able to do as the result of a thorough and efficient education. This determination is made by using the process for improving education to determine when school improvement is needed, by evaluating the results and the efficiency of the system of schools, by ensuring accountability and by providing for the necessary capacity and its efficient use.
(4) In consideration of these findings, the purpose of this section is to establish a process for improving education that includes the four primary elements as set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection to provide assurances that the high quality standards are, at a minimum, being met and that a thorough and efficient system of schools is being provided for all West Virginia public school students on an equal education opportunity basis.
(5) The intent of the Legislature in enacting this section and section five-c of this article is to establish a process through which the Legislature, the Governor and the state board can work in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration intended in the process for improving education to consult and examine the performance and progress of students, schools and school systems and, when necessary, to consider alternative measures to ensure that all students continue to receive the thorough and efficient education to which they are entitled. However, nothing in this section requires any specific level of funding by the Legislature.
(b) Electronic county and school strategic improvement plans. -- The state board shall promulgate a rule consistent with the provisions of this section and in accordance with article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code establishing an electronic county strategic improvement plan for each county board and an electronic school strategic improvement plan for each public school in this state. Each respective plan shall be a five-year plan that includes the mission and goals of the school or school system to improve student, school or school system performance and progress, as applicable. The strategic plan shall be revised annually in each area in which the school or system is below the standard on the annual performance measures. The revised annual plan also shall identify any deficiency which is reported on the check lists identified in paragraph (G), subdivision (5), subsection (l) (m) of this section including any deficit more than a casual deficit by the county board. The plan shall be revised when required pursuant to this section to include each annual performance measure upon which the school or school system fails to meet the standard for performance and progress, the action to be taken to meet each measure, a separate time line and a date certain for meeting each measure, a cost estimate and, when applicable, the assistance to be provided by the department and other education agencies to improve student, school or school system performance and progress to meet the annual performance measure.
The department shall make available to all public schools through its website or the West Virginia Education Information System an electronic school strategic improvement plan boilerplate designed for use by all schools to develop an electronic school strategic improvement plan which incorporates all required aspects and satisfies all improvement plan requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.
(c) High quality education standards and efficiency standards. -- In accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, the state board shall adopt and periodically review and update high quality education standards for student, school and school system performance and processes in the following areas:
(11) Student performance and progress;
(12) School and school system performance and progress;
(13) A code of conduct for students and employees;
(14) Indicators of efficiency; and
(15) Any other areas determined by the state board.
The standards, as applicable, shall incorporate the state's 21st Century Skills Initiative and shall assure that graduates are prepared for continuing post-secondary education, training and work and that schools and school systems are making progress toward achieving the education goals of the state.
(d) Comprehensive statewide student assessment program. -- The state board shall promulgate a rule in accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code establishing a comprehensive statewide student assessment program to assess student performance and progress in grades three through twelve. Prior to the 2014-2015 school year, the state board shall align the comprehensive statewide student assessment for all grade levels in which the test is given with the college readiness standards adopted pursuant to section thirty-nine, article two of this chapter or develop other aligned tests to be required at each grade level so that progress toward college readiness in English/language arts and math can be measured. The state board may require that student proficiencies be measured through the ACT EXPLORE and the ACT PLAN assessments or other comparable assessments, which are approved by the state board and provided by future vendors. The state board may require that student proficiencies be measured through the West Virginia writing assessment at any of the grade levels four, seven and ten determined by the state board to be appropriate: Provided, That, effective July 1, 2008, The state board may require that student proficiencies be measured through the West Virginia writing assessment at any of the grade levels four, seven and eleven determined by the state board to be appropriate. The state board may provide through the statewide assessment program other optional testing or assessment instruments applicable to grade levels kindergarten through grade twelve which may be used by each school to promote student achievement upon approval by the school curriculum team or the process for teacher collaboration to improve instruction and learning established by the faculty senate as provided in section six, article five-a of this chapter. The state board annually shall annually publish and make available, electronically or otherwise, to school curriculum teams and teacher collaborative processes the optional testing and assessment instruments. The failure of a school to use any optional testing and assessment may not be cited as a deficiency in any accreditation review of the school; nor may the exercise of its discretion, as provided in section six, article five-a of this chapter, in using the assessments and implementing the instructional strategies and programs that it determines best to promote student achievement at the school be cited as a deficiency in any accreditation review of the school or in the personnel evaluation of the principal. The use of assessment results are subject to the following:
(1) The assessment results for grade levels three through eight and eleven are the only assessment results which may be used for determining whether any school or school system has made adequate yearly progress (AYP);
(2) Only the assessment results in the subject areas of reading/language arts and mathematics may be used for determining whether a school or school system has made adequate yearly progress (AYP);
(3) The results of the West Virginia writing assessment, the ACT EXPLORE assessments and the ACT PLAN assessments may not be used for determining whether a school or school system has made adequate yearly progress (AYP);
(4) The results of testing or assessment instruments provided by the state board for optional use by schools and school systems to promote student achievement may not be used for determining whether a school or school system has made adequate yearly progress (AYP); and
(5) All assessment provisions of the comprehensive statewide student assessment program in effect for the school year 2006-2007 shall remain in effect until replaced by the state board rule.
(e) Annual performance measures for Public Law 107-110, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001). -- The standards shall include annual measures of student, school and school system performance and progress for the grade levels and the content areas defined by the act. The following annual measures of student, school and school system performance and progress shall be the only measures for determining whether adequately yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind Act has been achieved:
(1) The acquisition of student proficiencies as indicated by student performance and progress on the required accountability assessments at the grade levels and content areas as required by the act subject to the limitations set forth in subsection (d) of this section.
(2) The student participation rate in the uniform statewide assessment must shall be at least ninety-five percent or the average of the participation rate for the current and the preceding two years is ninety-five percent for the school, county and state;
(3) Only for schools that do not include grade twelve, the school attendance rate which shall be no less than ninety percent in attendance for the school, county and state. The following absences are excluded:
(A) Student absences excused in accordance with the state board rule promulgated pursuant to section four, article eight of this chapter;
(B) Students not in attendance due to disciplinary measures; and
(C) Absent students for whom the attendance director has pursued judicial remedies compelling attendance to the extent of his or her authority; and
(4) The high school graduation rate which shall be no less than eighty percent for the school, county and state; or if the high school graduation rate is less than eighty percent, the high school graduation rate shall be higher than the high school graduation rate of the preceding year as determined from information on the West Virginia Education Information System on August 15.
(f) State annual performance measures for school and school system accreditation. -- The state board shall establish a system to assess and weigh annual performance measures for state accreditation of schools and school systems in a manner that gives credit or points such as an index to prevent any one measure alone from causing a school to achieve less than full accreditation status or a school system from achieving less than full approval status. Provided, That a school or school system that achieves adequate yearly progress is eligible for no less than full accreditation or approval status, as applicable, and the system established pursuant to this subsection applies only to schools and school systems that do not achieve adequate yearly progress.
The following types of measures, as may be appropriate at the various programmatic levels, may be approved by the state board for the school and school system accreditation:
(1) The acquisition of student proficiencies as indicated by student performance and progress on the uniform statewide assessment program at the grade levels as provided in subsection (d) of this section. The state board may approve providing bonus points or credits for students scoring at or above mastery and distinguished levels;
(2) Writing assessment results in grades tested;
(3) School attendance rates;
(4) Percentage of courses taught by highly qualified teachers;
(5) Percentage of students scoring at benchmarks on the currently tested ACT EXPLORE and ACT PLAN assessments or other comparable assessments, which are approved by the state board and provided by future vendors;
(6) Graduation rates;
(7) Job placement rates for vocational programs;
(8) Percent of students passing end-of-course career/technical tests; and
__________(9) Percent of students not requiring college remediation classes; and
(10) (9) Bonus points or credits for subgroup improvement, advanced placement percentages, dual credit completers and international baccalaureate completers.
(g) In addition to the types of measures that may be approved by the state board for state school and school system accreditation pursuant to subsection (f) of this section, the state board shall use the following measures for state school and school system accreditation:
__________(1) Increases in the percent of students who meet the college and career readiness standards as indicated by the assessments or exams, as applicable, required by section thirty-nine, article two of this chapter; and
__________(2) Increases in the percent of students in earlier grade levels making adequate progress toward college readiness in English/language arts and math as indicated by the comprehensive statewide student assessment or other aligned tests required pursuant to subsection (d) of this section.
__________(g) (h) Indicators of exemplary performance and progress. -- The standards shall include indicators of exemplary student, school and school system performance and progress. The indicators of exemplary student, school and school system performance and progress shall be used only as indicators for determining whether accredited and approved schools and school systems should be granted exemplary status. These indicators shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) The percentage of graduates who declare their intent to enroll in college and other post-secondary education and training following high school graduation;
(2) The percentage of graduates who receive additional certification of their skills, competence and readiness for college, other post-secondary education or employment above the level required for graduation; and
(3) The percentage of students who successfully complete advanced placement, dual credit and honors classes.
(h) (i) Indicators of efficiency. -- In accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, the state board shall adopt by rule and periodically review and update indicators of efficiency for use by the appropriate divisions within the department to ensure efficient management and use of resources in the public schools in the following areas:
(i) (j) Assessment and accountability of school and school system performance and processes. -- In accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, the state board shall establish by rule a system of education performance audits which measures the quality of education and the preparation of students based on the annual measures of student, school and school system performance and progress. The system of education performance audits shall provide information to the state board, the Legislature and the Governor, individually and collectively as the Process for Improving Education Council, upon which they may determine whether a thorough and efficient system of schools is being provided. The system of education performance audits shall include:
(1) The assessment of student, school and school system performance and progress based on the annual measures set forth in subsection (d) of this section;
(2) The evaluation of records, reports and other information collected by the department upon which the quality of education and compliance with statutes, policies and standards may be determined;
(4) The on-site review of the processes in place in schools and school systems to enable school and school system performance and progress and compliance with the standards.
(j) (k) Uses of school and school system assessment information. -- The state board and the Process for Improving Education Council established pursuant to section five-c of this article shall use information from the system of education performance audits to assist them in ensuring that a thorough and efficient system of schools is being provided and to improve student, school and school system performance and progress. Information from the system of education performance audits further shall be used by the state board for these purposes, including, but not limited to, the following:
(k) (l) Early detection and intervention programs. -- Based on the assessment of student, school and school system performance and progress, the state board shall establish early detection and intervention programs using the available resources of the Department of Education, the regional educational service agencies, the Center for Professional Development and the Principals Academy, as appropriate, to assist underachieving schools and school systems to improve performance before conditions become so grave as to warrant more substantive state intervention. Assistance shall include, but is not limited to, providing additional technical assistance and programmatic, professional staff development, providing monetary, staffing and other resources where appropriate, and, if necessary, making appropriate recommendations to the Process for Improving Education Council.
(l) (m) Office of Education Performance Audits. --
(1) To assist the state board and the Process for Improving Education Council in the operation of a system of education performance audits, the state board shall establish an Office of Education Performance Audits consistent with the provisions of this section. The Office of Education Performance Audits shall be operated under the direction of the state board independently of the functions and supervision of the State Department of Education and state superintendent. The Office of Education Performance Audits shall report directly to and be responsible to the state board and the Process for Improving Education Council created in section five-c of this article in carrying out its duties under the provisions of this section.
(2) The office shall be headed by a director who shall be appointed by the state board and who shall serve at the will and pleasure of the state board. The annual salary of the director shall be set by the state board and may not exceed eighty percent of the salary cap of the State Superintendent of Schools.
(A) Assure that all statewide assessments of student performance used as annual performance measures are secure as required in section one-a of this article;
(C) Determine, in conjunction with the assessment and accountability processes, what capacity may be needed by schools and school systems to meet the standards established by the state board and recommend to the state board and the Process for Improving Education Council plans to establish those needed capacities;
(D) Determine, in conjunction with the assessment and accountability processes, whether statewide system deficiencies exist in the capacity of schools and school systems to meet the standards established by the state board, including the identification of trends and the need for continuing improvements in education, and report those deficiencies and trends to the state board and the Process for Improving Education Council;
(E) Determine, in conjunction with the assessment and accountability processes, staff development needs of schools and school systems to meet the standards established by the state board and make recommendations to the state board, the Process for Improving Education Council, the Center for Professional Development, the regional educational service agencies, the Higher Education Policy Commission and the county boards;
(F) Identify, in conjunction with the assessment and accountability processes, exemplary schools and school systems and best practices that improve student, school and school system performance and make recommendations to the state board and the Process for Improving Education Council for recognizing and rewarding exemplary schools and school systems and promoting the use of best practices. The state board shall provide information on best practices to county school systems and shall use information identified through the assessment and accountability processes to select schools of excellence; and
(G) Develop reporting formats, such as check lists, which shall be used by the appropriate administrative personnel in schools and school systems to document compliance with various of the applicable laws, policies and process standards as considered appropriate and approved by the state board, including, but not limited to, the following:
(i) The use of a policy for the evaluation of all school personnel that meets the requirements of sections twelve and twelve-a, article two, chapter eighteen-a of this code;
(iv) The school provides multicultural activities.
Information contained in the reporting formats is subject to examination during an on-site review to determine compliance with laws, policies and standards. Intentional and grossly negligent reporting of false information are grounds for dismissal.
(m) (n) On-site reviews. --
(1) The system of education performance audits shall include on-site reviews of schools and school systems which shall be conducted only at the specific direction of the state board upon its determination that the performance and progress of the school or school system are persistently below standard or that other circumstances exist that warrant an on-site review. Any discussion by the state board of schools to be subject to an on-site review or dates for which on-site reviews will be conducted may be held in executive session and is not subject to the provisions of article nine-a, chapter six of this code relating to open governmental proceedings. An on-site review shall be conducted by the Office of Education Performance Audits of a school or school system for the purpose of investigating the reasons for performance and progress that are persistently below standard and making recommendations to the school and school system, as appropriate, and to the state board on such measures as it considers necessary to improve performance and progress to meet the standard. The investigation may include, but is not limited to, the following:
(F) Determining and reporting whether required reviews and inspections have been conducted by the appropriate agencies, including, but not limited to, the State Fire Marshal, the Health Department, the School Building Authority and the responsible divisions within the Department of Education, and whether noted deficiencies have been or are in the process of being corrected. The Office of Education Performance Audits may not conduct a duplicate review or inspection of any compliance reviews or inspections conducted by the department or its agents or other duly authorized agencies of the state, nor may it mandate more stringent compliance measures.
(2) The Director of the Office of Education Performance Audits shall notify the county superintendent of schools five school days prior to commencing an on-site review of the county school system and shall notify both the county superintendent and the principal five school days before commencing an on-site review of an individual school: Provided, That the state board may direct the Office of Education Performance Audits to conduct an unannounced on-site review of a school or school system if the state board believes circumstances warrant an unannounced on-site review.
(3) The Office of Education Performance Audits shall conduct on-site reviews which are limited in scope to specific areas in which performance and progress are persistently below standard as determined by the state board unless specifically directed by the state board to conduct a review which covers additional areas.
(4) An on-site review of a school or school system shall include a person or persons from the Department of Education or a public education agency in the state who has expert knowledge and experience in the area or areas to be reviewed and who has been trained and designated by the state board to perform such functions. If the size of the school or school system and issues being reviewed necessitate the use of an on-site review team or teams, the person or persons designated by the state board shall advise and assist the director to appoint the team or teams. The person or persons designated by the state board shall be the team leaders.
The persons designated by the state board shall be responsible for completing the report on the findings and recommendations of the on-site review in their area of expertise. It is the intent of the Legislature that the persons designated by the state board participate in all on-site reviews that involve their area of expertise, to the extent practicable, so that the on-site review process will evaluate compliance with the standards in a uniform, consistent and expert manner.
(5) The Office of Education Performance Audits shall reimburse a county board for the costs of substitutes required to replace county board employees while they are serving on a review team.
(6) At the conclusion of an on-site review of a school system, the director and team leaders shall hold an exit conference with the superintendent and shall provide an opportunity for principals to be present for at least the portion of the conference pertaining to their respective schools. In the case of an on-site review of a school, the exit conference shall be held with the principal and curriculum team of the school and the superintendent shall be provided the opportunity to be present. The purpose of the exit conference is to review the initial findings of the on-site review, clarify and correct any inaccuracies and allow the opportunity for dialogue between the reviewers and the school or school system to promote a better understanding of the findings.
(7) The Office of Education Performance Audits shall report the findings of an on-site review to the county superintendent and the principals whose schools were reviewed within thirty days following the conclusion of the on-site review. The Office of Education Performance Audits shall report the findings of the on-site review to the state board within forty-five days after the conclusion of the on-site review. A copy of the report shall be provided to the Process for Improving Education Council at its request. A school or county that believes one or more findings of a review are clearly inaccurate, incomplete or misleading, misrepresent or fail to reflect the true quality of education in the school or county or address issues unrelated to the health, safety and welfare of students and the quality of education, may appeal to the state board for removal of the findings. The state board shall establish a process for it to receive, review and act upon the appeals. The state board shall report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability during its July interim meetings, or as soon thereafter as practical, on each appeal during the preceding school year.
(8) The Legislature finds that the accountability and oversight of the following activities and programmatic areas in the public schools is controlled through other mechanisms and that additional accountability and oversight are not only unnecessary but counterproductive in distracting necessary resources from teaching and learning. Therefore, notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contrary, the following activities and programmatic areas are not subject to review by the Office of Education Performance Audits:
(A) Work-based learning;
(B) Use of advisory councils;
(C) Program accreditation and student credentials;
(D) Student transition plans;
(E) Graduate assessment form;
(F) Casual deficit;
(G) Accounting practices;
(H) Transportation services;
(I) Special education services;
(J) Safe, healthy and accessible facilities;
(K) Health services;
(L) Attendance director;
(M) Business/community partnerships;
(N) Pupil-teacher ratio/split grade classes;
(O) Local school improvement council, faculty senate, student assistance team and curriculum team;
(P) Planning and lunch periods;
(Q) Skill improvement program;
(R) Certificate of proficiency;
(S) Training of county board members;
(T) Excellence in job performance;
(U) Staff development; and
(V) Preventive discipline, character education and student and parental involvement.
(n) (o) School accreditation. -- The state board annually shall review the information from the system of education performance audits submitted for each school and shall issue to every school one of the following approval levels: Exemplary accreditation status, distinction accreditation status, full accreditation status, temporary accreditation status, conditional accreditation status or low performing accreditation status.
(1) Full accreditation status shall be given to a school when the school's performance and progress meet or exceed the standards adopted by the state board pursuant to subsection (e) or (f), as applicable, subsections (f) and (g) of this section and it does not have any deficiencies which would endanger student health or safety or other extraordinary circumstances as defined by the state board. A school that meets or exceeds the performance and progress standards but has the other deficiencies shall remain on full accreditation status for the remainder of the accreditation period and shall have an opportunity to correct those deficiencies, notwithstanding other provisions of this subsection.
(2) Temporary accreditation status shall be given to a school when the school's performance and progress are below the level required for full accreditation status. Whenever a school is given temporary accreditation status, the county board shall ensure that the school's electronic strategic improvement plan is revised in accordance with subsection (b) of this section to increase the performance and progress of the school to a full accreditation status level. The revised plan shall be submitted to the state board for approval.
(3) Conditional accreditation status shall be given to a school when the school's performance and progress are below the level required for full accreditation, but the school's electronic strategic improvement plan meets the following criteria:
(A) The plan has been revised to improve performance and progress on the standard or standards by a date or dates certain;
(C) The school is meeting the objectives and time line specified in the revised plan.
(4) Exemplary accreditation status shall be given to a school when the school's performance and progress substantially exceed the standards adopted by the state board pursuant to subsections (f), and (g) and (h) of this section. The state board shall promulgate legislative rules in accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code designated to establish standards of performance and progress to identify exemplary schools.
(5) Distinction accreditation status shall be given to a school when the school's performance and progress exceed the standards adopted by the state board. The state board shall promulgate legislative rules in accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code establishing standards of performance and progress to identify schools of distinction.
(6) Low-performing accreditation status shall be given to a school whenever extraordinary circumstances exist as defined by the state board.
(A) These circumstances shall include, but are not limited to, any one or more of the following:
(i) The failure of a school on temporary accreditation status to obtain approval of its revised electronic school strategic improvement plan within a reasonable time period as defined by the state board;
(ii) The failure of a school on conditional accreditation status to meet the objectives and time line of its revised electronic school strategic improvement plan;
(iii) The failure of a school to meet a standard by the date specified in the revised plan; and
(iv) The results of the most recent statewide assessment in reading and math or other multiple measures as determined by the state board that identify the school as low performing at its programmatic level in three of the last five years.
(B) Whenever the state board determines that the quality of education in a school is low performing, the state board shall appoint a team of improvement consultants from the West Virginia Department of Education State System of Support to make recommendations for correction of the low performance. These recommendations shall be communicated to the county board and a process shall be established in conjunction with the State System of Support to correct the identified deficiencies. If progress in correcting the low performance as determined by the state board is not made within one year following the implementation of the measures adopted to correct the identified deficiencies or by a date certain established by the state board after at least one year of implementation, the state board shall place the county board on temporary approval status and provide consultation and assistance to the county board to assist it in the following areas:
(i) Improving personnel management;
(ii) Establishing more efficient financial management practices;
(iii) Improving instructional programs and rules; or
(iv) Making any other improvements that are necessary to correct the low performance.
(C) If the low performance is not corrected by a date certain as set by the state board:
(i) The state board shall appoint a monitor who shall be paid at county expense to cause improvements to be made at the school to bring it to full accreditation status within a reasonable time period as determined by the state board. The monitor's work location shall be at the school and the monitor shall work collaboratively with the principal. The monitor shall, at a minimum, report monthly to the state board on the measures being taken to improve the school's performance and the progress being made. The reports may include requests for additional assistance and recommendations required in the judgment of the monitor to improve the school's performance, including, but not limited to, the need for targeting resources strategically to eliminate deficiencies;
(ii) The state board may make a determination, in its sole judgment, that the improvements necessary to provide a thorough and efficient education to the students at the school cannot be made without additional targeted resources, in which case it shall establish a plan in consultation with the county board that includes targeted resources from sources under the control of the state board and the county board to accomplish the needed improvements. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to allow a change in personnel at the school to improve school performance and progress, except as provided by law;
(iii) If the low performance is not corrected within one year after the appointment of a monitor, the state board may make a determination, in its sole judgment, that continuing a monitor arrangement is not sufficient to correct the low performance and may intervene in the operation of the school to cause improvements to be made that will provide assurances that a thorough and efficient system of schools will be provided. This intervention may include, but is not limited to, establishing instructional programs, taking such direct action as may be necessary to correct the low performance, declaring the position of principal is vacant and assigning a principal for the school who shall serve at the will and pleasure of and, under the sole supervision of, the state board: Provided, That prior to declaring that the position of the principal is vacant, the state board must make a determination that all other resources needed to correct the low performance are present at the school. If the principal who was removed elects not to remain an employee of the county board, then the principal assigned by the state board shall be paid by the county board. If the principal who was removed elects to remain an employee of the county board, then the following procedure applies:
(II) The principal who was removed is eligible for all positions in the county, including teaching positions, for which the principal is certified, by either being placed on the transfer list in accordance with section seven, article two, chapter eighteen-a of this code, or by being placed on the preferred recall list in accordance with section seven-a, article four, chapter eighteen-a of this code; and
(III) The principal who was removed shall be paid by the county board and may be assigned to administrative duties, without the county board being required to post that position until the end of the school term.
(6) The county board shall take no action nor refuse any action if the effect would be to impair further the school in which the state board has intervened.
(7) The state board may appoint a monitor pursuant to the provisions of this subsection to assist the school principal after intervention in the operation of a school is completed.
(o) (p) Transfers from low-performing schools. -- Whenever a school is determined to be low performing and fails to improve its status within one year, following state intervention in the operation of the school to correct the low performance, any student attending the school may transfer once to the nearest fully accredited school in the county, subject to approval of the fully accredited school and at the expense of the school from which the student transferred.
(p) (q) School system approval. -- The state board annually shall review the information submitted for each school system from the system of education performance audits and issue one of the following approval levels to each county board: Full approval, temporary approval, conditional approval or nonapproval.
(i) The plan has been revised in accordance with subsection (b) of this section;
(ii) The plan has been approved by the state board; and (iii) The county board is meeting the objectives and time line specified in the revised plan.
(B) Whenever a county board has more than a casual deficit, as defined in section one, article one of this chapter, the county board shall submit a plan to the state board specifying the county board's strategy for eliminating the casual deficit. The state board either shall approve or reject the plan. If the plan is rejected, the state board shall communicate to the county board the reason or reasons for the rejection of the plan. The county board may resubmit the plan any number of times. However, any county board that fails to submit a plan and gain approval for the plan from the state board before the end of the fiscal year after a deficit greater than a casual deficit occurred or any county board which, in the opinion of the state board, fails to comply with an approved plan may be designated as having nonapproval status.
(i) Limiting the authority of the county superintendent and county board as to the expenditure of funds, the employment and dismissal of personnel, the establishment and operation of the school calendar, the establishment of instructional programs and rules and any other areas designated by the state board by rule, which may include delegating decision-making authority regarding these matters to the state superintendent;
(iii) Delegating to the state superintendent both the authority to conduct hearings on personnel matters and school closure or consolidation matters and, subsequently, to render the resulting decisions and the authority to appoint a designee for the limited purpose of conducting hearings while reserving to the state superintendent the authority to render the resulting decisions;
(iv) Functioning in lieu of the county board of education in a transfer, sale, purchase or other transaction regarding real property; and
(v) Taking any direct action necessary to correct the emergency including, but not limited to, the following:
(II) Delegating to the state superintendent the authority to fill positions of administrators and principals with individuals determined by the state superintendent to be the most qualified for the positions. Any authority related to intervention in the operation of a county board granted under this paragraph is not subject to the provisions of article four, chapter eighteen-a of this code;
(q) (r) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the state board may intervene immediately in the operation of the county school system with all the powers, duties and responsibilities contained in subsection (p) (q) of this section, if the state board finds the following:
(r) (s) Capacity. -- The process for improving education includes a process for targeting resources strategically to improve the teaching and learning process. Development of electronic school and school system strategic improvement plans, pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, is intended, in part, to provide mechanisms to target resources strategically to the teaching and learning process to improve student, school and school system performance. When deficiencies are detected through the assessment and accountability processes, the revision and approval of school and school system electronic strategic improvement plans shall ensure that schools and school systems are efficiently using existing resources to correct the deficiencies. When the state board determines that schools and school systems do not have the capacity to correct deficiencies, the state board shall work with the county board to develop or secure the resources necessary to increase the capacity of schools and school systems to meet the standards and, when necessary, seek additional resources in consultation with the Legislature and the Governor.
The state board shall recommend to the appropriate body including, but not limited to, the Process for Improving Education Council, the Legislature, county boards, schools and communities methods for targeting resources strategically to eliminate deficiencies identified in the assessment and accountability processes. When making determinations on recommendations, the state board shall include, but is not limited to, the following methods:
(2) Determining the areas of weakness and of ineffectiveness that appear to have contributed to the substandard performance and progress of students or the deficiencies of the school or school system and requiring the school or school system to work collaboratively with the West Virginia Department of Education State System of Support to correct the deficiencies;
(6) Requesting special staff development programs from the Center for Professional Development, the Principals Academy, higher education, regional educational service agencies and county boards based on identified needs;
(8) Directing county boards to target their funds strategically toward alleviating deficiencies;
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create a college and career readiness initiative in which the State Board of Education, the Higher Education Policy Commission and the Council for Community and Technical College Education collaborate to formally adopt uniform college and career readiness standards for English/language arts and math. The bill requires that certain assessments or exams be used to determine whether a student meets the standards. The bill require that an explicit focus be embedded in each course on the development of English/language arts and math skills. The bill requires a twelfth grade transitional course for both English/language arts and math for students not college ready. The bill requires that professional development on teaching the college and career readiness standards be included in the state board's goals for professional staff development and ultimately in its Master Plan for Professional Staff Development. The bill requires the state board to require all teacher preparation programs in the state to include appropriate training for teachers teaching in at least grades eight through twelve on how to teach the adopted standards. The bill requires the use of certain assessments or exams, as applicable, to determine whether a student is to enroll in a remedial course or be placed immediately in a college-level introductory course. The bill requires accountability for increasing the percent of students who meet the standards and for increasing the percent of students who are making adequate progress toward meeting the standards. The bill deletes the requirement that a school or school system that achieves adequate yearly progress is eligible for no less than full accreditation or approval status, as applicable.
§18-2-39 is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.