Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/bill_status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB1009%20SUB1%20eng.htm&yr=2010&sesstype=1X&i=1009
Timestamp: 2018-03-25 04:26:23
Document Index: 453892015

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

Engrossed Version Senate Bill 1009 History
SB1009 SUB1 eng
A BILL to repeal §18-2E-5c of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §18-1-4 of said code; and to amend and reenact §18-2E-5 of said code, as contained in Chapter 58, Acts of the Legislature, Regular Session, 2010, all relating to the improvement of schools and school districts; requiring electronic county and school strategic improvement plans to plan for early warnings and interventions; requiring electronic county and school strategic improvement plans to report on the level of performance as relates to certain standards; revising high quality education standards; revising graduation standards used to determine adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind Act; requiring state annual performance measures to account for growth over the previous year; revising extraordinary circumstances that may warrant a school being given a low-performing accreditation status; narrowing deadlines for improvement of low performance in schools; authorizing the district-wide transfer of principals in school systems on nonapproved status; revising school system approval criteria for schools given temporary and conditional status; requiring the revision of electronic county strategic improvement plans to reach full approval status; establishing the Education Opportunity Zone 180 program; eliminating the Process for Improving Education Council; and clarifying requirement for legislative rules.
That §18-2E-5c of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be repealed; that §18-1-4 of said code be amended and reenacted; and that §18-2E-5 of said code, as contained in Chapter 58, Acts of the Legislature, Regular Session, 2010, be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. DEFINITIONS; LIMITATIONS OF CHAPTER; GOALS
(d) As part of Vision 2020: An Education Blueprint for Two Thousand Twenty, the state board shall establish a plan in accordance with the provisions of this section. for submission to and consideration by the Process for Improving Education Council pursuant to section five-c, article two-e of this chapter The plan shall include only the goals, objectives, strategies, indicators and benchmarks for public education set forth in this section and that meet the requirements of this section. To add clarity and avoid confusion, the goals for public education set forth in the plan pursuant to this section are the exclusive goals for public education. The plan shall include:
(1) Rigorous 21st Century curriculum and engaging instruction for all students. -- All students in West Virginia public schools should have access to and benefit from a rigorous 21st Century curriculum that develops proficiency in core subjects, 21st Century content, learning skills and technology tools. These students also should have that curriculum delivered through engaging, research-based instructional strategies that develop deep understanding and the ability to apply content to real-world situations;
(2) A 21st Century accountability and accreditation system. -- The prekindergarten through twelve education system should have a public accrediting system that: (i) Holds local school districts accountable for the student outcomes the state values; and (ii) provides the public with understandable accountability data for judging the quality of local schools. The outcomes on which the system is based should be rigorous and should align with national and international standards such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the ACT, the SAT and the Programme for International Assessment (PISA). The broad standards established for these outcomes should include a focus on: (A) Mastery of basic skills by all students; (B) closing the achievement gap among student subgroups; and (C) high levels of proficiency in a wide range of desired 21st Century measures and processes. The system for determining school and district accreditation should include school and district self-analysis and generate appropriate research-based strategies for improvement. It also should allow opportunities to create innovative approaches to instructional delivery and design. Thus, the system will incorporate processes for encouraging innovation, including streamlined applications for waivers to state board policy, financial support for successful initiatives and recognition of those practices that can be brought to a district or statewide scale. The primary goal of the accreditation system is to drive school improvement. This 21st Century accountability and accreditation system also should include the methods of addressing capacity set forth in section five, article two-e of this chapter;
(3) A statewide balanced assessment process. -- State, district, school and classroom decisionmaking should be grounded in 21st Century balanced assessment processes that reflect national and international rigorous performance standards and examine student proficiency in 21st Century content, skills and technology tools. A balanced assessment system includes statewide summative assessments, local benchmark assessments and classroom assessments for learning;
(4) A personnel allocation, licensure and funding process that aligns with the needs of 21st Century school systems and is supported by a quality coordinated professional development delivery system. -- Increased accountability demands, as well as the focus on 21st Century learning, require a reexamination of traditional approaches to personnel allocation, licensure and funding. Creating schools of the 21st Century requires new staffing roles and staffing patterns. It also requires ongoing professional development activities focused on enhancing student achievement and achieving specific goals of the school and district strategic plans. Thus, schools should have the ability to access, organize and deliver high quality embedded professional development that provides staff with in-depth sustained and supported learning. Effective school improvement should allow opportunity for staff to collectively learn, plan and implement curricular and instructional improvements on behalf of the students they serve;
(5) School environments that promote safe, healthy and responsible behavior and provide an integrated system of student support services. -- Each school should create an environment focused on student learning and one where students know they are valued, respected and safe. Furthermore, the school should incorporate programs and processes that instill healthy, safe and responsible behaviors and prepare students for interactions with individuals of diverse racial, ethnic and social backgrounds. School and district processes should include a focus on developing ethical and responsible character, personal dispositions that promote personal wellness through planned daily physical activity and healthy eating habits consistent with high nutritional guidelines and multicultural experiences that develop an appreciation of and respect for diversity;
(6) A leadership recruitment, development and support continuum. -- Quality schools and school systems of the 21st Century cannot be created without high quality leaders. Thus, West Virginia should have an aligned leadership professional development continuum that attracts, develops and supports educational leadership at the classroom, school and district level. This leadership development continuum should focus on creating: (i) Learning-centered schools and school systems; (ii) collaborative processes for staff learning and continuous improvement; and (iii) accountability measures for student achievement;
(7) Equitable access to 21st Century technology and education resources and school facilities conducive to 21st Century teaching and learning. -- A quality educational system of the 21st Century should have access to technology tools and processes that enhance effective and efficient operation. Administrators should have the digital resources to monitor student performance, manage a variety of data and communicate effectively. In the classroom, every teacher in every school should be provided with the instructional resources and educational technology necessary to deliver the West Virginia content standards and objectives. Schools of the 21st Century require facilities that accommodate changing technologies, 21st Century instructional processes and 21st Century staffing needs and patterns. These school facilities should mirror the best in green construction and be environmentally and educationally responsive to the communities in which they are located;
(8) Aligned public school with post-secondary and workplace readiness programs and standards. -- An educational system in the 21st Century should be seen as a continuum from the public school (prekindergarten through twelve) program through post-secondary education. In order to be successful in a global competitive marketplace, learning should be an ongoing, life-long experience. Thus, the public schools and the institutions of post-secondary education in West Virginia should create a system of common standards, expectations and accountability. Creating such an aligned system will enhance opportunities for success and assure a seamless educational process for West Virginia students; and
(9) A universal prekindergarten system. -- A high quality, universal prekindergarten system should be readily available to every eligible student. The system should promote oral language and preliteracy skills and reduce the deficit of these foundational skills through proactive, early intervention. Research indicates that universal prekindergarten systems improve graduation rates, reduce grade level retentions and reduce the number of special education placements. Therefore, local school systems should create the supports and provide the resources to assure a quality prekindergarten foundation is available to all eligible students.
(4) By two thousand twelve, the gap between the county with the lowest college-going rate and the state average as of the effective date of this act will decrease by fifty percent and the college-going rate of the state will equal the college-going rate of the member states of the Southern Regional Education Board; and
(5) By two thousand twenty, the gap between the county with the lowest college-going rate and the state average for school year two thousand twelve will decrease by fifty percent and the college-going rate of the state will exceed the college-going rate of the member states of the Southern Regional Education Board by five percentage points.
(C) A system of accountability for continuous improvement defined by high quality standards for schools and school systems articulated by a legislative 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
(3) As the constitutional body charged with providing 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.
(b) Electronic county and school strategic improvement plans. -- The state board shall promulgate a legislative 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 and an analysis of early predictors and indicators to identify at-risk students before the students are off-track for graduation. Data for the analysis shall be provided by the West Virginia Education Information System as part of the Early Warning Indicator and Intervention System. The plan shall include interventions needed to increase the number of students earning a high school diploma. 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) of this section including any deficit more than a casual deficit by the county board the level of performance for each of the high quality education standards established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. 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.
(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:
The state board shall promulgate a legislative rule in accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code that establishes high quality education standards to ensure that certain practices, processes and structures create student, school and school system performance and success. The state board shall periodically review and update the rule. The rule shall include standards that address:
__________(1) Climate and culture that reflect the core beliefs, personal behaviors, programs, policies and processes that characterize a safe and orderly learning environment whereby all students obtain mastery of the essential knowledge and skills;
__________(2) Leadership at the classroom, school and district level that translates into a community of shared values that facilitates organizational improvement and increased student achievement;
__________(3) Curriculum, instruction and assessment structures that reflect knowledge of curriculum management, skill in instructional design, including pedagogy and assessment, and an understanding of how technology can enhance curriculum access and delivery to assure
__________(4) Management systems that require teachers and administrators to work collaboratively on the institutional and organizational variables necessary to support a climate of high expectations for student success;
__________(5) Student, family and community support systems that reflect relationships between families, community and the school that reflect authentic partnerships in which communication builds trust in order to address the personal, social, emotional and physical needs of students;
__________(6) Continuous improvement that reflects a process of inquiry that is used to plan and implement the change necessary to constantly increase student learning and promote student success;
__________(7) Educator development that assures that the professional growth of all educators involves a collaborative approach that supports organizing and delivering effective instruction to all students; and
(15) (8) Any other areas determined by the state board.
(d) Comprehensive statewide student assessment program. -- The state board shall promulgate a legislative 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. 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 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:
(4) The high school graduation rate which shall be no less than eighty ninety percent for the school, county and state; or if the high school graduation rate is less than eighty ninety 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 increase annually by one-tenth the difference between the graduation rate from the previous school year and ninety percent or shall increase on average over each of the previous three years by one-tenth the difference between the graduation rate from the previous school year and ninety percent.
(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 includes a growth model for expected growth over the previous year as a way to achieve full accreditation and a system 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.
(g) 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:
(h) 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 legislative 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) 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 legislative 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:
(k) 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
(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
(n) 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, 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.
(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) 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.
(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 six months, 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:
(C) If the progress to address the identified measures to correct low performance is not corrected by a date certain as set by the state board made within six months:
(iii) If the progress to address the identified measures to correct low performance is not corrected made within one year six months 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:
(3) Conditional approval shall be given to a county board whose education system is below the level required for full approval. but whose electronic county strategic improvement plan meets the following criteria:
(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. Conditional approval shall be given upon state board approval of the electronic county strategic improvement plan and shall stay in effect until full approval is attained.
(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 legislative rule, which may include delegating decision-making authority regarding these matters to the state superintendent;
(I) Delegating to the State Superintendent the authority to replace administrators and principals in low performing schools and to transfer them into alternate professional positions within the county at his or her discretion and to transfer principals district-wide, if necessary to effect district improvement; and
(r) Capacity. --
(2)(A) A county board given temporary, conditional or nonapproval status shall revise its electronic county strategic improvement plan in accordance with subsection (b) of this section to increase the performance and progress of the school system to a full approval status level. The county board shall meet the objectives and time line specified in the revised plan. The revised plan shall be submitted to the state board for approval.
__________(B) A county board given temporary, conditional or nonapproval status shall be designated as a member of Educational Opportunity Zone 180. A member of the Educational Opportunity Zone 180 shall meet the following requirements:
__________(i) Members of the county board shall attend training designed by the West Virginia School Board Association the duration of which shall be determined by the County Board Member Training Standards Review Committee. The training and the duration of the training are subject to the approval of the state board;
__________(ii) The county superintendent and the county leadership team shall attend training designed by the West Virginia Department of Education in conjunction with the West Virginia School Board Association for no less than five days;
__________(iii) The county leadership team shall meet monthly with the State System of Support to review progress on the revised electronic county strategic improvement plan;
__________(iv) The county board shall examine various strategies to bring the county to full approval including, but not limited to, instituting year-round education; engaging external support partners to intervene in low-performing schools; applying for waiver of statute, rule or policy to address flexibility and capacity to meet identified deficiencies; reorganizing central office roles and responsibilities; examining the current staffing patterns of the county to assess the critical human resource needs of low-performing schools; instituting an efficiency audit in conjunction with the Division of Student Services of the West Virginia Department of Education; creating or revising standard operating procedures of the district; and other strategies collaboratively agreed upon with the State System of Support.
__________(3) 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: