Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=HB4006%20SUB%20ENR.htm&yr=2018&sesstype=RS&i=4006
Timestamp: 2018-04-21 13:33:47
Document Index: 191841596

Matched Legal Cases: ['§10', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§4', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§6', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§29', '§29', '§5', '§29', '§18', '§10', '§10', '§9', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§29', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§29', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§29', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§12']

By Delegates Romine, R., Blair, Espinosa, Higginbotham, Cowles, Criss, Ellington, Hamrick, Westfall, Atkinson and Statler
AN ACT to repeal §10-5-2a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to repeal §18-2I-3 of said code; to repeal §18A-3-2d of said code; to repeal §18A-3A-1, §18A-3A-2, §18A-3A-2b, §18A-3A-3 and §18A-3A-5 of said code; to repeal §18B-11-4 and §18B-11-6 of said code; to amend and reenact §4-13-2 of said code; to amend and reenact §5-26A-3 of said code; to amend and reenact §5B-2C-6 of said code; to amend and reenact §5F-1-2 of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §5F-1-6; to amend and reenact §5F-2-1 of said code; to amend and reenact §6-7-2a of said code; to amend and reenact §18-2I-1, §18-2I-2 and §18-2I-4 of said code; to amend and reenact §18-10A-1, §18-10A-2, §18-10A-3, §18-10A-6a and §18-10A-12 of said code; to amend and reenact §18-30-4 of said code; to amend and reenact §18A-2-9 and §18A-2-12 of said code; to amend and reenact §18A-3-1, §18A-3-1d, §18A-3-2c and §18A-3-8 of said code; to amend and reenact §18A-3C-1, §18A-3C-2 and §18A-3C-3 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-1B-2 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-3D-2 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-16-5 and §18B-16-8 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-18B-1 of said code; and to amend and reenact §29-24-3 and §29-24-5 of said code, all relating to revising the processes through which professional development is delivered for those who provide public education in this state, including improvement of the focus on school-level continuous improvement processes led by the principal, generally; eliminating administrative offices, duplicative programs and obsolete provisions; repealing provisions related to creation and duties of distance learning coordinating council; repealing provisions related to annual state board professional development master plan; repealing provisions related to beginning principal internships; repealing provisions related to center for professional development and principals academy curriculum; repealing provisions related to center for development professional development project; repealing provisions related to principals academy establishment, mission, required attendance and employment of coordinator; repealing provisions related to pilot program of delivering educational services via distance learning; repealing provisions related to creation of depositories for assistive devices and services at two colleges or universities; repealing provisions creating the National Institute For Teaching Excellence and its governing board; modifying membership of Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission; modifying membership of Commission for National and Community Service; removing Department of Education and the Arts as option to provide technical support to the Academy of Science and Technology in preparation of annual report; eliminating Department of Education and the Arts as executive department headed by secretary; establishing internal effective date; transferring Division of Culture and History and Division of Rehabilitation Services to Department of Commerce; making the Educational Broadcasting Authority and Library Commission each an independent agency within executive branch; correcting names of agencies; eliminating salary of Secretary of Education and the Arts; modifying the scope and goals of the system for coordination and delivery of professional development to be instituted by State Board of Education; modifying legislative findings with respect to professional development; eliminating requirement for State Board of Education master plan for professional development; requiring State Board of Education rule to include process for aggregating school and system strategic plan information to assist design and delivery of professional development; transferring the Center for Professional Development to be under the authority and control of the State Board of Education; replacing references to the secretary and the Department of Education and the Arts in rehabilitation and vocational services related statutes; modifying membership of College Prepaid Tuition and Savings Program Board; including instructional leadership among the responsibilities of principals and requiring course work in instructional leadership and related topics as prerequisite for administrative certification; moving from a precertification requirement to a pre-employment requirement that principals, assistant principals and administrators complete education and training in evaluation skills; deleting provisions proscribing limitations on certain rights and privileges of principals and assistant principals as teachers; removing requirements for interaction between State Board Of Education and Center for Professional Development regarding performance evaluations; removing proscription of issuance or renewal of certain administrative certificate; removing requirement for State Board Of Education consultation with Secretary of Education and Arts and Chancellor for Higher Education prior to exercise of authority over education; adding within standards for education of professional educators requirement providing for the study of the history and philosophical foundations of Western Civilization and the writings of the founders of the United States of America; eliminating references to regional education service agencies; removing requirement for State Board of Education to consult with Secretary of Education and the Arts and the Chancellor of Higher Education; removing provisions related to required training and professional development of principals through principals academy; adding instructional leadership and management techniques to required minimum standards for rule governing training of principals; removing language relating to waivers, ineligibility, progress tracking and expenses relating to training of principals; requiring county professional staff development councils to base proposals for staff development on analysis of individual and collective need indicated in school’s strategic plans; incorporating development of certain teachers, principals, assistant principals, vocational administrators and others in the provisions for a comprehensive system to improve teaching and learning; making legislative finding that professional development resources must be focused rather than increased; removing obsolete provisions related to phased implementation of provisions for professional personnel evaluations; eliminating requirement for five percent of evaluations to be based on state summative assessment and increasing percent based on evidence of student learning by five percent; incorporating principals into the comprehensive system of support for improved professional performance; requiring deficiencies identified through personnel evaluations to be incorporated in strategic plans for continuous improvement; removing language requiring posting and other provisions relating to employment; restricting certain appropriations for certain activities; modifying membership and selection process for members of Higher Education Policy Commission; modifying membership of Workforce Development Initiative Program Advisory Committee; updating agency references and removing Secretary of Education and the Arts with respect to rural health initiative; modifying membership of Science and Research Council; transferring certain references and responsibilities to Technology-Related Assistance Revolving Loan Fund For Individuals With Disabilities Board to Secretary of Commerce; directing the adoption and promulgation of rules and guidelines; and making consequential changes incident to the elimination of agencies or programs or the modification of duties, responsibilities and functions.
(a) The Governor shall appoint twelve members as follows:
(2) The State Superintendent of Schools, or a designee;
(5) One representative from the Herbert Henderson Minority Affairs Office;
(6) Five citizens members, no more than one of whom may be from any one state senatorial district;
(7) One member of the House of Delegates, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, who shall serve as an ex officio nonvoting member of the commission; and
(8) One member of the Senate, to be appointed by the President of the Senate, who shall serve as an ex officio nonvoting member of the commission.
(1) Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to West Virginia’s research, development, and commercialization environment and establishments;
(2) Options for actions by the Legislature and the Governor to maximize the ability of the state to attract investment, grants, and infrastructure development to support growth of science and technology research, development, and commercialization in the state;
(b) In preparing its annual report, the council may utilize the technical support available to it through the West Virginia Development Office, the West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCOR), the West Virginia higher education system, federal and state agencies, and other entities that have an interest in fostering science and technology research, development, and commercialization in this state.
(c) Each month, an academy representative shall meet with legislative and executive leaders to provide updates and information concerning opportunities, issues and progress of science, technology, and commercialization in the state.
(2) Department of Environmental Protection;
(3) Department of Health and Human Resources;
(4) Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety;
(5) Department of Revenue;
(7) Department of Commerce; and
(8) Department of Veterans’ Assistance.
(9) West Virginia Tourism Office and Tourism Commission provided in §5B-2I-1 et seq. of this code;
(10) Division of Culture and History provided in §29-1-1 et seq. of this code; and
(11) Division of Rehabilitation Services provided in §18-10A-1 et seq. of this code.
(e) The West Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority provided in §10-5-1 et seq. of this code and the State Library Commission provided in §10-1-1 et seq. of this code are each continued as separate independent agencies within the executive branch.
(f) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, and affiliated entities, are transferred to the Department of Environmental Protection for purposes of administrative support and liaison with the Office of the Governor:
(g)The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated, or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Health and Human Resources:
(h) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated, or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety:
(j) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated, or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Transportation:
(k) Effective July 1, 2011, the Veterans’ Council provided in §9A-1-1 et seq. of this code, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated, or related entities and funds associated with it, is incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Veterans’ Assistance.
(l) Except for powers, authority and duties that have been delegated to the secretaries of the departments by the provisions of §5F-2-2 of this code, the position of administrator and the powers, authority, and duties of each administrator and agency are not affected by the enactment of this chapter.
(m) Except for powers, authority and duties that have been delegated to the secretaries of the departments by the provisions of §5F-2-2 of this code, the existence, powers, authority, and duties of boards and the membership, terms and qualifications of members of the boards are not affected by the enactment of this chapter. All boards that are appellate bodies or are independent decision makers shall not have their appellate or independent decision-making status affected by the enactment of this chapter.
(n) Any department previously transferred to and incorporated in a department by prior enactment of this section means a division of the appropriate department. Wherever reference is made to any department transferred to and incorporated in a department created in §5F-1-2 of this code, the reference means a division of the appropriate department and any reference to a division of a department so transferred and incorporated means a section of the appropriate division of the department.
(o) When an agency, board, or commission is transferred under a bureau or agency other than a department headed by a secretary pursuant to this section, that transfer is solely for purposes of administrative support and liaison with the Office of the Governor, a department secretary or a bureau. Nothing in this section extends the powers of department secretaries under §5F-2-2 of this code to any person other than a department secretary and nothing limits or abridges the statutory powers and duties of statutory commissioners or officers pursuant to this code.
Commissioner, Division of Highways, $92,500; Commissioner, Division of Corrections, $80,000; Director, Division of Natural Resources, $75,000; Superintendent, State Police, $85,000; Commissioner, Division of Financial Institutions, $75,000; Commissioner, Division of Culture and History, $65,000; Commissioner, Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, $75,000; Commissioner, Division of Motor Vehicles, $75,000; Director, Human Rights Commission, $55,000; Commissioner, Division of Labor, $70,000; Chairperson, Board of Parole, $55,000; members, Board of Parole, $50,000; members, Employment Security Review Board, $17,000; and Commissioner, Workforce West Virginia, $75,000. Secretaries of the departments shall be paid an annual salary as follows: Health and Human Resources, $95,000: Provided, That effective July 1, 2013, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources shall be paid an annual salary not to exceed $175,000; Transportation, $95,000: Provided, however, That if the same person is serving as both the Secretary of Transportation and the Commissioner of Highways, he or she shall be paid $120,000; Revenue, $95,000; Military Affairs and Public Safety, $95,000; Administration, $95,000; Commerce, $95,000; Veterans’ Assistance, $95,000; and Environmental Protection, $95,000: Provided further, That any officer specified in this subsection whose salary is increased by more than $5,000 as a result of the amendment and reenactment of this section during the 2011 regular session of the Legislature shall be paid the salary increase in increments of $5,000 per fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011, up to the maximum salary provided in this subsection.
Director, Board of Risk and Insurance Management, $80,000; Director, Division of Rehabilitation Services, $70,000; Director, Division of Personnel, $70,000; Executive Director, Educational Broadcasting Authority, $75,000; Secretary, Library Commission, $72,000; Director, Geological and Economic Survey, $75,000; Executive Director, Prosecuting Attorneys Institute, $80,000; Executive Director, Public Defender Services, $70,000; Commissioner, Bureau of Senior Services, $75,000; Executive Director, Women’s Commission, $45,000; Director, Hospital Finance Authority, $35,000; member, Racing Commission, $12,000; Chairman, Public Service Commission, $85,000; members, Public Service Commission, $85,000; Director, Division of Forestry, $75,000; Director, Division of Juvenile Services, $80,000; Executive Director, Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority, $80,000; and Executive Director of the Health Care Authority, $80,000.
[Repealed.].
ARTICLE 2I. STAte-level leadership for professional development system.
(c) The director i may expend the moneys deposited in the West Virginia Rehabilitation Services Special Account in accordance with federal laws and regulations and with the laws of this state necessary for the development of the five-year long-range plan and subsequent revisions.
(a) Upon the recommendation of the county superintendent of schools, the county board of education shall employ and assign, through written contract, public school principals who shall be the principal instructional leader of the school and shall supervise the management and the operation of the school or schools to which they are assigned to improve student performance and progress. The principals shall hold valid administrative certificates appropriate for their assignments.
(b)(1) Beginning on July 1, 1994, the prerequisites for issuance of an administrative certificate for principals shall include that the person has successfully completed at least six credit hours of approved course work in public school management techniques at an accredited institution of higher education and has successfully completed education and training in evaluation skills approved by the state board.
(2) Beginning on July 1, 2019, the prerequisites for issuance of an administrative certificate for principals shall include that the person has successfully completed at least six credit hours of approved course work in public school instructional leadership and management techniques at an accredited institution of higher education, including, but not limited to, the standards for high quality schools, the school accreditation process and strategic planning for continuous improvement.
(c) Prior to employment as a principal or assistant principal, or in another administrative position the duties of which require conducting personnel performance evaluations, the principal, assistant or administrator shall successfully complete education and training in evaluation skills approved by the state board.
(d) Under the supervision of the superintendent and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the county board of education, the principal:
(1) Shall assume administrative and instructional leadership responsibility for the planning, management, operation, and evaluation of the total educational program of the school or schools to which he or she is assigned.
(2) May submit recommendations to the superintendent regarding the appointment, assignment, promotion, transfer and dismissal of all personnel assigned to the school or schools under said principal’s control. The recommendations shall be submitted in writing as prescribed by the superintendent; and
(3) Shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the superintendent pursuant to the rules and regulations of the county board of education.
(e) Upon recommendation of the county superintendent of schools, the county board of education shall, when needed, employ and assign, through written contract, assistant principals who shall work under the direction of the school principal. Such assistant principals shall hold valid administrative certificates appropriate for their assignments.
(f) The assignment of principals and assistant principals by each county board of education is subject to the following:
(1) A certificated principal shall be assigned to each school;
(2) A principal may not be assigned more than two schools;
(3) No additional schools may be assigned to the principal of a school where enrollment exceeds four hundred students;
(4) A principal assigned to more than one school may not be assigned any teaching duties except on a temporary emergency basis;
(5) A principal shall be assigned full-time at each school whose net enrollment equals or exceeds one hundred seventy students and may not be assigned any teaching duties except on a temporary emergency basis;
(6) A principal assigned on a full-time basis to a school whose net enrollment is more than seventy-five students but less than one hundred seventy students shall have a minimum of twenty hours per week for nonteaching duties;
(7) A principal assigned on a full-time basis to a school with seventy-five students or less shall have a minimum of ten hours per week for nonteaching duties;
(8) Nothing in this section prohibits a county board of education from assigning a full-time principal to a school with a net enrollment of less than one hundred seventy students; and
(9) The State Board of Education may not deny a county board of education the right to place a principal in a school with less than one hundred seventy students.
(c) For purposes of this section, “professional personnel”, “professional”, or “professionals”, means professional personnel and other professional employees, as defined in §18A-1-1 of this code but does not include classroom teachers, principals, and assistant principals subject to the evaluation processes established pursuant to §18A-3C-2 of this code.
(d) The performance evaluation system shall contain, but not be limited to, the following information:
(5) Provisions for a written improvement plan, which shall be specific as to what improvements, if any, are needed in the performance of the professional and shall clearly set forth recommendations for improvements, including recommendations for additional education and training during the professional’s recertification or license renewal process.
(e) A professional whose performance is considered to be unsatisfactory shall be given notice of deficiencies. A remediation plan to correct deficiencies shall be developed by the employing county board and the professional. The professional shall be given a reasonable period of time for remediation of the deficiencies and shall receive a statement of the resources and assistance available for the purposes of correcting the deficiencies.
(f) No person may evaluate professional personnel for the purposes of this section or professional educator for the purposes of §18A-3C-2 of this code unless the person has an administrative certificate issued by the state superintendent and has successfully completed education and training in evaluation skills approved by the state board, which will enable the person to make fair, professional, and credible evaluations of the personnel whom the person is responsible for evaluating.
(g) Any professional whose performance evaluation includes a written improvement plan shall be given an opportunity to improve his or her performance through the implementation of the plan. If the next performance evaluation shows that the professional is now performing satisfactorily, no further action may be taken concerning the original performance evaluation. If the evaluation shows that the professional is still not performing satisfactorily, the evaluator either shall make additional recommendations for improvement or may recommend the dismissal of the professional in accordance with the provisions of §18A-2-8 of this code.
(h) This subsection applies to all classroom teachers irrespective of the process under which they are evaluated.
(1) Lesson plans are intended to serve as a daily guide for teachers and substitutes for the orderly presentation of the curriculum. Lesson plans may not be used as a substitute for observations by an administrator in the performance evaluation process. A classroom teacher, as defined in §18A-1-1 of this code, may not be required to post his or her lesson plans on the Internet or otherwise make them available to students and parents or to include in his or her lesson plans any of the following:
(4) Nothing in §18A-3C-1 et seq. of this code may be construed to negate the provisions of this subsection.
(a) The education of professional educators in the state is under the general direction and control of the state board.
(4) Alternative preparation programs in this state leading to certification, including programs established pursuant to the provisions of §18A-3-1a, §18A-3-1b, §18A-3-1c, §18A-3-1d, §18A-3-1e, §18A-3-1f, §18A-3-1g, §18A-3-1h and §18A-3-1i of this code and programs which are in effect on the effective date of this section; and
(5) Continuing professional education, professional development, and in-service training programs for professional educators employed in the public schools in the state.
(b) The state board shall adopt standards for the education of professional educators in the state and for awarding certificates valid in the public schools of this state. The standards include, but are not limited to the following:
(1) A provision for the study of the history and philosophical foundations of Western Civilization and the writings of the founders of the United States of America;
(2) A provision for the study of multicultural education. As used in this section, multicultural education means the study of the pluralistic nature of American society including its values, institutions, organizations, groups, status positions and social roles;
(3) A provision for the study of classroom management techniques, including methods of effective management of disruptive behavior including societal factors and their impact on student behavior; and
(4) A teacher from another state shall be awarded a teaching certificate for a comparable grade level and subject area valid in the public schools of this state, subject to §18A-3-10 if he or she has met the following requirements:
(5) A provision requiring any higher education institution with an educator preparation program to document that the student teacher’s field-based and clinical experiences include participation and instruction with multicultural, at-risk and exceptional children at each programmatic level for which the student teacher seeks certification; and
(1) In lieu of the provisions of subsections (c) and (d) of this section and subject to approval of the state board, an institution of higher education with a program for the education of professional educators approved by the state board may enter into an agreement with county boards for the use of teacher-in-residence programs in the public schools.
(iii) Federal and state mandated curriculum and assessment requirements, including multicultural education, safe schools, and student code of conduct;
(1) A requirement that the higher education institution with an educator preparation program shall document that the student teacher’s field-based and clinical experiences include participation and instruction with multicultural, at-risk, and exceptional children at each programmatic level for which the student teacher seeks certification; and
(i) The state superintendent may issue certificates as provided in §18A-3-2a of this code to graduates of educator preparation programs and alternative educator preparation programs approved by the state board. The certificates are issued in accordance with this section and rules adopted by the state board.
(C) Is physically, mentally, and emotionally qualified to perform the duties of a teacher; and
(j) Institutions of higher education approved for educator preparation may cooperate with each other and with one or more county boards to organize and operate centers to provide selected phases of the educator preparation program. The phases include, but are not limited to the following:
(4) Seminar programs for college students, teachers with provisional certification, professional support team members, and supervising teachers.
By mutual agreement, the institutions of higher education and county boards may budget and expend funds to operate the centers through payments to the appropriate fiscal office of the participating institutions and the county boards.
(1) “Nonpublic school” means a private school, parochial school, church school, school operated by a religious order, or other nonpublic school that elects to meet the following conditions:
(A) Comply with the provisions of §18-28-1 et seq. of this code;
(2) “At-risk” means a student who has the potential for academic failure, including, but not limited to, the risk of dropping out of school, involvement in delinquent activity, or poverty as indicated by free or reduced lunch status; and
(3) “Exceptional child” or “exceptional children” has the meaning ascribed to these terms pursuant to §18-20-1 of this code, but, as used in this section, the terms do not include gifted students.
(1) The state board shall promulgate a legislative rule or rules in accordance with §29A-3B-1 et seq. of this code containing procedures for the approval and operation of alternative teacher education programs as provided in this article. The State Board shall promulgate separate procedures for alternative programs for classroom teachers, alternative programs for highly qualified special education teachers, and additional alternative programs to prepare highly qualified special education teachers. These procedures shall be separate from the state board’s other procedures for approving standard teacher education programs.
(2) Before adopting a rule or rules, the state board shall submit its proposed rule or rules to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability for review.
(b) Necessary contents. – The state board’s rule or rules shall include, at a minimum, the following elements:
(1) An orderly set of deadlines, forms, and guidance to govern:
(A) A partnership’s process for applying to become an approved education provider;
(B) The state board’s process for reviewing and acting on a partnership’s application;
(C) An approved education provider’s process for seeking persons to enroll in an alternative program; and
(D) A person’s process for enrolling in an approved education provider’s alternative program;
(2) Procedures for determining whether a partnership agreement complies with §18A-3-1b and §18A-3-1c of this code;
(3) Procedures for determining whether a partnership agreement complies with any additional requirements contained in the state board’s rule or rules;
(4) Standards for how often and for what lengths of time an alternative program teacher must observe in a mentor’s classroom;
§18A-3-2c. Minimum qualities, proficiencies and skills required of principals; state board rule.
On or before October 1, 2018, the state board shall promulgate rules in accordance with §29A-3B-1 et seq. of this code regarding the minimum qualities, proficiencies and skills that will be required of principals after July 1, 2019. The state board shall promulgate and may, from time to time, amend such rules. The rules promulgated by the state board shall address at least the following:
(1) Instructional leadership and management techniques, including, but not limited to, the standards for high quality schools, the school accreditation process, and strategic planning for continuous improvement;
(2) Staff relations, including, but not limited to, the development and use of skills necessary to make a positive use of faculty senates, manage faculty and staff with courtesy and mutual respect, coach and motivate employees, and build consensus as a means of management;
(3) School community leadership qualities, including, but not limited to, the ability to organize and leverage community initiative, communicate effectively, work effectively with local school improvement councils, manage change, resolve conflict, and reflect the highest personal values;
(4) Educational proficiencies, including, but not limited to, knowledge of curriculum, instructional techniques, student learning styles, student assessment criteria, school personnel performance, evaluation skills, and family issues; and
(5) Administrative skills, including, but not limited to, organizational, fiscal, public policy, and total quality management skills and techniques.
Therefore, a professional staff development council comprised of proportional representation from the major school levels and from vocational, special education and other specialties in proportion to their employment numbers in the county shall be established in each school district in the state in accordance with rules adopted by the State Board of Education. Nominations of instructional personnel to serve on the county staff development council may be submitted by the faculty senates of the district to the county superintendent who shall prepare and distribute ballots and tabulate the votes of the counties instructional personnel voting on the persons nominated. Each county staff development council shall consist of between nine and fifteen members at the discretion of the county superintendent based on the size of the county. The councils have final authority to propose staff development programs for their peers based upon an analysis of the individual and collective needs of the schools of the county as indicated by their strategic plans.
The county superintendent or a designee has an advisory, nonvoting role on the council. The county board shall make available an amount equal to one tenth of one percent of the amounts provided in accordance with §18-9A-4 of this code and credit the funds to an account to be used by the council to fulfill its objectives. The local board has final approval of all proposed disbursements.
(1) Processes set forth in this article for the performance evaluation of professional personnel and the induction and professional growth of teachers and leaders are not intended to make up for substandard initial preparation, but instead are intended to build on a solid foundation created by the teacher and principal preparation programs. Therefore, the Legislature expects the teacher preparation programs to graduate teachers and leaders who can perform at a level that increases student achievement. The Legislature expects that the processes set forth in this article will allow a teacher and principal to excel beyond that level in the classroom and in school leadership positions;
(2) The comprehensive system of support provided in this article should be implemented in a way that effectively provides for the professional growth of teachers and principals;
(3) In order for the comprehensive system of support to much more effectively provide for the professional growth of teachers and principals, professional development resources must be focused in the most cost effective manner on the unique needs of individual schools, including their professional personnel evaluation data, to increase the school’s capacity to improve student performance and progress; and
(4) Although the quality of the teacher is extremely important to the academic achievement of students, students cannot learn if they are not present to receive the instruction. Therefore, attending school on a regular basis is of utmost importance to the academic success of students.
(1) High-quality teacher and principal preparation, induction, and evaluation;
(2) Universal support for emerging teachers and principals including comprehensive induction and support for (A) Beginning teachers, student teachers, teachers teaching in assignments for which they have less than a full professional credential, and teacher candidates pursuing certification through an alternative route; and (B) Beginning principals, assistant principals, and vocational administrators, and those of them beginning a new assignment at a school with a significantly different grade level configuration;
(3) Evaluation of the performance of teachers and leaders in demonstrating high quality professional practice, leadership, and collaboration and the resulting growth in student learning;
(c) For purposes of this article “professional personnel” includes classroom teachers, assistant principals, and principals as defined in §18A-1-1 of this code.
(a) The provisions of this section govern the performance evaluation of classroom teachers, principals and assistant principals employed in public schools and school systems. To the extent that this section conflicts with the provisions of §18A-2-12 of this code relating to professional personnel performance evaluations, this section shall govern.
(b) Before July 1, 2018, the state board shall adopt a legislative rule in accordance with §29A-3B-1 et seq. of this code, for annually evaluating the performance of each professional person. The rule shall provide for performance evaluations of professional personnel to be conducted in accordance with this section in each school and school system.
(A) Alignment with the West Virginia Professional Teaching Standards adopted by the state board that establish the foundation for educator preparation, teacher assessment, and professional development throughout the state;
(B) Employment of the professional teaching standards to provide explicit and extensive measures of the work of teaching and what teachers must know and be able to do and provide evaluative measures of educator performance; and
(C) The use of two pieces of evidence at two points in time over the instructional term to demonstrate student learning as an indicator of educator performance.
(2) Eighty percent of the evaluation shall be based on an appraisal of the educator’s ability to perform the critical standard elements of the professional teaching standards. The appraisal shall include conferences with the evaluator reinforced through observation. Twenty percent of the evaluation shall be based on evidence of the learning of the students assigned to the educator in accordance with paragraph (C), subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(A) Alignment with the West Virginia Professional Leadership Standards adopted by the state board establishing the responsibility of principals for the collective success of their school including the learning, growth, and achievement of students, staff, and self;
(B) Employment of the professional leadership standards to provide explicit and extensive measures of the work of school leadership focused on the continuous improvement of teaching and learning. The process shall include conferences and goal setting with the superintendent or his or her designee and the use of a survey of stakeholders to assist in identifying the needs and establishing the goals for the school and the principal. The survey shall be distributed to at least the following stakeholders: Students, parents, teachers, and service personnel. The evaluative measures shall include the use of data, evidence, and artifacts to confirm the principal’s performance on achieving the goals established by the principal and superintendent; and
(C) The use of two pieces of evidence at two points in time over the instructional term to demonstrate the growth in student learning at the school.
(2) Eighty percent of the evaluation shall be based on an appraisal of the principal’s or the assistant principal’s ability to perform the critical standard elements of the professional leadership standards and achieve the goals established for the principal and the school. Twenty percent of the evaluation shall be based on evidence of the learning of the students assigned to the school in accordance with paragraph (C), subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(2) Serve as the basis for providing professional development specifically targeted on the area or areas identified through the evaluation process as needing improvement. If possible, this targeted professional development should be delivered at the school site using collaborative processes, mentoring or coaching or other approaches that maximize use of the instructional setting;
(f) The rule adopted by the state board shall include standards for the performance of professional personnel and the criteria to be used to determine whether their performance meets the standards. The rule also shall include guidance on best practices for providing time within the school day for teachers and leaders subject to performance evaluations under this section to participate in the collaborative mentoring or coaching and planning processes necessary for execution of the performance evaluation process and achieving advanced levels of performance.
(h) A professional person whose performance is considered to be unsatisfactory shall be given written notice of his or her deficiencies. A written improvement plan to correct these deficiencies shall be developed by the employing county board and the employee. The professional person shall be given a reasonable period of time, not exceeding twelve months, to accomplish the requirements of the improvement plan and shall receive a written statement of the resources and assistance available for the purposes of correcting the deficiencies. If the next performance evaluation shows that the professional is now performing satisfactorily, no further action may be taken concerning the original performance evaluation. If the evaluation shows that the professional is still not performing satisfactorily, the evaluator either shall make additional written recommendations for improvement or may recommend the dismissal of the professional personnel in accordance with the provisions of §18A-2-8 of this code.
(i) No person may evaluate professional personnel for the purposes of this section unless the person has an administrative certificate issued by the state superintendent and has successfully completed education and training in evaluation skills t approved by the state board which will enable the person to make fair, professional, and credible evaluations of the personnel whom the person is responsible for evaluating.
(j) Prior to implementation of the evaluation process pursuant to this section at a school, each affected employee shall be given training to ensure that the employees have a full understanding of the purposes, instruments, and procedures used in evaluating their performance. Thereafter, this training shall be held annually at the beginning of the employment term.
§18A-3C-3. Comprehensive system for teacher and leader induction and professional growth.
(a) The intent of the Legislature is to allow for local-level implementation of comprehensive systems of support for building professional practice consistent with sound educational practices and resources available. In this regard, it is the intent of the Legislature that the comprehensive systems of support shall incorporate support for improved professional performance that is targeted on deficiencies identified through the educator personnel evaluation process and other professional development needs identified in the strategic plans for continuous improvement of schools and school systems. Further, because of significant variability among the counties, not only in the size of their teaching force, distribution of facilities and available resources, but also because of their varying needs, the Legislature intends for the implementation of this section to be accomplished in a manner that provides adequate flexibility to the counties to design and implement a comprehensive system of support for improving professional performance that best achieves the goals of this section within the county. Finally, because of the critical importance of ensuring that all teachers perform at the accomplished level or higher in the delivery of instruction that at least meets the West Virginia Professional Teaching Standards and because achieving this objective at a minimum entails providing assistance to address the needs as indicated by the data informed results of annual performance evaluations, including the self-assessed needs of the teachers themselves, the Legislature expects the highest priority for county and state professional development will be on meeting these needs and that the comprehensive systems of support for improving professional practice will reflect substantial redirection of existing professional development resources toward this highest priority.
(b) On or before July 1, 2018, the state board shall publish guidelines on the design and implementation of a county-level comprehensive system of support for improving professional practice. The purpose of the guidelines is to assist the county board with the design and implementation of a system that best achieves the goals of this section within the county. The guidelines may include examples of best practices and resources available to county boards to assist them with the design and implementation of a comprehensive system.
(c) Effective for the school year beginning July 1, 2018, and thereafter, a county board is not eligible to receive state funding appropriated for the purposes of this section or any other provision of law related to beginning teacher and principal internships and mentor teachers and principals unless it has adopted a plan for implementation of a comprehensive system of support for improving professional practice, the plan has been verified by the state board as meeting the requirements of this section and the county is implementing the plan. The plan shall address the following:
(1) The manner in which the county will provide the strong school-based support and supervision that will assist beginning teachers in developing instructional and management strategies, procedural and policy expertise, and other professional practices they need to be successful in the classroom and perform at the accomplished level. Nothing in this subdivision prohibits a school or school system that was granted an exception or waiver from §18A-3-2c of this code prior to the effective date of this section from continuing implementation of the program in accordance with the exception or waiver;
(2) The manner in which the county will provide the strong support and supervision that will assist beginning principals in developing instructional leadership, supervisory and management strategies, procedural and policy expertise, and other professional practices they need to be successful in leading continuous school improvement and performing at the accomplished level or above;
(3) The manner in which the county in cooperation with the teacher preparation programs in this state will provide strong school-based support and assistance necessary to make student teaching a productive learning experience;
(4) The manner in which the county will use the data from the educator performance evaluation system to serve as the basis for providing professional development specifically targeted on the area or areas identified through the evaluation process as needing improvement. If possible, this targeted professional development should be delivered at the school site using collaborative processes, mentoring or coaching or other approaches that maximize use of the instructional setting;
(5) The manner in which the county will use the data from the educator performance evaluation system to serve as the basis for establishing priorities for the provision of county-level professional development when aggregate evaluation data from the county’s schools indicates an area or areas of needed improvement;
(6) If a county uses master teachers, mentors, academic coaches, or any other approaches using individual employees to provide support, supervision, or other professional development or training to other employees for the purpose of improving their professional practice, the manner in which the county will select each of these individual employees based upon demonstrated superior performance and competence as well as the manner in which the county will coordinate support for these employees. If the duties of the position are to provide mentoring to an individual teacher at only one school, then priority shall be given to applicants employed at the school at which those duties will be performed;
(7) The manner in which the county will use local resources available, including, but not limited to, funds for professional development and academic coaches, to focus on the priority professional development goals of this section;
(8) The manner in which the county will adjust its scheduling, use of substitutes, collaborative planning time, calendar, or other measures as may be necessary to provide sufficient time for professional personnel to accomplish the goals of this section as set forth in the county’s plan; and
(9) The manner in which the county will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of implementation and outcomes of the county system of support for improving professional practice.
(d) Effective the school year beginning July 1, 2018, and thereafter, appropriations for beginning teacher and principal mentors and internships and any new appropriation which may be made for the purposes of this section shall be expended by county boards only to accomplish the activities as set forth in their county plan pursuant to this section. Effective the school year beginning July 1, 2018, and thereafter, no specific level of compensation is guaranteed for any employee service or employment as a mentor and such service or employment is not subject to the provisions of this code governing extra duty contracts.
(e)The Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability shall review the progress of the implementation of this article and may make any recommendations it considers necessary to the Legislature during the 2019 regular legislative session.
(a) The commission is comprised of nine members, all of whom are entitled to vote. The membership of the commission is as follows:
(1) The State Superintendent of Schools, ex officio;
(2) The chair of the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, ex officio;
(3) Four at-large members who are citizens of the state, appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; and
(4) Three at-large members who are designated as higher education representatives, appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; for each of the higher education representatives, the Governor shall choose from recommendations made by any state college and university or exempted school and the Governor may request additional recommendations from state colleges and universities or exempted schools if in the governor in his or her sole discretion determines that additional recommendations are necessary for appointments to the commission.
In addition to all other duties assigned to the vice chancellor by the Higher Education Policy Commission, the vice chancellor shall:
(c) Report directly to the Higher Education Policy Commission regarding the rural health initiative;
(e) Coordinate the rural health initiative with the allied health care education programs within the state college and community college systems;
(f) Prepare the budget for the rural health initiative and submit the budget to the Higher Education Policy Commission for their approval;
(g) Distribute the funds which were appropriated to the Higher Education Policy Commission for the rural health initiative;
(i) Consult with the Council for Community and Technical College Education established under §18B-2B-3 of this code on the coordination of the education of student practical nurses with the rural health initiative; and
(j) Perform such other duties as may be prescribed by this article or as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of this article.
(a) The primary health care education sites established under this article shall be supported financially in part from line item appropriations to the university of West Virginia health sciences account. Funds shall be distributed to the state’s schools of medicine upon consideration of the recommendations of the vice chancellor. Appropriations to the university of West Virginia health sciences account to support the rural health initiative shall be by line item, with at least one line item designated for primary health education program support at the schools of medicine and at least one line item designated for rural health initiative site support.
The vice chancellor shall, giving consideration to the proposals, prepare a comprehensive plan to be presented to the board of trustees, which plan shall include a recommendation for allocations of moneys appropriated for program support and a recommendation for the allocation of moneys designated for support of the primary health care education sites commensurate with each school’s level of participation in such sites.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of §12-3-12 of this code, any funds appropriated to the Higher Education Policy Commission in accordance with the provisions of this section that remain unallocated or unexpended at the end of any fiscal year shall not expire, shall remain in the line item to which they were originally appropriated and shall be available in the next fiscal year to the board of trustees or a school of medicine for allocation or expenditure for the purposes of this article.
(d) Additional financial support shall come from fees generated by services, from grants and contracts, and from community resources. Any fees so generated shall be paid to and expended by the facility established as a primary health care education site unless an alternative fee arrangement is mutually agreed upon by the chief administrator of the site and the vice chancellor for health sciences.