West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 126 - Education › Title 126 - LEGISLATIVE RULE BOARD OF EDUCATION › Series 126-013 - A Process for Improving Education: Performance Based Accreditation System (2320) › Section 126-13-13 - Operation of the OEPA

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
13.1.
				Purpose and Scope. The OEPA is one agency through which the WVBE fulfills its
				responsibility to generally supervise West Virginia public schools and school
				systems. This is carried out through reviewing the processes and procedures
				associated with annual, cyclical, and special circumstance reviews.
13.2. Supervision. The OEPA operates under
				the direct supervision of the WVBE, independent of the functions and
				supervision of the WVDE and state superintendent of schools. The OEPA reports
				directly to the WVBE in carrying out its duties.
13.3. Operations. The OEPA is headed by a
				director appointed by the WVBE who serves at the will and pleasure of the WVBE.
				The WVBE organizes and sufficiently staffs the office to fulfill the duties
				assigned to it by law and by the WVBE. Employees of the WVDE who are
				transferred to the OEPA shall retain their benefits and seniority status with
				the WVDE. The OEPA operates within a budget stipulated by the WVBE and
				supervised by the executive director of the OEPA. The WVDE acts as the fiscal
				agent for the OEPA; all allocation of and approval of the expenditure of funds
				rests under the authority of the director of the OEPA. Under the direction of
				the WVBE, the OEPA receives support provided by the WVDE information systems
				staff on research and data analysis of student, school, and school system
				performance and progress. Further, the OEPA receives assistance, as determined
				by the WVBE, from the WVDE, RESAs, Center for Professional Development,
				Principals' Academy, and School Building Authority to carry out the duties
				assigned to the office.
13.4.
				Duties. In addition to other duties which may be assigned to it by the WVBE,
				statute, W. Va. Code §
									18-2E-5
				identifies the following duties of the OEPA:
13.4.a. Assures that all statewide
				assessments of student performance used as annual performance measures are
				secure as required in Code and policy;
13.4.b. Administers all accountability
				measures as assigned by the WVBE, including, but not limited to processes for
				the accreditation of schools, the approval of school systems and
				recommendations to the WVBE;
13.4.c. Determines, 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 WVBE and recommend
				to the WVBE plans to establish those needed capacities;
13.4.d. Determines, 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 WVBE, including the identification of trends and the need
				for continuing improvements in education, and report those deficiencies and
				trends to the WVBE;
13.4.e.
				Determines, in conjunction with the assessment and accountability processes,
				staff development needs of schools and school systems to meet the standards
				established by the WVBE and make recommendations to the WVBE, the Center for
				Professional Development, the RESAs, the West Virginia Higher-Education Policy
				Commission and the county boards;
13.4.f. Identifies, in conjunction with the
				assessment and accountability processes, school and school system best
				practices that improve student, school, and school system performance and make
				recommendations to the WVBE for recognizing and rewarding schools and school
				systems and promoting the use of best practices. The WVBE provides information
				on best practices to school systems and uses information identified through the
				assessment and accountability processes to select schools for recognition;
				and
13.4.g. Jointly with the WVDE
				develops the West Virginia Accountability System Methodology guidance document
				WVDE will utilize in calculating, the OEPA will utilize in verifying, and the
				WVBE will utilize in determining and communicating grades as specified in
				Section 2.4.b.2. of this policy.