EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Policy Number and Title:
Policy 2510:
Assuring the Quality of Education: Regulations for
Education Programs
Background: Policy 2510: Assuring the Quality of Education: Regulations for Education Programs
establishes expectations and regulations for the education program designed to prepare students for a
global society by improving the quality of teaching and learning in the public schools and ensuring that
equal education opportunities exist for all students, including, but not limited to: rigorous high-quality
curriculum, engaging instructional strategies, experiential learning programs, support programs,
personnel, instructional resources, supplies, equipment, technology integration, and facilities.
Proposals: The repeal and replace of Policy 2510: Assuring the Quality of Education: Regulations for
Education will incorporate four current policies (2444.1 Applied Music Credit, 2442.3 Maximum
Teacher-Pupil Ratio Grade K-6, 2450 Distance Learning and the WV Virtual School, and 2515 Uniform
Grading) which will create a more comprehensive and complete Policy 2510. The policy also provides
flexibility to districts and schools in regards to the number of instructional minutes required for high
school credit-bearing courses and inclusion of course requirements across content areas (example JROTC
I and II for PE).
Impact: The proposed repeal and replacement will provide flexibility to districts to allow adjustments in
time and scheduling to target mastery of content. This flexibility also extends to allow for enhanced
personalized learning for students.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Response to Comments: During the comment period, sixty-two individuals commented online while
one comment was received by mail. Comments were received by the following groups:
• 37 teachers
• 1 librarian
• 10 county administrators
• 2 colleges/universities
• 2 parents/grandparents
• 10 others
The changes accepted based upon comments can be seen below:
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Typographical errors were corrected.
An additional chart was added to clarify language around teacher pupil ratios for physical
education in a middle school setting.
Language for Support for Personalized Learning (SPL) was added for grades 6-12.
Revisions and a foot note was added to clarify social studies graduation requirements.
Language was added that would require review and adjustment of courses with less than 8100
minutes when students are not meeting proficiency for a period of two years.
Applied Fine Arts Credit was removed from the policy.
A box was added to Chart IV to clarify language around concentrations for high school students.
A best practices statement was revised regarding fourth course science courses to be inclusive of
computer science.
Language was added to define simulated work place.
Stakeholders
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Betty Jo Jordan, Executive Assistant, Office of the Superintendent
Sterling Beane, Chief Technology Officer
Michele Blatt, Chief Accountability and Performance Officer
Clayton Burch, Chief Academic Officer
Dr. Kathy D’Antoni, Chief Career and Technical Education Officer
Jacob Green, Special Assistant to Chief Officer, Office of Institutional Education Program
Monica Beane, Executive Director, Office of Educator Effectiveness and Licensure
Monica DellaMea, Executive Director, Office of Early Learning
Donna Burge-Tetrick, Executive Direct, Office of Career and Technical Instruction
Christy Chambers, Executive Director, Office of Institutional Education Programs
Richard Goff, Executive Director, Office of Child Nutrition
Patricia Homberg, Executive Director, Office of Special Education
Barry Kelly, Executive Director, Office of Adult Education and Workforce Development
Randall Kirk, Executive Director, Office of Data Management and Analysis
Christine Miller, Executive Director, Office of School Improvement
Sherri Nash, Executive Director, Office of Career and Technical Accountability and Support
Melanie Purkey, Executive Director, Office of Federal Programs
Vaughn Rhudy, Executive Director, Office of Assessment
Joey Wiseman, Executive Director, Office of Middle/Secondary Learning
Susan Beck, Assistant Director, Office of Special Education
Justin Boggs, Assistant Director, Office of School Improvement
Becky Butler, Assistant Director, Office of Middle/Secondary Learning
Robert Crawford, Assistant Director, Office of Federal Programs
Teresa Hammond, Assistant Director, Office of Early Learning
Brian Withrow, Assistant, Director, Office of School Improvement
Janet Bock-Hager, Coordinator, Office of Early Learning
Dr. Barbara Brady, Coordinator, Office of School Improvement
Gloria Burdette, Coordinator, Office of Middle/Secondary Learning
Cynthia Burke, Coordinator, Office of Middle/Secondary Learning
Doug Cipoletti, Coordinator, Office of Career and Technical Accountability and Support
Jessica George, Coordinator, Office of Middle/Secondary Learning
Joshua Grant, Coordinator, Office of Middle/Secondary Learning
Ginger Huffman, Coordinator, Office of Special Education
Allegra Kazemzadeh, Coordinator, Office of Middle/Secondary Learning
Rebecca King, Coordinator, Office of Special Education
Dr. Ray Lowther, Coordinator, Office of Middle/Secondary Learning
Karisa Pszywak, Coordinator, Office of Career and Technical Instruction
Robin Sizemore, Coordinator, Office of Middle/Secondary Learning
Charlotte Webb, Coordinator, Office of Early Learning
Margaret Williamson, Coordinator, Office of School Improvement
Dixie Bilheimer, Chief Executive Officer, WV CPD
Karen Linville, Director of Advanced Placement Programs, WV CPD
126CSR42
TITLE 126
LEGISLATIVE RULE
BOARD OF EDUCATION
SERIES 42
ASSURING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION: REGULATIONS FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS (2510)
§126-42-1. General
1.1. Scope – This legislative rule establishes the regulations for all education programs that are
designed to prepare students for a global society by improving the quality of teaching and learning in
the public schools and ensuring that equal education opportunities exist for all students, including, but
not limited to: rigorous high-quality curriculum, engaging instructional strategies, experiential learning
programs, support programs, personnel, instructional resources, supplies, equipment, technology
integration, and facilities.
1.2. Authority – W. Va. Constitution, Article XII, §2; W. Va. Code §18-1-1 and 4; 18-2-5 and 6; 18-27a; 18-2-39; 18-2E-4, 5, 7, and 8; 18-2E-9, 18-5A-4; 18A-1-1; Public Law 107-110, No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001(hereinafter NCLB).
1.3. Filing Date – .
1.4. Effective Date – July 1, 2016.
1.5. Repeal of Former Rule – This legislative rule repeals and replaces W. Va. 126CSR42, West
Virginia Board of Education Policy 2510: Assuring the Quality of Education: Regulations for Education
Programs, filed May 15, 2014 and effective July 1, 2014; W. Va. 126CSR31, West Virginia Board of
Education Policy 2444.1: Standards and Regulations for Applied Music Credit, filed December 27, 1982
and effective February 27, 1983; W. Va. 126CSR29, West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2442.3:
Exceptions to Maximum Teacher-Pupil Ratio, Grades K-6, filed January 8, 1990 and effective February
23, 1990; W. Va. 126CSR48, West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2450: Distance Learning and the
West Virginia Virtual School, filed August 12, 2002 and effective September 11, 2002; and W. Va.
126CSR37, West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2515: Uniform Grading, filed February 13, 2014 and
effective July 1, 2014.
§126-42-2. Purpose
2.1. The West Virginia Board of Education (hereinafter WVBE) is committed to establishing rigorous
academic standards and providing high-quality programs for every student in West Virginia's public
schools. The WVBE will collaborate with parents, educators, communities, business and industry, and
higher education to fulfill this commitment. It is imperative that local boards of education, the school,
community, students, and families of students cooperate to establish high expectations for student
performance and become actively involved in the education process, thereby enabling students to
succeed in the classroom and the workplace, lead healthy, rewarding, and productive lives, and
participate responsibly in society.
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2.2. Each county education program shall provide the necessary resources, including technology, to
ensure that students attain high standards of performance. At early levels, students will achieve
proficiency in the basic skills of literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, learning skills, and
technology tools. Achievement of these skills will provide the foundation for later intellectual
challenges in all programs of study. Students will explore their interests and abilities and engage in
relevant activities to help them understand the world of work. Technology will be a tool to help achieve
these standards in all schools. The WVBE anticipates the provision of sufficient resources and support,
including an adequate system of professional learning, appropriate instructional materials, and reliable
assessment measures, to realize the goal of producing students who are college- and career-ready as
defined by the West Virginia Board of Education.
2.3. Schools, in cooperation with county boards of education, will determine their individual
curriculum, teaching methods, and instructional design, pursuant to this policy, to assist students in
achieving high levels of performance in the adopted and approved content standards. Appropriate
accountability measures will ensure that students and educators achieve high levels of performance.
§126-42-3. Scope
3.1. The major purposes of these regulations are to improve the quality of learning and teaching in
the public schools and to ensure that equal education opportunities are provided to all public school
students. Equal education opportunities to achieve one's potential include, but are not limited to:
comparably high-quality programs of study, including exploring career development opportunities;
student support programs; personnel; facilities; instructional materials; supplies; equipment; technology
integration; and effective instructional practices. Given the demands of the global marketplace, it is
essential that all students become lifelong learners prepared for successful entry into postsecondary
education or the workplace.
3.2. Ensuring a quality education implies that a thorough and efficient education system exists that
provides equal access to substantive curricular offerings and appropriate related services for all
students. Providing such an education system must be the goal of the WVBE, West Virginia Legislature
(hereinafter Legislature), West Virginia Department of Education (hereinafter WVDE), Regional
Education Service Agencies (hereinafter RESAs), county boards of education, and the citizens of West
Virginia. This policy provides the basic structure for all education programs and student support services
necessary for a thorough and efficient system of education to be available to all students. The elements
of a thorough and efficient system of education are:
3.2.a. high-quality education programs, student services, and experiential learning opportunities;
3.2.b. high-quality administrative and instructional practices, personnel, facilities, instructional
materials, technology integration, supplies, and equipment;
3.2.c. a safe and caring environment that fosters supportive relationships, is free from
harassment, intimidation, bullying, discrimination, and other inappropriate forms of conduct, and
involves parents;
3.2.d. a demanding curriculum for all students, with emphasis on the programs of study that are
aligned with rigorous standards, learning skills and technology tools, and are communicated to students,
parents, and communities; and
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3.2.e. accountability measures to ensure the public that a thorough and efficient system of
education is being provided to students enrolled in the public schools of West Virginia.
§126-42-4. General Responsibilities
4.1. The responsibility for developing and implementing high-quality education programs is shared as
follows:
4.1.a. Responsibility of the WVBE – The WVBE has primary responsibility for defining and
assuring the delivery of a thorough and efficient system of education through the state superintendent
of schools and the WVDE. Given this responsibility, the WVBE shall:
4.1.a.1. adopt high-quality education standards pertaining to all education programs, education
personnel development, and related services;
4.1.a.2. adopt policies providing equal education opportunities for all students that equip them
with the skills and knowledge to succeed, to learn throughout their lifetimes, and to attain economic
self-sufficiency;
4.1.a.3. serve as an advocate for a thorough and efficient system of public education;
4.1.a.4. establish partnerships with higher education, business and industry, labor and
community agencies to ensure preparation of graduates for college, other postsecondary education, and
gainful employment and to achieve the goals of this policy;
4.1.a.5. adopt, in collaboration with West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
(hereinafter WV HEPC) and Council for Community and Technical College Education, uniform and
specific college- and career-readiness standards as outlined in W. Va. §18-2-39;
4.1.a.6. assist county boards of education and other participating agencies in implementing and
operating high-quality education programs and related services;
4.1.a.7. receive, disburse and administer state and federal funds designated for the
implementation and operation of education programs and related services;
4.1.a.8. monitor the implementation and operation of education programs and related student
support services to ensure compliance with state and federal laws and policies;
4.1.a.9. provide an effective mechanism for citizens to register concerns if they believe that
elements of a thorough and efficient education program are not being provided pursuant to
constitutional provisions, statutes, and/or policy as outlined in W. Va. 126CSR188, WVBE Policy 7211:
Appeals Procedure for Citizens;
4.1.a.10. provide exceptions and consideration for extenuating circumstances, when suitable
alternatives are proposed, that ensure the attainment of the same or higher standards through the
waiver process outlined in W. Va. Code §18-5A-3; and
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4.1.a.11. report progress toward attainment of state education goals to the public and the
Legislature.
4.1.b. Responsibility of the WVDE – The WVDE has a primary leadership role in: 1) defining and
developing the framework for education programs and services, 2) assisting county boards of education
to ensure delivery of these programs and student support services, and 3) assuring the WVBE, the
Legislature and the public that a thorough and efficient system of education is being provided. It is the
further responsibility of the WVDE to:
4.1.b.1. work for and provide staff support to the state superintendent of schools and the
WVBE;
4.1.b.2. provide capacity-building resources and technical assistance to RESAs, county boards of
education, institutions of higher education (hereinafter IHE), and related agencies;
4.1.b.3. encourage the use of best practices based on quality, scientifically-based research at
each programmatic level;
4.1.b.4. disseminate information concerning the content and implications of standards, policies,
and state and federal laws to county boards of education, IHEs, the business community, parents,
professional organizations, educational agencies, and other individuals and groups;
4.1.b.5. develop procedures, guidelines, and technical assistance documents necessary to
implement the WVBE policies and state laws;
4.1.b.6. develop, provide, and participate in programs for professional learning based on
research and W. Va. 126CSR149, WVBE Policy 5500: Professional Learning for West Virginia Educators
(WVBE Policy 5500);
4.1.b.7. monitor the implementation of education programs;
4.1.b.8. administer funds provided and/or authorized by the Legislature and other sources;
4.1.b.9. maintain appropriate records and reports on the status of education programs and
approved education personnel development programs;
4.1.b.10. be accountable to the public and the Legislature through the West Virginia Report
Card; and
4.1.b.11. provide recommendations to the WVBE to update a plan for a thorough and efficient
system of public education.
4.1.c. Responsibility of RESAs – Educational services provided by RESAs include areas of service in
which the agencies can best assist the WVBE in implementing the standards-focused accountability
model pursuant to subsection (a) of W. Va. Code §18-2-26 in providing high-quality education programs.
These areas of service, with the first two areas constituting the most important responsibilities, include:
4.1.c.1. providing technical assistance to low-performing schools and school systems;
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4.1.c.2. providing high-quality, targeted professional learning opportunities designed to
enhance the performance and progress of students;
4.1.c.3. facilitating coordination and cooperation among the county boards within their
respective regions in such areas as cooperative purchasing; sharing of specialized personnel,
communications, and technology; curriculum development; and operation of specialized programs for
exceptional children;
4.1.c.4. installing, maintaining, and/or repairing education-related technology equipment and
software with special attention to the state-level instructional and administrative technology initiatives
and programs;
4.1.c.5. receiving and administering grants under the provisions of federal and/or state law; and
4.1.c.6. developing and/or implementing any other programs or services as directed by law or
by the State Board.
4.1.d. Responsibility of County Boards of Education – It is the responsibility of each county board
of education to plan, deliver, and evaluate the education programs and student support services
necessary to implement a thorough and efficient system of public education. The programs of study and
student support services mandated by regulations must be made available to all students.
4.1.d.1. In carrying out this responsibility, a county board of education may 1) cooperate with
one or more counties in establishing and maintaining joint programs, 2) use regional services or contract
for services with public or private agencies having appropriate programs, and 3) coordinate and share
programs, related services, and resources with other organizations, agencies, and local businesses.
4.1.d.2. Regardless of the method chosen, each county board of education shall 1) collaborate
with local business and community groups through establishment of partnerships and a county steering
committee; 2) be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic plan that results in systemic
change in the areas of organizational culture, curriculum, instruction, school effectiveness, and student
support through a continuous improvement process, based on the W. Va. 126CSR41, WVBE Policy 2460:
Educational Purpose and Acceptable Use of Electronic Resources, Technologies and the Internet
(hereinafter WVBE Policy 2460) and West Virginia Virtual School (Section 6.2.e); 3) distribute the county
board’s resources as determined by the plan; and 4) be accountable to the public through the annual
West Virginia Report Card.
§126-42-5. Program Definition and Design
5.1. The education program offered in West Virginia schools is defined in broad terms as all of the
education activities that take place during the instructional day and the school year. The education
program provides education opportunities for students to achieve high levels of learning in programs of
study through approved content standards that prepare students to be lifelong learners and successful
citizens in a competitive global society. The education program is based upon information provided
through research relevant to best practices and promising next practices in teaching and learning. The
education program is structured and based on three programmatic levels: Early Learning Programs,
Middle School Programs, and High School Programs. Each county board of education shall establish
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policies and implement written procedures to define its education program in accordance with the
definitions and requirements that follow.
5.2. Early Learning Programs (Grades Pre-K-5) – Early Learning Programs address the holistic needs
of all students in grades Pre-K-5. A comprehensive approach to early learning is inclusive of a balanced
focus on knowledge and skill-building as well as the development of positive dispositions to learning.
This approach also provides the potential to improve child outcomes and close achievement gaps.
Based on knowledge of child development and developmentally appropriate practices for learners, the
following Early Learning Programmatic levels are established: Early Learning Readiness (Pre-KKindergarten); Early Learning Primary (Grades 1-2); and Early Learning Intermediate (Grades 3-5). Early
Learning Programs promote a comprehensive approach to strengthening individual students’ literacy
proficiency throughout school, specifically regarding the integration of language and communication,
mechanics of reading, and content knowledge in developmentally appropriate contexts. To close the
literacy achievement gap for all students by third grade, Early Learning Readiness and Primary Programs
support students’ development of approaches to learning that provide eagerness for, and interest in,
the processes of learning that lead to literacy proficiency. Opportunities to demonstrate literacy growth
over time as part of a holistic approach to learning include, but are not limited to, measuring students’
proficiency with reading development during the third grade year and beyond.
5.2.a. Early Learning Readiness (Grades Pre-K-Kindergarten) – Programs serving students
enrolled in Early Learning Readiness grades help students establish positive dispositions to learning and
provide foundations for development across all domains and content areas to be successful in first grade
and with lifelong learning. Emphases on social/emotional, cognitive, and motor development provide
the foundations of the Early Learning Readiness grades. To support school readiness efforts and to
assure the use of developmentally effective methods for students prior to entering first grade, Early
Learning Readiness grades utilize the WVBE approved framework for school readiness per W. Va.
126CSR28, WVBE Policy 2525: West Virginia’s Universal Access to Quality Early Education System
(hereinafter WVBE Policy 2525). A primary component of West Virginia’ School Readiness framework is
the West Virginia Early Learning Reporting System (hereinafter WV ELRS), which is inclusive of a
formative assessment process that provides ongoing individual and population outcome data to inform
instruction, personalize learning, and share students’ progress with families. The formative assessment
process also ensures developmentally appropriate interactions, competencies, experiences, and skills
are measured effectively. Data reporting for West Virginia Pre-K occurs three times per year per WVBE
Policy 2525, and for Kindergarten a minimum of two times per year using the WV ELRS.
5.2.b. Early Learning Primary (Grades 1-2) – The Early Learning Primary grades build on the
comprehensive approach to personalizing learning inherent in the Early Learning Readiness grades and
provide a context for the development of knowledge and skill building across all content areas.
Development continues to span across a broad spectrum for all students and is significant in the offering
of daily instruction. Using a formative assessment process that provides data to inform instruction,
personalize learning, and share students’ progress with families, Grades 1 and 2 programs employ
formative assessment methods to assure developmentally appropriate interactions, competencies,
experiences, and skills are measured effectively.
5.2.c. Early Learning Intermediate (Grades 3-5) – Students in the Early Learning Intermediate
grades are beginning the transition into middle childhood. An emphasis on the developmental levels of
these students must be a continued consideration to support personalized learning, maintaining a
balance between content specific focus and integration of content areas of study.
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5.2.d. Early Learning Programming (Grades Pre-K – 5)
Chart I: Foundations for High-Quality Early Learning Programming (Grades Pre-K – 5)
Developmentally Appropriate Standards Focused Curriculum
A holistic approach to early learning requires teachers to be knowledgeable about
child development and skilled in providing experiences that meet students’ needs.
Social/emotional, cognitive, and physical development are interrelated domains
which emphasize the development of positive dispositions to learning.
Developmental
Domains
Social/Emotional
Cognitive
Physical
Best practices for a comprehensive approach to early learning instruction indicate
appropriate and sufficient emphases in all content areas are provided.
Developmentally appropriate integration of content is utilized to provide rigor based
on students’ prior experiences, knowledge, and developmental levels.
Content Areas
English Language
Arts
Mathematics
Music
Science
Social Studies
Visual Art
Wellness
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Physical Health and Wellness
Students in Early Learning Programs require multiple opportunities to engage in
movement experiences throughout the instructional day, enhancing the critical link
between physical activity and brain functioning.
In grades Kindergarten-5, not less than 30 minutes of physical education, including
physical exercise and age appropriate physical activities, for not less than three days
a week shall be provided as per W. Va. Code §18-2-7a. At least 50 percent of class
time for physical education will be spent in moderate to vigorous-intensity physical
activity. Schools that do not currently have the number of certified physical
education teachers or required physical setting may develop alternate programs to
enable current staff and physical settings to be used to meet this requirement.
Alternate programs shall be submitted to the WVDE for approval
In grades Kindergarten-5 physical activity in the form of recess or informal physical
activity will be provided for no fewer than 30 minutes daily for all students.
WV Universal Pre-K classrooms are required to offer no less than 60 minutes of daily
outdoor activity, weather permitting. A combination of indoor time may be utilized
when weather conditions are not conducive. Physical activity is provided through an
integrated approach as part of the comprehensive curricular framework as defined
by WVBE Policy 2525.
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Global Competence
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Physical
Education
Physical Activity
126CSR42
Global competence includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that focus on
students’ understanding of and effective participation in their world, as well as issues
of global significance that encourage multicultural understanding. Multicultural
education programs must be developed and implemented to foster an attitude of
understanding and acceptance of individuals from a variety of cultural, ethnic, racial,
and religious backgrounds as per W. Va. Code §18-5-15a.
Multicultural
Education
Communicating in a global society requires students to apply developmentally
appropriate language strategies through embedded opportunities to explore and
gain an understanding of the world around them. Students utilize world languages
through culturally authentic contexts within classroom experiences.
World
Languages
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Formative Assessment Processes
Teachers employ formative assessment processes to guide daily instruction in early
learning programs. Appropriate formative assessment processes provide data to
inform classroom instruction. Various forms of evidence demonstrating students’
progressions of learning across content areas are utilized to personalize learning.
Formative
Assessment
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Technology Integration
Technology is integrated throughout classroom experiences as a tool to facilitate the
learning process. Students are provided opportunities to engage in and master the
standards set forth in W. Va. 126CSR44N, Policy WVBE Policy 2520.14: 21st Century
Learning Skills and Technology Tools Content Standards and Objectives for West
Virginia Schools (hereinafter WVBE Policy 2520.14).
Technology
Developmentally Appropriate Foundations for Student Success and Career Readiness
A standards-based, integrated school counseling program will assist early learning
students with the acquisition of school success and career-readiness skills to prepare
for success in middle and high school, a variety of postsecondary options, and
becoming globally competent citizens. School counselors work collaboratively with
other school staff to assist students with overcoming personal/social barriers to
learning, academic planning, and making a seamless transition to middle school.
Refer to W. Va. 126CSR67, WVBE Policy 2315: Comprehensive School Counseling
(hereinafter WVBE Policy 2315).
Comprehensive
School
Counseling
Program
During the early learning years, students’ development of positive approaches to
learning, problem solving skills, social competence, independence, and sense of self
in relationship to the world around them emerge. College-, career-, and citizenshipreadiness focus on developmentally appropriate understandings of foundations of
executive functioning.
Non/occupational Career and Technical Education
(hereinafter CTE) foundation/exploratory experiences directly connected to current
county approved CTE offerings will be available in grade 5.
College, Career
and Citizenship
Readiness
5.2.e. Classroom Learning Environments, Routines, and Instructional Practices (Grades Pre-K –
5)
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Chart II: Classroom Learning Environments, Routines, and Instructional Practices
(Grades Pre-K – 5).
Early Learning Readiness
Early Learning Primary (Grades
Early Learning Intermediate
(Grades Pre-K-Kindergarten)
1-2)
(Grades 3-5)
Early Learning Programs provide responsive environments that include time, space, and
developmentally appropriate materials necessary to create print- and language-rich environments
conducive for learning and integration of standards. Classrooms are designed and equipped in a manner
that supports discovery, small group and individual learning, exploration, and problem solving.
Classrooms have sufficient quantity and variety of appropriate materials and resources to support
student-centered learning.
Early Learning Readiness and Primary programs ensure transitions Early Learning Intermediate
are minimized throughout the day to provide students with programs ensure blocks of time
maximized opportunities to engage in developmentally effective are sufficient in duration for
experiences.
student
engagement
and
content integration.
Early Learning Readiness Grades Early Learning Primary and Intermediate grades ensure sufficient
ensure sufficient time is time is provided for students to master content and skills as
provided for students to engage specified in all applicable state-approved content standards.
in developmentally effective
experiences
that
promote
developmental growth in all
applicable
state-approved
content standards.
Early Learning Readiness grades Early Learning Primary grades Early Learning Intermediate
utilize a holistic approach to integrate content areas through grades may be ready for
ensure content areas are developmentally
appropriate developmentally
appropriate
interrelated, not addressed in experiences and instruction instruction that is content area
isolation, and are based on based on interests and prior focused. This does not preclude
developmentally
appropriate knowledge.
the use of integrated instruction
experiences that focus on
that includes student-driven
students’ interests and prior
experiences based on interests
knowledge.
and prior knowledge.
Instruction in Early Learning Programs is personalized and based on the formative assessment process.
Collecting authentic evidence is a central component to documenting student progress.
Early Learning Readiness grades Appropriate implementation of Support for Personalized Learning
focus on individualized learning foundations may be utilized to help students achieve mastery or
through
a
developmental above in English/language arts and mathematics in all Early Learning
context.
Primary and Intermediate grades.
*Guidance for Foundations for High-Quality Early Learning Programming, Classroom Learning
Environments, Routines, and Instructional Practices provided by the Division of Teaching and Learning.
5.3. Middle School Programming (Grades 6-8) – Grades 6-8 build on the results of early childhood
education and transition students into the High School Program. Successful Middle School Programs are
characterized by a culture that is inviting, inclusive, and supportive of all. Significant academic learning
experiences, characterized by rigorous content, vigorous instruction, and high expectations for all
learners within a developmentally appropriate, safe, and supportive school, are the norm. A middle
school experience is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevant. Middle school educators use
multiple learning and teaching approaches resulting in authentic engagement in active, purposeful
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learning. Students learn to understand important concepts, develop essential skills, and apply what
they learn to real-world problems. The environment and culture of middle school should lead to every
student having at least one trusted adult advocate who is familiar with the student’s academic
development and personal goals. The creation of this learning community of both adults and students
produces a stable and mutually respectful relationship that supports the students’ personal, intellectual,
ethical, and social growth.
5.3.a. Middle School Programming (Grades 6-8)
Chart III: Foundations for High-Quality Middle School Programming (Grades 6-8) *
Developmentally Appropriate Standards-Focused Curriculum
The programs of study will be taught by a team of qualified teachers. A diverse set
of developmentally appropriate instructional strategies will scaffold students to
mastery and beyond of the grade level content standards. The principal and a team
of teachers will determine an adequate amount of time necessary to achieve
mastery of the approved content standards for each program of study and
effectively address the academic needs of all students in the literacy skills of reading,
writing, speaking and listening, and language in all content areas.
Visual art, choral, and instrumental music (band or orchestra) will be offered to all
students in grades 6-8. Chorus or instrumental music may substitute for a general
music course at each grade level.
The West Virginia Support for Personalized Learning (hereinafter SPL) framework is a
state-wide initiative that suggests flexible use of resources to provide relevant
academic, social/emotional and/or behavioral support to enhance learning for all
students. SPL is characterized by a seamless system of high quality instructional
practices allowing all students to sustain significant progress, whether they are
considered at-risk, exceeding grade-level expectations or at any point along the
continuum.
English Language
Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Music
Visual Art
Support for
Personalized
Learning (SPL)
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Physical Health and Wellness
Middle schools should recognize that healthy lifestyles and academic success are
tightly interwoven. Therefore, schools should promote wellness activities that
extend beyond the course requirements for physical education and health. This may
be accomplished through programs that focus on skill development, sportsmanship,
and teamwork. Opportunities will be provided for 30 minutes of moderate to
vigorous integrated physical activity daily to keep middle grades students physically
active throughout the school year. Wellness education should target the
widespread behaviors that undermine the health and resulting capacity for personal
success during adolescence.
Physical Activity
In grades 6-8, not less than one full period of physical education, including physical
exercise and age appropriate physical activities, each school day of one semester of
the school year shall be provided as per W. Va. Code §18-2-7a. At least 50 percent
of class time for physical education will be spent in moderate to vigorous-intensity
physical activity. Schools not having the number of certified physical education
Physical
Education
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teachers or required physical setting may develop alternate programs that will
enable current staff and physical settings to be used to meet the physical education
requirements. Alternate programs shall be submitted to the WVDE for approval.
Health education will be taught each year in grades 6-8 to meet the approved
content standards.
Health Education
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Global Competence
Global competence includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that focus on a
students’ understanding of and effective participation in their world, as well as
issues of global significance that encourage multicultural understanding.
Multicultural education must be integrated across content areas to foster an
attitude of understanding and acceptance of individuals from a variety of cultural,
ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds as per W. Va. Code §18-5-15a.
Multicultural
Education
Communicating in a global society requires students to apply developmentally
appropriate language strategies through embedded opportunities to explore and
gain an understanding of the world around them. World languages will be offered
annually. Teaching a world language in grade 6 is encouraged. A course in the same
world language will be offered for students in grade 7 and grade 8. Implementation
of the world language program should model best practices and promote positive
proficiency outcomes.
World Languages
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Technology Integration
The educational environment will lead to proficiency and comfort with a variety of
technology devices and programs. This proficiency and comfort should be modeled
by teachers to support instruction and skill acquisition. Students will be provided
regular opportunities within the context of normal coursework to master the
standards set forth in WVBE Policy 2520.14. Students will be provided sufficient
opportunities in digital literacy, computer science and technology skills to meet the
standards by the end of 8th grade. The infrastructure of classrooms should infuse
technology and pedagogy into instruction, thus leading to improved student
engagement and an environment where students construct authentic products,
often collaborating in the process. Technology-infused activities should, if possible,
extend the learning environment beyond the normal school day or setting and the
development of digital citizenship skills in students.
Technology
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Formative Assessment Processes
Teachers employ formative assessment processes to guide daily instruction in
middle school programming. Appropriate formative assessment processes provide
data to inform classroom instruction. Various forms of evidence demonstrating
students’ progressions of learning across content areas are utilized to personalize
learning.
Formative
Assessment
Developmentally Appropriate Foundations for Student Success and Career Readiness
All students in grades 6-8 will be provided structured, on-going experiences for
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career exploration, decision making and career preparation. Career development
shall be an integrated approach, engaging all staff in assisting students during the
instructional day to explore the 16 career clusters. Career exploration will include
opportunities for students to discover their interests in emerging careers including
STEM careers in science, oil & gas, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The
school will engage student advisors in utilizing each student’s career awareness
activities to develop the Personalized Education Plan (hereinafter PEP) per WVBE
Policy 2315. Advisors will assist students and their parents to utilize their various
interests, learning styles, and career and academic assessments to guide educational
planning and career choices. Career exploration activities will be documented in
each student’s personalized career portfolios that is transportable throughout the
student’s middle and high school career.
and Citizenship
Readiness
Non/occupational CTE foundation/exploratory experiences directly connected to
current county approved CTE offerings will be available in grades 6-8.
A standards-focused, integrated school counseling program will assist with the
acquisition of school success and career-readiness skills to prepare all students for
high school and postsecondary success. School counselors will work collaboratively
with other school staff to assist students with academic and postsecondary planning
that leads to seamless transitions to the identified postsecondary option. Refer to
WVBE Policy 2315 to ensure alignment with policy requirements.
Comprehensive
School
Counseling
Program
Middle schools will implement an advisory system that provides students with
meaningful supportive relationships and maximizes each student’s personalized
learning experience. An adult advocate, advisor, or mentor will take an interest in
each student’s learning, goal setting, career planning, and personal growth. The
advisory system will be evidence- and standards-based to systemically address the
West Virginia Student Success Standards and include the development of each
student’s PEP, career portfolios, social emotional learning, the teaching of other
skills, and the dispositions to build competent global citizens.
Student
Advocate /
Advisor /
Mentor
* See Middle School Guidance Document provided by the Division of Teaching and Learning.
5.3.b. In grades 6-8, the school staff will provide a school-wide, systematic guidance and advisory
approach to ensure that PEP planning and career exploration are multi-faceted and individualized,
guiding students and their parent and/or guardian to thoughtfully explore individual interests and
aptitudes in relation to academic and career planning. A PEP guides each student’s course selections
based on individual career aspirations and postsecondary plans. The PEP covers grades 9-12 and the
first year beyond graduation from high school. The PEP is developed for every student in consultation
with the student’s parent and/or guardian and school counselor or advisor. The advisor ensures each
student has multiple opportunities to investigate careers in each of the 16 career clusters, explore
postsecondary training options related to various careers, and complete a variety of self-discovery
inventories. Development of the PEP is a thoughtful process that includes the review of past student
work, academic assessment results, interests, work values, and learning style inventories. The PEP is
used to guide, personalize, and maximize each student’s learning experience.
5.3.b.1. During the 8th grade year, each student’s PEP is developed to identify a career cluster
and concentration, course selections for grades 9 and 10, postsecondary training goals, and may include
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identification of courses that will be taken in grades 11 and 12 based on each student’s identified career
aspirations. Prior to developing the PEP, the school shall provide ongoing opportunities during the
instructional day for career exploration and self-discovery involving student needs assessments, career
and interest inventories, learning style inventories, self-reflections, and career inquiry.
5.3.b.2. Each student, in consultation with his or her parent and/or guardian and the school
counselor, advisor, and/or Individualized Education Program Team (hereinafter IEP Team), will have the
opportunity to select one or more of the state-approved, broad career clusters and either a locally
developed concentration (non-CTE) or a state-approved CTE concentration in his/her area of interest for
future exploration in high school (see Middle School Guidance Document). The student may amend his
or her PEP at the end of any semester as long as it does not interfere with the completion of graduation
requirements and is based on the availability of courses.
5.3.b.3. When the PEP is finalized using the process described in the above sections, the
counselors and/or student advisor actively engage the parent and student in a meeting where changes
are made and signatures of the student and parent and/or guardian are secured. The student and
parent and/or guardian are provided a copy of the PEP. The PEP is reviewed annually with the student
and his or her parent and/or guardian and is signed and dated during each annual review conference.
5.4. High School Programming (Grades 9-12) – Each high school shall provide challenging and
rigorous courses in the programs of study in grades 9-12 that enable students to achieve high levels of
competence for academic and career development. High schools will incorporate the West Virginia
Student Success Standards per WVBE Policy 2315 across content areas and teacher-led advisory
programs. Students will be provided opportunities to develop intellectual, social/emotional, physical
and technological capacities needed for successful transitioning beyond graduation to ensure all
students are career- and college-ready. Students will be provided the opportunity to develop
foundational knowledge and skills for their success in a global society. The required courses outlined
below are designed to build strong content knowledge across disciplines by engaging students in work of
quality and substance. In grades 9 and 10, students build foundational knowledge and skills; while in
grades 11 and 12, students enter into a personalized aspect of their PEP, focusing carefully on selected
coursework that leads to successful completion of their personal and academic goals. Each student’s
coursework will be designed to lead directly to placement in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college
courses, an industry-recognized certificate or license, or workforce training programs.
5.4.a. High School Programming (Grades 9-12)
Chart IV: Foundations for High-Quality High School Programming (Grades 9-12)
24 credit required: 18 prescribed and 6 personalized
Chart IV High School Programming (9-10, 11-12) Graduation Requirements
Graduation requirements are effective for all students enrolled in the 2016-2017 school year, and
thereafter or as otherwise specified. Courses needed for graduation require mastery of approved
content standards. Students should consult with their chosen postsecondary educational/training
program when choosing optional upper-level courses. Students who do not demonstrate mastery of the
approved content standards shall be provided extra assistance and time through personalized learning
and support.
Graduation Requirements (18 prescribed)
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English Language Arts*
4 credits
English 9
English 10
English 11
English 12 or English 12 CR or Transition English Language Arts for
Seniors*
An AP® English course may be substituted for any of the above courses.
Mathematics*
4 credits
Math I or Algebra I
Math II or Geometry
Math III STEM, or Math III LA or Math III TR or Algebra II
Math IV – Trigonometry/Pre-calculus or Math IV TR or Transition
Mathematics for Seniors* or any other fourth course option (see
Chart V)
An AP® Mathematics course may be substituted for an equivalent course
or any fourth course option.
Science*
3 credits
Earth and Space Science (Grade 9)
Biology or AP® Biology (Grade 10)
One additional science course or AP® science course (see Chart V)
Social Studies*
4 credits
1 credit from World Studies or an AP® Social Studies course (see Chart V)
1 credit from United States Studies1 or United State StudiesComprehensive or AP® U.S. History
1 credit from an additional Social Studies course or an AP® Social Studies
course (see Chart V)
1 credit from Civics for the Next Generation or AP® United States
Government and Politics.
Physical Education*
1 credit
Physical Education 9-12 (WV Education Information System [hereinafter
WVEIS] course 6609). At least 50 percent of class time for physical
education should be spent in moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical
activity.
Health*
1 credit
Health 9-12 (WVEIS course 6909)
The Arts*
1 credit
Graduation Requirements (6 personalized)
Personalized Education
Plan
4 credits
Each student’s PEP will identify a career cluster and a concentration of
1
Best practice encourages students who take United State Studies to take Contemporary Studies as their next
course of study.
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course work for the four (4) credits that will lead directly to placement in
entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses, an industryrecognized certificate or license, or workforce training programs (see
Section 5.3.b.2). Best practices encourage students to take at least 1 AP®
and/or AC course with corresponding examination, a fourth science or
computer science credit, and 2 credits in one world language, and/or four
credits cumulating in acquisition of industry-recognized CTE credential
focused on career aspirations.
Electives
2 credits
County boards of education have the authority to increase graduation
requirements for schools in their counties. When choosing electives,
students should consult with their chosen postsecondary educational
programs to make sure the electives are acceptable. Best practices
encourage students to take at least one computer science course and/or
one or more course(s) through West Virginia Virtual Schools (hereinafter
WVVS).
Concentrations
Each students Personalized Education Plan will identify either a stateapproved CTE concentration or a locally developed personalized
concentration of course work (see 5.3.b.3).
Community Readiness
Concentration
Students with disabilities may earn 4 credits in Community Readiness
Training recommended through an IEP Team as a personalized
concentration.
Career and Technical
Education (CTE)*
A CTE concentration is aligned with the approved 16 career clusters and
consists of four courses identified for WVDE approved career and
technical programs of study. (Refer to W. Va. 126CSR44M, Policy
2520.13: Next Generation Standards for Career and Technical Education
in West Virginia Schools and current WVEIS course code manual.) Each
career and technical concentration in a school shall provide students the
opportunity to obtain an industry recognized credential as part of the
instructional program when applicable.
Multi-County Centers, County CTE Centers, and Comprehensive High
Schools must provide students with access to concentrations in a
minimum of six of the 16 approved WV Career Clusters.
80 percent of students in grades 9-10 must have access to at least one
career and technical foundations course. One foundations course must
be offered that teaches parenting skills.
30 percent of students in grades 11-12 must have access to four units in a
career and technical concentration and two career and technical
electives.
A CTE completer is identified by successful completion of the four
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required courses outlined within the WVDE approved career and
technical programs of study. (Refer to Policy 2520.13 and current WVEIS
course code manual.)
Approved WV Career Clusters
Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Architecture and Construction
Arts, A/V Technology and Communication
Business Management and Administration
Education and Training
Finance
Government and Public Administration
Health Sciences
Hospitality and Tourism
Human Services
Information Technology
Law, Public Safety, Correction and Security
Manufacturing
Marketing
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Transportation, Distribution and Logistics
CTE Accommodations for
Students with Disabilities
Two options exist for students with IEPs to complete a CTE concentration:
1. The typical completion of a CTE concentration with/without
accommodations and supports if a student is capable of passing
100% of the safety exam for the respective concentration.
2. Individual Work Readiness Certificate (see Section 11.34).
World Languages
Communicating in a global society requires students to apply appropriate
language strategies through embedded opportunities to explore and gain
an understanding of the world around them. Undergraduate admission
to West Virginia four-year colleges and universities includes the
completion of two units of the same world language. Students need to
consult with their postsecondary educational programs concerning world
language requirements.
Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Student Success and Career Readiness
Career Development
All students in grades 9-12 will be provided structured, on-going
opportunities for career exploration, decision making, and career
preparation. Career development shall use an integrated approach,
where all staff assist students to explore the 16 career clusters during the
instructional day. Career exploration will include opportunities for
students to discover their interests in emerging careers including STEM
careers in science, oil & gas, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Student advisors will use each student’s career awareness activities to
develop the PEP. Advisors will assist students and their parents to utilize
their various interests, learning styles, and career and academic
assessments to guide educational planning and career choices. Career
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exploration activities will be documented in each student’s personalized
career portfolio that is transportable throughout the student’s middle
and high school career.
Comprehensive School
Counseling Program
A standards-focused, integrated school counseling program will assist
students with the acquisition of school success and career readiness skills
to prepare for high school and postsecondary success. School counselors
will work collaboratively with other school staff to assist students with
academic and postsecondary planning that leads to seamless transitions
to the identified postsecondary options. Refer to WVBE Policy 2315 to
ensure alignment with policy requirements.
Support for Personalized
Learning (SPL)
The West Virginia SPL framework is a state-wide initiative that suggests
flexible use of resources to provide relevant academic, social/emotional
and/or behavioral support to enhance learning for all students. SPL is
characterized by a seamless system of high quality instructional practices
allowing all students to sustain significant progress, whether they are
considered at-risk, exceeding grade-level expectations or at any point
along the continuum.
Simulated Workplace
All state-approved CTE concentrations require a classroom shift to a
workplace environment for students enrolled in the 3rd and 4th required
concentration courses. All Simulated Workplace protocols must be
implemented:
 Student Led Companies
 Application/Interview Structure
 Formal Attendance System
 Drug Free Work Zone
 5S Environments
 Safe Work Areas
 Work Place Teams
 Project-Based Learning/Student Engagement
 Company Name and Handbook
 Company Meetings
 Onsite Business Reviews
 Accountability (data review, report, and technical assessments)
Student
Advocate/Advisor/Mentor
High schools will implement an advisory system that provides students
with meaningful, supportive relationships and maximizes each student’s
personalized learning experience. An adult advocate, advisor, or mentor
will take an interest in each student’s learning, goal setting, career
planning, and personal growth.
Physical Activity
High schools should recognize that healthy lifestyles and academic
success are tightly interwoven. Therefore, schools should promote
wellness activities that extend beyond the course requirements for
physical education and health. This may be accomplished through
programs that focus on skill development, sportsmanship and teamwork.
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Opportunities should be provided for 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous
integrated physical activity daily to keep high school students physically
active throughout the school year. Wellness education should target the
widespread behaviors that undermine the health and resulting capacity
for personal success during adolescence.
Technology
Students in grades 9-12 will be provided regular opportunities within the
context of normal course work to master the standards set forth in WVBE
Policy 2520.14.
The infrastructure of classrooms should infuse
technology and pedagogy into instruction, thus leading to improved
student engagement. It is recommended that all students complete a
computer science course and an online learning experience during grades
9-12. Students must be provided opportunities for advanced technology
applications.
* See High School Guidance Document provided by the Division of Teaching and Learning.
5.4.b. High School Programs Course Options (Grades 9-12)
Chart V: High School Programming (9-12) Course Options
Courses Required To Be Offered in
addition to all courses listed in
Chart IV
English Language Arts*
Transition English Language Arts for
Seniors
A minimum of one AP® English
courses
Mathematics*
Math I Lab
Algebra I Support
Transition Mathematics for Seniors
A minimum of one AP® math course
Science*
Chemistry
Human Anatomy and Physiology
Physics
Physical Science
A minimum of one AP® science
course
Contemporary Studies
Economics
Geography
Social Studies*
18
Additional Course Options
English 12 CR
Additional AP® English Courses
English Language Arts College
Courses
Other English Language Courses
based on student need and
interest
IB Program Courses
Additional AP® Mathematics Courses
inclusive of AP® Computer
Science A
Advanced Mathematical Modeling
STEM Readiness Mathematics
Calculus
Mathematics college courses
IB Program Courses
Additional AP® Science courses
Environmental Science
Forensics
Science college courses
IB Program Courses
AP® Comparative Government and
Politics
AP® European History
126CSR42
A minimum of one AP® social
studies course
World Language
Three levels of one world language
Health*
Any courses required to satisfy a
Personalized Education Plan
Physical Education*
Any courses required to satisfy a
Personalized Education Plan and
one lifetime physical education
course
The Arts*
Four sequential courses in music
(both choral and instrumental),
visual art (general art and/or
studio art), dance, theatre
Career and Technical
Education*
Schools must provide students
access to concentrations in a
minimum of six (6) of the 16
approved WV Career Clusters
One course
Computer Science
Driver Education
Technology
19
AP® Human Geography
AP® Macroeconomics
AP® Microeconomics
AP® Psychology
AP® World History
IB Program Courses
Psychology
Social Studies college courses
Sociology
Other world languages based on
student need and interest
AP® World Language
World Language college courses
Other health courses based on
student need and interest
Health college courses
Other physical education courses
based on student need and
interest
Physical education college courses
The following JROTC courses will
fulfill the 1 credit PE
requirement:
 JROTC I and II
AP® Arts Courses
Arts college courses
The following CTE courses will fulfill
the 1 credit Arts requirement:
 Fundamentals of Illustration
(1851)
 Fundamentals of Graphic
Design (1857)
 Advanced Illustration (1861)
 Advanced Graphic Design
(1859)
 Ornamental Metalwork (1982)
 Digital Imaging I (1431)
 Drafting Techniques (1727)
 Floriculture (0213)
AC courses
Other CTE courses based on student
need and interest
Information Technology
Information Management
Web Development
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Other courses based on student
need and interest
* See High School Guidance Document provided by the Division of Teaching and Learning.
5.4.c. Programs of Study – The programs of study identified in Charts I-V must be available to all
students as noted above.
5.4.c.1. A student who transfers into a West Virginia school that has higher graduation
requirements may not be able to complete these requirements. In such cases, the student's credits shall
be evaluated to determine if one or more county and/or state requirements will be waived by the
county or state superintendent.
5.4.c.2. If a student has been enrolled continuously in grades 9-12, the student shall be
expected to meet the graduation requirements that were in effect when he or she entered grade 9
unless amended by WVBE policy.
5.4.c.3. If a student has enrolled after dropping out of school, the requirements that a student
must meet depend upon the length of time he or she has been out of school. If the student has been
out of school less than one year, he or she would be expected to complete the graduation requirements
that were in effect when he or she entered grade 9 for the first time. If the student has been out of
school one year or more, he or she would be expected to complete the graduation requirements in
effect upon re-enrollment.
5.4.d. Uniform Grading – All county boards of education must use the uniform grading rules
established by the WVBE for those courses for which high school credit is to be awarded (W. Va. Code
§18-2-5).
5.4.d.1. The following grading scale must be used for any course taken for high school credit,
regardless of the grade level of the student at the time the course is taken, other than courses that
county boards of education choose pursuant to Section 5.4.d.2.
5.4.d.1.A. Non-weighted course grading scale:
Average
93-100
85-92
75-84
65-74
0-64
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Quality Points
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0
5.4.d.1.B. County school systems may, but are not required to, adopt this grading scale for
use in courses or grade levels for which high school credit is not involved.
5.4.d.2. County boards of education shall issue weighted grades for Advanced Placement®
(hereinafter AP®) courses, Advanced Career (hereinafter AC) courses, and International Baccalaureate
courses for which high school credit is to be awarded. Section 5.4.d.2.A sets forth the grading scale that
must be used for AP® courses, AC courses, and International Baccalaureate (hereinafter IB) courses.
County boards of education have discretionary authority to issue weighted grades for other advanced
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high school courses.
5.4.d.2.A. Weighted course grading scale.
Average
93-100
85-92
75-84
65-74
0-64
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Quality Points
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
0
5.4.e. Personalized Education Plan – All students in grades 9-12 will continue to develop and
update their PEP.
5.4.e.1. During the grade 9 and each subsequent year, each student reviews and updates his or
her PEP in collaboration with the school counselor, teachers, advisors, and parent and/or guardian.
Review of the PEP will include academic offerings, career plans, review of various interests, learning
styles, and career and academic assessments to guide changes to course selections.
5.4.e.2. During the 10 grade year, the second phase of the PEP is developed. Students identify
course selections for grades 10-12 and determine postsecondary plans for the first year after high
school. To assist in developing the three-year PEP, the school will provide ongoing, multi-faceted
opportunities during the instructional day for career exploration and self-discovery that involve
completing student needs assessments, career and interest inventories, learning style inventories, and
self-reflections. Each student’s individual assessments will be reviewed to ensure academic planning
maximizes individual strengths and interests. Career exploration and planning and the development of
the PEP is a shared responsibility between the school counselor, teachers, advisors, student and parent
and/or guardian.
5.4.e.3. Students may amend their PEP at the end of any semester as long as it does not
interfere with the completion of graduation requirements based on the availability of courses. Each
year when the PEP is reviewed, the student, parent and/or guardian will sign and receive a copy of the
PEP.
5.4.e.4. Students may substitute one of the following in place of a course as listed in the
applicable high school program of study: 1) a higher level course, 2) a more rigorous course, 3) a AP®
course, 4) an IB course, 5) a college course, 6) an AC course, or 7) a dual credit course in accordance with
approved local board policy. Parent and/or guardian must approve by signing the student’s PEP.
5.4.e.4.A. Such requests must be approved by the county superintendent (or designee) and
principal. The decision as to whether a substitute course will count as credit for the specified
concentration or recommended elective requirement must be based on its applicability to the student's
5-year PEP transition plan and postsecondary goals. Schools shall provide information regarding the
availability of advanced courses to students and parents and strongly encourage students to take such
courses based upon student interests and postsecondary goals.
5.4.e.4.B. The student and his or her parent and/or guardian must be advised of the decision
of the superintendent (or designee) and the impact of the substitute course on the student's
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preparation for college, other postsecondary education or gainful employment in the student's PEP.
5.4.e.4.C. A notation must be made on the student's PEP indicating that this process was
followed and that the parent and/or guardian and student clearly understand the impact of the course
substitution. The parent and/or guardian and student each sign and receive a copy of the modified PEP.
5.4.e.5. The PEP may include co-curricular activities and extracurricular activities.
5.4.e.6. For an eligible gifted student, a four-year education plan is developed during the grade
8 year by an IEP Team. The four-year plan replaces the PEP and includes the honors courses, AP®
courses, AC courses and/or IB courses that must be provided for the student in grades 9-12.
5.4.f. Graduation Requirements – The state graduation requirements total 24 credits. See Chart
IV for specific credits required for graduation.
5.4.f.1. The courses required for graduation, indicated in Chart IV, require mastery of the WVBE
and county board of education approved content standards.
5.4.f.2. A county board of education must ensure high schools’ schedules allow for mastery of
the content standards of each course. When developing schedules, the principal and a team of teachers
will determine the adequate amount of time necessary to achieve mastery of the approved content
standards for each program of study and effectively address the academic needs of all students. If the
staff develops a schedule with courses less than 8100 minutes and academic achievement is not at or
above state proficiency for a minimum of two years, the school will need to review and adjust their
schedule based on student need. Counties must consider transportation times to and from county and
multi-county CTE centers when developing those schedules.
5.4.f.3. County boards of education have the authority to increase graduation requirements for
schools in their counties. The county superintendent shall notify the WVDE of any changes in
requirements beyond the state requirements.
5.4.f.4. County boards of education must ensure that students have access to at least four AP®
courses annually (at least one from the core content areas of English language arts, mathematics,
science, and social studies). All AP® courses must have a syllabus approved through the College Board.
All AP® course shall be taught by a teacher who has completed the required professional learning
(Section 7.5.c.8). Access to AP® courses may also be attained via West Virginia Virtual School AP®
courses. Section 5.4.d. requires that grades earned in an AP® course be weighted.
5.4.f.5. Additional courses not identified in Chart V may be offered to afford students the
opportunity to attain mastery of the approved content standards, to broaden and enrich their
education, and to support academic and career development. Any elective offering must be based on
WVBE approved content standards if available or based on written content standards that are approved
by the county board of education.
5.4.f.6. Students who do not meet the college- and career-readiness benchmarks (established in
conjunction with the WV HEPC) for English language arts and/or mathematics prior to their senior year
must enroll in Transition English Language Arts for Seniors and/or Transition Mathematics for Seniors
even if they already have the required number of credits in that area. Students may enroll in a higher
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level course with agreement between the student, his or her parent and/or guardian, and the school.
5.4.g. Alternative Means to Earn High School Credit – County boards of education shall provide
alternative means for students to earn high school credit as explained below.
5.4.g.1. Any student who successfully completes a high school level course (one meeting the
high school approved content standards and taught by a content certified teacher) prior to grade 9 shall
receive full credit for that course toward graduation requirements. The student's permanent record for
grades 9-12 shall indicate completion of the courses. The grade for any credit-bearing course taken
prior to grade 9 becomes part of the student's permanent record and is calculated in the student's grade
point average (hereinafter GPA).
5.4.g.2. County boards of education are encouraged to establish policy which permits a student
who masters the approved content standards for a credit-bearing high school course that are embedded
within a second course to receive credit for both courses. If these embedded credit courses are used to
meet graduation requirements, the county policy and alignment documentation must be reviewed by
the WVDE and approved by the WVBE.
5.4.g.3. County boards of education shall adopt a policy that allow students to earn credit for
completion of college courses and other advanced courses outside the school setting. If these courses,
including dual credit courses, are used to meet graduation requirements, the county policy and
alignment documentation must be reviewed by the WVDE and approved by the WVBE.
5.4.g.4. County boards of education may develop tests for the purpose of accelerating students
by proving proficiency through assessment.
5.4.g.5. County boards of education shall adopt policies and programs that allow students to
recover credit for failed high schools courses. Researched-based successful credit recovery programs
require students to successfully master content rather than repeat an entire course.
5.4.g.6. All students will receive appropriate grades and/or credit for all work completed while
attending school, regardless of the duration of their enrollment period. Students cannot receive credit
for the same course twice.
5.4.g.7. West Virginia Virtual School (WVVS) - The WVVS, as per W. Va. Code §18-2E-9, was
created to assure consistent high quality education for West Virginia students while utilizing technology
delivered courses. In order for students to receive credit for an online or virtual course, he/she must be
enrolled as a full or part-time student in a West Virginia public school.
5.4.g.7.A. To ensure student success as productive citizens upon exiting juvenile facilities,
students must be provided with marketable job skills equal to those in nonresidential settings.
Personalized learning options for students enrolled in Office of Institutional Education Programs
(hereinafter OIEP) schools are intended to be rigorous in delivery yet flexible in terms of graduation
requirements. Career Integrated Experiential Learning (hereinafter CIEL) is a CTE concentration that
provides opportunities for students to test for multiple nationally recognized certifications while earning
credit for relevant job-readiness skills, helping students to be career- and college-ready. CIEL can only
be initiated at the OIEP schools. CIEL concentration credits will transfer to the receiving high school
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allowing for the continued enrollment for concentration and graduation credit for those who are unable
to complete the concentration while in the juvenile setting. These CTE courses may be delivered in a
traditional classroom setting or a virtual environment.
5.4.h. Attendance – The following rules shall govern student attendance in grades 9-12.
5.4.h.1. Attendance for the instructional day for all four years during grades 9-12 is important
so that students obtain the full benefit from the educational programs offered in the schools of West
Virginia. Therefore, all students shall be scheduled in the defined high school curriculum, college
courses, career and technical programs, credit recovery, Option Pathway, experiential learning, or
virtual school courses for the full instructional day for all four years.
5.4.h.2. County boards of education shall develop and implement within their attendance policy
procedures which shall be approved by the WVBE that defines the compelling circumstances under
which students may attend school for fewer than four full years and/or may be scheduled for courses
for less than the full instructional day.
5.4.i. High School Diploma – County boards of education shall award a high school diploma to
every student who has completed the standard graduation requirements.
5.4.i.1. An eligible student with disabilities who has been determined by an IEP Team to be
unable, even with extended learning opportunities and significant instructional modifications to meet
state and county standard graduation requirements may receive a modified diploma. Students with
disabilities receiving modified diplomas shall be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies with
their same grade classmates and continue with special education eligibility services.
5.4.i.2. An Institutional Education Program operated by the WVDE will transfer graduation
credits to a county school district for the awarding of the high school diploma. County school systems
are required to accept the transferred credit.
§126-42-6. Alternative Delivery of Education Programs
6.1. The county board of education shall establish policies and implement written procedures when
providing for alternative delivery of education and service programs for students. A thorough and
efficient education must be available to all students, whether they are placed in regular or alternative
programs.
6.2. Alternative Delivery Programs
6.2.a. Extended student learning may be offered based on student needs and as funds and other
resources become available.
6.2.a.1. Extended student learning may include, but is not limited to: extended day or year;
mini-courses; summer school or an alternative calendar that allows for year-round schooling; and
experiential learning that may take place outside of the regular school calendar.
6.2.a.2. Extended student learning opportunities may be provided by the school system,
community agencies, IHEs, businesses, or other entities under agreements authorized by the county
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board or WVBE. These agreements may include payment specifications for those parties using the
facilities.
6.2.a.3. Students may elect to participate in extended learning opportunities and may receive
elective credit when approved by the county board.
6.2.a.4. Provisions of W. Va. 126CSR99, WVBE Policy 4373: Expected Behavior in Safe and
Supportive Schools (hereinafter WVBE Policy 4373) shall be adhered to including, but not limited to, the
provision of behavioral components in addition to academic coursework.
6.2.b. All summer school programs shall be submitted to the WVBE for approval. Schools may
award credits earned from approved summer schools provided the instructional program is equivalent
to that required during the regular school term.
6.2.c. Homebound/Hospital Services
6.2.c.1. A student who, due to injury or illness as certified in writing by a licensed physician who
specializes in the health condition, that may temporarily confine the student to home or hospital for a
period that has lasted or will last more than three consecutive weeks will receive home/hospital
services. The written statement from a license physician must include:
6.2.c.1.A. the specific reasons and period of time that the student must remain at home or in
the hospital; and
6.2.c.1.B. the criteria or conditions under which the student will return to school, and the
expected date of such return.
6.2.c.2. A written statement by a licensed physician who specializes in the health condition
must be resubmitted at least every three months if a student’s temporary home/hospital instruction is
prolonged.
6.2.c.3. The county board of education may require that the parent and/or guardian obtain an
opinion from a second licensed physician who specializes in the health condition at the expense of the
county board.
6.2.c.4. Home/hospital services must be designed to provide the student adequate opportunity
to continue learning toward mastery of grade level content standards while they are temporarily
confined to home or hospital. These services may not replace full time instruction on an ongoing basis.
The expectation is that the student will return to the regular classroom.
6.2.c.5. County boards of education shall develop and implement within their attendance policy
procedures which shall outline and define the delivery of home/hospital services.
6.2.c.6. Since home/hospital services are temporary in nature, the home/hospital teachers are
responsible for facilitating instruction only for approved content standards for core courses (i.e., English
language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies). The home/hospital services are guided by the
student’s classroom teacher(s): consequently, the home/hospital teacher must be in regular contact
with the classroom teacher(s) to:
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6.2.c.6.A. secure and understand units/lessons, instructional plans, and instructional
resources (including approved online and virtual options), and
6.2.c.6.B. establish procedures for the collection and return of student work to the
classroom teacher(s) for feedback and assessment.
6.2.c.7. Home/hospital services, provided for an exceptional student who is unable to attend
school temporarily because of an injury, illness, or health condition, require a change in the student’s
placement to Out-of-School Environment (hereinafter OSE) as defined by W. Va. 126CSR16, WVBE Policy
2419: Regulations for the Education of Students with Exceptionalities (hereinafter WVBE Policy 2419),
Section 5.2.j. The change of placement to OSE must be addressed by the student’s IEP Team and
implemented in accordance with the requirements of WVBE Policy 2419.
6.2.c.8. Home and/or hospital services may also be provided temporarily at the direction of the
county superintendent for students who have not met the immunization requirements of W. Va. Code
§16-3-4.
6.2.d. Alternative Settings for Disruptive Students – Students whose disruptive behavior places
them at risk of not succeeding in the traditional school structure may be eligible for placement in an
alternative education program as authorized by WVBE Policy 4373.
6.2.e. West Virginia Virtual School Options – With the appropriate approval, the WVVS may
provide additional course options to be taken through distance learning that will support the alternative
delivery settings described in this section.
6.2.e.1. Course Approval
6.2.e.1.A. Online or virtual courses offered for public school credit shall be approved by the
WVDE. In order for students to receive credit for online or virtual courses, a county superintendent or
designee shall verify that courses and providers are WVDE approved.
6.2.e.1.B. Online or virtual course content will be reviewed for correlation with the current
WVBE content standards. Courses shall include appropriate instructional materials. These materials are
exempt from the mandatory primary source materials listed on the state multiple list.
6.2.e.1.C. Course providers will adhere to the state and federal privacy regulations regarding
students.
6.2.e.2. Responsibilities
6.2.e.2.A. The county superintendent shall designate a WVVS contact at the school level who
will be responsible for registering students. Any costs incurred by the Virtual School contact are the
responsibility of the local educational agency
6.2.e.2.B. Each school is responsible for monitoring student progress and posting student
final grades to WVEIS.
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6.2.e.2.C. Each school is responsible for providing onsite technology and support to any
student enrolled in a virtual or online course.
6.2.e.2.D. The WVVS will provide a highly qualified, certified online teacher for the course.
6.2.e.3. Funding
6.2.e.3.A. The WVVS shall provide funding for online and virtual courses based on legislative
appropriations.
6.2.e.3.B. Funding for online or virtual courses and associated materials may be provided
through the school systems instructional budgets or grant awards
6.2.e.3.C. The district or the parent/guardian will be responsible for the tuition for the
selected online or virtual course(s) if legislative funding has been expended, the course is taken during
the summer, or the student has previously taken the same course.
6.2.f. West Virginia Option Pathway – The Option Pathway is a blend of the CTE Pathway and the
High School Equivalency Assessment. This pathway provides an opportunity for the high school students
behind their ninth grade cohorts a second opportunity to graduate on time rather than dropping out of
school.
6.3. Accountability for Alternative Programs
6.3.a. All alternative delivery of programs for K-12 must meet the standards and safeguards set
forth in WVBE policies related to curriculum, instruction, and student support services.
6.3.b. Letters of agreement and/or contracts shall be used with external agencies, businesses and
individuals to clarify responsibilities in areas such as student supervision, public access to school
facilities, finance and program accountability.
§126-42-7. County Board of Education Responsibilities
7.1. The county board of education shall establish policies and implement written procedures to
provide high-quality delivery of its education program. In meeting this responsibility, the county board
shall address the components of a high-quality program listed below.
7.2. The county board of education shall implement the following administrative practices.
7.2.a. Ensure that all schools are safe and that the environment is conducive to learning.
7.2.b. Implement the following rules governing student attendance in grades K-12:
7.2.b.1. Ensure that all students, ages 6-17, are attending public schools or are exempt from
compulsory public school attendance under the provisions of W. Va. Code §18-8-1.
7.2.b.2. The student attendance rate for elementary and middle schools is at or above 90
percent or the percentage of students meeting the attendance rate shows improvement from the
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preceding year. The student attendance rate will be adjusted for the following allowable deductions as
defined in W. Va. 126CSR81, WVBE Policy 4110: Attendance.
7.2.c. Provide assurances that the county comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling
policy reflects provisions in WVBE Policy 2315.
7.2.d. Ensure that prior to the beginning of each school year, the principal and teachers at every
school determine time allocations that, based on the needs of the students, maximize engaged
instructional time and limit disruptions during the instructional day within the regular and alternative
school calendars for specific instructional programs.
7.2.d.1. School calendars and schedules shall be organized to maximize academic learning time
through a variety of strategies which may include, but are not limited to, restructuring the instructional
day, providing tutorial sessions, utilizing appropriate technology, extending the instructional day and/or
extending the school year.
7.2.d.2. The school calendar shall meet the requirement of W. Va. Code §18-5-45 and W. Va.
126CSR73, WVBE Policy 3234: School Calendar (hereinafter WVBE Policy 3234) by providing: 180
separate days of instruction, with a minimum instructional day of 315 minutes for kindergarten and
grades 1-5, 330 minutes for grades 6-8, and 345 minutes for grades 9-12.
7.2.d.3. Co-curricular activities may, by their nature, be scheduled without regard to the use of
accrued instructional time.
7.2.d.4. Orientation programs for incoming Pre-K and kindergarten aged children are acceptable
means of providing instructional time.
7.2.e. Develop a School System Strategic Plan.
7.2.f. Establish procedures at the county and school levels to ensure that formative and formal
assessment data are used to identify student learning needs and to adjust instruction to meet those
needs.
7.2.g. Provide a comprehensive system of career clusters and state-approved CTE concentrations
in order to ensure that students understand the breadth and scope of careers in the global digital
workplace aligned to labor market demand.
7.2.h. Develop a system for ensuring that instruction is based upon approved content standards.
7.2.i. Appoint and maintain a county school system or multi-county technical center advisory
council that meets at least twice a year to provide advice on current and future employment needs and
on the relevant of courses being offered; meeting minutes must be kept on file for a minimum of two
years. Each technical concentration must have a program area advisory council that meets on a regular
basis to advise on course content, including which skills should be taught, instructional resources and
equipment needed, and standards which should be met to assure student employability or
preparedness for further education and to ensure proper safety precautions are being followed.
7.3. The county board of education shall ensure that each school has:
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7.3.a. a policy to maintain a safe climate conducive to learning that enhances the physical, social,
and emotional well-being of students as outlined in WVBE Policy 4373;
7.3.b. a process for flexible scheduling of students and staff to ensure that every student has the
opportunity to achieve or exceed mastery of each content standard;
7.3.c. a process for developing, providing, and participating in programs for professional learning
based on research and WVBE Policy 5500;
7.3.d. a process for implementing content standards for learning so all teachers are aware of the
instruction students have receive prior to entering the grade level they teach and what the expectations
are for students to be able to succeed at subsequent grade levels;
7.3.e. a process for ensuring that instructional practices are evidence- and research-based;
7.3.f. a system for monitoring and assessing pupil performance related to the approved content
standards of the school education program;
7.3.g. a policy for student homework;
7.3.h. a policy for grading that is consistent with Section 5.4.d and that addresses, at least, the
issues of retention, promotion, and the replacement of a grade if a course is retaken;
7.3.i. a procedure for monitoring and continuing record of student progress for student, parent
and teacher information;
7.3.j. a process to ensure that parents are involved in the school and their child’s education;
7.3.k. a system to monitor dropout rates and, when appropriate, plans to reduce the student
dropout rate;
7.3.l. a process for timely, accurate and complete entering of data into the WVEIS;
7.3.m. services that provide access to electronic means for retrieving, receiving and using
information as well as traditional print resources;
7.3.n. technology practices that facilitate student development in areas such as, but not limited
to, computer skills, critical thinking and decision-making, application of academic knowledge in
workplace programs, making informed career decisions and meeting the requirements of WVBE Policy
2520.14;
7.3.o. a technology infrastructure that has multiple applications for enabling students to achieve
at higher academic levels;
7.3.p. a school technology team that collaborates with the school strategic planning committee to
develop a comprehensive technology plan that includes WVBE Policy 2460;
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7.3.q. a Local School Improvement Council (hereinafter LSIC) as outlined in W. Va. Code §18-5A-2
that facilitates improvement of educational quality by encouraging the involvement of the school
community in the operation of the school as outlined in W. Va. 126CSR11A, WVBE Policy 2200: Local
School Improvement Councils: Engaging Parents, Families, Students, Business and Community in
Education and by utilizing the waiver process when appropriate;
7.3.r. a faculty senate that facilitates school improvement through practices outlined in W. Va.
Code §18-5A-5 and in accordance with WVBE Policy 3234;
7.3.s. a school curriculum team that establishes instructional programs and methods, based on
the needs of the school, and that implement the state-approved content standards;
7.3.t. a continuous system of program assessment, accreditation, and program improvement; and
7.3.u. a School Strategic Plan that is based on the identified needs of the students and is
developed collaboratively by the LSIC, the principal, faculty senate, school technology team, school
curriculum team, and other appropriate stakeholders.
7.4. County boards of education must provide student services to ensure that students are able to
participate in and benefit from a high-quality education program. These services include, but are not
limited to: guidance and counseling, health services, school psychological services, special education
and related services, social services, attendance, transportation services, and nutrition services.
7.4.a. English as a Second Language services, or specially designed instruction, at no cost to
parents, to meet the unique educational needs of an eligible limited English proficient student, including
sheltered instruction conducted in the classroom and in other settings, shall be provided as specified in
the student’s Limited English Proficient (hereinafter LEP) program of study and in accordance with W.
Va. 126CSR15, WVBE Policy 2417: Programs of Study for Limited English Proficient Students.
7.4.b. School Counseling Program – See W. Va. Code §18-5-18b, W. Va. 126CSR114, WVBE Policy
5100: Approval of Educational Personnel Preparation and WVBE Policy 2315.
7.4.c. Breakfast and Lunch Programs – See W. Va. 126CSR85, WVBE Policy 4320: Child Nutrition
Programs and W. Va. 126CSR86, WVBE Policy 4321.1: Standards for School Nutrition
7.4.d. School Health Services – School health services are coordinated through the certified
school nurse (defined as a Registered Professional Nurse) to provide early identification of educational
deficits and communicable disease, daily support and care for students with specialized health care
needs during the instructional day with linkage, and follow-up care to services as required in W. Va.
126CSR25A, WVBE Policy 2422.7: Standards for Basic and Specialized Health Care Procedures
(hereinafter WVBE Policy 2422.7), W. Va. 126CSR27, WVBE Policy 2422.8: Medication Administration
(hereinafter WVBE Policy 2422.8), and W. Va. 126CSR51, WVBE Policy 2423: Communicable Disease
Control. Emphasis is placed on preventive services, health promotion, and education to support
academic success, reduce absenteeism, and promote lifetime health and wellness.
7.4.e. School Psychological Services – School psychological services facilitate the interpersonal
and academic development of all students and foster the social/emotional health and the academic
success of students. School psychologists assist teachers and other school personnel with assessment
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information, academic and behavior intervention plans, and understanding student implications in
relation to school performance and safe school considerations.
7.4.f. Compulsory School Attendance – W. Va. Code §18-8-1a requires compulsory school
attendance to begin with the school year in which the 6th birthday is reached prior to September one of
such year or upon enrolling in a publicly supported kindergarten program and to continue to the 17th
birthday or for as long as the student continues to be enrolled in a school system after the 17th birthday.
7.4.g. Special Education – See WVBE Policy 2419 and WVBE Policy 2422.7.
7.4.h. Transportation – See W. Va. 126CSR92, WVBE Policy 4336: West Virginia School Bus
Transportation Policy and Procedures Manual.
7.5. Personnel
7.5.a. County boards shall employ supervisory/administrative staff who are professionally
certified administrators who have met the requirements of training through the principal’s academy as
identified in W. Va. Code §18A-3-2c.
7.5.b. Principals shall be provided continuous, high-quality, and sustained professional learning
opportunities through a variety of means that increase the principal’s ability to be an instructional
leader so that students can achieve high levels of performance in the approved West Virginia content
standards.
7.5.c. County boards shall:
7.5.c.1. employ highly qualified teachers to implement each program of study;
7.5.c.2. ensure that professional staff members are working in the areas of endorsement
specified on their certificates;
7.5.c.3. ensure that teachers have a specific knowledge of the approved content standards for
all programmatic levels (Pre-K-12);
7.5.c.4. ensure that professional staff are provided continuous high-quality, sustained, and
classroom-focused professional learning that increases the knowledge and skills required to create
conditions that result in students achieving high levels of performance in the approved West Virginia
content standards;
7.5.c.5. ensure Alternative Education Programs, as outlined in WVBE Policy 4373, provide for
the participation of content area certified teachers in the development of the academic curriculum and
the assessment measures to determine mastery of approved content standards;
7.5.c.6. ensure that the Support for Improving Professional Practice Plan (SIPP) provides a
comprehensive system of support for all teachers and administrators per provisions of W. Va. Code
§18A-3C-3;
7.5.c.7. ensure that all teachers and library/media professionals are provided a duty free
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planning period that is the length of the usual class period and is not less than 40 minutes (W.Va. Code
§18A-4-14);
7.5.c.8. ensure that all secondary teachers who teach College Board AP® courses have
completed the required professional learning. This professional learning consists of an Advanced
Placement® Summer Institute (hereinafter APSI) delivered through the West Virginia Center for
Professional Development (hereinafter CPD) or other College Board endorsed APSI;
7.5.c.8.A. Teachers of AP® courses must attend an APSI once every three years after
completing the initial APSI. Teachers of AP® courses may also meet the requirement for attendance at
the APSI by holding the Advanced Placement® credentials outlined in W. Va. 126CSR136 WVBE Policy
5202: Minimum Requirements for the Licensure of Professional/Paraprofessional Personnel and
Advanced Salary Classification.
7.5.c.9. ensure that an administrator from each high school attends a CPD College Board
endorsed AP® related workshop once every two years; and
7.5.c.10. ensure that all AP® coordinators attend an AP® Coordinator’s workshop annually.
7.5.d. County boards shall:
7.5.d.1. Employ aides and/or Early Childhood Classroom Assistant Teachers to enhance the
instructional environment and provide time to ensure educational quality in the classroom;
7.5.d.1.A. Aides assist teachers with non-instructional duties and in instructional related
activities in appropriate programs. Duties may include, but are not limited to: a) clerical and technical
assistance; b) in-class assistance; c) tutorial services; d) distribution of instructional resources; e)
supervision of students in the instructional environment and during specific assigned duties (W. Va.
Code §18A-5-8); f) assistance with technology utilization; and g) in some cases, performance of basic or
specialized health care procedures.
7.5.d.1.B. all kindergarten and prekindergarten classroom aides must hold an Early
Classroom Assistant Teacher Permanent Authorization or Temporary Authorization (W. Va. Code §18-518).
7.5.d.1.C. One Early Childhood Classroom Assistant Teacher (hereinafter ECCAT) is assigned
to a kindergarten classroom if the class enrollment exceeds 10 students. Kindergarten classroom ratios
should be maintained throughout the instructional day, including art, physical education, music or
additional related courses.
7.5.d.1.D. All WV Pre-K classrooms shall have adequate supervision at all times. When
students are on the premises, a WV Pre-K participating program shall ensure that two adults are present
with children per WVBE Policy 2525. One of the two adults may be an Early Childhood Assistant
Teacher.
7.5.d.1.E. Aides are available for eligible students with disabilities as needed to implement
the IEP and as set forth in the WVBE Policy 2419.
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7.5.d.1.F. Early Childhood Classroom Assistant Teachers and Aides assigned to a school are
scheduled by the principal.
7.5.d.2. Use community resources, when appropriate, in innovative ways on a volunteer, parttime or contractual basis in order to complement, support, or extend the instructional program,
including the provision of experiential learning opportunities.
7.5.e. Implement an employee evaluation system based on W. Va. 126CSR142, WVBE Policy 5310:
Performance Evaluation of School Personnel.
7.5.f.
Implement a comprehensive system of professional learning that includes the
implementation of WVBE Policy 5500.
7.6. Maximum Teacher Pupil Ratios
7.6.a. As per W. Va. Code §18-5-18a, county boards of education shall provide sufficient
personnel, equipment, and facilities as well ensure that each classroom does not exceed the following
enrollment guidelines in Chart VI.
7.6.b. Each school principal shall assign students equitably among the classroom teachers, taking
into consideration reasonable differences due to subject area and/or grade levels.
7.6.c. Any kindergarten teacher who has more than twenty pupils per session and any classroom
teacher of grades four through six who has more than twenty-five pupils shall be paid additional
compensation based on the affected classroom teacher's average daily salary divided by twenty for
kindergarten teachers or twenty-five for teachers of grades 4-6 for every day times the number of
additional pupils enrolled up to the maximum pupils permitted in the teacher's classroom. All such
additional compensation shall be paid from county funds exclusively.
Chart VI: Maximum Teacher Pupil Ratios
Grade
Maximum Enrollment
Pre-K
20
One ECCAT is required
Kindergarten
20
Includes classrooms having two or
more grades that includes Pre-K
3 additional with compensation
25
Includes classrooms having two or
more grades that includes
Kindergarten
0
25
Includes classrooms having two or
more grades that includes grades 1-3
3 additional with compensation
One ECCAT is required for
enrollments of 10 or more
Grades 1-3
Grades 4-6
Exceptions
0
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Chart VII: Additional Exemptions to Maximum Teacher Pupil Ratios
Physical Education Grades 5-6 when in a middle Maximum Enrollment is at the discretion of the
school setting
county 2
Choral and band/orchestral music
Maximum Enrollment is at the discretion of the
county
7.7. Facilities - County boards shall ensure that facilities meet the standards set forth in W. Va.
126CSR172, WVBE Policy 6200: Handbook on Planning School Facilities.
7.8. Instructional Resources, Supplies, and Equipment – County boards shall:
7.8.a. Ensure that the instructional resources used as the primary resource for instruction in
required programs of study are on the most recent list of state adopted instructional resources or have
been exempted by the WVBE through an approved waiver or through the West Virginia Virtual School
course approval process.
7.8.a.1. Select additional instructional resources, including virtual/online resources that will be
used to provide opportunities for credit recovery. This does not include resources used to deliver first
time course credit. When selecting additional credit recovery resources, the following protocols should
be met:
7.8.a.1.A. verify that a local team of educators has reviewed the credit recovery program
content for the respective courses to ensure that the material aligns with the approved content
standards,
7.8.a.1.B. provide the WVDE with the name(s) of instructional materials used for credit
recovery purposes, and
7.8.a.1.C. follow all state and local purchasing procedures when obtaining course content.
7.8.b. Establish procedures to select instructional resources and supplemental resources that
correlate with approved content standards for each content area.
7.8.c. Ensure that appropriate instructional resources and equipment are available for the full
instructional term, are in good operating condition, and are sufficient for the size of the group to be
served.
7.8.d. Ensure that a copy of the approved content standards are provided to each teacher and
ensure that the public has been provided information and access to materials for review upon request.
7.8.e. To the extent practicable, and as funds and other resources are available, provide access to
2
W. Va. Code §18-5-18a states: “the state superintendent is authorized, consistent with sound
educational policy, (a) to permit on a statewide basis, in grades four through six, more than twenty-five
pupils per teacher for the purposes of instruction in physical education . . . .” Accordingly, for 5th and 6th
grade physical education classrooms located in a middle school, counties are given the discretion to
determine the maximum number of students permitted per class taking into consideration health,
safety, and instructional needs of students.
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instructional technologies outside the normal instructional day for use by students including those in
adult education, teachers, parents, and citizens.
7.9. Information Systems – County boards of education and school shall participate in WVEIS and
other WVDE data collections through adherence to data collection calendars and guidance
documentation, which are developed and maintained through the WVDE data governance structure per
W. Va. 126CSR94, WVBE Policy 4350: Procedures for the Collection, Maintenance and Disclosure of
Student Data to ensure compliance with state and federal reporting requirements and to support the
population and sustainability of the state’s longitudinal data system for educational decision making.
7.10. County Improvement
7.10.a. School System Strategic Plan – Each county shall develop and implement a School System
Strategic Plan that contains procedures and activities to strengthen the county education program in
order to increase student achievement and positively impact other student outcomes. The School
System Strategic Plan addresses the following elements: 1) core beliefs and mission, 2) improvement
goals, 3) a plan that includes action steps and professional learning, 4) a system for monitoring and
supporting the implementation and effectiveness of the plan and 5) an evaluation process.
7.10.b. County School System Leadership Team – Each county school system shall have a County
School System Leadership Team which is responsible for supporting the continuous improvement of all
county schools and for identifying targeted support and assistance to the schools falling below
acceptable performance. The County School System Leadership Team members are appointed by the
county superintendent, comprised of school and district staff and may include such individuals as
distinguished teachers, distinguished principals, special education professionals, Title I professionals,
WVDE professional, RESA professionals, curriculum and instruction professionals, technology integration
specialists, and/or data analysis professionals.
7.10.c. The County School System Leadership Team shall have the following responsibilities:
7.10.c.1. review all facets of the district and schools’ operations, including 1) comprehensive
analysis of student performance data, 2) evaluation of school and classroom learning conditions as
defined in W. Va. 126CSR13, WVBE Policy 2320: A Process for Improving Education: Performance Based
Accreditation System (hereinafter WVBE Policy 2320) and W. Va. 126CSR12, WVBE Policy 2322:
Standards for High-quality Schools (hereinafter WVBE Policy 2322), and 3) school and district
operational and management efficiency.
7.10.c.2. make recommendations for district-wide improvement priorities and school-specific
support and targeted assistance, including assistance for schools falling below acceptable standards of
performance.
7.10.c.3. collaboratively develop the School System Strategic Plan;
7.10.c.4. continuously monitor the implementation of the School System Strategic Plan;
7.10.c.5. make additional recommendations concerning assistance needed by the individual
school or areas considered as district priorities.
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§126-42-8. School Based Responsibilities
8.1. Strong leadership by the administration and faculty is necessary for effective schools to produce
higher levels of student achievement. Shared leadership, based on the WVBE Policy 2322, must be in
place in order for schools to be effective in meeting the needs of students and improving student
learning.
s
8.2. Student Assistance Team – Each public school shall establish a student assistance team that:
8.2.a. consists of a school administrator or designee, who shall serve as a chairperson, a current
teacher(s), a parent/guardian, and other appropriate professional staff;
8.2.b. reviews individual student needs that have persisted despite being addressed through
academic and/or behavioral support;
8.2.c. allows parents to review recommendations made by the team regarding the child’s
program and to provide feedback to the team about those recommendations;
8.2.d. is trained in referral procedures for multidisciplinary evaluations, Alternative Education
placement, disciplinary procedures, general summative assessment accommodations, and other school
processes as appropriate for ensuring student progress and maintenance of a safe school environment;
and
8.2.e. collects and maintains data on the activities of the team, including the dates of meetings,
the members in attendance, the recommendations of the team, the dates of review meetings, and the
results of its recommendations.
8.3. School Improvement
8.3.a. School Strategic Plan – Every school must develop and implement the School Strategic
Plan. The School Strategic Plan outlines strategies and processes the school will implement to improve
student performance and address student needs. The School Strategic Plan adheres to the following
criteria:
8.3.a.1. Prepared through a collaborative process by a school leadership team, facilitated by the
principal. The leadership team includes members who have the expertise to examine school-wide and
classroom practices, analyze student performance data, and determine effective improvement
strategies. The team incorporates information from various stakeholders and other school committees
and teams and may include representatives from the LSIC, the curriculum team, the technology team,
professional learning communities, and parent/community organizations.
8.3.a.2. Addresses at a minimum those areas in the WVDE online strategic plan: 1) core beliefs
and mission, 2) improvement goals, 3) a work plan that includes action steps and professional learning,
4) a system for monitoring and supporting the implementation and effectiveness of activities, and 5) an
evaluation process. The School Strategic Plan may include additional areas as established by the local
board of education.
8.3.a.3. Predicated on the establishment of high expectations for performance of all students
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and staff in the school.
8.3.a.4. Aligned with the School System Strategic Plan.
8.3.a.5. Revised annually as indicated by changes in student performance data and/or other
information such as monitoring reports, accreditation results, or changes in school conditions.
8.3.a.6. Presented to the county board of education as part of the annual meeting between the
LSIC and the county board of education.
8.3.b. The School Leadership Team shall have the following responsibilities:
8.3.b.1. analyze student performance data appropriate to the programmatic level of the school
to determine trends and priorities for improvement. This data may include local, state, and national
summative and formative achievement data including growth data, attendance data, student grades,
early warning indicators, graduation rates, wellness information, discipline trends, postsecondary
enrollment and preparation data, vocational/technical data, and dropout rates;
8.3.b.2. review all facets of the school’s operation, including school and classroom learning
conditions and operational/management efficiencies. This includes those areas specified in WVBE Policy
2322 and WVBE Policy 2320 which determine a school’s accreditation status: school climate and
culture; school leadership practices; student support systems; family and community connections;
continuous improvement processes; educator growth and development; standards-based curriculum;
standards-based assessment practices; student-centered customized learning; developmentally
appropriate, engaging, and meaningful instruction; safe and productive classroom environment; school
facilities; personnel; safety; technology; information system; finance; transportation; and other
administrative practices;
8.3.b.3. review agency monitoring reports relevant to school improvement priorities such as
OEPA review information, Title I monitoring results, special education monitoring results, technology
integration issues, and any other reports the improvement team finds helpful to inform deliberation and
decision-making;
8.3.b.4. use self-study rubrics, surveys, focus groups, and other tools and processes, as
appropriate, to determine priorities for improvement;
8.3.b.5. determine, through reflection and self-study, the root causes of deficits in student
performance and make recommendations for improvement;
8.3.b.6. collaborate with parents, school staff, county staff and the County School System
Leadership Team in the identification of school improvement goals, school improvement plan
development, plan implementation, and continuous plan monitoring;
8.3.b.7. make additional recommendations to the County School System Leadership Team
concerning additional assistance that is needed by the school or the School Leadership Team as the
school implements the plan; and
8.3.b.8. collaborate with outside entities such as RESAs, CPD, IHEs, and other groups that can
37
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build capacity to address student learning needs.
8.3.c. Schools will be selected to receive technical assistance based upon their status with regard
to the performance measures and high-quality standards set forth in WVBE Policy 2320 and WVBE Policy
2322.
§126-42-9. Assessment Program
9.1. Statewide Assessment Program
9.1.a. All public school students shall participate in the West Virginia Measures of Academic
Progress (hereinafter WV-MAP as stated in W. Va. 126CSR14, WVBE Policy 2340: West Virginia
Measures of Academic Progress [hereinafter WVBE Policy 2340]).
9.1.a.1. WV-MAP is the comprehensive assessment system for West Virginia that measures
student performance and is used as part of the annual school designation process (see WVBE Policy
2320).
9.2. School, County, RESA, and Other Assessments
9.2.a. The school, county, or RESA may develop assessments aligned with the content standards
to drive instructional improvement for all students.
9.2.a.1. Assessments may include standardized, non-standardized, performance assessments,
end-of-course/concentration (EOC) exams, portfolios, observation performance data, achievement
checklists, teacher-made tests, and other assessments that are at the direction of and use by the
classroom teacher.
9.2.a.2. A formative assessment process shall be used in grades Pre-K-3 to provide educators
with information to inform instruction, personalize planning, and share individual students’ progress
with families in meaningful ways.
§126-42-10. Program Accountability
10.1. The WVBE has adopted the following goals from West Virginia’s Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Request, which was approved May of 2013, to guide accountability for
schools, county school districts and the state.
10.1.a. By 2020, all schools will meet their West Virginia Accountability Index target, comprising
proficiency rates, performance of the bottom 25% of students, student growth, and attendance or
graduation rates.
10.1.b. By 2020, at least 75% of all students will become proficient in mathematics and English
language arts.
10.1.c. All students will be taught by highly qualified teachers.
10.1.d. All students will be educated in learning environments that are safe, drug free, and
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conducive to learning.
10.1.e. By 2020, at least 85% of all students will graduate from high school within four years of
enrolling in grade 9 and at least 87.5% of all students will graduate from high school within five years of
enrolling in grade 9.
10.2. A single system of accountability will be applied to all public schools. See WVBE Policy 2320 for
guidelines for the accountability system.
§126-42-11. Glossary
11.1. Advanced Career (AC) – The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) model calls for
designing, implementing, and continuously improving four courses in a specific career field that ensure it
is rigorous enough for students to meet college- and career-readiness standards. Two of the courses are
considered foundational and two are more advanced, with the potential for students to earn dual credit.
11.2. Advanced Placement® (AP®) – AP® courses are college-level courses offered in high school that
provide students the opportunity to earn credit or advanced standing at most of the nation’s colleges
and universities.
11.3. Advisory Council – Groups of local employers and other designated stakeholders who provide
advice to school districts, multi-county centers and technical program areas on issues relating to career
and technical education, including current and future employment needs, standards, curriculum and
equipment.
11.4. The Arts – The programs of study for dance, music, theatre, and visual art.
11.5. Career Awareness – The opportunity for students to learn about and develop an appreciation
of the broad concepts related to work, career, and educational preparation.
11.6. Career Cluster – A broad grouping of related occupations representative of the types of
occupations available in the world of work.
11.7. Career Development – The process through which a student comes to understand the world of
work.
11.8. Career Exploration – The opportunity within the education program for students to conduct
self-assessment, access career information, examine multiple career options and initiate education
planning based on a tentative career focus.
11.9. Career Technical Education Centers – Where two or more high schools within the county join
together to provide programs at a CTE center that serves students from the participating county.
11.10. Character Education – An integrated and comprehensive approach to promote an
understanding and inspire development of general character traits such as respect, responsibility,
caring, citizenship, justice, fairness, and trustworthiness. Character education utilizes existing curricula,
along with new and existing projects, programs, and activities.
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11.11. Class Period – A block of time provided for instruction in a course within a program of study.
11.12. Co-curricular Activities – Activities that are closely related to identifiable academic programs
and/or areas of study that serve to complement academic and technical curricula.
11.13. College Course – Any course for which college credit is awarded (e.g., dual credit, regular
college course).
11.14. Comprehensive High School – A high school that provides students access to concentrate in a
minimum of six (6) of the 16 approved WV Career Clusters.
11.15. Comprehensive School Counseling Program – A program coordinated by a certified school
counselor and delivered collaboratively by stakeholders to assist students in achieving academic,
personal, and career goals (see WVBE Policy 2315).
11.16. Content Standard – A broad description of knowledge and skills that students are expected to
acquire in a content area.
11.17. County Steering Committee – A committee that includes parents and representatives from
business, labor, higher education, economic development, local school improvement councils (one
member from each programmatic level, Pre-K-5, 6-8, 9-12), faculty senates (one teacher from each
programmatic level, Pre-K-5, 6-8, 9-12), students (one from each programmatic level 6-8 and 9-12) and
the other organizational entities in the community. These members may be part of the stakeholder
group that develops and implements the School System Strategic Plan (see Section 12.1.a).
11.18. Curriculum – An intentional learning plan to ensure students achieve the goals of the
standards, the curriculum represents the learning experience.
11.19. Diploma – Formal documentation and recognition that a student has satisfactorily completed
the graduation requirements of the state and county school district.
11.19.a. A Standard Diploma is awarded to all students who have satisfactorily completed the
graduation requirements for the state and county school district.
11.19.b. A Modified Diploma is formal documentation and recognition that an eligible student
with disabilities, who is unable to meet the graduation requirements for a standard diploma, has met
the modified diploma requirements specified on the student’s IEP. It is recommended students with
disabilities who receive a Modified Diploma participate in general graduation ceremonies with their
ninth grade cohort peers. A student receiving a modified diploma may continue his or her education
until the student turns 21 years of age, that is, the year in which the student is 21 years of age prior to
September (see Section 1.2.A.3).
11.20. Dual Credit Course – A course that provides students both high school and college credit.
Such a course must meet both the specified course content standards for secondary offerings and the
college course requirements.
11.21. Education Program – A structure for defining, delivering, and being accountable for a
thorough and efficient system of education. This structure is applicable at the state, county, and school
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levels.
11.22. Elective Courses – Courses students may choose to study based on interest.
11.23. Eligible Limited English Proficient Students – Those individuals who, in accordance with the
requirements of WVBE Policy 2417, have been determined to be LEP and in need of specially designed
instruction.
11.24. Eligible Students with Disabilities – Those individuals who have one or more of the disabilities
defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act and WVBE Policy 2419 and who,
by reason thereof, need special education and related services.
11.25. Eligible Students with Exceptionalities – Those individuals who are gifted or exceptional gifted
as defined in the WVBE Policy 2419 and/or who meet the definition of eligible students with disabilities
in this policy and the WVBE Policy 2419 and who, by reason thereof, need special education and related
services.
11.26. Embedded Credit – Incorporation of content standards for an embedded credit from one
credit bearing high school course into another (host) course(s) and allows students to earn credit for
both. Embedded credit does not allow for two courses in the same content area (e.g., Math IIITR and
Math IVTR) to be embedded into one course.
11.27. End-Of-Course/Concentration Tests (EOC) – Assessments that measure student achievement
in a course based on the approved content standards for each course/concentration.
11.28. Executive Functioning – Executive functioning is the cognitive process that enables us to plan,
initiate and complete an activity while controlling temper, maintaining attention, and responding to
feedback from others.
11.29. Extracurricular Activities – Activities that are not part of the required instructional day or
curricular offerings but are under the supervision of the school. Schools facilities may be used for
athletics, non-instructional assemblies, social programs, entertainment, and other similar activities. All
rules and policies that apply to the instructional day also apply to extracurricular activities (see W. Va.
126CSR26, WVBE Policy 2436.10: Participant in Extracurricular Activities).
11.30. Foundations Course – An elective course that enhances students’ skills or provides an
introduction to further in-depth studies in a CTE concentration.
11.31. Grade Level – The class structure that is used to organize and deliver education within West
Virginia public schools. The public school education experience is divided into levels, Pre-K-12.
11.32. Graduation Requirements – The number of required and elective units of credit that must be
earned by a student in order to be graduated from high school (see Sections 5.4.f and 5.4.h).
11.33. Individualized Education Program (IEP) – A written statement for each eligible student with a
disability, gifted (grades 1-8), and/or exceptional gifted student (grades 9-12) that is developed,
reviewed, and revised in accordance with the WVBE Policy 2419.
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11.34. Individual Work Readiness Certificate (IWRC) – Individual Work Readiness Certificate provides
students with mild learning deficits the opportunity to gain valuable work readiness and occupation
specific skills through a CTE career concentration cluster through a modified curriculum.
11.35. Instructional Day – Time allocated within the school day for the teaching and mastery of
content standards.
11.36. International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB) – A comprehensive two-year international
curriculum designed for highly motivated secondary school students aged 16-19. IB is a rigorous preuniversity course of study that leads to examinations. IB students generally receive college credit for
successful completion of IB courses. The International Baccalaureate Organization has also designed
programs for primary and middle school students.
11.37. Intervention – Additional instruction and time, utilizing multiple strategies and assessments,
to ensure student mastery of the content standards. The practice of removing students from any
required course for intervention is discouraged.
11.38. Learning Skills – The skills of information and communication, critical thinking and problemsolving, personal and workplace productivity skills and proficiency in the use of technology tools.
Learning skills enable students to acquire new content knowledge and skills, connect new information to
existing knowledge, learn new software programs, and learn new ways of completing tasks using
technology tools.
11.39. Local School Improvement Council (LSIC) – A local advisory group composed of three teachers,
three parents, two service employees, the principal, two at-large members appointed by the principal,
and one student from a school enrolling students in grade 7 or higher. The LSIC focuses on improving
the education program and operation of the school; has authorization to request waivers of local or
state rules, policies and state superintendent interpretations; assists in the development of The
Strategic Plan and can apply for grants and awards.
11.40. Mastery – Student has met the grade or course level expectations for the content standards.
11.41. Multi-County Center – when two (2) or more contiguous county school districts join together
to provide programs at a CTE center that serves students from all participating districts. Refer to W. Va.
126CSR71, Policy 3232, Establishment Procedures and Operating Policies for Multi-county Career and
Technical Education Centers
11.42. Personalized Education Plan (PEP) – A plan developed to guide students and their parent
and/or guardian to thoughtfully explore individual interests and aptitudes in relation to academic and
career planning. Each student’s course selections are based on individual career aspirations and
postsecondary plans.
11.43. Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) – The voluntary education program for all four-year-old children and
three-year-old children with identified special needs that addresses the growth and development of
children in the areas of social/emotional growth, the arts, physical health, language and literacy,
mathematics, social studies and science. West Virginia’s Pre-K is a readiness system designed to
promote the success of children in kindergarten and lifelong learning (see WVBE Policy 2525).
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11.44. Program of Study – The selection of high school courses that enables students to master the
knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their chosen clusters and concentrations that leads to
success in the global workplace and postsecondary education.
11.45. Programmatic Level – A component of the Pre-K-12 educational spectrum that addresses the
developmental needs of one age group of students. Programmatic levels described in this document
include Early Learning Programs (grades Pre-K-5), Middle School Programming (grades 6-8), and High
School Programming (grades 9-12).
11.46. Required Courses – Those courses that all students must complete.
11.47. School Day – The time, inclusive of the instructional day, homeroom, class changes,
breaks/recess, lunch, and other non-instructional activities from the first designated assembling of the
student body in groups (homeroom or first period) to the dismissal of the student body.
11.48. School Improvement – A continuous process to increase student achievement and positively
affect other student outcomes. School improvement builds the capacity of all entities, both state and
local, to improve student success.
11.49. School Strategic Plan – A plan that specifies how the school intends to increase student
achievement and positively impact other student outcomes. The School Strategic Plan must be
developed and implemented using a continuous improvement process, be based on all available data
regarding student achievement, and align with the goals of the district’s School System Strategic Plan
(see Sections 8.3).
11.50. School System Strategic Plan – A plan that specifies how the county school system intends to
strengthen the county education program in order to increase student achievement and positively
impact other student outcomes (see sections 7.2.e).
11.51. Semester – A block of instructional time that is equivalent to at least one-half of the school
year. For example, 90 instructional days are equal to a semester in a traditional school term of 180
instructional days.
11.52. Simulated Workplace – a career technical education initiative created to assist schools in
implementing work place environmental protocols that align with West Virginia business and industry.
11.53. Student Assistance Team – A trained school-based team which provides a formalized process
for the review of student needs and complements the work of instruction and intervention teams.
11.54. Support for Personalized Learning (SPL) – A multi-tiered system of academic and behavior
support which districts and schools can use to ensure every learner is engaged in learning experiences
that are relevant to their needs and maximize their growth.
11.55. Technology Integration – The use of technology throughout content areas to help students
master the approved content standards, including standards found in WVBE Policy 2520.14, and become
lifelong learners.
11.56. Technology Plan – The county boards of education must develop and update a county
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technology plan.
11.57. Technology Tools – Important 21st century technology tools include information and
communication technologies such as computers, networking, and other technologies. Technology tools,
when integrated in classroom instruction, enable students to access, manage, integrate, and evaluate
information across content areas, construct new knowledge and communicate efficiently with others.
11.58. West Virginia Report Card – Information provided to parents and the general public on the
quality of education in the public schools that is uniform and comparable among schools within and
among the various school districts as defined in W. Va. Code §18-2E-4.
11.59. Work Day – Time allocated for the instructional day and other activities such as homeroom,
class changes, lunch, planning periods, and staff development that may not exceed eight clock hours.
§126-42-12. Severability
12.1. If any provision of this rule or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held
invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this rule.
44
Policy 2510: Assuring the Quality of Education: Regulations for Education Programs
Comment Log
February 12, 2016 to March 14, 2016
Action
Type
N: No Response
- Negative
NA: Not Accepted + Positive
A: Accepted
o Neutral
Date
03-13
Individual
Organization
Action/
Comments
Type
Rationale
§126-42-1 General (Inclusive of policies being repealed in Section 1 5 )
Katherine Bush
What is wrong with the Social Studies curriculum
NA/Response 1: Stakeholders as
CHARLESTON West
that we have? WHY does it need to be changed?
a whole, not social studies
Flexibility for scheduling is NOT the answer to that
teachers alone, requested that
question. Who is benefitting from this change? NOT
the social studies requirements
THE STUDENTS! Isn't education SUPPOSED to be
be reduced from 4 credits to 3
about what is BEST FOR THE STUDENT?
like Science, however with
And please, don't try and tell me that "the students
allowing some flexibility the
will have a good understanding of history" with these
proposed version of Policy
changes. I am already hearing from 10th grade
2510 retains 4 credits for social
students that they do not want to take the 11th grade
studies. West Virginia is only
Contemporary Studies and will just schedule for AP
one of 4 states that requires 4
Human Geography instead.
credits for social studies. We
AND - Yes, teaching geography is embedded in the
are the only state that currently
teaching of history. BUT A GEOGRAPHY CLASS
prescribes all 4 of the courses.
DOES NOT FOCUS ON THE HISTORY - despite
Response 2: The World
what Joey Wiseman says. And he knows better.
Studies requirement has been
That is why a Geography class is separate from a
placed back in the policy
history class.
based on comments, the
And if you try and say, well not every school has a
A/wording remains "or an AP®
teacher who is certified to teach those other AP
social studies course" just as it
courses so the kids won't be able to switch and take
states in the current version of
those in place of a real history class..... need I say
Policy 2510.
on-line AP course? Which, as a very experienced
AP teacher/reader (24 yrs) IS NOT THE SAME
THING AS A REAL CLASSROOM!
1
03-09
03-11
Michelle Neidig
Charleston WV
Richard Vidulich
Social Studies Teacher
Morgantown High
School
Morgantown WV
§126-42-2 Purpose
I am writing to oppose Policy 2510 and proposed
changes to the history and social studies curriculum.
From what I can see, the proposed changes would
allow a student to study a specific subject, such as
European History, and graduate without having any
knowledge of American history, including such vital
issues as the Civil Rights Movement and the World
Wars. I strongly believe that we owe our students a
thorough, well-rounded curriculum that teaches them
a solid background of world history and the events
that shaped their own country. This proposed
curriculum appears to allow students to patchwork
together an unrelated group of classes that leave out
vital portions of history and social studies.
I am writing to comment on proposed Social Studies
course offerings.
In my opinion the offering of AP Art History is would
best be served within the Fine Arts curriculum as
2
NA/o
A/-
A/o
See Response 2.
Response 3: Current policy
states U.S. Studies or an AP®
Social Studies course, for
years this has allowed
students who take AP® to get
around taking U.S. History or
AP® U.S. History. The new
proposed version of Policy
2510 will require every student
to take either U.S. Studies,
AP® U.S. History, or U.S.
Studies Comprehensive (which
is a course that will cover U.S.
History from its inception to
today). This change will
require every student to have a
U.S. History/Studies course in
addition to Civics before
graduation. Contemporary
Studies is still required to be
offered by all high schools.
Additionally, a footnote has
been added to recommend
that students who take U.S.
Studies instead of U.S. Studies
Comprehensive or AP® U.S.
History also choose
Contemporary Studies as their
next course of study.
AP® Art History was been
removed as a Social Studies
option but remains as a Fine
Arts option.
03-13
Katherine Bush
CHARLESTON West
these teachers would have the expertise that a
social studies teacher would not possess,. This is a
good ideas just would be better served within fine
arts.
The Charleston Sunday Gazette-Mail ran an editorial
on Sunday March 6th titled “Voting- Heart of
Democracy”. In the 2014 West Virginia Primary,
fewer than 20% of eligible people went to the polls
(Gazette-Mail). The editorial cites the work of Inspire
West Virginia in organizing voter registration drives
in our high schools, and the editors hope that this
effort can help overcome the low voting rate.
Unfortunately, on Page B-1 in the same edition of
the Sunday Gazette-Mail, staff writer Ryan Quinn
has written about the West Virginia Board of
Education’s proposed revision to Policy 2510. As a
high school social studies teacher, I STRONGLY
oppose the proposed changes to the curriculum. I
believe that these changes will have an adverse
effect on social studies education AND on helping
students to understand what it means to be a global
citizen of the United States and the world.
Citizenship requires one to be knowledgeable about
the issues, both past and present. How we live today
does not take place in a historical vacuum. The
events of the past have shaped who we are and how
our public policies are made.
I have excerpted the specific points for easier
reference.
There are several areas that cause me to be very
concerned:
1. Joey Wiseman (the state Department of
Education’s executive director of middle and
secondary learning) has told us that AT THIS TIME
they have NOT quantified exactly what “United
States Studies -Comprehensive “ will encompass. I
3
NA/-
Response 4: The option of
selecting an AP® social
studies course in place of a
social studies requirement has
not changed from current
policy for 2 of the required
credits. The big change is for
U.S. Studies. In the current
policy, it states "or an AP®
social studies course", for
years this has allowed
students who take AP® to get
around taking U.S. Studies or
AP® U.S. History. The new
proposed version of Policy
2510 will require every student
to take either U.S. Studies,
AP® U.S. History, or U.S.
Studies Comprehensive (which
is a course that will cover U.S.
History from its inception to
today). This change will
require every student to have a
U.S. History/Studies course
before graduation. There are
no changes to Civics or AP®
U.S. Government and Politics.
The Civics requirement is in
state code and colleges and
universities acknowledge
Civics as a U.S.
History/Government course.
Finally the 4th credit will allow
have been a history teacher for 26 years, and am a
certified AP® US History teacher for 23 of those
years. I am also a reader and table leader for the
AP® US History exam since 2004. It is very difficult
to properly teach ALL of American history to
motivated students in one school year. Our present
curriculum divides U.S. History between the 10th
and 11th grades. That is a much better pace to
teach students who are not as motivated as AP®
students.
2. When you look at Chart IV, pay attention to the
use of “OR” when viewing what can be taught.
Geography is necessary, (and geography standards
are embedded in the current curriculum) BUT it does
not teach the history of a region. Even AP® Human
Geography does not teach the history. Do the other
AP® course teach World History? Only one: AP®
World History. I do not believe that it is a positive
thing for education if our students graduate without
learning about world history or world religions and
expect them to be prepared to work and live in this
global society that is our world today.
3. If this proposal is accepted, it is very possible for a
student to graduate without having learned anything
about the causes of the American Revolution, the
Civil War, World War I, World War II or the Civil
Rights Movement. That does not sound like a good
preparation for being an informed voter in the 21st
century!
4. This proposal only specifies ‘taking an AP®
course’. It says nothing about actually passing the
AP® exam or taking the course from a qualified AP®
teacher who is teaching a rigorous course of study.
5. The last revision of Social Studies and English for
high school brought the two content areas more
closely in alignment. In the 10th grade I teach about
the Progressive reforms, Pure Food and Drug Act
4
students to personalize the
type of social studies course
they need to take to align with
the interests or post-secondary
education plans. There is
nothing in this policy that would
prevent a county from doing
exactly what they are doing
now for social studies but it
does allow flexibility for
counties and students who
have been begging for it for
years.
A/-
Response 5: The College
Board site identifies what
colleges and universities are
looking for as high school
social studies credits from their
applicants and provides the
following suggested course
plan:
• U.S. history (1 credit)
• U.S. government (.5
credit)
• World history or
geography (.5 credit
• An extra .5 credit in the
above or other areas
The proposed revised version
of Policy 2510 more than
exceeds these expectations.
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.o
rg/get-in/your-high-schoolrecrod/high-school-classes-
03-13
Joseph Manzo
Professor of Geography
West Virginia
Geographic Alliance
Athens WV
03-13
Katherine Bush
CHARLESTON West
03-14
Joshua M. Fix
Teacher
and the book "The Jungle". This year, the 11th grade
English teacher had her students read that book and
they already knew the historical context so they were
MUCH BETTER able too understand the text. This
has happened several times already this year. In the
past, this was not the case, and students would be
reading books that they would not understand
because they had no historical background to 'get'
the context. A significant area in the standards that
we, as social studies teachers, are required to teach
IS reading for context.
I want to comment on 2510. I like the notion of
improved opportunities for geography in the 9-12
curriculum. WV faces 21st century problems that are
not solvable through what is primarily a history
curriculum, My suggestion is to begin in middle
school with efforts in geography and economics. The
7th grade geography class has been changed to
ancient cultures. I would like to see it changed back.
§126-42-3 Scope
And as for the boxes that you can check above for
our "role", you do not make this easy to submit
comments. Yes, I am a teacher, but I am also a
Community member and a parent.
The curriculum should include a greater breadth and
depth of geography throughout, with special
5
colleges-look-for
A/o
NA/o
Response 6: The World
Studies requirement has been
placed back in policy based on
comments, however the
wording remains "or an AP®
social studies course" just as it
states in the current version of
Policy 2510. This wording will
allow those students who feel
they excelled in 7th grade
World History, which is aligned
with the high school World
History course and is heavy in
Geography skills, to take AP®
Human Geography or another
AP® course if they so choose.
Geography will still be
required to be offered by all
high schools.
N/o
A/o
See Response 6.
Charleston Catholic
High School & WV
Geographic Alliance
Charleston WV
03-06
Samuel J Brunett, MFA
23 veteran Art Teacher
Morgantown High
School
Morgantown WV
03-10
Don Dellinger
Deputy Superintendent
Berkeley County
Schools
Martinsburg WV
02-19
Stacey Cutlip
Principal
Webster County High
School
Upper Glade WV
emphasis in the middle and high school grades.
Geographic literacy (which does NOT simply mean
map literacy) is fundamental to facing the world in
the 21st century. While history is important, it cannot
do what geography does in terms of real-world
application of relevant skills, including cultural
literacy, issues of religious conflict, development,
etc. Geography is an interpretive application which
focuses on "why" things are "where" they are.
§126-42-4 General Responsibilities
1. Add art, music and physical education courses
taught at grades preK-6 to Chart VI, noting maximum
enrollment with exceptions
Correct the existing chart for grades 4-6 physical
education maximum enrollment is 25 with 3
exceptions.
Please consider delaying the implementation of the
required social studiea credits for high school
graduation. The new requirements will have students
taking different courses than what is currently
offered. This will require counties to purchase
additional textbooks for the new required classes.
The current social studies adoption is only 3 years
old. This will result in a significant cost for new social
studies textbooks and a large number from the
original adoption will not be used. Delay the
implementation until next social studies adoption.
§126-42-5 Program Definition and Design
On page 14 of the policy that discusses the PEP, the
language is very broad and confusing. It leads an
individual to believe that the policy is reverting back
to the old professional and skilled pathways. That is
not the intent so the language needs to be more
specific and read as follows:
"Each student's PEP will identify either a stateapproved CTE concentration or a locally-approved
6
NA/o
N/o
See Chart VII for revisions. All
other content areas exclusive
of choral and band/orchestral
music would follow the
maximum teacher pupil ratio at
each programmatic level.
N/o
See Response 4.
A/o
Clarification was added to
Chart IV.
concentration of course work for the four (4)
credits............"
02-20
Beverly Kingery
WV citizen
South Charleston West
Having that language only listed in the Middle School
section is very confusing and leaves the High School
section very vague.
I support utilizing JROTC I and II in fulfilling the high
school PE requirement. This has been needed for
many years. In most instances, the JROTC program
is far more rigorous than the general high school PE
course.
I support the addition of a computer science course
required elective. Further, I would support including
the computer science course to suffice as one of the
three requirements for science high school
graduation.This is a course that is a STEM science
base and those students who have an acute interest
in this area should be afforded the opportunity to
utilize their strengths in fulfilling high school
graduation requirements.
N/+
A/o
Response 7: The current
option we have available in
Computer Science are more
technology and math based.
Most students going into the
STEM field will take an
additional 4th credit in science
and that could be computer
science. We have added that
recommendation into the best
practice statement in Policy
2510. If the new requirement
of offering computer science is
approved, in addition to the
county and AP® Computer
Science options, we are
beginning working on
developing a more science
based computer science
course that could hopefully be
utilized as a 3rd Science credit.
Language was added to
Section 5.4.f.2 to address this
concern.
7
A/o
02-24
02-24
02-27
02-29
Sharron Chenault
Director
CCCTC
Huntington WV
Neil Reger
Teacher
Buckhannon-Upshur
High School
Buckhannon-Upshur
High School WV
Sherry Copley
Curriculum Coordinator
Marion County Schools
Fairmont WV
Jessica Gill (Adkins)
Health Occupations
Science and
Technology Instruct
Summers County High
School
Hinton WV
I agree with providing high schools flexibility with
8100 minutes; however,there should be safeguards
built in if a high school staff develops an alternative
schedule to the current 8100 minute requirement
and academic achievement is not at or above the
state proficiency average for a minimum of two
years, the school would have to review and develop
scheduling based on student need.
In regards to the Simulated WorkPlace, could you
please clarify what “Drug Free Work Zone” means.
Is this drug testing?
N/o
Will the new AP Computer Science Principles course
that College Board will launch in fall 2016 count as a
math credit as well as AP Computer Science A?
NA/o
I see no reference to Support for Personalized
Learning or scaffolding in the 9-12 section. Could
there be wording that creates a sense of urgency for
supporting high school struggling learners?
Teachers tell me that they believe it is their job to
deliver the rigorous lesson and students get it, or
they don't. Teachers don't believe that policy
supports them in being able to scaffold instruction.
Health Science Education Programs should be
counted as a science credit. Almost everything we
teach involves some sort of science. It is a science
involving the health of the human body and the
science involved in work place safety within the
health care system. The WVDE content standards
for my therapeutic services cluster require education
in infection control (which is part of microbiology the
spread of microorganisms/prevention/treatment),
A/o
8
NA/o
Only AP® Computer Science A
will count as a required
Mathematics credit.
SPL language was added to
Charts III and IV.
Response 8: This would
require multiple courses in a
concentration to receive 1
science credit. Approval for
this should be pursued through
a county embedded credit
policy. Please see 5.4.g.2.
anatomy & physiology (including human structure
and function and disease/disorders), safety
(including Material Safety Data Sheets that can
include chemical reactions within the work place),
human growth & development. Much of the science
in the world today focuses on the human body and
our health. That is exactly what we are teaching.
Why would it not be considered as a science
credit???? I have personally discussed my lessons
with our anatomy/biology instructor and we teach a
lot of the same things when it comes to body
systems including cellular structure and functions as
well as the 12 body systems. The difference is that
health science instructors go a little farther in the fact
that we correlate the diseases associated with these
symptoms. We teach about the pathology of the
diseases, diagnostics(radiology etc.), treatments,
prevention. The science related to the health of the
human being has been studied from the beginning of
time and continues to be for ever evolving. The study
of the human body, disease processes, infection
control are all SCIENCE. A major portion of science
in the real world revolves around our health;
therefore, I ask, "Why would health science
programs not be a "science" in the classroom?"
Also, upon completion of my program these students
would have dedicated a whole 2 years of their school
to be a completer. This is a lot of time and a lot of
hard work. My students are eligible to become
Certified Nurse Assistants. The are able to apply
their academic and technical skills from our class
directly to the word force. Some students may be
limited on taking this class due to a schedule conflict
or needing a "science" credit; however, by making
health science programs a science credit these
students can still take these courses and become
successful in the health field.
9
03-01
Vickie Bennett
Health Science
Instructor
Monroe County
Technical Center
Lindside WV
Health Science Education Concentrations for
Science Credit
Rationale for Health Science Education
Concentrations to count as West Virginia Science
Credit:
The Health Science Education Concentrations listed
below contain the principles, theories, and recurring
themes important to a student’s understanding and
application of science. Each course is based upon
the National Health Science Standards and is
designed to provide essential knowledge common
across health professions. In each course you will
find major concepts that are connected to non-CTE
science courses. The following major concepts are
underlying throughout Health Science Education
courses:
1. The academic foundation of health science
education is human anatomy and physiology,
diseases and disorders common to each body
system and competency in basic math skills and
mathematical conversions as related to health care.
2. Health Science Education assess’ the impact of
emerging issues in healthcare delivery systems such
as: technology, epidemiology, bioethics, and
socioeconomics as it relates to the development,
improvement, and delivery of healthcare.
3. Practice issues in healthcare are researched and
discussed such as: organ donation, invitro
fertilization, euthanasia, genetically modified foods,
physical activities effect on the body, and
government regulations impact on healthcare
delivery.
10
NA/o
See Response 8.
4. Infection control is part of Health Science
Education safety practice standard where the chain
of infection, mode of transmission, microorganisms
and classifications are discussed along with
controlling the spread and growth of
microorganisms. Students demonstrate aseptic
control, standard precautions, isolation precautions,
blood borne pathogen precautions and vaccinations.
5. Common workplace hazards for healthcare
facilities are researched and projects designed using
the Center for Disease Control and the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration guidelines.
6. Behaviors of health and wellness, strategies for
prevention of disease including medical, dental and
mental health screenings, stress management, risky
behaviors, and complementary and alternative
health practices are discussed and researched.
7. Health Science education establishes a relevant
setting for the application of scientific practices and
principles.
8. Inquiry activities are important in the practice of
scientific processes and in the world of research.
9. Individuals involved with the processes of health
science education must perform specific technical
skills proficiently and interpret data to maintain
patient health.
10. Critical thinking involves using a variety of
problem-solving techniques in real-life contexts.
11
HE0718 Diagnostic Services
0711 Foundations of Health Science
0715 Advanced Principles of Health Science
Medical Laboratory Technician
0755 Medical Laboratory and diagnostic procedures
0756 Medical Laboratory Diagnostic Procedures and
Application
Radiography Aide
0787 Radiography for health care providers
0788 Radiography Applications
Clinical Diagnostics
0810 Electrocardiograph Technician
0825 Phlebotomy Technician
HE 0715 Allied Health
0711 Foundations of Health Science
0715 Advanced Principles of Health Science
Dental Science
0746 Dental Science
0743 Dental Assisting Clinical Science
Medical Assisting
0737 Medical Assistant Laboratory and Diagnostic
Procedures
0733 Medical Assistant Clinical Procedures
PTCB Prep (Pharmacy Technician Prep)
0771 PTCB Prep
0772 PTCB Clinical Applications
EMT
0792 EMT-B
12
0730 Health Science Clinical Experience
03-01
Norma Gaines
Director of Federal
Programs
Monongalia County
Schools
Morgantown WV
03-02
Thomas Bane
PLTW Instructor
Mingo Central High
School
Delbarton WV
Pre-Nursing
0771 PTCB Preparation
0615 Certified Nursing Assistant
I am concerned that the language of the program
definition and design section seems to require the
use of the Early Learning Reporting System (ELRS).
Many counties have developed their own systems for
teacher reporting of student data, such as
Standards-Based report cards and/or Benchmark
Assessment Systems created or purchased to track
Support for Personalized Learning data. In my
county, teachers prefer our teacher-created,
standards-based data collection (in EnGrade) over
the ELRS and find it to be more user-friendly and to
have better reporting capabilities. The lack of locallyavailable reports in ELRS is of particular concern,
particularly if the use of the system is to be required
of teachers in Grades K-2. "Formative Assessment"
cannot be actually formative if the aggregate data is
unavailable to teachers in a timely manner.
I feel there is enough science included within the
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) CTE concentration to
justify it as one of the additional science courses that
would qualify as the third lab-based science course
for graduation requirement credit and should be
included in Chart V as such.
Often, my engineering students take as many PLTW
courses they can fit into their schedules because
they like them so much and they see the potential
benefits of these classes in preparation for a career
in engineering. Also, WVU, the PLTW Affiliate
University in WV, recognizes the science lab
component of the advanced PLTW courses, like
13
NA/-
The West Virginia Early
Learning Reporting System is
a teacher-created, standardsfocused system that is utilized
to gauge how well the state's
early learning population is
moving toward proficiency
across English Language Arts
and Mathematics. Data are
reported twice yearly on the
reporting system based on the
daily formative assessment
process. Reports for families,
educators, and other
audiences are entirely optional
(not required). Counties
reserve the right to utilize their
own report cards or reporting
mechanisms.
Response 9: Project Lead The
Way is technically a
supplemental instructional
material with a cost. Project
Lead The Way computer
science curriculum can be
utilized in an AP® Computer
Science A course. However,
the teacher would still have to
go through the AP® training
and have their syllabus
approved by the College Board
for it to count as a required
Engineering Development and Design, as a
fulfillment of a senior year science course.
03-02
Matthew Cox
Social Studies Teacher
Charleston WV
ST2460 Pre-Engineering - Project Lead the Way
2461 Introduction to Engineering Design
2463 Principles of Engineering
2464 Engineering Design and Development
(Capstone) - A
2462 Digital Electronics - B
2465 Computer Integrated Manufacturing Project
Lead the Way - C
2466 Civil Engineering and Architecture - D
2467 Biotechnical Engineering - E
2468 Aerospace Engineering - F
In May 2008, the National Council for the Social
Studies created a position statement concerning a
vision for powerful teaching and learning in the
social studies. Excerpts from an article that
appeared in Education Week in December 2007
from Dr. Judith L. Pace were present through the
article citing a squeeze in social studies. In the No
Child Left Behind era and during the reforms of
Common Core, social studies has been pushed to
the side in order to raise test scores in reading and
mathematics. The implications of such a move
threaten the depth of historical, political and cultural
understanding our students must have if our
government is to survive and thrive. The appropriate
scaffolding of social studies related courses is
essential if West Virginia social studies educators
are expected to create a well-informed and civicminded citizenry that can maintain these democratic
traditions.
Policy 2510 from the West Virginia Department of
Education makes several changes to the sequence
and scope of a student’s high school education,
14
mathematics credit. The
Offices of CTE and
Middle/Secondary Learning
are currently reviewing options
for the Pre-Engineering
Concentration to possibly be
approved for an embedded
credit.
N/o
See Response 1.
particularly in the field of social studies. While the
proposed policy gives students and schools more
curricular options, the quality of social studies
instruction suffers due to the possibility of a
decrease in the coverage of current content
standards.
According to the proposed policy, during freshman
year, students would be required to take World
Studies (the current course of study) or Geography
or and AP course. These offerings are not close in
their content coverage and may create a gap in a
student’s knowledge base. The World History course
is not simply a study of ancient history, it covers
world forces that have shaped mankind and the
United States: revolutions, imperialism, global trade
and slavery patterns, demographic changes,
plague/health issues on a global scale. If a student
opted to take AP Art History or AP Psychology this
year, this would be vastly different and deny the
student key knowledge they will need to be
successful in the remaining high school courses and
in their college studies.
In their sophomore year, students would have the
option under the new guidelines to take United
States Studies, United States Studies
Comprehensive, or AP® U.S. History as high school
sophomores. As social studies classes are
sequenced now in West Virginia secondary schools,
it is suggested that students complete two years of
coursework from the American perspective. The
suggestion of a comprehensive, one-year class
taught at the general level creates a more
rudimentary study of the nation’s history. This would
severely limit the amount of time teachers could
spend on important American history topics while
15
A/o
See Response 2.
See Response 3.
See Response 4.
See Response 5.
See Response 6.
creating a broad curriculum that is quite shallow in its
scope. The facets of American history are quite
complex. Cramming four hundred years of history
into a thirty-six week class for standard level
students, would make it nearly impossible for social
studies educators to teach their students to grasp
the complexities of historical causation, to respect
particularities, and to avoid excessively abstract
generalizations. Furthermore, giving such little
attention to a familiar topic like American history
would minimize the significance that history plays in
our modern lives, both public and private, and to
modern society. While textbooks bulge with detail,
many courses fail to reach the modern era. As
author James Loewen said in Lies My Teacher Told
Me, “…students exit history classes without having
developed the ability to think coherently about social
life.” A solid foundation of American history is critical
for understanding government.
As juniors, the graduation requirements for social
studies become more abstract. While Contemporary
Studies has been a hallmark of eleventh grade, the
options for coursework can easily allow students to
go through their high school careers without having
explored uniquely American events of the twentieth
and twenty-first centuries or studying history shaped
by American policy. If a hypothetical West Virginia
high school student took United States Studies as a
sophomore and an AP® course listed in Chart V of
Policy 2510, that student could feasibly graduate
without ever studying the Women’s Suffrage
Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, or any
causes and effects of global conflicts including WWI
, WWII, or Vietnam.
Most would agree that the hypothetical student was
16
done a disservice in their social studies education. In
reality, events of the last century did more to shape
modern dialogue on issues of race, gender, and
cultural identity than any other period of history.
These events should be studied and researched,
discussed and dissected, and critiqued and
celebrated. Only then can students be expected to
be productive citizens.
The senior year requirements remain a positive in
the structure of social studies courses. One of the
unique features of social studies education in West
Virginia is the emphasis on civic education during
the final year of high school. Retired Supreme Court
Justices David Souter and Sandra Day O’Connor
have said that the lack of civic education is one of
the biggest problems facing the United States today.
While most states study government in early grades
or only dedicate a semester to the coursework, West
Virginia has placed the study of government and
finance as its capstone of social studies education.
The placement of this particular class is
developmentally appropriate for students who will
soon be eligible for the political processes of local,
state, and federal government. Success in this
course, however, may be made more difficult by the
lack of base knowledge of students who may not
have taken a World History course or Contemporary
American Studies.
Positive and negative curriculum pathways.
Student A (Current pathway) Student B (Current
pathway AP)
World History AP World
US Studies to 1900 AP US History
Contemporary Studies AP European, AP Geography
17
Civics Next Generation AP Government and Politics
Both students in the current pathways have a
coverage of historical events key to their
understanding of the United States and global
events.
Student C (new pathway) Student D (new pathway)
AP Geography AP Art History
US Studies to 1900 US Studies to 1900
AP European AP Psychology
Civics Next Generation Civics Next Generation
Both students here are missing key foundational
knowledge to understand the history of the United
States in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Also, their understanding of the United States in the
global arena is lacking. Their understanding of the
society that is America is weak as there is little
coverage of women’s issues, African American
history, Latino and other immigrant groups, etc.
While there are many positive aspects of proposed
Policy 2510 for other high school subjects, social
studies seem to suffer disproportionately. The
meaningful study of history, geography, government,
and economics assures student readiness and
willingness to assume citizenship responsibilities.
According to the National Council for the Social
Studies, social studies teaching and learning is
powerful when it is meaningful, integrative, valuebased, challenging and active. The proposed course
of study with its many options robs the curriculum of
meaning when depth is sacrificed for breadth. The
lack of structure, during the ninth grade and eleventh
grade years especially, limits the amount of cross-
18
03-02
Denise Foster
Teacher
Putnam Career and
Technical Center
Eleanor WEST
curricular integration that can take place. And when
the accomplishments of far-off societies, different
religious groups, women, and minorities are
downplayed through sins of omission, the values of
tolerance and acceptance become downplayed as
well. As school districts across the country and the
globe are expanding their Global Studies programs
and their emphasis on the arts and social skills of
students, we cannot be a state who is traveling in the
opposite direction.
The Health Science Education Concentrations listed
below contain the principles, theories, and recurring
themes important to a student’s understanding and
application of science. Each course is based upon
the National Health Science Standards and is
designed to provide essential knowledge common
across health professions. In each course you will
find major concepts that are connected to non-CTE
science courses. The following major concepts are
underlying throughout Health Science Education
courses:
1. The academic foundation of health science
education is human anatomy and physiology,
diseases and disorders common to each body
system and competency in basic math skills and
mathematical conversions as related to health care.
2. Health Science Education assess’ the impact of
emerging issues in healthcare delivery systems such
as: technology, epidemiology, bioethics, and
socioeconomics as it relates to the development,
improvement, and delivery of healthcare.
3. Practice issues in healthcare are researched and
discussed such as: organ donation, invitro
fertilization, euthanasia, genetically modified foods,
19
NA/o
See Reponse 8.
physical activities effect on the body, and
government regulations impact on healthcare
delivery.
4. Infection control is part of Health Science
Education safety practice standard where the chain
of infection, mode of transmission, microorganisms
and classifications are discussed along with
controlling the spread and growth of
microorganisms. Students demonstrate aseptic
control, standard precautions, isolation precautions,
blood borne pathogen precautions and vaccinations.
5. Common workplace hazards for healthcare
facilities are researched and projects designed using
the Center for Disease Control and the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration guidelines.
6. Behaviors of health and wellness, strategies for
prevention of disease including medical, dental and
mental health screenings, stress management, risky
behaviors, and complementary and alternative
health practices are discussed and researched.
7. Health Science education establishes a relevant
setting for the application of scientific practices and
principles.
8. Inquiry activities are important in the practice of
scientific processes and in the world of research.
9. Individuals involved with the processes of health
science education must perform specific technical
skills proficiently and interpret data to maintain
patient health.
20
03-02
Kimberly Baughman
Instructor/Medical
Assisting
United Technical
Center
Clarksburg WV
03-04
James Coble
Teacher
Wayne County Schools
10. Critical thinking involves using a variety of
problem-solving techniques in real-life contexts.
I firmly believe that Health Science Program
Completers should receive a science credit. The
students in the Medical Assisting Program complete
courses in: 0715.1 - Human structure and function,
disease and disorders; o715.2 - classify the basic
structural and functional organization of the human
body (tissue, organ and system); 0715.3 - recognize
body planes, directional terms, quadrants, and
cavities; 0715.4 analyze the basic structure and
function of the human body; 0715.6 - recognize
emerging diseases and disorders;0715.7 investigate biomedical therapies as they relate to the
prevention, pathology and treatment of disease. The
students also have to cover the Muscular and
Skeletal Systems in depth for administering
medications and the respiratory system for
spirometry, nebulizer treatment, etc. Also the
Cardiovascular system for performing and reading
EKGs and applying holter monitors must be covered
extensively.
1. The academic foundation of health science
education is human anatomy and physiology,
diseases and disorders common to each body
system and competency in basic math skills and
mathematical conversions as related to health care.
6. Behaviors of health and wellness, strategies for
prevention of disease including medical, dental and
mental health screenings, stress management, risky
behaviors, and complementary and alternative
health practices are discussed and researched.
Epidemiology, bioethics, socioeconomics, and
delivery of healthcare are discussed in depth.
I feel there is enough science included within the
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) CTE concentration to
justify it as one of the additional science courses that
21
NA/o
See Response 8.
NA/o
See Response 9.
Huntington WV
would qualify as the third lab-based science course
for graduation requirement credit and should be
included in Chart V as such. The courses to consider
include all of the following:
ST2460 Pre-Engineering - Project Lead the Way
2461 Introduction to Engineering Design
2463 Principles of Engineering
2464 Engineering Design and Development
(Capstone) -A
2462 Digital Electronics - B
2465 Computer Integrated Manufacturing Project
Lead the Way - C
2466 Civil Engineering and Architecture - D
2467 Environmental Sustainability- E
2468 Aerospace Engineering - F
03-05
Lou Maynus
Assistant
Superintendent Middle
Schools
The courses are delivered in the Activities, Project,
Problem Based Learning (A-P-P-BL) style which
allows students to not only scaffold upon learning
objectives but apply what they have learned while
trying to solve ill-structured Problems. Courses are
concluded with an End-of-Course (EOC) Test which
is used to assess the students understanding of the
learning objective nationally. Principals of
Engineering is a course that I personally feel holds
similarities with science classes in that it is host to
mechanics, electricity, and states of matter.
Specifically covering information dealing with
Newton's Laws, Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff's Law,
Thermodynamics, Force Vectors, 2-D Motion,
Projectile Motion, Circular Motion, Pascal's Law,
etc...
Please consider changing the student/teacher ratio
for 6th grade students from the elementary model of
25:1 (page 23 of Policy 2510) to the middle school
model. Seventh and eighth grade have no defined
22
A/o
See Chart VII for revisions. All
other content areas exclusive
of choral and band/orchestral
music would follow the
Kanawha County
Schools
Charleston WV
03-07
03-07
03-07
Christopher McClung
Teacher
Kanawha County
Schools
Charleston WV
Wendy Imperial
Assistant
Superintendent
Harrison County
Schools
Clarksburg WV
Philip Anderon
Teacher
Kanawha County
Schools
Charleston Wv
ratio and administrators and teachers are able to
make decisions that provide student centered
offerings as a result of this flexibility. However, with
the constraints on our 6th grade classrooms we are
at risk of losing our sixth grade teacher's common
team planning period to reduce and insure their
class sizes are in compliance with state code. This
will cause major problems with the middle school
model and philosophy of the team data driven
decision making of middle schools.
I do not see the benefit nor do I follow the logic of
allowing substitutions for the study of American
History and the consolidation of US History into a
single year.
Simulated Workplace --- Drug Free workplace
requirement does not have details on how this will be
determined. Open to too much interpretation to not
have specific details. Is this policy written with legal
support for mandatory drug testing for ALL students
in upper CTE courses?
In reference to the new requirements for secondary
social studies graduation and acceptable credits, it
should be noted that use of the word "or" makes it
possible for students to graduate high school only
having taken 2 social studies history classes and
greatly reduces the emphasis on the United States
history curriculum. Also, what is the United States
comprehensive class? We have be unable to obtain
a true answer. One of the building blocks of a truly
well rounded education is being removed because
there is no focus on fundamental historic facts and
knowledge that leads to educated citizens, voters
and Americans. Without this basic knowledge, as
well as the critical thinking skills taught in these
history classes, West Virginia students will be
hindered in college.
23
maximum teacher pupil ratio at
each programmatic level.
NA/-
See Response 4.
N/o
NA/o
See Response 3.
03-07
Frances Tolley
Science Chair
Hurricane High School
Hurricane WV
I'm quite alarmed that in an age where people
cannot function without STEM knowledge we are
cutting the number of required science courses.
NA/-
Speaking with people around the state most do not
realize that counties may still offer Chemistry II,
Biology II and other courses no longer listed.
Changing the sequence of required courses does
not provid necessary equipment to teach earth and
space science.
03-08
Rhonda Chuyka
Teacher
FCBOE
Hico WV
I do not agree with changing the 9th grade physical
science requirement to earth and space science.
Students will NOT receive exposure to the physical
science csos in the earth and space course. It has
been argued that earth and space science will cover
the physical science concepts. While those may be
touched upon, the students will no longer be
receiving the actual content nor rigor of the physical
science csos. I am in full disagreement with this
change.
24
NA/-
Response 10: Student
enrollment data across the
state did not support the
continuation of 4 levels of
biology (Biology, Conceptual
Biology, Biology II, and AP®
Biology), 4 levels of Chemistry
or 4 levels of Physics.
Students wanting to take
higher levels of those courses
should be encouraged to take
AP® courses. Counties do
have the option of creating
their own science elective
courses or utilizing dual credit
as they do AP®.
Response 11: The reasons for
including the Earth and Space
Science (ESS) as a graduation
requirement and beginning
high school with the Earth and
Space Science course are
listed below:
• ESS is a major strand of
science.
• ESS is related to
numerous career
opportunities in and out of
WV.
• The course is not as math
dependent as physical
sciences for first year high
school students.
• Research has shown a
correlation between
students' mathematical
•
•
•
•
•
25
skills and success in
chemistry and physics.
By delaying the physical
sciences until students
have taken higher math
courses, students are
more likely to be
successful in the physical
science courses when
they take them.
It is expected that when
more students are
successful in their
freshman science course,
more students will
continue the pursuit of
additional science
courses.
With fewer students failing
their freshman science
course, an increase in
graduation rates is
expected.
28 states and Washington
D.C. do not require
students to take physical
science, much less have it
as a prerequisite for taking
chemistry or physics.
Students wishing to take
physical science,
chemistry, or physics
earlier than their junior
year are encourage to
double-up on their science
courses. This is not an
uncommon practice for
03-08
Renee Mathews
Parent/teacher
Bridgeport wv
03-08
Greg Julian
Teacher
Putnam County Schools
Winfield WV
We need more course options our struggling
students! If that means that we are spreading out
standards over two courses fine but give the
students that opportunity. The integrated pathway is
allowing students that struggle to have a TR pathway
but the traditional pathway is not giving these same
struggling students an option. There needs to be
additional classes for students that struggle! I have
been a teacher for several years and have taught the
ranges from Lab students in math I to AP Calculus
AB/BC students and this experience has given me
the chance to see many disconnects within our
students progression in mathematics.
In grades 9-12, the proposed new guidelines for
students do not include mandatory World or early US
history. This has to be an oversight on someone's
part who designed these proposals. We live in a
world that has placed history on the back burner,
and now it is being taken completely off the stove? It
is embarrassing that students do not have to have a
geography requirement, yet we in education make it
happen. Now you're proposing that students not
have to take a core, fundamental class that lays the
foundation for future post-secondary education
courses? This puts a larger burden on students
entering college, having to take remedial history
classes just to get the knowledge they should have
gotten in high school. It is shameful and
disheartening that this proposal is even being given
serious consideration. I ask that you change the
language of this proposal to include these courses,
so future students will have had the basics of
humanity instilled in them to carry them into
adulthood.
26
N/o
A/-
NA/o
accelerated students
interested in STEM
careers.
Any county may choose to
create an elective to assist
students with Math II or
Geometry, Math III or Algebra
II, etc.; however, those courses
would count as an elective not
a required mathematics credit.
See Response 6.
03-09
03-11
Paul J. Hollar Sr.
P.O. Box 427
Hurricane, WV 25526
Stanley Hopkins, Ph.D.
Consultant
Southern Regional
Education Board
Mount Alto WV
I want to applaud the Board of Education for (finally)
adding Computer Science as a ‘required course to
be offered’ in our high schools. This new
requirement is one step in the long journey that will
assist our children in obtaining the knowledge and
skills in STEM related fields that will be needed by
essentially all poised to enter the 21st century work
force. This action will expose many high school
students to computer science that may not otherwise
make the connection that the field is intertwined with
manufacturing, energy, finance, health care, service
industries, transportation, as well as, almost any
other field of potential future employment.
N/+
On the other hand, I consider if a MISSED
opportunity to omit the same emphasis with respect
to Computer Science and our middle school
children. The proposed Developmentally
Appropriate Foundations for Student Success
and Career Readiness section of the Proposed
Rule could be interpreted to vaguely include
Computer Science (as part of technology), however I
strongly suggest that this core, but broad, field of
Computer Science be specifically ADDED to the
those fields currently listed: “…STEM careers in
science, oil & gas, technology, Engineering,
Computer Science, and mathematics…”. This would
help insure that the Computer Science field may be
introduced to our children during these important
formative years.
Over the past three years there has been a
concerted effort to implement the SREB STEMBased Advanced Career Programs in the high
schools and technical centers statewide. Several of
these programs have been reviewed and approved
for embedded English and mathematics credit for
students. However, to date, the WVDE has not
A/+
See change in Section 5.3.a
Chart III.
N/o
See Response 8.
27
03-11
Denise Stalnaker
Teacher
Randolph Technical
Center
Elkins WV
reviewed these advanced programs for potential
science credit, even though a large number of the
programs are being taught by highly-qualified
science teachers.
I specifically request that a review of the content of
the following Advanced Career programs be done as
soon as possible and a determination be made
concerning science credit:
Innovations in Science and Technology
Energy, Power and Engineered Systems
Clean Energy Technology
Aerospace Engineering
Integrated Production Technology
In order for students to schedule and complete the
4-course sequence in these STEM fields, they need
the opportunity to receive a lab-based science credit.
Otherwise, many students will be forced to drop out
of the program in order to acquire the 3rd or 4th
science credit for graduation.
I want to express my support and excite for the
change in Technology which recommends an online
learning experience and that every school should
offer an advanced computer class. This year and in
recent years counties have been cutting business
education positions but these are just a few of the
classes that business educators now teach. Web
page design and simulation and game design
(Names are changing) are just two of the courses
that business educators developed several years
ago so that students would be exposed to coding.
These educators saw a need that was not being
addressed and worked to add those courses to the
business and marketing area. It is my great HOPE
that the state will continue the work with the
business educators and promote that school
systems can save money by having courses that
business educators can teach. Business educators,
28
N/+
typically, teach in a computer lab which would
require no additional purchase of equipment. Also
business educators tend to have an understanding
of online learning opportunities that would benefit the
students. Our center uses one to teach game
design.
03-11
Judy McCoy
Administrative
Assitant/Curriculum and
Instruction
Mingo County School
Williamson WV
03-11
Allison Fisher
Librarian
George Washington
High School
Charleston WV
This is a wonderful opportunity to move our state
forward and have skilled students. Even if a student
doesn't go into computer science, the proofreading
skills and problem-solving skills they gain in a coding
class are valuable assets to them.
High School Programming -- Social Studies: Three
years ago we adopted new social studies programs.
Our high schools are 1:1 and we purchased ebooks
on a 6-year contract per student for each high school
program -- World Studies in 9th, American Studies in
10th, Contemporary Studies in 11th, and Civics in
12th Now in the middle of the adoption cycle the
curriculum has changed so now we will have an
overabundance of licenses in 9th, 10th and 11th
grade and we will have to purchase additional
licenses if students choose to take one of the other
social studies course options. Counties cannot afford
to waste funds on social studies licenses we
purchased three years ago and then be forced to
purchase additional licenses for other social studies
programs in the midst of the science adoption. You
need to wait to change the social studies curriculum
during the next social studies adoption.
Chart IV - Look at the use of "OR" when viewing
what can be taught. Geography is needed and
embedded in the current curriculum. However, it
does not teacher the history of a region. Even AP
Human Geography does not teach the history. Do
the other AP courses teach World History? Only one
and that would be AP World History. This is not a
29
N/o
See Response 2.
A/-
See Response 2.
See Response 3.
positive thing for education if our students are to
graduate without learning about world history or
world religions and then expect them to be prepared
to work live in a global society.
03-11
Lindsey Losh
Teacher
Tygarts Valley High
School
Mill Creek WV
03-14
Dale Lee
President
WVEA
charleston wv
03-14
John Cole
Teacher
Harrison County Board
of Ed
Bridgeport WV
If this is accepted, it is very possible for a student to
graduate without having learned anything about the
cause of the American Revolution, The Civil War,
World War I, World War II or the Civil Rights
movement.
NA/o
This proposal only specifies "taking an AP course"
and says nothing about actually passing the AP
exam or taking the course from an AP qualified
teacher.
I strongly support this policy. Students will greatly
benefit from the 21st Century skills that this program
offers. They will carry these skills throughout their
education and also make them "Career Ready".
Experiencing online classes as a student, I know
that this will increase student engagement,
processing, and application skills. West Virginia
should lead the way and begin this program!
p 23 5.4.g.7 - Concerns over the use of private
instructors for the Fine Arts credit. Questions arise
with quality of the program, availability in all areas
and ability to monitor it. It could lead to the
elimination or reduction of Fine Arts program in the
schools.
N/o
There is no way we can combine the two US Studies
courses. It is way to much material to cover
especially with technology integration and project
work which is necessary for students to grasp cause
and effect to master the content.
30
N/+
A/-
N/-
Response 12: With a multitude
of comments from the field, the
applied fine arts section of
Policy 2510 has been removed
in this version. Policy 2444.1,
Applied Music Credit, has been
in place since 1983 and a
request is also being made to
repeal this policy as well.
See Response 1.
See Response 2.
See Response 6.
03-14
Patricia McClure
Retired
Charleston WV
03-14
Anne Endres
High School Teacher
Kanawha County
Schools
Charleston WV
I am commenting on the Social Studies program of
Policy 2510(Charts IV and V under 5.4.a). Under the
first credit listed, the word "or" is problematic. A
geography or AP course with a narrow perspective is
not an appropriate substitute for World Studies.
Students need a broad overview of world studies.
In the second credit, again "or" is not appropriate.
Students need not only one year of United States
Studies (or AP equivalent), but two to adequately
cover the knowledge base of American history that
will serve them to be informed citizens. This credit
appears to not be thoroughly thought through. If the
policy is to be implemented in 2016-17, United
States Studies-Comprehensive needs to be defined
before the policy is enacted.
The fourth credit listed would appear to be a good
choice for the senior year.
One further comment: With enrollments declining in
many schools and consequently faculty decreases,
how will schools find qualified social studies
teachers who are able to teach all the courses listed
under "Additional Course Options"? Just having a
social studies comprehensive certificate doesn't
mean that teachers are truly capable of teaching all
courses in that list.
At present, our West Virginia students may graduate
high school with little to no formal education in
Geography. Frequently, we are sending
geographically illiterate students into the postsecondary world of jobs, careers, and educational
opportunities. If our goal is to prepare students to
compete in an increasingly globalized world, we are
failing them by placing them at a disadvantage as
compared to other curriculum models that include
the formal teaching of Geography. Geography is not
merely maps; it encompasses humans, the
environment, and the daily, as well as long-term,
31
A/-
See Response 4.
See Response 5.
See Response 6.
A/o
See Response 6.
Response 13: GIS is included
as a standard across various
grade levels in the social
studies policy. The proposed
version of Policy 2510 allows
for more flexibility for the
utilization of geography
courses. Geography can now
count as one of the four
required social studies credits.
03-14
Matthew Cox
Social Studies Teacher
Charleston WV
effects of this dependent relationship between
humans and the environment. AP Human
Geography offers a comprehensive curriculum which
promotes the study of Politics, Demographics,
Migration, Agriculture, Urban and Rural Land Use,
and Industry and Development. Unfortunately, AP
Human Geography is treated as an elective course
in some high schools. As a result; few students
make the decision to take an additional, fifth, course
in Social Studies to meet graduation requirements
when they have met the requirement taking three
History courses and one Civics/Government course.
For decades Geography has been placed on the
back burner of a History-dominant field titled “Social
Studies,” albeit often the department is misnomered
as the “History Department” among faculty and staff
within schools instead of the more inclusive term
Social Studies. Geographic ignorance can
significantly affect one’s ability to compete in the
marketplace and acknowledge tolerance of
differences among colleagues and superiors. If we
want to elevate students’ chances to compete for
scholarships and careers, then we must take action
to include Geography as a discipline taught in West
Virginia schools. Further, state-sponsored
institutions such as the West Virginia Geographic
Alliance advocate for the continued teaching of
Geography and metaphorically take students places.
Please consider the state of Geography in West
Virginia and the inclusion it requires. Thank you.
What concerns me most about the
recommendations made to Policy 2510 is how it will
affect social studies. As it is right now, West Virginia
is one of the few states that requires four credits of
social studies to graduate from high school.
Additionally, it is one of the few states that divides
American history into two year long courses. Giving
32
Many counties have created
and are utilizing their own GIS
elective courses. The use of
GIS is also being explored
through CTE and STEM
offerings.
A/o
See Response 1.
See Response 3.
See Response 5.
students flexibility to choose between geography and
world history during their freshman year and to
choose among a myriad of classes during their junior
year detracts from the meaningful sequence of
courses already in place. Why would the state want
to jeopardize the integrity of social studies when it
seems we are a leader?
The proposed changes during 9th grade and 11th
grade undoubtedly give our students more flexibility.
As a teacher, I know that students tend to schedule
classes and teachers where they will find the path of
least resistance. Many students search for the easy
A without giving much thought to the long term
consequences of how classes might prepare them
for the future. While I applaud the proposed policy in
allowing students to be more democratic about their
education, I feel that high school students simply
need more structure with their social studies classes.
World history and contemporary studies cover
material that is too important to be considered an
elective. In fact, downplaying the history covered in
contemporary studies can easily be viewed as
backward and/or racist. I suggest students be
mandated to cover all eras of American history as
part of the graduation requirement.
Enacting the new proposals would create a number
of new social studies classes for many high schools.
Do county school boards really have the money to
adopt new textbooks for these new classes? Can
they afford to send teachers to AP summer training
and cover the cost of substitutes for AP fall institute?
It seems like all the proposed changes would be
quite expensive and would only benefit a select few,
instead of a majority of the student population. A
more utilitarian approach would be better for social
33
N/o
studies education by keeping the current sequence
of courses.
Another drawback for social studies is that the new
course schedule would really limit the number of
collaborative opportunities between English teachers
and their social studies counter-parts. Having a
regimented curriculum would only increase interdepartmental collaboration and research shows that
this collaboration is better for student learning.
03-14
Jacqueline Crawford
GIS Programmer
Analyst I
WVDEP
Cross Lanes West
03-14
Timothy Warner
Professor of Geography
and Geology
West Virginia University
Morgantown West
It seems like there are more deficits and drawbacks
to the new sequence of social studies curriculum
than there are benefits.
Please add Geospatial Information Sciences(GIS) to
your Social Studies curriculum. This is a highly
overlooked field, however, this is one of the fastest
growing professional fields with many well paying
careers available in WV and nationwide. GIS
includes, but is not limited to, geocaching, GPS
systems, location services on smart phones and
computers, locating new businesses, planning new
communities, cartography, satellite imagery (used in
military and private industry), and many many more.
The vast majority of college students that graduate
with a degree in GIS have a full-time, well paying
career upon graduation. Many colleges within the
state offer these degrees under their geography
programs, including Marshall University, West
Virginia University, and Concord University. Thank
you!
I would like to emphasize the importance of including
geography in the curriculum at all levels: elementary,
middle and high school. Geography covers a broad
range of topics of great relevance and importance
for the education of the well-rounded citizen. These
topics include both human and physical geography,
34
A/o
See Response 13.
A/o
See Response 13.
03-14
Roberta Bastin
Science teacher
Harrison County
Alternative Learning
Center
Clarksburg WV
as well as geographic information science.
Geography's systematic and integrative approach,
as well as the emphasis on space and place
provides an ideal framework for students to study
their world.
While I am not opposed to the individual standards
for each Science course, I am opposed to the
removal of Physical Science as the required 9th
Grade Science course to be replaced by
Earth/Space Science. I am certified in all science
courses except Physics, and since I am the only
Science teacher in my school, I have taught both
Physical Science and Earth Science as stand-alone
courses. My issue is not with Earth/Space science
as an offered course but the elimination of Physical
Science as a primary course for all students. As a
result of this, unless students take Chemistry and/or
Physics, they will receive little focused instruction in
these areas. Chemistry is a foundation class for ALL
science courses; how can you remove it as part of
the foundation Physical Science course? Chemistry
is just as critical to the Science curriculum as is
Biology. Physics is needed to prepare students for
the engineering portion of STEM studies.
I sat in a meeting with one of the leading proponents
of the move away from Physical Science to
Earth/Space Science. This college professor stated
that Physical Science required a higher level math
beyond what 9th graders had mastered. This is an
inaccurate statement. Physical Science requires the
level of math that a 9th grader should have mastered
in middle school. This professor stated that Earth
Science had taken a back seat to Physical Science
and Biology. Is that a rationale to make a switch; to
give a discipline more “face time”? Perhaps so, since
this professor’s expertise is in the geosciences.
I offer that if you want to make a place for
35
NA/-
See Response 11.
03-14
Kathleen Loughman
Science Teacher
John Marshall High
School
Glen Dale WV
Earth/Space Science, place it in a focused 8th grade
course. The progression would then be 8th Grade Earth/Space Science; 9th grade - Physical Science;
10th grade - Biology; 11th grade/12th grade Electives.
Before I entered Education 14 years ago, I worked
for 22 years as a research engineer with a major
chemical company. I believe if you make this move
of replacing Physical Science with Earth/Space
Science, you will rob students of critical components
of their science education - Chemistry and Physics.
This may be a case where legislative action will right
a wrong.
The following areas of Policy 2510 are what I would
like to address:
- p. 14 - named science requirements for graduation
- On page 14, in the Science section, I would like to
specifically address the area that outlines “One
additional science course or AP science course (see
Chart V)”
o Students will be allowed to select from Chart V, a
science elective that will count towards high school
graduation (their 3 credits of science needed) and
are limited to the list on p18
- p. 18 - changes in the electives offered for science
- (Chart V - Science section) The following courses
are listed as options for students to take under the
proposed Policy: Chemistry, Human Anatomy and
Physiology, Physics, Physical Science, Forensics,
Environmental, AP science courses, college science
courses
- As a teacher at John Marshall High School in
Marshall county, I strongly encourage an additional
course to be added to this list. Microbiology has
36
NA/o
See Response 7.
See Response 10.
See Response 11.
03-14
Alexa Bushovisky
Science Teacher
John Marshall High
School
Glen Dale WV
been and is currently being offered at our high
school (as well as other schools-example, Wheeling
Park High School, Ohio county).
o Microbiology is a laboratory-intensive, upper-level
college-preparatory course that prepares several of
our students for future careers in STEM.
o Microbiology is a course that is REQUIRED to take
in college for any student pursuing a career in a
health profession (nursing, pre-medical, pre-dental,
physical therapy, etc.).
- By removing this course from the list of accepted
courses for science, several students will shy away
from taking a course that WILL GREATLY benefit
them in their future collegiate aspirations.
- This course is far more beneficial (post-secondary)
than other courses currently on the list. (ie.
Forensics is NOT required by most students entering
STEM fields/majors).
- I speak from experience, as I have both a BS and
an MS in Biology and Microbiology and have spoken
with local Universities (WLU and WJU) concerning
the omission. They feel it would do a disservice to
leave it off the list.
Thank you for your consideration of the inclusion of
this challenging, rigorous course.
The following areas of Policy 2510 are what I would
like to address:
- p. 14 - named science requirements for graduation
- On page 14, in the Science section, I would like to
specifically address the area that outlines “One
additional science course or AP science course (see
Chart V)”
o Students will be allowed to select from Chart V, a
science elective that will count towards high school
graduation (their 3 credits of science needed) and
are limited to the list on p18
37
NA/o
See Response 7.
See Response 10.
See Response 11.
- p. 18 - changes in the electives offered for science
- (Chart V - Science section) The following courses
are listed as options for students to take under the
proposed Policy: Chemistry, Human Anatomy and
Physiology, Physics, Physical Science, Forensics,
Environmental, AP science courses, college science
courses
- As a teacher at John Marshall High School in
Marshall county, I strongly encourage an additional
course to be added to this list. Microbiology has
been and is currently being offered at our high
school (as well as other schools-example, Wheeling
Park High School, Ohio county).
o Microbiology is a laboratory-intensive, upper-level
college-preparatory course that prepares several of
our students for future careers in STEM.
o Microbiology is a course that is REQUIRED to take
in college for any student pursuing a career in a
health profession (nursing, pre-medical, pre-dental,
physical therapy, etc.).
- By removing this course from the list of accepted
courses for science, several students will shy away
from taking a course that WILL GREATLY benefit
them in their future collegiate aspirations.
- This course is far more beneficial (post-secondary)
than other courses currently on the list. (ie.
Forensics is NOT required by most students entering
STEM fields/majors).
As a teacher of Biology Honors, Microbiology, and
AP Biology, I, as well as my colleague Kathleen
Loughman, would be willing to help develop
standards for Microbiology.
Thank you for your consideration of the inclusion of
this challenging, rigorous course.
38
03-06
03-06
Aaron Radcliff
Technology Integration
Specialist
Lewis County BOE
Weston WV
Samuel J Brunett, MFA
23 veteran Art Teacher
Morgantown High
School
Morgantown WV
§126-42-6 Alternative Delivery of Education Programs
Section 5.4.g.7- Alternative means to earn high
A/school credit
Allowing a private instructor to give instruction and
grades for a fine arts credit is not sound educational
policy. Concerns include lack of connection to the
next generation standards and no BOE control over
the level of rigor. Additionally, private instructors
would not be subject to the hiring procedures for
certified educators, thus not ensuring a highly
qualified educator.
A lot is troubling about this policy. What is very
troubling is the ability to get a fine arts credit by
practicing a musical instrument 6 hours a week or
taking an outside art class. I'm all about enrichment
but to bypass what is or should be offered in an
academic setting is not acceptable. We should be
supporting the arts and not diminishing in our public
schools.
A/-
They have cut middle school programs to the bone
and many districts have abandoned the true middle
school concept which was designed to nurture the
well rounded student. That program included FACS,
the Visual Arts, Music and technical education, as
well as computer sciences.
Counties have followed to dollar and not has been
best for our middle schools and future high school
students.
03-07
Frances Tolley
Science Chair
Hurricane High School
Hurricane WV
This policy needs much further study and comment.
Course that require laboratory work should also
require lab work for credit recovery, summer school
etc.
39
N/o
See Response 12.
See Response 12.
03-08
Aaron C. Smith
Social Studies Dept.
Head/Taecher
Winfield High School
Winfield WV
03-14
Jane Byrd
clarksburg West
02-27
Sherry Copley
Curriculum Coordinator
Marion County Schools
Fairmont WV
03-09
Jenny L. Santilli
Teacher
Bridgeport High School
Bridgeport WV
In high school there is no World History or early U.S.
History required for graduation. Please tell me that
this is an oversight. We did this to geography and
now we are graduating students that can not even
find West Virginia on a map let alone other places in
the world. Those who refuse to study history (or
those that will not put it into the curriculum for
graduation) are doomed to repeat it. Ignorance of
our past is destroying our future and now the state
board wants to make it worst? We need four classes
for graduation: World History, Early U.S. History,
Modern U.S. History and Civics with Economics.
Please make this change so as to enhance our
students knowledge and their global understanding
of the world they are inheriting.
I want my grand children to have highly qualified,
certified teachers, nit just a community person who
plays music. They deserve a music educator who
follows the content standards.
§126-42-8 School Based Responsibilities
Regarding: 8.2.b. S.A.T....... "or acts in lieu of an
instructional intervention team, and considers
referrals for multidisciplinary evaluation"
My concern: Teachers interpret this as meaning that
SAT acts in lieu of SPL to make referrals. Can it be
changed to "acts in lieu of an IIT to DESIGN
INTERVENTION, and considers referrals.... (or
some other wording that indicates the need to
support students rather than simply referring them? )
I'm not sure if this is the correct section, but it is folly
to allow counties to reduce the number of minutes of
instruction based on their judgment. I have seen
world language classes gutted because of this. This
was done in response to reducing the number of
staff needed to deliver instruction and not because
the curriculum could be covered in less than half the
40
NA/o
A/o
A/o
See Response 1.
See Response 3.
See Response 4.
See Response 5.
See Response 6.
See Response 12.
NA/o
8.2.b states "reviews individual
student needs that have persisted
despite being addressed through
academic and/or behavioral
support;",
A/o
Language was added to
Section 5.4.f.2 to address this
concern.
03-14
02-12
02-18
03-03
time allowed.
§126-42-10 Program Accountability
Jane Byrd
You seriously cannot consider removing the study of
A/See Response 6.
clarksburg West
USHistory. That is OUR heritage. Geography is NOT
a substitute for it!!! Please only consider substituting
an AP course thst is a direct exchange.
We are more of a global society now than we ever
have been:therefore, world history is needed now
more than ever. AP Geography is just that...a
NA/geography course. It should not be used to replace
any of the current required history courses. Why
would not want our children to learn our own
heritage??
§Repeal of Policy 2442 3 Maximum Teacher-Pupil Ratio, Grade K-6
Doug Cross
Most, if not all, 6th grade classroom reside in middle
NA/o
State code prevents changing
Assistant
schools. Having a cap on 6th grade of 28 creates
the teacher pupil ratio in grade
Superintendent C&I
staffing issues. Seventh and eighth grades do not
6 except for in physical
Putnam County Schools have class size restrictions, yet sixth grade
education.
Winfield WV
classrooms in the same building have restrictions.
We have schools in our county that have had to hire
a teacher (usually a long-term sub) because of the
6th grade class has a few too many students. These
teachers then lose their jobs at the end of the year
when these students are promoted to 7th grade.
Please take the maximum teacher-pupil ratio out of
the 6th grade!
Tiauna Slack
I feel the maximum student teacher ration should be
NA/o
State code prevents changing
Principal
changed for 6th grade students in Middle School so
the teacher pupil ration in
Putnam County Schools that they can be scheduled the same as 7th and 8th
grade 6 except for in physical
Eleanor WV
graders.
education.
Melissa Browning
Why are we compensating for 4-6 with 26 through
NA/o
State code prevents changing
Assistant Principal
28 kids. Just make a cap on 28 and be done with it.
the teacher pupil ratio in grade
Jackson County
We are in such a budget crisis why can't we just cap
4-6 except in physical
Schools
4-6 at 28?If PE isn't compensated, why would
education.
Ripley WV
anyone else need to be given extra money for the
same amount of students? Cap at 28 for 4-6 grade
level.
41
03-07
03-07
03-08
03-06
03-07
Rhonda Jelich
Director of Elementary
Education & Staff
Developme
Jackson County
Schools
Ripley WV
Frances Tolley
Science Chair
Hurricane High School
Hurricane WV
Leslie
Reading Specialist
Jackson County
Education Association
Ripley WV
Samuel J Brunett, MFA
23 veteran Art Teacher
Morgantown High
School
Morgantown WV
Jeremiah Smallridge
Music and theatre
teacher
Upshur County Schools
Weston West
I have concerns about the chart on p. 33 in the new
policy. We have never had an exemption for physical
education in grades 4-6. If we are compensating art,
music and regular education teachers in grades 4-6
for overage, why would physical education be an
exemption? It concerns me that they would not be
compensated for 3 additional students.
Maximum must be applied. Should be applied in high
school lab based courses too as a safety
enforcement policy.
A/o
See Chart VII for revisions. All
other content areas exclusive
of choral and band/orchestral
music would follow the
maximum teacher pupil ratio at
each programmatic level.
N/o
I'm very concerned about the maximum number of
NA/o
students in each classroom at the elementary level.
Students are coming to school with a plethora of
profound needs, many of which require individual
attention. Following extensive research on student
needs and class sizes, I recommend the following:
K & 1 - 18 students
2 & 3 - 20 students
4 & 5 - 22 students
No additional students should be permitted at any
level without the inclusion of a second full-time
certified teacher in that room.
Thank you.
§Repeal of Policy 2444 1 Applied Music Credit
Again with none professional instruction demeans
A/the arts curriculum
State code outlines teacher
pupil ratio requirements.
This is very worrying and is a smack in the face. I
have a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in
music education and am national board-certified. I
have spent much time mastering my art while also
learning about curriculum, pedagogy, and
educational psychology. This basically makes all of
that obsolete. Outside of school arts enrichment
See Response 12.
42
A/-
See Response 12.
programs and lessons are great but should never
replace what is done in the academic classroom.
First off, what qualifications do these private
instructors have to have, second who is keeping
track of practice hours (I could see this being
abused)? There are some great private instructors
out there but there are also many unqualified bad
ones. Furthermore, you could be a master at your art
but that does not make you a good teacher. Allowing
a private instructor to give grades and credit is
counterintuitive to good educational policy. These
instructors will not be trained to cover standards and
will not be held to highly qualified standards. I feel
that you will be hurting arts education if you put this
in place. I also feel that you will be turning your back
on arts educators. I have been selected as teacher
of the year twice in my last job and once in my new. I
have also been selected as teacher of the year in my
new job as well as county teacher of the year. I was
also state general music teacher of the year. I work
very hard for my students. Please don’t diminish my
abilities to impact student lives.
03-07
Doug Seckman
English Teacher
Lewis County Schools
Weston WV
Jeremiah Smallridge NBCT
Upshur County Schools
In reference to 2510
A/-
An educational policy enacted allowing students to
receive their fine arts credit in not what is best for our
students. At a time when highly qualified teachers
are being sought out around the state, the state
department of education is considering a bill to let
students take private instruction from someone who
may not even be certified? How will we know the
level of rigor is being met? Not only this, but students
will not be building music relationships with peers.
Music is a performance art meant to be shared.
43
See Response 12.
03-08
03-09
03-11
Lisa Kerns
FACS/Computer Skills
Teacher
Lincoln Middle School
Shinnston WV
Jenny L. Santilli
Teacher
Bridgeport High School
Bridgeport WV
Gregory DeVito
Music Educator
NAfME
Fairmont WV
Students should only have this opportunity if the
instructor is certified.
A/o
See Response 12.
This is too little oversight. Further, who is overseeing
the qualifications of the instructors? Who is doing
background checks to see if they should be near
children?
How can we guarantee that the Private Instructor is
"highly qualified?" I personally know of private
instructors in the North Central West Virginia region
who have no degree in education who give lessons. I
also know of instructors with education degrees, but
who have failed to complete the requirements to
obtain a WV Teaching Certificate.
While these instructors may be able to teach good
technique, proper vowel formation, and select
literature that is age appropriate, they often do not
align in any way with the CSO's or Next Generation
Standards that arts educators in our state must meet
to ensure quality education.
I firmly believe that the intent of this proposed policy
change would help ease the “Fine Arts Credit” of
home schooled students; however, I also know that
county BOE's will use this policy as a way to cut
music, theatre, and art from their schools. It is unfair
to put the burden of paying for this instruction solely
on the parents of these children effected.
I teach five sections of choral music in my school,
each class period being 50 minutes in length. I see
these students five days a week throughout the
entire school year and they earn one full credit. It is a
disservice to the students currently enrolled or have
previously taken courses like mine to liken what they
have done with the work that is done in a 30 minute
lesson once a week. I know this because, in the
A/o
See Response 12.
A/-
See Response 12.
44
03-11
Allen Kade
member
WVMEA
Princeton WV
evenings, I teach 30 minute private lessons to 15
students each week. What we do in those 30 minute,
instrument specific lessons, is in no way comparable
to the variety of education received in my classroom.
Because the parent is paying for the lesson, I do not
have the final say in what music is learned by that
student. For example: I pick a piece of music that
compliments the vocal ability of a student as well as
provides educational betterment, but the parent or
student does not want to sing a piece in Italian, we
will not work on that music, no matter its educational
value.
Policy 2510 has always been a the backbone of
what music educators have leaned on in times of
push back from local BOE, central office staff, and/or
building administrators who's budget proposals or
schedules would negatively impact the strong
tradition of arts education in the state of West
Virginia. It is my firm belief that the proposed
language being put forward will permanently damage
if not outright destroy the ability of arts educators to
continue to shape the lives, minds, and futures of
our West Virginia youth.
5.4.g.7 - What background and credential checks
will be in place. The current Raleigh County case of
a music teacher abusing a 5 year old is case in
point.
5.4.g.7.A The private instructor reporting to the
principal and/or certified specialist will do nothing to
assess student achievement each grading period.
Each of the disciplines in the Arts requires an
authentic assessment of the standards other kids
are held to.
5.4.g.7.B "County boards [must] require an
examination by the school's certified fine arts
teacher." If there is no specialist at the school,
assessment should be done on the supervisory
45
A/-
See Response 12.
03-13
Laura Bobbera
Teacher
Mingo County Schools
Gilbert WV
level.
5.4.g.7.C How will "[adequate] practice" each week
be defined, monitored, documented, and/or proven
I am writing concerning 5.4.g.7-Applied Fine Arts
Credit which proposes to allow students to receive
fine arts credit through private instruction.
I have been teaching music for nearly 30 years in
Mingo County. Through this time, I have seen
various private teachers' students perform.(I
sponsored a yearly talent show and had students
play for my music classes.) Some are excellent and
the student is truly receiving a valuable education,
others show lack of understanding of basic
principles. Then I have watched our mini-majorettes
(Would that not be considered dance?)who do some
beautiful routines and stop in the middle of a phrase
as the end of the routine. So although they can move
to the music, they are not learning about how the
music is constructed, dynamics, or why they count to
8 for each set of moves. If this is their only
education, what will they pass on as "educated"
dancers? I feel it would be better if there could be
some standard or perhaps a fine arts test that private
teachers would have to pass to be considered
suitable teachers.
Then as a private teacher myself since the 80's, I
know that there are also several types of studentsthose who want to learn and are willing to work and
those that don't bother to come regularly and "forget"
to practice. I can see that if a teacher were
dependent on making a living from the private
teaching, they might feel inclined not to mention
certain facts like poor attendance in light of loosing a
paying student. Who is going to do the checking? If
the school teachers are going to have to review the
46
A/-
See Response 12.
students' work to determine suitability , will they be
paid extra for the time needed to evaluate students
outside the realm of their classes? In judging the art,
how can one determine if the student did it or
another person?
03-14
Marvin Wilson
Fairview WV
03-14
Victoria Haley
choral director,
assistant band director
Robert C Byrd High
School
Clarksburg WV
03-14
Dale Miller
Choral Director
Sissonville High School
Charleston WV
These are just some thoughts to consider.
Adopting this policy would be a travesty. How will
you know the private instructor is highly qualified?
Who will check to make sure they are meeting the
next generation standards. Nothing can replace an
ensemble setting and learning to participate within a
group. It is about more than just learning to play an
instrument or sing. I am opposed to the adoption of
an applied music credit and urge you not to adopt
this policy.
How will the students be assessed? Will they be
held to the same standards as the students in the
classroom? Who will be in charge of the
assessment? How does this align with the federal
law that lists music as a core subject? Will the
teachers need to be certified? Will the teachers be
held to the same standards as teachers in the
classrooms? Will these students be required to be a
part of an ensemble, which is a requirement for
musicians who further their study into college?
I am concerned about our being guaranteed that a
private instructor is highly qualified, certified, or
competent when they are not subject to any hiring or
certification procedure. I am concerned as to
whether or not the private instruction is aware of or
meeting the next generation standards. Is this an
effort to augment the education requirements or just
replacing a required class, if it is the latter, then that
is a problem for the security of having music
educators in our schools! Another concern is around
cost! If a student cannot afford the "outside of
47
A/-
See Response 12.
A/o
See Response 12.
A/o
See Response 12.
school" music program; then, who is going to pay for
them to participate? If participation in an "outside of
school" music program is going to deliver half of a
full music credit; then, is the school board going to
pay for it? One final concern is a total lack of
presentation as to why this portion of the policy is
necessary. We have outstanding music educators in
most of our schools. This proposal opens the door
for positions to be cut if students are allowed a half
credit of applied music outside of the regular school
day or school facility. I am vehemently agains this
part of the proposal.
I insist that my children and grandchildren have a
A/o
See Response 12.
certified, highly qualified music teacher, not just
someone community musician.
§Repeal of Policy 2450 Distance Learning and the WV Virtual School
Would benefit all students and industry throughout
A/o
See changes made to the
the state and beyond to require that all students
Electives section of Chart IV.
have at least 2 virtual courses by graduation. This
will ensure more consistent performance levels than
the current language to simply "recommend" that
action.
Distance learning only takes away teachers.
N/o
03-14
Jane Byrd
clarksburg West
03-14
Chris Wheedleton
VP, Partnerships
Globaloria
Washington D.C.
03-14
Jane Byrd
clarksburg West
03-07
Frances Tolley
Science Chair
Hurricane High School
Hurricane WV
§Repeal of Policy 2515 Uniform Grading
AP course should, at the teacher's discretion, be
graded on a 90, 80, 70, 60 scale like colleges.
48
N/o