MINUTES

WEST VIRGINIA BOARD OF EDUCATION

Moorefield Middle School - Hardy County

Moorefield, West Virginia

May 13, 1999

9:15 a.m.

I.

President James J. MacCallum called the regular meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education to order at 9:30 a.m. on May 13, 1999, in the library at Moorefield Middle School, Moorefield, West Virginia. Members present were Secretary Cleo P. Mathews, Sandra M. Chapman, Sheila M. Hamilton, Jim L. McKnight, J. D. Morris, and Paul J. Morris.

II.

Upon motion by Cleo P. Mathews, second by Jim L. McKnight, the Board approved the minutes of the April 15, 1999, meeting as submitted.

III.

Upon motion by J. D. Morris, second by Sandra M. Chapman, the Board approved the agenda with the following change(s) and addition(s):

Page 1. Delete Recognitions.

Page 4. Defer Reports on Work with the Holocaust Commission and Recommendations

for Restructuring the School Calendar to June.

Page 7. Miscellaneous: add (B) Moving Staff Out of Building 6 and (C) Hiring of HVAC

Technicians.

IV.

The Board will meet with the Mingo County Board of Education on June 10 at 9:15 a.m. in Boone County. This meeting will be for the purpose of discussing progress in the school system since the Intervention Agreement was completed.

V.

Board members heard from the following delegations:

Jenny Selin, Jon Frist, Becky Osborne, and Nancy Key, Monongalia County citizens, regarding Monongalia County School closures at Wiles Hill and Central.

Tom Lange, WVEA, regarding Policy 5310.

VI.

Upon motion by Sandra M. Chapman, second by Paul J. Morris, the Board approved all consent agenda items as amended and as recommended. (Copies appended to Official Minutes. Attachments B-J.)

The Board approved Mason County Board of Education's request to amend its CEFP. (Attachment B.)

The Board approved Ritchie County Board of Education's request to amend its CEFP. (Attachment C.)

The Board approved the county board of education supplement and transfer requests for the 1998-99 year as follows:

For the Month of April 1999

Total Supplements $6,441,411

Total Transfers $6,353,041 (Attachment D.)

Board members were provided an update on Project CATS: Coordinated and Thematic Science. (Attachment E.)

Board members were provided an update on Education First: Our Future Depends on It. (Attachment F.)

Board members were provided an update on Mingo County. (Attachment G.)

Board members were provided an update on the instructional technology projects in West Virginia. (Attachment H.)

Board members were provided an update on administrative technology projects in West Virginia. (Attachment I.)

The Board approved the personnel items for the West Virginia Department of Education as listed in Attachment J and addendum.

VII.

The Monongalia County Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan (CEFP), approved by the West Virginia Board of Education on November 30, 1990, contains a provision to close Central and Wiles Hill Elementary Schools.

Upon motion by Paul J. Morris, second by J. D. Morris, the Board accepted the revised CEFP and approved the closure of Central and Wiles Hill Elementary Schools at the end of the 1998-99 school year. (Attachment K.)

VIII.

Policy 2510 requires that county school systems provide students the opportunity to test out of courses. The proposed revision would eliminate the requirement while allowing systems to provide testing out opportunities if they so desire.

A number of comments were received with fewer favoring elimination of the requirement than those who desire that the mandatory requirement be maintained. No changes have been made as a result of the comments received.

H.B. 2855 requires the State Board to review the organization of the Department to ensure that it is able to provide technical assistance and support for schools and school systems in a number of areas including ". . . establishing policies which allow advanced students to test out of required courses for which they already posses the required academic skills." Elimination of the mandatory requirement for testing out does not appear to conflict with that statutory requirement as the Department can continue to provide assistance to those county school systems that wish to retain the policy option of allowing students to test out of courses.

The Board directed Department staff to redraft Policy 2510. (Attachment L.)

IX.

State Board Policy 2510 states, "All summer school programs shall be submitted to the West Virginia Board of Education . . . for approval."

Twenty-eight (28) counties have applied for permission to operate summer school programs. Last year thirty-one (31) counties applied. The summer school programs impact students in several ways: 1) students may repeat failed classes; 2) students may earn credit for graduation; 3) students may complete certain required courses to pursue additional elective courses during the school term; and 4) students may be offered remediation or acceleration programs.

Upon motion by Jim L. McKnight, second by Cleo P. Mathews, the Board approved all twenty-eight (28) applications for 1999 summer school programs. (Attachment N.)

X.

Policy 5301 is being revised to reflect the changes made to West Virginia Code §18-4-8a during the recent legislative session. The statute was revised to provide an additional $10 per month in pay to the service personnel who have completed twenty-four, thirty-six and forty-eight hours of college or comparable training in a trade or vocational school. The original statute provided an additional $10 per month only for those who have completed twelve hours of college or comparable training.

Upon motion by Jim L. McKnight, second by Sandra M. Chapman, the Board approved the revised Policy 5301 for placement on public comment until June 18, 1999, with action anticipated at the July Board meeting. (Attachment O.)

XI.

The Department is proposing a number of changes to Policy 5202 dealing with certification. The Commission for Professional Teaching Standards disagrees with the Department's position on several of the recommendations. Prior to rewriting Policy 5202, the Department desires to discuss the proposed changes with the Board.

The Department proposes to bring to the Board at the July meeting a revision of Policy 5202 based on the discussion at the May meeting. The Board would be asked to place the policy on comment for action at the September meeting.

The Board took the following positions on the proposed changes: #1 - Department; #2 - Department; #s 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 - concur with Department and Commission; #13 - Department; #14 - Commission; #15 - Department; #16 - Directed that a separate certification for Superintendent be added; and #17 - Department. (Attachment P.) Sandra Chapman requested that letters be drafted to Chancellors Trump and Manning when issues involving higher education are addressed and they are not in attendance.

XII.

Jefferson County has submitted a waiver request to the normal certification rules contained in Policy 5202 because of the difficulty encountered in finding personnel who meet current West Virginia certification rules.

Upon motion by Cleo P. Mathews, second by Jim L. McKnight, the Board accepted the Department's recommendation that the waiver request be denied and that the issues be addressed through the revision of Policy 5202. The Board requested that a letter of denial, stating the reasons for same, be sent to the county. (Attachment Q.)

XIII.

Policy 2419: Regulations for the Education of Exceptional Children implements federal and state laws governing the education of students with exceptionalities. The proposed revisions incorporate new and revised requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 and the final federal regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Education on March 12, 1999.

Upon motion by Sheila M. Hamilton, second by J. D. Morris, the Board approved the revised Policy 2419 for public hearing and placement on public comment until June 25, 1999, with action anticipated at the July Board meeting. (Attachment R.)

XIV.

Policy 4350: Procedures for the Collection, Maintenance and Disclosure of Student Data governs the protection of privacy and access of parents and students in the collection, maintenance, disclosure, and destruction of education records by agencies and institutions under the general supervision of the Board. The proposed revisions incorporate the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended.

Upon motion by Sheila M. Hamilton, second by J. D. Morris, the Board approved the revised Policy 4350 for placement on public comment until June 25, 1999, with action anticipated at the July Board meeting. (Attachment S.)

XV.

Upon motion by Jim L. McKnight, second by J. D. Morris, the Board moved into Executive Session to discuss personnel items. No motions were made and no action was taken.

XVI.

Upon motion by Jim L. McKnight, second by Sandra M. Chapman, the Board unanimously approved the nomination of Cleo P. Mathews, West Virginia, as President of NASBE for the year 2000.

Upon motion by Paul J. Morris, second by Sheila M. Hamilton, the Board unanimously approved the nominations of Corine Handley, Iowa, as Vice-President, and Robert Canavan, Rhode Island, as Northeastern Area Director of NASBE for the year 2000. (Attachment T.)

XVII.

The next regular meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education will be held on June 10, 1999, in Boone County, West Virginia.

XVIII.

Upon motion by Cleo P. Mathews, second by Sandra M. Chapman, the Board adjourned at approximately 2:55 p.m.

Minutes approved by the Board on June 10, 1999.

James J. MacCallum, President

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