MINUTES

WEST VIRGINIA BOARD OF EDUCATION

at

Riverside High School

1 Warrior Way

Belle, West Virginia

December 9, 1999

President Cleo P. Mathews called the regular meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education to order at 9:37 a.m. on December 9, 1999 in the Auditorium at Riverside High School, Belle, West Virginia. Members present were Secretary J. D. Morris, Sandra M. Chapman, Sheila M. Hamilton, James J. MacCallum, Jim L. McKnight, and Ronald B. Spencer.

II.

Upon motion by Sandra M. Chapman, second by James J. MacCallum, the Board approved the minutes of the November 4, 1999, regular meeting as submitted. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment A.)

III.

Upon motion by James J. MacCallum, second by Sheila M. Hamilton, the Board approved the agenda with the following changes and additions:

Under Consent Agenda, remove Amendment to Greenbrier County Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan.

Under Consent Agenda, move Personnel to separate action item following Policy 5310.

Under New Business, add Policy 5204 (action item).

Following Report on Instructional Time, add Report on Robert C. Beach Vocational Agriculture Credit discussions.

Prior to Future Meetings, add Executive Session.

IV.

The Board recognized the following individuals:

Michael A. Valentine

Dr. Michael Valentine, Assistant Superintendent, Division of Instructional and Student services was presented the Elwood Pace Humanitarian Award at the 62^nd Annual Conference of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. The award is presented each year to an individual "who engages in service or actions of a humanitarian nature that exceed what one normally expects of a person in the discharge of his or her professional duties.

Sallie A. Harrington

Ms. Sallie A. Harrington, Ed.S., Coordinator of Nontraditional Education and Work-Based Learning, Division of Technical and Adult Education Services, was recognized for her exemplary leadership in vocational education equity. Ms. Harrington will serve as President-Elect in 2000 and President in 2001 of the National Vocational Educational Equity Council.

Betty Kiser

Ms. Betty Kiser, an employee of Jackson County Schools, was recognized for her prompt action and first aid training in saving the life of a student at Ripley Middle School.

V.

The Board heard from Judy Hale, American Federation of Teachers, regarding proposed changes to Policy 2419: Regulations for the Education of Exceptional Students.

VI.

Upon motion by Jim L. McKnight, second by James J. MacCallum, the Board approved all consent agenda items as amended and as recommended. (Copies appended to Official Minutes, West Virginia Board of Education Agenda, VII.A.1-5, Attachments B-K.)

The Board approved Barbour County Board of Education's request to amend its CEFP. (Agenda, VII.A-1.)

The Board approved Grant County Board of Education's request to amend its CEFP. (Agenda, VII.A-2.)

The Board approved Jackson County Board of Education's request to amend its CEFP. (Agenda, VII.A-4.)

The Board approved Taylor County Board of Education's request to amend its CEFP. (Agenda, VII.A-5.)

For the Month of November 1999

Total Supplements = $24,347,426 Total Transfers = $5,992,155

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

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

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

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

Board members were provided an update on Office of Healthy Schools activities. (Attachment H.)

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Board members were provided an update on Office of School Transportation and Facilities activities. (Attachment I.)

West Virginia is one of seven states that has been invited by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to participate in a new initiative called Making Schools Work. The initiative is to design, develop, implement, evaluate and refine a comprehensive middle and secondary school model by bringing together SREB's High Schools That Work and the emerging middle grades effort into an integrated whole school improvement reform. The school districts that are interested have until December 20, 1999 to submit an application provided by SREB to the West Virginia Department of Education. The top eight to ten applicants, based on criteria established by SREB, will be forwarded to SREB for their review and final selection. It is anticipated that West Virginia will have four to six school districts participating. Once the final selection process has been completed, a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed that outlines the commitments of the local school districts, the state and SREB. The initiative is scheduled for five years and will provide extensive staff development and funding for much of the project devoted to technical assistance in cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Education. A major portion of the initiative will be funded from a grant the SREB received from the U.S. Department of Education. (Attachment J.)

The Board approved eight instructional material adoption waiver requests and one request for continuation of a previously granted waiver for instructional material adoption. (Attachment K.)

VII.

Board members were provided an update on the following technical assistance activities: 1) Lincoln County, 2) other identified schools/systems regarding date certain deficiencies, and 3) change in Department focus.

VIII.

W.Va. Code 18-2-7a mandates that the President's Physical Fitness Test be administered annually to all West Virginia students in grades kindergarten thru nine. Grade nine has been interpreted as the grade a student fulfills the physical education credit for graduation.

The West Virginia Department of Education collects data annually to determine the level of participation of students. Policy 2320, standard 4.14 mandates that each school have a passage rate of forty percent (40%) or show improvement in each of the three previous years. The information was presented to the State Board to demonstrate the results of the President's Physical Fitness Test for 1998-99 and show a comparison to previous years. Sandra M. Chapman suggested that students and parents be provided prior notification of this test as is done with the Stanford 9. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment L and addendum.)

IX.

Policy 5100 was placed on a thirty day comment period that ended October 27, 1999. Minor changes in the policy were made as a result of the comments received and an additional review of the proposed policy by the West Virginia Commission for Professional Teaching Standards.

Attachment Mc contains the comments received from public and higher education personnel. The attachment also contains the amended policy. The Executive Summary outlines the proposed modifications in the amended policy.

Upon motion by James J. MacCallum, second by Ronald B. Spencer, the Board approved Policy 5100. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment M.)

X.

Representatives from Chandler, Glenwood and Piedmont Elementary Schools in Kanawha County and Spring Hill Elementary School in Cabell County appeared before the Board to request approval to operate school calendars of 180 days spread on a year-round basis. All four schools have been operating year-round calendars for several years.

Upon motion by James J. MacCallum, second by Sheila M. Hamilton, the Board approved the proposed calendars. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment Mc.)

XI.

Policy 2419 implements federal and state laws governing the education of students with exceptionalities. The revised policy incorporates revisions in 126-16-6, the calculation of teacher caseloads, and 126-16-1.

126-16-6 of the policy was placed on comment from August 16, 1999 through October 15, 1999, during which time 184 responses were received. A summary of changes resulting from the comments is contained in the Executive Summary.

In addition, the language in 126-16-1 of the policy was revised to be in alignment with requirements of both federal and state law.

Upon motion by James J. MacCallum, second by J. D. Morris, the Board approved Policy 2419 with an implementation date for the caseload changes of July 1, 2001. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment N.)

XII.

Policy 5310 was approved by the State Board at the May 1999 meeting. Subsequently, it was discovered that three words were incorrectly placed in or omitted from the version of the approved policy as it was filed with the Secretary of State's office. Changes to sections 8.1.1, 8.1.2 and 12.1 were proposed and placed on comment in July to rectify the problem.

Comments received refer to other sections of the policy that were not placed on comment. No changes have been made to the policy other than the three originally proposed in July.

Upon motion by Jim L. McKnight, second by James J. MacCallum, the Board approved Policy 5310. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment O.)

XIII.

Upon motion by James J. MacCallum, second by Sheila M. Hamilton, the Board moved into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing personnel issues. Upon return from Executive Session, President Mathews reported that no action was taken.

XIV.

Policy 7212 provides a process for the appeal of a denial by a county board of education of a transfer of a student who resides in one county and proposes to attend school in a different county. In the past, the policy has provided that parents requesting such a transfer shall bear all transportation costs associated with the transfer.

Section 3.8 of the policy was rewritten and placed on comment in September. The proposed change provides that transportation costs for such a transfer remain with the parents requesting the transfer unless one or more county boards of education have initiated the transfer and both the sending and receiving county boards of education have approved the plan transferring the student(s). In that case, the revised policy requires that the county boards must determine the method of transportation and provide coverage for its costs.

Most comments received, many of them from parents of students in a current situation where the policy would not require county boards to provide transportation, oppose the revisions to the policy.

Upon motion by J. D. Morris, second by Jim L. McKnight, the Board approved Policy 7212 with the understanding that it could be revisited in the January 2000 meeting if necessary. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment P.)

XV.

Policy 3233 details the establishment and operation of regional education service agencies (RESAs). The policy was initially passed in 1972 and was last revised in 1985.

Upon motion by Sheila M. Hamilton, second by James J. MacCallum, the Board placed Policy 3233, as amended (modification at 3.11 replace the word "and" with "including") on public comment until January 20, 2000, for action at the February meeting. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment Q.)

XVI.

A concern was raised with regard to meetings of the Board. It was suggested that the separate meetings with the Office of Education Performance Audits and the Department be combined. This issue will be revisited at the January 2000 meeting.

XVII.

Policy 5204 is designed to address the projected shortage of administrators in West Virginia public schools. The policy allows for the issuance of an administrative credential to candidates who meet the minimum requirements. The policy will allow qualified persons who have not completed traditional master's degree programs in educational administration to hold positions of leadership in public schools.

Upon motion by James J. MacCallum, second by Jim L. McKnight, the Board placed Policy 5204 on public comment until February 2, 2000. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment R.)

XVIII.

J. D. Morris provided an update regarding superintendent search activities. Interviews are anticipated to take place in January.

XIX.

Jim L. McKnight and Dr. Barbara R. Jones provided the Board a report regarding activities of the Instructional Time Study Committee (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment S.)

XX.

The Board was provided an update of activities and the agreed upon compromise proposal. The compromise proposal was submitted for Board review with action anticipated at the January 2000 meeting. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment T.)

XXI.

The Board was provided a response to a letter received from Thomas R. Tinder, Esq., Executive Director, West Virginia State Bar, regarding the lack of formal civics requirements for students. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment U.)

XXII.

The West Virginia Board of Education will meet on January 12, 2000 at 1:30 p.m. in Capitol Building 7 for a "Wired for Learning" demonstration (part of the IBM Reinventing Education grant). Following the demonstration, the Board will meet in the Board Conference Room for meetings with WVASA at 2:30 p.m., WVSBA at 3:30 p.m. and WVSSAC at 4:30 p.m.

The next regular meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education will be held January 13, 2000 in the Board Conference Room, Capitol Building 6, Room 353, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, West Virginia.

XXIII.

Upon motion by James J. MacCallum, second by J. D. Morris, the Board moved into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing personnel issues.

Upon return from Execution Session, and upon motion by J. D. Morris, second by Jim L. McKnight, the Board approved all personnel items for the West Virginia Department of Education and the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind as listed in the attachment and addenda. (Attachment V and addenda.)

XXIV.

Upon motion by Sheila M. Hamilton, second by James J. MacCallum, the Board adjourned at approximately 2:46 p.m.

Minutes approved by the Board on January 13, 2000.

Cleo P. Mathews, President

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