MINUTES - WEST VIRGINIA BOARD OF EDUCATION

State Board Conference Room

Capitol Building 6, Room 353

1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East

Charleston, West Virginia

September 17, 2003





I.   Call to Order



President Sandra M. Chapman called the regular meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education to order at 1:08 p.m. on September 17, 2003, in the Board Conference Room, Capitol Building 6, Room 353, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, West Virginia.

       

The following members were present: President Chapman, Secretary Barbara N. Fish,  Delores W. Cook, Priscilla M. Haden, Sheila M. Hamilton, Paul J. Morris, Ronald B. Spencer and ex officio David Stewart, State Superintendent of  Schools.  Members absent were  Howard M. Persinger, Jr. and ex officio J. Michael Mullen, Chancellor, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.



II. Approval of Agenda



Upon motion by Ms. Haden, seconded by Mr. Spencer, the State Board unanimously approved the agenda with the following modification: President Chapman moved the Election of Officers to follow the Internet Safety presentation.


III. Internet Safety for Students and Parents



Rebecca Tinder, General Counsel to the State Board and the Department, introduced Fran Hughes, Deputy Chief Attorney General, and Teresa Talley, Consumer Affairs Coordinator, with the Office of the Attorney General, who distributed information and showed a brief film developed by the National White Collar Crime Center regarding internet safety for possible implementation in West Virginia public schools and communities.  (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment A.)



IV. Election of Officers



Mr. Spencer nominated Mrs. Fish to the office of Vice-President.  Mr. Morris moved and Mrs. Hamilton seconded that the nominations be closed and the State Board, by acclamation, elected Mrs. Fish as Vice-President.



Mrs. Fish resigned from the office of Secretary.



Mrs. Fish nominated Mrs. Hamilton to the office of Secretary.  Mrs. Cook moved and Mr. Morris  seconded that the nominations be closed and the State Board, by acclamation, elected Mrs. Hamilton as Secretary.


V. State Board Self-Assessment

 


Howard O'Cull, Executive Director, West Virginia School Boards Association, reviewed results of the State Board's self-assessment evaluation taken during July, 2003.  (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment B and addendum.)


VI. Reinventing Education - Resources for

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001



Brenda Williams, Executive Director, and Donna Landin, Coordinator, WVDE/IBM Reinventing Education Grant, Office of Instructional Technology, Superintendent's Office, distributed information and demonstrated the Reinventing Education Wired for Learning website.  The website has been expanded to include additional resources to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 including various options for curriculum, staff development and instructional resources. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment C.)


VII. Policy 2520.4 - Social Studies Content Standards

and Objectives for West Virginia Schools 



Sharon Flack, Coordinator, Social Studies, Office of Instructional Services, Division of Instructional and Student Services, presented proposed revisions to Policy 2520.4.  The revisions are being recommended in order to add objectives for high school electives in civics/government, economics, and geography.  Ms. Haden distributed answers to questions she posed to Ms. Flack regarding Policy 2520.4.  (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment D and addendum.)


VIII. Policy 2444.4 - Issuance of High School

Equivalency Diploma


Stanley Hopkins, Assistant State Superintendent, Division of Technical and Adult Education, presented proposed revisions to policy 2444.4.  Policy 2444.4 is being revised to reflect changes in the administration of the General Educational Development (GED) Tests; establish new passing scores; define the official dropout date; and  allow testing under extraordinary circumstances.   (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment E.)



IX. Policy 2250 - Process for Approving Programs to

Supplement West Virginia Public School Curriculum



Steven L. Paine, Deputy State Superintendent of Schools, distributed information and presented the results of a recent survey of county superintendents regarding proposed Policy 2250.


Mrs. Cook moved, and Ms. Haden seconded, that Dr. Stewart be granted the authority to direct all county school districts to develop a local policy that sets guidelines and standards for the inclusion of supplemental programs in public schools.  The motion was carried unanimously.  (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment F.)


X. Position Paper on the Value of Pre-Kindergarten Education



Cathy Jones, Coordinator, Early Childhood/Even Start, Division of Instructional and Student Services, presented as requested a proposed position paper on the value of pre-kindergarten education for the State Board's consideration and discussion with action anticipated on September 18.  (Copy appended to Official Minutes of September 18, 2003 at Attachment J.)



XI. Policy 2422.8 - Medication Administration



Melanie Purkey, Executive Director, Office of Student Services and Health Promotion, Superintendent's Office, presented proposed revisions to Policy 2422.8 for the State Board's consideration with action anticipated on September 18.  (Copy appended to Official Minutes of September 18, 2003 at Attachment M.)


XII. Break


President Chapman called for a break at 3:27 p.m.


XIII. Call to Order


President Chapman called the meeting back to order at 3:40 p.m.


XIV. Policy 4110 - Attendance



Lisa Burton, Coordinator, School Counselors/Character Education, Office of Student Services and Health Promotion, Division of Instructional and Student Services, distributed a corrected copy and presented proposed revisions to Policy 4110 for the State Board's consideration with action anticipated on September 18.  (Copy appended to Official Minutes of September 18, 2003 at Attachment Mc and addendum.)



XV. Policy 5309 - County Superintendent Performance Evaluations



Ms. Tinder presented proposed Policy 5309 for the State Board's consideration with action anticipated on September 18.  (Copy appended to Official Minutes of September 18, 2003 at Attachment N.)



XVI. Superintendent's Information



Dr. Stewart provided information regarding a meeting with the Governor that occurred earlier this afternoon regarding Hurricane Isabel.  The Governor declared a state of emergency to exist beginning at 6 a.m. on Thursday, September 18, 2003 for the entire state.  County schools located in the eastern panhandle will be instructed to close on Friday; this closure will be not be counted as lost instructional time.


XVII. Executive Session


 


Mrs. Fish moved, and Mrs. Hamilton seconded, that the State Board go into executive session as provided in W.Va. Code 6-9A-3 (attorney-client privilege) and 6-9A-4(b)(2)(A) (personnel exception) to discuss personnel and legal matters.  The State Board entered into executive session at 3:57  p.m.  Mrs. Cook departed the meeting during the executive session.



XVIII. Return from Executive Session



The State Board returned from executive session at 5:09 p.m. at which time President Chapman announced that no decisions had been made or action taken.


Mr. Morris moved that Rick Powell, Executive Director, Regional Education Service Agency II, be given a 60 day suspension without pay and that the time for the suspension began on August 21,  2003.  After debate the motion was carried with President Chapman, Ms. Haden, Mrs. Hamilton, Mr. Morris and Mr. Spencer voting yes, and Mrs. Fish voting no. 



XIX. Future Meetings

 


The next regular meeting of the State Board will be held September 18, 2003, in Charleston, West Virginia.


XX.      Adjournment



Upon motion by Mrs. Hamilton, seconded by Mr. Spencer, and unanimously carried, the State Board adjourned at 5:15 p.m.


     Minutes approved by the State Board on October 9, 2003.





      _________________________________________________ Sandra M. Chapman, President



   


     _________________________________________________

     Sheila M. Hamilton, Secretary



Minutes were recorded by

     Virginia M. Harris

Executive Secretary to

      the State Board.

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