MINUTES

WEST VIRGINIA BOARD OF EDUCATION

Board Conference Room

Capitol Building 6, Room 353

1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East

Charleston, West Virginia

December 14, 2005

I.

President Lowell E. Johnson called the meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education to order at 12:30 p.m. on December 14, 2005, in Capitol Building 6, Room 353, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston, West Virginia.

The following members were present: President Johnson, Vice President Delores W. Cook, Secretary Priscilla M. Haden, Robert W. Dunlevy, Sheila M. Hamilton, Burma Hatfield, Jenny N. Phillips and Ronald B. Spencer, and ex officio Steven L. Paine, State Superintendent of Schools. Members absent were Barbara N. Fish and ex officios Bruce C. Flack, Interim Chancellor, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, and James L. Skidmore, Chancellor, the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education.

II.

President Johnson requested that item XII. Report on the Recent Revisions in the Statutes Related to the Teachers' Defined Contribution Retirement System be moved to the first order of business immediately following the approval of the agenda. Upon motion Ms. Phillips, seconded by Ms. Hatfield, the Board unanimously approved the agenda as amended.

III.

Mr. Joe Panetta, Executive Director, Office of School Finance, distributed information and provided a report regarding recent revisions of state statute related to the Teachers' Defined Contribution Retirement System. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment A.)

IV.

Dr. Kenna R. Seal, Director, Office of Education Performance Audits (OEPA), distributed a corrected page for the Mason County audit report found on the December 15, 2005 Consent Agenda. (Copy appended to Official Minutes of December 15, 2005 at Attachment U.)

V.

Dr. Seal reported that an announced on-site review was conducted at Weir Middle School in Hancock County on October 18, 2005. The OEPA conducted the review which was limited in scope to the standards relative to school and student performance and progress. The review also consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal and a motion by Mr. Spencer, seconded by Ms. Hatfield, the Board unanimously granted Weir Middle School the accreditation status listed in the individual school report and gave the school and county until the next accreditation cycle to correct any deficiencies reported. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment B.)

VI.

Dr. Seal reported that announced on-site reviews were conducted at Follansbee Middle School and Wellsburg Middle School in Brooke County on October 19, 2005. The OEPA conducted the reviews which were limited in scope to the standards relative to school and student performance and progress. The reviews also consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal and a motion by Ms. Phillips, seconded by Mrs. Cook, the Board unanimously granted Follansbee Middle School and Wellsburg Middle School the accreditation status listed in the individual school reports and gave the schools and county until the next accreditation cycle to correct any deficiencies reported. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment C.)

VII.

Dr. Seal reported that an announced on-site review was conducted at Keyser Primary/Middle

School in Mineral County on October 25, 2005. The OEPA conducted the review which was limited in scope to the standards relative to school and student performance and progress. The review also consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal and a motion by Ms. Hatfield, seconded by Mr. Dunlevy, the Board unanimously granted Keyser Primary/Middle School the accreditation status listed in the individual school report and gave the school and county until the next accreditation cycle to correct any deficiencies reported. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment D.)

VIII.

Governor Joe Manchin III administered the ceremonial oath of office to Mr. Dunlevy.

IX.

Dr. Seal reported that an announced on-site reviews were conducted at Widmyer Elementary

School and Warm Springs Middle School in Morgan County on October 26, 2005. The OEPA conducted the reviews which were limited in scope to the standards relative to school and student performance and progress. The reviews also consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal and a motion by Ms. Haden, seconded by Mrs. Hamilton, the Board unanimously granted Widmyer Elementary School and Warm Springs Middle School the accreditation status listed in the individual school reports and gave the schools and county until the next accreditation cycle to correct any deficiencies reported. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment E.)

X.

Dr. Seal reported that an announced on-site review was conducted at Hedgesville Middle School in Berkeley County on October 27, 2005. The OEPA conducted the review which was limited in scope to the standards relative to school and student performance and progress. The review also consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal, Ms. Haden moved, and Mrs. Cook seconded, that the Board grant Hedgesville Middle School the accreditation status listed in the individual school report and that the school and county be given until the next accreditation cycle to correct any deficiencies reported.

Discussion ensued during which Dr. Seal was directed to prepare a letter to the Berkeley County Board of Education and others, as appropriate, for President Johnson's signature regarding attitudinal problems of staff and students and further directed that a follow-up be conducted within the next four to five months.

Upon the call for the question the motion carried unanimously. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment F.)

XI.

Dr. Seal reported that an announced on-site review was conducted at Pocahontas County High School in Pocahontas County on November 3, 2005. The OEPA conducted the review which was limited in scope to the standards relative to school and student performance and progress. The review also consisted of resource evaluation.

Upon recommendation of Dr. Seal and a motion by Ms. Hatfield, seconded by Mr. Spencer, the Board unanimously granted Pocahontas County High School the accreditation status listed in the individual school report and gave the school and county until the next accreditation cycle to correct any deficiencies reported. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment G.)

XII.

Dr. Karen Huffman, Executive Director, and Mr. Nathan Estel, Assistant Director, Office of Professional Preparation, Division of Administrative Services, presented the Teacher Mentorship Study Group report for the Board's consideration. This report was developed in response to a request from the Board at its September meeting and addresses the effectiveness of the state teacher mentorship program. Participating in this committee were over 30 individuals representing classroom teachers, administrators, higher education professional teacher organizations, the Board, the Department, Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA), West Virginia Center for Professional Development, the National Commission for Teaching and America's Future and the Benedum Foundation.

President Johnson suspended the presentation to allow Treasurer John Perdue to address the Board.

XIII.

Treasurer Perdue addressed the Board in support of the amendment of Policy 2520.4, Social Studies Content Standards and Objectives for West Virginia Schools. Treasurer Perdue also requested the Board's support for the SMART 529 Plan (college savings plan). President Johnson indicated that the Board would take up the request for support of the SMART 529 Plan on a future agenda as such an item had not been noticed on the Board's current agenda.

XIV.

President Johnson called for a break at 2:04 p.m.

XV.

President Johnson called the meeting back to order at 2:16 p.m.

XVI.

The presentation continued and upon motion by Mrs. Cook, seconded by Ms. Phillips, the Board unanimously accepted the report. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment H.)

XVII.

Dr. Jorea Marple, Assistant State Superintendent, Division of School Improvement Services, distributed information and presented the K-12 Technology Plan for the Board's consideration.

Ms. Haden requested that action regarding the plan be delayed and placed on the December 15 agenda for consideration. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment I.)

XVIII.

Ms. Karen Larry, Executive Assistant to the State Superintendent, distributed information and provided a report detailing the waivers that have been submitted for consideration and their disposition from 2002 until September, 2005. W. Va. Code §18-5A-3 gives "authority and procedures for local school improvement councils to request waivers of certain rules, policies, and interpretations." Once this legislation was passed in 1990, the West Virginia Department of Education designed and issued guidelines and procedures for schools and school systems to request from the West Virginia Board of Education waivers to state policy, instructional materials, and state superintendent interpretations. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment J and addendum.)

XIX.

Dr. Huffman provided an overview of five new programs for three institutions of higher education and two RESAs for the Board's consideration. (Copy appended to Official Minutes of December 15, 2005 at Attachment J.)

XX.

Mr. Ben Shew, Executive Director, Office of School Transportation, Division of Administrative Services, provided an overview of Policy 4334 for the Board's consideration. (Copy appended to Official Minutes of December 15, 2005 at Attachment K.)

XXI.

Mr. Keith Butcher, Executive Director, and Ms. Regina Scotchie, Coordinator, Office of Instructional Services, Division of Instructional and Student Services, provided an overview of Policy 2520.4 for the Board's consideration. (Copy appended to Official Minutes of December 15, 2005 at Attachment L.)

XXII.

Mr. Butcher and Ms. Debbie Harki, Coordinator, Office of Instructional Services, Division of Instructional and Student Services, presented Policy 2520.17 for the Board's consideration. (Copy appended to Official Minutes of December 15, 2005 at Attachments M and L.)

XXIII.

President Johnson called for a break at 3:34 p.m.

XXIV.

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

XXV.

Upon motion by Mrs. Hamilton, seconded by Ms. Haden, the Board unanimously moved into Executive Session at 3:41 p.m. pursuant to W. Va. Code §6-9A-3 for a matter involving attorney-client privilege and W. Va. Code §6-9A-4(b)(2)(A) for a personnel matter.

XXVI.

The Board returned from Executive Session at 4:29 p.m. at which time President Johnson announced that no action was taken and no decisions were made.

XXVII.

The next regular meeting of the Board will be held December 15, 2005 in Charleston, West Virginia.

XXVIII.

Upon motion by Mr. Spencer, seconded by Mrs. Hamilton and unanimously carried, the meeting adjourned at 4:32 p.m.

Minutes approved by the Board on January 12, 2006.

___________________________________________

Lowell E. Johnson, President

___________________________________________

Priscilla M. Haden, Secretary

Minutes were recorded by

Virginia M. Harris

Executive Secretary to

the Board.

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