CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Board of Education updated several policies and approved two proposals, including one that establishes a teacher-in-residence program at West Virginia State University.

Legislation passed earlier this year allows for teacher-in-residence programs for certain prospective teachers in lieu of student teaching. Such programs allow prospective teachers during their senior year of college to gain teaching experience while being intensively supervised and mentored, not unlike physician residents.  In August, the board updated Policy 5100, Approval of Educational Personnel Preparation, to incorporate the program requirements. West Virginia State is the first university to propose a program under the new rules.

The board also approved updates to Policy 1471, Education in West Virginia’s Correctional Institutions: Mission and Goals. The policy revisions were made to assure individualized programming for all students and to provide guidelines for schools to follow when receiving a student returning to a public school from an institutional facility.  Similar revisions were approved for Policy 2800, Regulations for the Education of Juveniles Placed in Secure Predispositional Juvenile Centers.

Board members also approved Performance Targets for Student Outcomes, based on recommendations of the board’s strategic planning committee. The changes incorporate state board goals and strategic plan data for evaluation of effectiveness in annual accountability measures of public school progress.

Also, the board approved a resolution on behalf of the Gilmer County Board of Education authorizing a lease purchase agreement with Motorola Solutions, Inc. The resolution allows Gilmer County to finance the purchase of Motorola school bus communications equipment in the amount of $114,539 with financing at 4.59 percent interest, payable over five years.

For more information, contact the Office of Communication at (304) 558-2699.