Two elements not already existing within the data system will be collected to ensure accurate and adequate information regarding student attainment of career and technical credentials/certifications and their eligibility for the Governor's Workforce Credential. Proposed new components and their descriptions follow.
The WVDE Offices of Career Technical Education and Governor's Economic Initiatives propose collecting information about (1) credentials or certifications students earn while participating in CTE programs of study and (2) the dates on which individual students voluntarily participate in any random or elective drug testing as part of CTE courses or programs of study.
West Virginia students participating in CTE programs of study supported by the WVDE may earn any of more than 500 industry-recognized credentials or certificates. Such credentials/certificates which are approved by a recognized credentialing agency, are recognized as valuable within industries because they verify a student's understanding and/or mastery of subject knowledge and indicate that the student is qualified to perform a particular job or task in the workforce.
Participation in drug testing is elective for students participating in CTE programs. Parents and students must consent to participating in any drug testing conducted pursuant to CTE program recommendations, Simulated Workplace protocols, and/or GWC application requirements. WVBE Policy 2520.13 stipulates that Simulated Workplace environments for students enrolled in the third and fourth program courses must meet certain requirements that replicate real-world industry conditions, including being drug-free workzones.
The public comment period has ended.
Information about students' attainment of credentials/certifications and their eligibility for the Governor's Workforce Credential will be collected through direct report and monitoring by school staff. The information will be entered by school staff into an appropriate application within the WVEIS. Information about students' attainment of career or technical credentials will be protected with the restrictions applied to other similar student records.
Collection of this information is permitted by state policy (W. Va. 126CSR44M, WVBE Policy 2520.13, West Virginia College- and Career-Readiness Programs of Study/Standards for Career Technical Education) and required by federal law, specifically the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, also known as Perkins V in its latest authorization (20 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.). Individual credentialing data will not be revealed publicly and will not be used for any purpose other than the provision and administration of educational services, the determination of individual eligibility for additional credentials or honors, and required aggregate reporting. Student privacy and the security of student information will be maintained pursuant to applicable federal and state regulations, to include (but not be limited to) the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), WVBE Policy 4350 (Procedures for the Collection, Maintenance, and Disclosure of Student Data), and the Student Data Accessibility, Transparency, and Accountability Act (W. Va. Code § 18-2-5h).