CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) is one of six state and territorial boards of education who will receive a stipend from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) to advance state education reform work in the areas of School Leadership, Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Deeper Learning. The other boards of education to receive the stipend include Delaware, the District of Columbia, Guam, Kentucky and Maine. The grant awards will support policy efforts in these states through December 2014.

The six stipends, which total $72,000, were awarded to states and territories whose plans cover strategies for gathering knowledge and raising awareness; creating, implementing, and evaluating policy; building boards' leadership capacity; and strengthening partnerships and communications efforts. For the first time, NASBE encouraged states to develop connected plans for multiple stipends, enabling award winners to leverage increased funding for their work while promoting greater coherence across policy areas.

West Virginia's stipend award totals $15,500 for work in Deeper Learning, NGSS and School Leadership. The state board will use its funds to explore the policy development, evaluation and implementation issues and challenges associated with competency-based education, the preparation of 21st century school leaders and NGSS. These professional learning opportunities, in turn, will help inform and shape future policy directions for college, career and civic readiness in West Virginia.

NASBE is the only national organization giving voice and adding value to the nation's state and territorial boards of education. A nonprofit organization founded in 1958, NASBE works to strengthen state leadership in education policymaking; advocate equality of access to educational opportunity; promote excellence in educating all students; and assure responsible lay governance of education.

Learn more at www.nasbe.org or contact the West Virginia Department of Education Communication Office at (304) 558-2699.

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