West Virginia

Great Public Schools Criteria

Great Public Schools Criteria refers to the seven elements needed for closing the achievement gaps and raising achievement for all students. The seven elements are: (1) readiness to learn, (2) high expectations, (3) quality conditions, (4) qualified staff, (5) accountability, (6) parental involvement, and (7) funding.

Read more below about the Great Public Schools Criteria in West Virginia.

Readiness to Learn

Legislation requires that universal pre-k be made available for all of West Virginia's four-year-olds by the 2012-2013 school year, and that 50 percent of the programs be in collaborative settings with Head State childcare, or private pre-kindergarten programs. (WVDE)

Health and safety standards are now a part of the policy. Included in these standards are requirement that meals must be provided if a pre-k classroom is in operation for more than four hours; all children who enter a program must have age-appropriate immunizations; and classrooms size will be limited to no more than 20 children. All pre-k classrooms not administered by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Day Care Licensing.

Health and safety standards are now a part of the policy. Included in these standards are requirements that meals must be provided if a pre-k classroom is in operation for more than four hours; all children who enter a program must have age appropriate immunizations; and classroom size will be limited to no more than 20 children. All pre-k classrooms not administered by the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) must be licensed through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR) Day Care Licensing.

Full-day Kindergarten:

• State Policy: Full-day kindergarten is universally available in West Virginia. Districts are required districts to offer full-day kindergarten and attendance is mandatory. West Virginia distributes funding to districts based on a teacher:student ratios.
• Definition, District Offering, Pupil Attendance: West Virginia defines kindergarten as programs for children who shall have attained the age of 5 shall be full-day everyday programs (WV ST § 18-5-18).
  Source: Education Commission of the States (ECS) Kindergarten Database, 2007

Quality Conditions

Fully 100 percent of public K-12 schools in West Virginia are connected to the Internet via direct frame relay technology. Over 92 percent of our classrooms are networked and more than 80,000 computers are connected to the Internet. At least 34,000 electronic mail accounts have been issued since 1994 for the Department's mail server located in Morgantown at the West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing (WVNET).

The West Virginia Department of Education offers extensive technological support, ranging from grants for local districts, to curriculum and power point presentations

School Safety. West Virginia's state enacted anti-bullying statute requires West Virginia's state board to develop a model policy to guide districts in approving their own policies and programs.  West Virginia's comprehensive state anti-bullying policy includes the following components:

• Defines bullying (either statewide or local definition)
• Prohibits bullying by students
• Informs students and others of anti-bullying policy
• Enables students and parents to report bullying incidents
• Requires teachers and school staff to report bullying incidents
• Provides immunity to those reporting bullying incidents and protection from reprisal, retaliation or false accusation against victims, witnesses or others with information regarding a bullying incident
• Requires administrators to investigate reported incidents
• Encourages or requires bullying prevention education in schools.

Basis: W.VA. CODE ANN. § 18-2C-1 through -6

Accountability

Statute:
W. Va. Code § 18-2E-5
Administrative Code:

W. Va. Code State R. 126 § 13-1 – § 13-12

West Virginia does not reward but it sanctions districts on the basis of performance. State sanctions include a written warning, offer of technical assistance and more funds, requirement that either district or another entity create and implement a plan for improvement, placement on probation, loss of accreditation, or state take-over of the school district.

West Virginia does not reward but it sanctions schools on the basis of performance. State sanctions of schools include written warning, offer of technical assistance and more funds, requirement that either the school or another entity create and implement a plan for improvement, placement of the school on probation, loss of accreditation, and the state taking over the school.

The state board of education of West Virginia is given the authority to intervene in the management and operation of low-performing schools. These interventions may take the form of: providing instructional programs; and replacing the principal and placing him/her under the sole supervision of the state board.  

This policy was enacted as part of the state accountability system that was in place prior to the enactment of NCLB and appears to be unrelated to NCLB's AYP timeline. [18-2E-5]