“Journalism is literature in a hurry.” – Matthew Arnold (1822-1888), British poet and cultural critic.

Manchin will face Raese in Nov. 2 special election to fill Senate seat

Claiming easy wins in their parties' special primary elections Saturday, Gov. Joe Manchin will face Morgantown businessman John Raese in a Nov. 2 special election to fill the remainder of the late U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd's term in the Senate.

Manchin easily outpaced former Secretary of State Ken Hechler and two-term Delegate Sheirl Fletcher. Manchin received with 73 percent of the votes cast, at 67,498 votes. Hechler had 17 percent of the vote, at 16,039, with Fletcher at 10 percent, at 9,035 votes.

Raese, the best-known candidate among a field of 10 Republicans, also breezed to a win with 71 percent of the vote in that primary, at 38,152. Morgantown real estate executive Mac Warner had 16 percent, at 7,892 votes.

Manchin and Raese will face frequent Mountain Party nominee Jesse Johnson during the November 2, 2010, general election.

The rare late-summer Saturday election came exactly two months to the day after Byrd, the longest-serving U.S. senator, died at age 92. Manchin announced his intentions to run for the U.S. Senate seat that Byrd had held for more than 50 years in July, shortly after appointing Charleston attorney Carte Goodwin to fill the seat temporarily.

First elected governor in 2004 and reelected four years later, Manchin serves as the chairman of the National Governor's Association and the Southern States Energy Board. Two years remain in his current term.  Manchin, who previously worked as a Marion County businessman, has served as a state legislator and as West Virginia secretary of state.

Raese was unsuccessful in bids for the U.S. Senate in 1984 against Jay Rockefeller, who is now West Virginia’s senior senator, and in 2006 against Byrd. In 1986, he was selected to be chairman of the state Republican Party. He was unsuccessful in his bid for governor in 1988.

Raese is president and chief executive officer of Greer Industries, the parent company of Greer Limestone, Greer Steel and Preston County Coal and Coke. Raese is the Morgantown Dominion Post's Vice President and serves as Chairman of the Board for West Virginia Radio Corporation, a company made up of 25 radio stations along with the MetroNews Radio Network, with affiliates throughout West Virginia.

 

Analysis – Manchin administration seeks Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for education audit

By Howard M. O’Cull, Ed.D.

The Manchin Administration published its anticipated Expression of Interest - * Education Efficiency Audit GOV20110  ** – Friday, August 27, 2010.

The electronic link is http://www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/rfq/fy2011/GOV20110.pdf.

Audit parameters.
The EOI seeks proposals from qualified firms to provide educational auditing services, consisting of: 

“…a comprehensive examination of state spending on primary and secondary education. The state agencies examined in this audit will include at a minimum the West Virginia Department of Education, the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, the West Virginia Center for Professional Development, the West Virginia Board of Education, the eight Regional Education Service Agencies, and the fifty-five county Boards of Education. The goal of this audit is to increase the efficiency of educational provision in the state of West Virginia. Increased efficiency is defined as improvements in educational outcomes for students with the same or decreased levels of expenditure.”

Based on these parameters, the successful vendor will be expected to:

1. Identify redundancies and duplication of efforts in the state educational system.
2. Identify economies of scale that can be created in the provision of education in the state of West Virginia.
3. Identify the ratios between educational, administrative, and other types of spending at the state and county level.
4. Make recommendations about the ideal level of the ratios between educational, administrative, and other types of spending at the state and county level.
5. Identify policy changes that can improve efficiency.
6. Identity regulatory changes that improve efficiency.
7. Identify structural changes that can improve efficiency.
8. Identify the cost benefit ratio of Department of Education programs.
9. Make recommendations about policy, regulatory, structural, and programmatic changes that can improve the efficiency of educational provision in West Virginia.

 
No Audit deadline.

No deadline is given for completion of the Audit, although the “vendor must provide on-going advice to the Governor as to the implementation of organizational and policy changes necessary to reduce redundancies, realize economies of scale, and achieve ideal ratios of expenditures to meet the overarching goal of increased efficiency in the provision of primary and secondary education to the citizens of West Virginia.”

There had been previous discussions about completing the Audit by December 31, 2010.

State Board of Education members Green, Linger are appointed to Audit Review Team.

In other audit developments, Manchin has appointed state Board of Education members Mike Green (Monongalia) and Wade Linger (Marion) to serve as two members of a six-member panel that will make selection of the successful audit vendor. Other members include: Joe Panetta, an assistant superintendent of schools; Mike McKown, director of the state Budget Office; Jim Pitrolo, Governor Manchin’s legislative director; and Patrick B. Crane, the governor’s education policy adviser.

State superintendent’s response.

The State Superintendent of Schools, through the West Virginia Department of Education’s Communications Office, made the following statement about the audit:

“As the state Superintendent of Schools, I will support any opportunity we have to save taxpayers money and invest those funds back into education in a more meaningful way. The key to a successful audit is to ensure all state procurement rules are followed and that all educational entities are engaged in the process. I am confident that West Virginia’s funding system, when benchmarked against the nation and neighboring states, will prove efficient and equitable. We have hard working teachers, principals and administrators who are constantly seeking ways to improve. Now I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work on this audit.”

Audit origins.

The audit originated in 2008 as a proposal called for by the West Virginia chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. The group also proposed that state officials consider consolidating county boards of education to eliminate duplication of education services.
AFT-WV made its pitch to Gov. Joe Manchin, who, at the time, did not dismiss it. The proposed audit attracted some news media coverage but did not gain traction.

Fast-forward.

Fast-forward to 2010. Early in March, the West Virginia Department of Education learned that its grant proposal in the first round of the Race to the Top federal education reform was rejected by the U.S. Department of Education. Hoping for success in the second round of grants, the governor met with the state Board of Education, urging members to make “bold” education proposals to help secure funds.

As he had promised in his 2010 State of the State address, Gov. Manchin followed through with a call for a special session of the Legislature to address legislation deemed essential to securing second-round Race to the Top grants.

The governor called the first special session for mid-May, ostensibly to consider eight RTTT-related reform proposals from among the 28 suggested by the state Board of Education in its "For the Sake of the Kids" initiative.

Legislative Working Group.

When the May special session faltered due to legislators’ lack of progress in considering the  reform legislation – and rejection of some proposals - the governor appointed a working group to reconsider the measures he had sponsored on behalf of the Department of Education.

In addition to five House and five Senate members, the “West Virginia Legislature Task Force on Education Reform,” as it is officially known, included representatives from the West Virginia Education Association and AFT-WV as well as the West Virginia Professional Educators organization. Also serving were representatives of the governor's office and the state superintendent of schools.

The working group slogged through each of the eight proposals considered in the May special session, although Race to the Top considerations were dropped. As that work came to an end, both AFT-WV and WVEA were permitted to recommend legislation separate from the special-session proposals.

Education Audit.

While not working with AFT-WV directly, I saw an opportunity for provide traction for this proposal.

Again AFT-WV suggested the education audit. In working with AFT-WV, legislators also adopted a proposal to examine county board administrative efficiencies in terms of shared services, particularly with smaller systems. While not working with AFT-WV directly, I saw an opportunity for provide traction for this proposal. AFT-WV President Judy Hale and Bob Brown, executive director of the AFT-WV affiliate West Virginia School Service Personnel Association, spoke in favor of expanding the “shared services” efficiency model which is included in 1989 legislation.

Legislators accepted both the audit and the efficiency considerations -- both were included in the working group's recommendations to the governor.

 “Jobs protection statement” gets thrown in.

In its original proposal from 2008, and to some extent in the 2010 reiteration, AFT-WV wants to find money to keep teachers in the school system as education dollars shrink. Considering it is a lobbying group affiliated with a school employees that should come as no surprise.

Most likely the governor’s office is entering into the audit, based on a different premise: Loss of federal stimulus moneys, along with the requirement of a balanced budget, will force state-level policymakers to make funding priorities.

Thus, I believe AFT-WV, anticipating cuts to the state's education budget, sees the necessity to throw a "jobs protection statement" into the mix. Indeed, auditors are required to “Identify the ratios between educational, administrative, and other types of spending at the state and county level…and (to make) recommendations about the ideal level of the ratios between educational, administrative, and other types of spending at the state and county level.”

Moreover, AFT-WV assured legislators that the union is sincere in wanting to examine efficiencies at the county board level rather than entering into a protracted debate about eliminating some county boards, which would prove to be a distraction to the goal of at least retaining -- and possibly increasing -- education dollars for staffing.

Legislators’ concerns.

An audit, if not carefully crafted as to intent, could become a legislatively sanctioned witch hunt.

Legislators, however, expressed legitimate concerns regarding the proposed audit. These fell into two categories. Senate Education Chairman Bob Plymale, D-Wayne, noted that an audit, if not carefully crafted as to intent, could become a legislatively sanctioned witch hunt. The second concern was, “Who” would perform the audit?

AFT-WV mentioned the Legislative Auditor, whose office is responsible for conducting performance audits of various state agencies. Plymale tentatively suggested Marshall University professor Cal Kent, Ph.D., and West Virginia University professor Tom Witt, Ph.D. (The Legislature contracts with Kent and Witt to study the state's Public School Support Program -- the School Aid Formula. Kent and Witt made recommendations for PSSP reform, which became law a few years ago.)

Other concerns related to possible use of external evaluators -- out-of-state auditors -- and the questions of “Who” would pay for the audit and when it would be presented.

Given the magnitude of the task -- it is acknowledged that the endeavor is daunting -- legislators mused about a target date of December 2011.

These initial working-group discussions came prior to the death of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd. That is, they occurred prior to the second special session which, of course, came to be dominated by senatorial succession legislation. Just as a proposal to consider teacher hiring practices did not make the second-session cut, as with most of the bills sponsored by AFT-WV and WVEA, the audit did not appear on the agenda. 

Gone but not forgotten.

The governor realizes that an audit conducted on his watch will provide direction to an incoming governor and the Legislature, helping define areas where budget cuts or program changes can be made. 

For a few weeks, it appeared as though the audit was dead. But the governor apparently wanted the EOI to be issued this fall. Based on previous statements – and the audit EOI itself - Gov. Manchin -- who soon may be bound for Washington -- likely sees the audit not only as a continuance of his intent to ensure the state's fiscal integrity by focusing on public education spending vis-à-vis the state budget, but also, and more important, to ensure the effective use of education dollars by education agencies, including county boards and the Department of Education.

Moreover, the governor realizes an audit conducted on his watch will provide direction to an incoming governor and the Legislature, helping define areas where education budget cuts or program changes might be made. 

 

Fiscal considerations. 

As part of the mix, I suspect a cost-based analysis audit alone would have been fruitless. In fact, the state Department of Education can tell you how every public education dollar is appropriated. Separate WVDE reports, required by law, show how funds are spent. This is not an issue. (There, of course, may be nuances concerning if education personnel are deployed “correctly,” particularly in terms of school administrator positions.)

PSSP (School Aid Formula) appropriations are known, based on such information as the "Certified List" of employees hired by county boards, second-month enrollment counts, and various other WVDE reports available on the agency's website. Any significant cuts to public education must occur here, however. In terms of the PSSP, the Department of Education is a “channel” for getting these dollars to county boards.

The point is, PSSP dollars have been counted and claimed, constituting 42.45 percent of the state's General Revenue and Lottery appropriations.

Also, except for its internal "Unclassified Budget," all WVDE dollars are "known" to legislators as part of the auditing process. (I am sure legislators have a good handle on the "Unclassified" dollars as well.) In terms of General Revenue and Lottery appropriations, it costs taxpayers about $24 million to operate the WVDE – hardly a huge amount of money given the state’s $11.6 billion total budget.
As for para-WVDE entities such as Regional Education Service Agencies, their funding is accounted for and known, as is funding for the Schools for the Deaf and Blind, institutional schools, Cedar Lakes Conference Center, etc.

The “cost-accounting” aspects of this audit should not take long, but the audit has components which, based on the successful vendor, will be used to analyze efficiencies within the spending units.

Thus, the “cost-accounting” aspects of this audit should not take long, but the audit has components which, based on the successful vendor, will be used to analyze efficiencies within the spending units, including the WVDE and county boards.

There is the separate expectation, based on whatever efficiency model or models are selected, the successful vendor will determine if public education dollars should be “rearranged,” based on policy objectives or to meet priorities set by the education funders, the state Board or Education or other policymaking entities. The proposal calls for the vendor to “make recommendations about policy, regulatory, structural, and programmatic changes that can improve the efficiency of educational provision in West Virginia.” Or as the audit proposal text states: “The goal of this audit is to increase the efficiency of educational provision in the state of West Virginia. Increased efficiency is defined as improvements in educational outcomes for students with the same or decreased levels of expenditure.”

Or, consider this language: “(To) make recommendations about policy, regulatory, structural, and programmatic changes that can improve the efficiency of educational provision in West Virginia.”

Fallout.

In that the audit intent centers on efficiencies, it is fraught with fallout which, not surprisingly, involves legislative funders and supporters and to a lesser extent RESAs and county boards.

If the governor had settled on a strict programmatic audit…some well-known state-level programs might come under considerable scrutiny, both in terms of independent evaluation, and in the level of budgetary support.

You can see my drift: If the governor had settled on strict program performance  auditing-- that is, auditing for program successes in advancing student achievement -- some well-known state-level programs might come under considerable scrutiny, both in terms of independent evaluation, and in the level of budgetary support.

There is one additional element: Policymakers may tout these programs at national conferences and the like, providing outright support of West Virginia education programming – in addition to their budgetary support – even if programs have not been subjected to considerable external, independent review for success in improving student achievement, based on dollars invested and other evaluative factors.

(Indeed, the audit text reiterates West Virginia’s public education spending and student achievement results [National Assessment of Educational Progress], using the exact points the governor made with the state Board of Education in the spring.)

Thus, the emphasis may become  programmatic evaluation based on an efficiency stance – not programmatic evaluation in terms of considered effectiveness. In that there is more than one way to skin a cat, an efficiency audit has the potential of placing some highly-touted WVDE and state Board of Education programs at a disadvantage in terms of “cost-benefit ratios,” which auditors might not “find” as “efficient.”

While the governor has public education spending as a focus – the efficiency of such – he also must have an interest in education policies and expansive programming, especially at the state level, and whether this funding and the resultant programs equal better teaching and learning at the local level, based on funding as a central factor.  

To get to this answer, the governor apparently is deploying the efficiency “lens.” As stated, education dollars, in terms of sheer appropriation, are “known.” In the audit scheme, little time may be spent “here.”

(Do not construe what I have written as a personal criticism of WVDE programming.)

Are hurdles overcome?

In that the audit timeline for completion seems “open-ended,” the governor has overcome one major hurdle – and criticism about this endeavor, although the thinking is a major component of the audit (if not the audit itself) should be completed by December 31 of this year.

Secondly, selection of the EOI might engender audit criticism but allows the process to continue quickly. (This is not to discount questions about this procurement procedure.)

An Expression of Interest allows vendors to “illustrate” the complexity by which they will undertake the task as well as what the vendor plans to audit. Generally speaking, a Request for Proposal limits the vendor to audit what the agency wants whereas an Expression of Interest allows the vendor to have more leeway in illustrating how the audit would occur in terms of territory to be covered.

If the audit is to be of value, it had to cover a lot of ground, rightly taking into account the Center for Professional Development and the state School Building Authority especially. Though neither entity has the constitutional protection nor sanction of the Board of Education, which is included in the audit, to ignore these entities would undercut the audit intent.

Lastly, what would we do with all the information an audit of this magnitude could provide, and what is to be done with those aspects that don't meet political correctness? The quick response is to say: Conduct the audit, and let the chips fall where they may. Fair enough, but audit results are likely to engender defensiveness, bitterness, even anger -- far more than became apparent during the education special sessions.

An Education Audit is needed.

During the legislative working group meetings, there seemed to be mixed support for an education audit.  As this audit proceeds, expect various interest groups (and legislators) to call for stakeholder involvement. Impaneling of an advisory stakeholders’ group, which could be done quickly, would allow audit frameworks to be reviewed as part of an ongoing formative process, allowing policymakers to know how the auditing architecture is being established as well as the anticipated course the audit may take.

The best, most expedient way to accomplish good timing is to secure substantive audit findings by Dec. 31, 2010.

Timing, of course, is a second issue. The best, most expedient way to optimize timing is to secure some substantive audit findings by Dec. 31, 2010. Thus the incoming governor and Legislature will have viable state-level, audit-based recommendations about budgetary adjustments that can be proposed for the 2011 and subsequent legislative sessions.

“Realities of ‘education politics.”

Given the realities of education politics in West Virginia, many policymakers may question an “expediency route.”  Unless the incoming governor can accomplish budgetary adjustments through decree -- highly unlikely -- the Legislature will be involved with interest groups scraping to shape the any audit recommendations  – remember AFT-WV’s “original intent.”

If one displaces the EOI component, there are really two issues overshadowing this particular audit call. One relates to getting education interests in the mix now rather than after an audit has been delivered. The second concerns timing -- completing this mammoth task in a way that is deliberative and rightfully respectful of West Virginia's multifaceted public education system.

Recession, retrenchment and the state’s looming economic “realities” can serve as invaluable prompts for determining public education priorities, providing a good means to subject entrenched agency and local programming to a scrutiny that might otherwise never occur.
Will this audit process accomplish those objectives?

Howard O’Cull, Ed.D., is executive director of the West Virginia School Board Association.

Improved test scores indicate reforms are having effects

By Jim Wallace

State Supt. Steve Paine is expressing optimism that West Virginia is on the right track for improving student achievement, based on the latest scores from the West Virginia Educational Standards Test (WESTEST2).

As he told the August meeting of the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability, scores for every grade level and subject improved with one exception. The exception was the eleventh grade reading/language arts score, which dipped slightly.

“It’s the first step in a series of steps that are very calculated that we hope will not only improve student achievement but also gets us closer to defining the level of proficiency,” Paine said. “I’m proud that our teachers, our kids and their parents have rolled up their sleeves and they’ve risen to the occasion, and they have, in fact, improved test results.”

The scores improved even though students missed many days of school this past winter because of snow and other weather-related problems, he said.

“I’m very pleased and cautiously optimistic that this is a trend upwards that will be pivotal, that will stop the low-balling of the rigor and the standards that were set in 2002 and 2003.” – Supt. Steve Paine

“I’m very pleased and cautiously optimistic that this is a trend upwards that will be pivotal, that will stop the low-balling of the rigor and the standards that were set in 2002 and 2003,” Paine said in a reference to the No Child Left Behind requirements set by the Bush administration.

Senate Education Chairman Bob Plymale, D-Wayne, asked, “Would it be safe to say that the efforts that were made under No Child Left Behind, which I think put us toward mediocrity, that we changed that before we were asked to change the standards?”

“Yes, sir, and we did our own self-correction,” Paine responded. “I think it’s been the right thing to do.”

The “adequate yearly progress” (AYP) requirement of No Child Left Behind is likely to “be a thing of the past” when Congress renews the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, he said. Instead, demonstrating improvement and growth will be the target for every school in the country, he said, and that improvement will be based on where schools are right now.

Plymale wondered how requirements addressing special education are likely to be handled. There has been concern that some states have improved their overall scores by classifying more students than necessary as special education students so those students’ scores wouldn’t count.

Paine expects that problem to be reduced, because the National Assessment of Educational Progress plans to identify states that exclude too many special education students. “If you exclude more than 5 percent of your students with exceptionality, you’re going to be exposed in the report,” he said.

“The more we see those standards being taught, I think, you’re going to find more creative ways to benchmark that progress that we don’t even know about.” – Supt. Steve Paine

Sen. Larry Edgell, D-Wetzel, wondered what could be done about students who don’t care about tests and might not perform as well as they could. Paine said there are ways to benchmark students’ progress. He added that the state’s efforts to make courses more rigorous would improve the scores of even the students who don’t try as hard as they should.

“The more we see those standards being taught, I think, you’re going to find more creative ways to benchmark that progress that we don’t even know about,” Paine said. “You’ll begin to see some innovative ways of keeping track of progress.”

Delegate Brady Paxton, D-Putnam, asked whether the Education Department has made the WESTEST more rigorous and whether that has made a difference. Paine said increased rigor has made a difference.

“It’s rigor in the curriculum standards, so our hope is, it’s not just the test,” he said. “The test is one indication of what we’re doing. It seems we’re on the right track. We need a couple of more years of data showing this.”

Paine added that he is cautiously optimistic.

 

Early childhood education progress pleases lawmakers.

“I think we’ve made great strides in early childhood education.” – Senate Education Chairman Bob Plymale

The committee also considered West Virginia’s pre-kindergarten program. Plymale began the discussion by saying, “I think we’ve made great strides in early childhood education.”

Clayton Burch, assistant director of the department’s Office of Instruction, said the early childhood program is growing faster than expected.

Plymale said the Legislature took a bold step in 2002 by developing a program for four-year-olds, but it seems to be paying off. “We were a little more realistic than the federal government in having 100 percent on No Child Left Behind,” he said. “We said 80 percent in a voluntary program was our goal.”

West Virginia’s funding formula for the early childhood program has been called one of the most comprehensive in the country, Plymale said, because it involves collaboration with providers of pre-kindergarten programs outside of public schools.

Burch said the goal was to have 50 percent of early childhood classrooms through such collaboration by now, but the level is up to 69 percent. Considering just state funding, West Virginia ranks 13th in the nation for early childhood programs, but considering funding from all sources, the state ranks fourth, he said.

The Department of Education has set up an office dedicated to early childhood education, Burch said, because officials want to “ensure that we are always pushing the envelope.”

 

Lawmakers consider proposals to prepare students better

By Jim Wallace

One group of lawmakers is considering following guidelines from the Southern Regional Education Board to get more students to graduate from high school and prepare them to college and careers.

The “Ready for Tomorrow” report from the SREB provides what it calls “six proven ideas [to] get more students ready for college and 21st-century careers.”  Those ideas include:

1. Provide students in every program of study with a rigorous academic core curriculum.

A strong academic curriculum can propel more high school students toward higher educational achievement. All students, including those concentrating in career studies, should complete, at a minimum:

• four college-prep English courses;
• four mathematics courses, including Algebra I, geometry, preferably Algebra II and above;
• three lab-science courses at the college-prep level;
• three social studies courses; and
• mathematics in the senior year.

 

2. Insist on high-quality career/technical course sequences that blend academic and technical content through challenging, authentic assignments.
   
   Federal law holds career/technical programs accountable for “adding value” to academic achievement by embedding academic content into assignments. To add enough value, schools must align a sequence of well-developed CT courses that embed essential college- and career-readiness standards. These courses must use authentic and intellectually challenging learning experiences that motivate students to master academic and technical knowledge and skills. Through such experiences, students can relate academic studies to a future career by learning the language of the field and discovering how workers in that field think, troubleshoot and solve problems.
   
   
   
3. Equip all students with 21st-century skills through high-quality career/technical programs.


An examination of the 21st-century skills defined by industry and business leaders reveals that neither pure academic knowledge nor basic technical skills alone will give many students the capacity to excel in college, careers and civic life. To be ready for tomorrow, young people must be able to use their minds and their hands. Employers are eager to find employees who can solve problems, think critically, analyze data and communicate effectively. Outstanding CT programs can help equip any student with 21st-century skills by making assignments that engage students in linking academic content with authentic experiences, resulting in deeper understanding and retention.




4. Expect every student to strive to meet standards in academic and career/technical classrooms.


Employers in every field want workers with a high degree of professionalism, a strong work ethic and a commitment to doing quality work in a timely fashion. Schools and classrooms that hold students to high expectations can develop these skills by giving students opportunities to redo substandard work. Teachers can increase student achievement by clearly indicating the quality of work required to meet rigorous standards and indicating their willingness to do whatever it takes to help students succeed.




5. Guarantee students have the support needed to meet readiness standards for college, career training or both.


As schools urge more students to complete college-prep courses aligned with a CT concentration, many students will need extra help and time to meet higher standards. Students benefit from adults who believe in and respect them, who can give them credible reasons for mastering high-level content and who are willing to provide needed support. Without such assistance, many students will lose ground and fail to graduate from high school.




6. Connect every student to an adult adviser or mentor who has the time and skills to provide guidance and support.


A strong guidance and advisement system assists students in planning career-focused programs of study and preparing for a range of postsecondary options — a good job, the military, apprenticeships, career training, community and technical colleges, colleges and universities. Such a system does not develop by accident. It is the result of a purposeful process that allows students to investigate, explore and reflect on their unique talents and interests. Competent and caring adult advisers help students discover what gives them the most satisfaction and aid them in setting education and career goals in anticipation of a rewarding career.

The report says traditional thinking about the distinctions between college-bound and career-oriented studies must be challenged if states want to reduce high school dropout rates, secure a well-prepared 21st-century work force, help schools have more students meet rigorous standards and put more high school students on a path to success.

 

Lawmakers are on board with the SREB report.

During the August interim legislative meetings, members of Education Subcommittee A were receptive to the SREB’s proposals. Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley, said students want to know why they should learn something. He said each student asks, “Why am I doing this and how is this going to help me in my everyday life to move forward or progress?” Thus, he said, students should be shown practical applications of what they are studying.

“There’s a vocational aspect to everything,” Unger said. He added that the vocational track of studies should not be stigmatized as being for less bright students. The college preparatory track and the vocational track should be blended rather than kept separate, he said. “This is essential to prepare students,” Unger said.

Further, he said, computers are doing more and more of what the left hemisphere of the brain does, so it’s important for schools to emphasize development of the right hemisphere, which is the center of creativity. Unger said it’s a matter of training students for the future instead of the past.

Laura Quinnelly, a legislative analyst for the Senate Education Committee, agreed that students need to see practical applications. She said the track from high school to college or vocational education should be clearer.

One of the Education Subcommittee A’s co-chairmen, Sen. Erik Wells, D-Kanawha, said he hopes to get someone from the SREB to address the subcommittee at a future meeting, either in person or by a conference call. He added that he would like to focus on providing more technical training for students.

State board updates GED Option

The West Virginia Board of Education has approved changes to state policy designed to help struggling high school students stay in school and earn a GED diploma.

Updates to Policy 2444.4: Issuance of the State of West Virginia General Educational Development (GED) Diploma incorporate changes to state law designed to improve student participation, success and high school graduation rates.

The changes will allow West Virginia to participate in the GED Option program through the American Council on Education GED Testing Service. The program will allow students ages 16, 17 and 18 to remain enrolled in high school while completing GED requirements. Currently, those under age 18 who want to pursue a GED must withdraw from school before taking the GED test.

In addition, West Virginia’s program goes further by allowing potential GED students to remain in career and technical education courses. These students will be able to earn GEDs as well as certification in their chosen career-technical fields resulting in high school diplomas. The GED is recognized by 98 percent of employers, as well as colleges and universities.

“These changes likely will give students at risk of dropping out of high school the hope of graduating on time and will result not only in a high school diploma but a certification of skills for employment,” Assistant State Superintendent Kathy D’Antoni said.

Twenty-six county school systems will pilot the GED Option this fall at 16 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers and at the state’s three Institutional Education Program sites. Students in the GED Option program will be expected to attend GED preparation classes and the GED tests; complete a 21st Century Global Skills job preparation program; complete four required core courses in a skilled pathway concentration or any program of study resulting in a certification; meet standards on the WorkKeys job skills assessment, if applicable; reach or exceed the cut scores on the End-of-Concentration Performance Assessment, if applicable; and complete additional classes via West Virginia Virtual School.

Pilot sites are:

1. Wayne County
2. Pleasants County
3. Randolph County
4. Mercer County
5. Monroe County
6. James Rumsey Career and Technical Center (Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan)
7. United Technical Center (Harrison, Doddridge and Taylor)
8. Fred Eberle Career and Technical Center (Upshur, Lewis, Barbour)
9. South Branch Career and Technical Center (Grant, Hardy, Pendleton)
10. Roane Jackson Career and Technical Center (Roane, Jackson)
11. Calhoun Gilmer Career and Technical Center (Calhoun, Gilmer)
12. Mineral County
13. Braxton County
14. Marion County
15. Mount View High School (McDowell)
16. Riverside High School (Kanawha)
17. Anthony Center (Office of Institutional Education Programs)
18. West Virginia Industrial Home for Youth (Office of Institutional Education Programs)
19. Honey Rubenstein Center (Office of Institutional Education Programs).

Debra Kimbler, GED coordinator for the West Virginia Department of Education, said the changes will benefit those at risk of dropping out of school and the students who dropout but then attempt the GED tests on their own. In 2008-2009, 1,322 teenagers attempted the GED. If those students would have remained in school to take the GED and concurrently enrolled in a Career and Technical Education pathway, they would no longer be included in the state’s dropout rates, would gain additional educational opportunities through CTE and receive high school diplomas, Kimbler said. Others who will benefit from this program are students who drop out of school but do not take the GED. About 2,000 students fell into this category in 2008-2009.

For more information, contact the Office of Communications at 304-558-2699.

 

State Department of Education: ACT results show students are ready for college and career

The West Virginia Department of Education believes the graduating class of 2010 will step onto college campuses this fall ready to learn based on the latest statewide ACT scores.

Of the more than 11,500 West Virginia students who took the ACT in 2010, 71 percent were ready for freshman-level English courses compared to 66 percent of students nationwide. Fifty-four percent of state test-takers were ready for freshman level reading courses, ranking above the national percentage of 52. The number of state students taking the ACT ready for freshman-level math courses increased from 30 percent in 2009 to 32 percent in 2010. The percent of students ready for freshman-level science courses decreased one percentage point from 25 in 2009 to 24 in 2010. Eighteen percent of West Virginia students tested met or surpassed all four of the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks, up from 17 percent in 2009.

 “The trend in the state’s ACT data is encouraging, and I am very proud of our students, teachers, principals and other school leaders,” state Supt. Steve Paine said. “Even though there are students who did not meet the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks, these findings suggest we are starting to get more kids over the readiness threshold.”  

The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement test made up of four separate exams in English, reading, mathematics and science, plus an optional writing test. The ACT is scored on a scale of one to 36. The test is administered in all 50 states and is the predominant college entrance exam in 25 states, including West Virginia. ACT also assesses a student’s ability to succeed in college.

ACT has developed research-based College Readiness Benchmark scores that predict students’ college or career readiness. Researchers at ACT found that students scoring at the ACT Benchmark Scores have a 50 percent chance of getting a B or a 75 percent chance of a C in freshman English, biology, college algebra and/or social science courses.

“West Virginia has seen steady growth on the ACT but we know we must do better,” Paine said. “We are cautiously optimistic that as the 21st century curriculum of Global21 sets its roots in classrooms across the state, our student improvement will grow further.”

The average composite score of all West Virginia students who took the ACT in 2010 remained the same at 20.7. At the same time, the nation’s composite score dropped from 21.1 to 21.  The state 2010 ACT average English score of 20.7 ranked above the national average of 20.5. The state average science score increased to 20.6, one point higher than the 2009 score, while the nation’s science average remained the same at 20.9.  The West Virginia average score in mathematics remained at 19.6 in 2010. The state ACT average reading score is the same as the national score of 21.3.

For more information regarding the ACT assessment, contact the West Virginia Department of Education's Communications Office at (304) 558-2699 

Education expert says schools should emphasize good habits

By Jim Wallace

Lawmakers looking for ideas on how to improve student achievement have plenty to consider as a result of one education expert’s appearance before a joint meeting of two legislative subcommittees in August. Gene Bottoms, a senior vice president of the Southern Regional Education Board, spent more than two hours giving members of Education Subcommittees B and C strategies for improving students’ learning and achievement.

Among the factors he said must be considered are how well principals support their faculties and how well school district offices support each school.

Bottoms said that quality time on task does affect student achievement. He noted that U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said the school day, school week and school year are too short in the United States. With that in mind, Bottoms offered several “promising practices”:

• Providing flexibility to start the school year earlier to allow for more instructional days prior to state assessment tests;
• Scheduling state assessment tests closer to the end of the school year;
• Reducing absentee among high-risk students;
• Providing conditions for effective summer school programs; and
• Extending the length of the school day.

On summer school, Bottoms referred to a 10-year-old report that found that summer school’s promises will be unfulfilled unless it is planned well using the best teachers.

 

Students need to learn better study skills.

Another problem, he said, is that many students come out of the middle grades not knowing how to take good notes. They don’t have the “habits of success,” he said, because those habits are not taught in middle school and high school. Consequently, Bottoms said, some students go into the sixth grade and fail English or math or both during the first grading period while also accumulating many absences. He said those students have a high likelihood of dropping out of school.

The “Knowledge Is Power” program in Georgia, Bottoms said, requires such students to spend 60 percent more time in school with school days running from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. plus five weeks of summer school. About $50 million is spent to train principals of schools using that program, he said. About 20 percent of the students in the program go back into the mainstream classes of public schools, he said.

Bottoms said that just putting students into remedial classes doesn’t work well to help them catch up with their peers. Instead, he said, educators must set a goal to get such students to their grade levels and to do the work required to get them there.

“Time is a factor. If you are behind, there is no shortcut to catching up.” – Gene Bottoms

“Time is a factor,” he said. “If you are behind, there is no shortcut to catching up.”

Bottoms also advocated making better use of existing instructional time. He said only 70 percent to 80 percent of classroom time is devoted to instruction, and during only 33 percent to 40 percent of classroom time are students actively engaged in learning, because many classrooms “are simply boring.” Meanwhile, he said, a high percentage of at-risk students lack the habits of success.

In that regard, he said, homework should make better use of student time. Much homework is boring, he said, so many students, especially males, don’t do it. However, Bottoms suggested that it would not be a good idea for lawmakers to pass legislation on homework.

What schools should do, he said, is to make the “habits of success” key features in the middle school and early high school grades. For example, he said, a school in Fort Mills, South Carolina, requires every freshman to go through a semester-long course on the habits of success. Bottoms said there are six habits that every student needs:

1. Build and maintain productive relationships with peers and adults;
2. Organize and manage time and develop study skills;
3. Develop strong reading and writing skills;
• He noted that reading a textbook is different than reading a novel.
4. Develop strong mathematics skills;
5. Set goals and make plans to reach them;
• “A student who is going someplace is far more motivated,” he said.
6. Learn how to access resources needed to achieve goals.

“Principals ought to be master teachers.” – Gene Bottoms

Bottoms said schools can make better use of instructional time by advocating bell-to-bell instruction and clarifying what is meant by effective teaching. They also should select, prepare and support principals to be instructional leaders. “Principals ought to be master teachers,” he said. Just being managers is not good enough, because they must be engaged with faculty in instruction, he said.

Likewise, Bottoms said, progress in student performance can be tracked by the behavior of a school system’s central office. That office’s role should be to support each principal and school to promote student achievement, he said. A hands-off approach is not good, he said.

Further, Bottoms said, classroom observations should be developed to measure time on task and student engagement. He said there are four ways to look for students’ engagement:

1. Are they engaged intellectually?
2. Are they engaged emotionally? (This is related to their interests and ability to see connections between what they are learning and their goals.)
3. Are they engaged socially? (For example, are there opportunities for students to help each other?)
4. Do they come to class prepared and take notes?

“If you want to improve the quality of middle school and high school, you must improve the process.” – Gene Bottoms

Bottoms also said high-quality instructional plans should be stressed. It takes more planning to engage students in learning, he said. Teachers should use “lesson cycles,” shifting to different methods of instruction every 20 minutes. “If you want to improve the quality of middle school and high school, you must improve the process,” he said.

 

Educators must know their missions.

It is important for schools to get their missions right, Bottoms said. In middle school, the mission is to prepare students for success in a college-preparatory core in grade nine. In high school, the mission is to graduate students, and graduate them so they are prepared for a range of post-secondary education options.

“We do not talk enough about our missions,” Bottoms said. He presented the following findings for how educators see their missions:

• Only 33 percent of middle school teachers say their mission is to prepare students to succeed in challenging course in grade nine, compared with 59 percent at the most-improved schools.
• Only 42 percent of high school teachers say their mission is to graduate students and graduate them so they are prepared for postsecondary options, compared with 65 percent at high-graduation schools.
• Only 56 percent of vocational teachers say their mission is to prepare students for employment and further study, compared with 62 percent at most-improved centers.

Bottoms said those views of how educators see their missions do not match well with students’ aspirations:

• More than 93 percent of eighth-graders expect to graduate from high school, and 85 percent expect to enter postsecondary studies.
• More than 92 percent of ninth-graders expect to graduate from high school, and 84 percent expect to enter postsecondary studies.
• 93 percent of vocational students expect to graduate, and 81 percent plan to pursue further study.

 

Educators should know the ABCs of at-risk students.

Another proposal Bottoms offered is to identify at-risk students in sixth grade and provide them with accelerated instruction, extra support and extended class time. He said the ABCs of identifying at-risk students are:

A = Attendance – Students who miss more than two days per month are at risk.
B = Behavior – Students who are suspended are at risk.
C= Course Failure – Students who fail the first semester (particularly in English/language arts or math) are at risk.

Bottoms said Texas has made the largest gains in improving students’ achievement in math by following these guidelines. He compared eighth-graders’ scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) tests between Texas and West Virginia.  In West Virginia, 51 percent of low-income students scored at or above the basic level in 2003 and again in 2009, but the rate for low-income students in Texas went from 54 percent in 2003 to 69 percent in 2009. For all other students, West Virginia’s rate declined from 73 percent to 71 percent over those years, while Texas’s rate improved from 81 percent to 87 percent.

“Investing time in staff development would pay off for you.” – Gene Bottoms

Students who are held back a grade must be taught the curriculum differently, Bottoms said, because just having them go through it the same way does little good. He said Texas provides much staff development to help teachers be more effective in reaching at-risk students. The highest-achieving schools had 30 percent to 40 percent more staff development, Bottoms said. He suggested that a good means of providing such staff development at reduced cost is to use Webinars.

“Investing time in staff development would pay off for you,” Bottoms said.

Among the actions schools can take to improve student achievement, he said, are to: give as much attention to graduation as to achievement; align middle school curriculum with high school standards; and bring together a rigorous core with vocational courses.

Bottoms said schools should teach more students using a college-ready and career-ready core. Giving students the opportunity to study a more demanding curriculum produces higher achievement, he said. Further, he said, schools should be rewarded for providing advanced learning opportunities in vocational and advanced-placement courses.

Also, Bottoms said he has found that students who take advanced placement courses tend to have higher achievement than those who are in dual enrollment or college enrollment courses.

 

Great principals are most important.

“Good teachers will become great teachers under a great principal.” – Gene Bottoms

Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, said it seems West Virginia schools have many things to do to follow Bottoms’s suggestions, but he asked if there is one proposal that is the most important. Bottoms had trouble identifying one thing, but he finally suggested making sure that every school has a great principal who understands the curriculum instruction and knows how to engage the faculty. “Good teachers will become great teachers under a great principal,” he said.

Foster noted that the senior year in high school has tended to become less productive. He asked how to address that problem. Bottoms recommended a report called “The Lost Senior Year” that came out about 10 years ago. He suggested that schools should require seniors to enroll in at least three courses, redesign senior English and math courses to focus on skills needed for college and provide more vocational courses for students who intend to go to work instead of college after high school.

Another of Foster’s questions was about the connection between success in academic courses and the amount of arts, music and physical education courses a student receives. “I think the arts have a role to play in school,” Bottoms responded. “I think it enriches learning, just as I think, for some of the kids, shop class in middle school enriches learning.” He said schools might have to expand their school days to fit in everything they should be doing.

Delegate Woody Ireland, R-Ritchie, noted that Bottoms had talked about teaching the habits of learning to students in middle school and high school. He wondered why that shouldn’t be taken back to the level of kindergarten through second grade. Bottoms said there is no reason not to do that. For some students, such habits are engrained in them by their families, he said, but others don’t have that advantage and need more help.

Bottoms added that American students are among the top students in the world in reading coming out of fourth grade, but they tend to slip later. He suggested that teachers need to be prepared better to deal with that problem. He also suggested integrating reading and writing skills into other subjects.

“We’re not using reading and writing as tools for learning in all the subject areas,” Bottoms said. Although West Virginia made a push for such integration of subjects in the 1980s and 1990s, many of the teachers involved in that are gone today, he said.

Similarly, Bottoms said schools could improve student achievement levels by integrating academic and vocational courses. He said students who take vocational courses in ninth grade are more likely to complete high school. He also said academics must be tied together with “the real world,” because student achievement can be raised through vocational courses “if you make it purposeful.”

Ten states win Race to the Top funds

The U.S. Department of Education confirmed the 10 winners of the second round of the Race to the Top competition on August 24, 2010.  The dollar amounts the states are to receive and their point scores are:

• District of Columbia: $75 million. Score: 450.0
• Florida: $700 million. Score: 452.4
• Georgia: $400 million. Score: 446.4
• Hawaii: $75 million. Score: 462.4
• Maryland: $250 million. Score: 450.0
• Massachusetts: $250 million. Score: 471.0
• New York: $700 million. Score: 464.8
• North Carolina: $400 million. Score: 441.6
• Ohio: $400 million. Score: 440.8
• Rhode Island: $75 million. Score: 451.2

Eighteen states, plus the District of Columbia, had been finalists for the remaining $3.4 billion in federal funds in the Race to the Top program—money that the administration hopes will transform education across the country.

Earlier this summer U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan named 19 finalists—18 states plus the District of Columbia—in the competition for $3.4 billion of remaining funding, created through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the federal law better known as the stimulus.

The finalists were Arizona, California, Colorado, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. All of them notched at least 400 points on the competition's 500-point grading scale. Several states boosted their scores considerably from Round 1 to Round 2 even before the in-person presentations to judging panels in Washington earlier in August. The secretary described that improvement as "inspiring" when he named the finalists on July 27. Delaware and Tennessee were selected as winners in Round 1.

Sources: various, including Education Commission of the States, Education Week and several news media accounts.

Lawmakers consider raising revenue and reducing benefits to deal with OPEB

By Jim Wallace

Lawmakers have no shortage of ideas for addressing West Virginia’s huge liability for OPEB – other post-employment benefits – but they seem to have plenty of work ahead of them to figure out which ones to use.

Some lawmakers, especially in the Senate, have been studying the problem of the estimated $8 billion liability for about a year. Most of that liability represents promises the state has made for subsidized health care benefits for current and future retirees from the public sector.

During the August legislative interim meetings, Finance Subcommittee C met twice on the issue – once to hear the concerns of leaders of the West Virginia School Board Association and a second time to release and consider a list of 47 proposals for addressing OPEB. Fred Lewis of the subcommittee’s staff emphasized that the list includes both good and bad proposals, but the objective was to get everything out on the table. He added that some of them would not be feasible politically or otherwise.

The ideas were grouped into six categories: 1) Possible Solutions: Targeting the Retirees’ Subsidy; 2) Possible Solutions: Leave Conversion; 3) Possible Solutions: General; 4) Plan/Liability Restructuring and Valuation Methodological Changes; 5) Possible Solutions: Providing New Funding; and 6) Sweeteners.

In a later interview, one of the subcommittee’s co-chairmen, Sen. Brooks McCabe, said he thought lawmakers would have to both come up with new revenue to put into the OPEB trust fund and tighten benefits for retirees. Among the possible revenue sources are an increase in the state’s taxes on tobacco and on beer and liquor. McCabe, D-Kanawha, said the tobacco tax increase could bring in $75 million to $100 million a year, most of which should go to OPEB while a small portion should go into smoking cessation programs. Raising taxes on beer and liquor could generate another $25 million in annual revenue, he said.

“That is just a tremendous cost to the system.” – Sen. Brooks McCabe

In regard to tightening up benefits, McCabe said the biggest effect would come from encouraging public workers to retire later, because a large portion of the OPEB liability comes from providing health care benefits for people who retire before they are eligible for Medicare.

“That is just a tremendous cost to the system,” he said.

McCabe also favors gradually raising the retirement age. In addition, he supports having the state assume most of the liability for county school boards. School board officials have complained that it is unfair to put 40 percent to 45 percent of the OPEB liability on their books, because they had no say in granting the generous benefits the state has promised to retirees and the state pays most of their payroll costs through the School Aid Formula.

 

Cost estimates will come later.

During the subcommittee’s meeting, Delegate Ron Walters, R-Kanawha, said he considered the proposals a “what-if” list that needed cost estimates to be useful. But Lewis said the proposals aren’t specific enough yet to figure out what they would cost or save. He said they could be submitted to actuaries after lawmakers narrow them down.

Delegate Steve Kominar, a co-chairman of the subcommittee, said that would be the next step. “You can’t solve problems using the same things that created them,” he said.

Kominar, D-Mingo, said the proposal would be sent to all the working groups looking at OPEB. They will then start assembling a working document for lawmakers to consider in future meetings.

 

School boards’ position is explained.

At the earlier meeting in which subcommittee members considered the position of school boards, former West Virginia School Board Association President Rick Olcott did most of the talking. He noted that county school boards have been assigned 40 percent to 45 percent of West Virginia’s total $8 billion OPEB liability as a result of following Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requirements. But as “mandatory participants” in PEIA, school boards had no choice in deciding what benefits retirees would receive, he said.

“When legislation was passed in 2006 to begin in January 2007, we certainly saw some dark clouds looming for county school boards without any resolution.” – Rick Olcott

“When legislation was passed in 2006 to begin in January 2007, we certainly saw some dark clouds looming for county school boards without any resolution,” Olcott said. That 2006 legislation assigned large portions of the OPEB liability to school boards and, through a three-stage phase-in based on financial size of school districts, required them to carry that liability on their books.

“GASB is a good thing,” Olcott said, adding that financial accountability and visibility are always good. He also said the establishment of the West Virginia Retiree Health Benefit Trust Fund to partially address the liability was a very good thing.

The bad thing, Olcott said, was shifting the liability to local school boards. The first three school districts affected by the phase-in of the 2006 law were Kanawha, Cabell and Wood counties. The Wood County board, on which Olcott serves, set aside $1.7 million to potentially put toward OPEB instead of spending that money on services and supplies for students. He said Cabell County also set aside funds, while Kanawha County chose not to fill 30 open positions.

“That bill that passed was critical to keeping a lot of school board members from walking out, because what we had at that time was a lot of liability pointing at us without a funding source and we personally would have been liable.” – Rick Olcott

The situation would have been much worse, Olcott said, if lawmakers had not passed a law affecting school board members’ personal liability for deficits. Generally, school board members can be held personally liable for ongoing deficits of more than 3 percent that are not addressed, but the Legislature passed a law essentially saying the OPEB liability doesn’t count.

“That bill that passed was critical to keeping a lot of school board members from walking out, because what we had at that time was a lot of liability pointing at us without a funding source and we personally would have been liable,” Olcott said.

But he said lawmakers need to do more to help school boards soon. The OPEB liability for school boards across the state has increased from about $50 million two years ago to $341 million at the end of the past fiscal year, and it will go up to about $624 million at the end of the current fiscal year, Olcott said.

“What we have in Wood County, as of June 30 of this year, is $15 million in liability on our books,” he said. “It potentially could affect our bond rating and our ability to finance anything.”

PEIA is billing each school board $742 per month per employee for OPEB costs but school boards and other agencies are required right now only to pay for ongoing OPEB costs, not the liability already accumulated through prior promises to retirees.

“They’re sending us invoices, and as a business person, it’s very uncomfortable to be getting an invoice saying you don’t have to pay, just set it aside,” Olcott said.

 

Decoupling would help.

One recommendation he supports is decoupling the issue of which entities to hold accountable for the liability from the issue of how to pay down the liability.

“You deal with the accountability piece first,” Olcott said. “Undo it and do correctly what was done in 2006, so the liability is on the right body of people who can help us deal with this as citizens of West Virginia.”

GASB rules would permit the state to assume the OPEB liability now assigned to school boards, he said. Some have suggested that might require designating school board employees as state employees, but Olcott said such a reclassification would not be necessary.

“We’re appealing for help as much as anything else,” he said. “It is something that was created by the state of West Virginia and something that needs to be reconciled by the state of West Virginia.” – Rick Olcott

“We’re appealing for help as much as anything else,” he said. “It is something that was created by the state of West Virginia and something that needs to be reconciled by the state of West Virginia.”

Olcott said any method the state comes up with to pay down the OPEB liability is likely to be painful. Lawmakers indicated that school boards probably would share in that pain.

“If we decide that part of what we have to do is to cut money from education, is it better for us simply to portion a percentage of the liability to you or for us to simply whack the budget off by X percent?” Delegate Tim Manchin, D-Marion, asked. “I ask that as a real question, because I don’t know which one gives you more latitude and leeway in trying to deal with it.”

“I think either way it’s going to have the same result,” Olcott said.

“Are there advantages or disadvantages to either approach?” Manchin asked.

“Well, if it’s apportioning the liability, we have it sitting over here on the books,” Olcott replied. “We’re not spending anything. If you cut funding, we will be forced to reduce spending.”

Further clarifying his point, he said, “One is bookkeeping. The other is: You got to take money out.”

 

Limiting eligibility for spouses is suggested.

Delegate Ron Walters, R-Kanawha, asked if the private sector has any useful practices that the state could adopt.

Olcott suggested that if a non-public sector spouse is working and can get health care insurance through his or her job, that spouse should be required to have to do so and not be on the policy of the PEIA member. He also suggested raising the retirement age.

“Is it going to be a contention of you all that you had no control over the plan, you didn’t set the eligibility for the retirement system and the retiree health benefit, you had no control over the benefits offered, you had no control over the premiums charged?” Walters asked. “In essence, you had no control over anything.”

“That’s correct,” Olcott replied.

“All right,” Walters said. “I just wanted to see where you were going.”

Senate Finance Chairman Walt Helmick, D-Pocahontas, asked Olcott questions relating to the lawsuit that 50 school boards have filed against the state over OPEB, but Olcott said he couldn’t say much about the suit. Nevertheless, in regard to the law that assigned liability for OPEB to the school boards, Helmick commented, “There are some people that voted for that rascal that are still involved in public policy.”

Sen. McCabe asked Olcott, “Where do you stand on employees that are funded outside of the school funding formula?”

“The lawsuit is not a panacea. There will be a number of counties that will continue to have significant problems that will stress them.” – Sen. Brooks McCabe

“My personal opinion on that is it’s the responsibility of the local county schools, because they’re making decisions about people they’re retaining. That’s Wood County’s approach,” Olcott responded. “We are making those financial decisions to maintain people above formula.”

“The lawsuit is not a panacea,” McCabe concluded. “There will be a number of counties that will continue to have significant problems that will stress them.”

Olcott said he has discussed that issue with many school board members, and most of them agree with him.

“That’s Wood County’s interpretation of it,” he said. “As a matter of fact, that’s why we’re going to lengths to deal with that.”

Audit strips ineligible dependents from PEIA’s rolls

By Jim Wallace

Results from an eligibility audit conducted by the Public Employees Insurance Audit indicate that almost 10 percent of the people covered as dependents by public sector workers, including school system employees, were not eligible.

Jason Haught, the agency’s chief financial officer, told PEIA Finance Board members at their August meeting that 9,764 people were receiving coverage improperly. That includes 6,506 receiving health coverage and 3,258 receiving only life insurance coverage.

The mandatory eligibility audit began in the spring. Only results for active public sector workers and their dependents are available so far. PEIA is still working on results for the audit of retirees and their dependents. Haught indicated the audit was challenging.

“I will never be involved in one of those ever again.” – Jason Haught

“I will never be involved in one of those ever again,” Haught said.

But PEIA Director Ted Cheatham said it shouldn’t be necessary for PEIA to have to conduct such an audit again, because newly hired public employees and those with any changes in their coverage are required, since July 1, to provide all the documentation necessary to establish coverage for their dependents.

Among the dependents removed from PEIA coverage were 1,315 spouses. Haught said they were removed generally because they were determined not to be spouses.

Using rough, “top-of-the-napkin” calculations, which he said were on the conservative side, Haught said dropping those ineligible dependents from coverage could save PEIA more than $5 million a year.

“It’s amazing. It could easily be $10 million in annual savings.” – Josh Sword

“It looks like close to 10,000 individuals are on this plan illegally,” Finance Board member Josh Sword, who works for the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia, said. Although the eligibility audit was a burden for public employees, because they had to supply copies of birth certificates and marriage licenses, Sword said his organization supports the eligibility audit. He said public employees shouldn’t have to pay for ineligible dependents.

“This is remarkable,” Sword said. “It’s amazing. It could easily be $10 million in annual savings.”

In other business, Haught reported that the Retiree Health Benefit Trust Fund came in well ahead of its financial forecast for the plan year that ended June 30. More than $23 million was added to the trust fund for paying post-employment benefits. That brought total assets in the fund to more than $420 million, although that falls far short of West Virginia’s estimated $8 billion liability for OPEB – other post-employment benefits.

The financial performance of PEIA itself was more complicated, Haught said. “A good year, but again not really as good as it looks because of the accounting rules,” he said. “The biggest positive was better-than-anticipated medical claims.”

PEIA’s net assets increased by almost $67 million during the 2010 fiscal year. That was almost $27 million more than was forecast.

 

Some lawmakers are more optimistic about health care reform than PEIA is

By Jim Wallace

Some lawmakers are expressing concern that the Public Employees Insurance Agency is overemphasizing potential costs of federal health care reform legislation and downplaying its potential benefits, particularly in regard to mental health parity.

Keith Huffman, PEIA’s general counsel, told members of the Select Committee on Health during the August interim legislative meetings that the effects of health care reform are “still a moving target.” But he said PEIA’s actuaries have estimated wide-ranging costs for various aspects of the reform law.

The mental health parity requirement is a “wild-card issue,” Huffman said. The actuaries believe it could be quite costly for the agency, he said, but there is also the possibility that PEIA might not have to fall under its provisions.

“PEIA is what the feds call a self-funded, non-federal plan, and we, at present, can opt out the mental health care reforms,” Huffman said. “We did that this plan year. The act, on its face, seemed to do away with that possibility. However, I have been in contact with several federal representatives who are working on this, and they seem to think maybe it won’t go away.”

But the notion that PEIA might not comply with the federal law’s requirements for mental health parity troubled Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha.

“One would assume that if people have better access to mental health care and preventive care that’s going to save money down the road in terms of your upfront costs,” he said. “Is that not a fair assumption?”

“Clearly if people are getting preventive care and if people are getting better mental health care, there’s going to be a benefit. I don’t think you’ve factored that in at all.” – Sen. Dan Foster

“It may,” Huffman replied.

“Well, I think it’s more than ‘may,’” Foster, who is a physician, said. “It will make a difference. I don’t know exactly how quantitative, but clearly if people are getting preventive care and if people are getting better mental health care, there’s going to be a benefit. I don’t think you’ve factored that in at all.”
(Use Foster photograph) 

“No, we don’t have any data on that,” Huffman said.

“I would encourage you to get that, because all we are seeing is gloom and doom,” Foster told him.

Sen. Evan Jenkins, D-Cabell, also was concerned that mental health parity was labeled a big-ticket item. He noted that the Legislature passed a mental health parity law several years ago and wondered what the differences would be in the federal law.

Huffman said the federal regulations have a specific formula to determine whether a mental health benefit is on parity with a medical benefit. Jenkins wanted to know whether the federal law specifies certain conditions, such as autism, or treatments that must be covered.

“Generally, I think it’s anything that the American Academy of Medicine says should be covered under mental health,” Huffman responded. He added that he might get one of PEIA’s actuaries to explain the calculations to lawmakers at a future meeting.

 

West Virginia will remember Byrd on Constitution Day

 

Robert C. Byrd, the longest serving U.S. senator until his death earlier this year, will be remembered on Constitution Day for his staunch support of a document that defines and outlines the basic laws and rights of American citizens.

Byrd inserted a provision into a massive spending bill that Congress passed in 2004 requiring every school and college that receives federal money to teach about the Constitution on Sept. 17, the day it was adopted in 1787. Throughout his life, Byrd kept a copy of the Constitution in his pocket.

In discussing the Constitution, Byrd said, “Our Constitution’s Framers were willing to risk everything they owned, even their own lives, to give us the great treasure that is our nation and our form of government. Each of us has an obligation to hand that treasure on to future generations intact and strong and secure.”

In West Virginia, the Constitution will be celebrated at the Robert C. Byrd Federal Building in Charleston in the ceremonial courtroom. Schools across West Virginia also will celebrate Constitution Day.

“Most students know that July 4 is our nation's birthday but few Americans know that September 17 is the birthday of our government,” state Supt. Steve Paine said. “September 17 is a day for all West Virginians, whether citizens by birth or by naturalization, to pause to reflect on the document that is responsible for our success as a free people.” 

Schools are celebrating Constitution Day in many ways. Byrd encouraged educators to use their creativity to teach the lessons of the Constitution. A list of online resources available online to assist educators with lesson plans, primary source documents, biographies, role-play scenarios and other activities too numerous to mention can be found at: http://wvde.state.wv.us/tt/2010/constitution-day.html.

For more information, contact Joey Wiseman, West Virginia’s social studies coordinator, at 304-558-5325, or the Office of Communications at 304-558-2699.

 

School bus safety law is strengthened

 

As thousands of West Virginia students return to school, motorists who fail to heed a stopped school bus could face prison time under a new state law if a child is injured or killed.

The West Virginia Legislature strengthened the law earlier this year with the adoption of legislation dubbed “Haven’s Law,” named for 6-year-old Haven McCarthy, who was killed in 2007 when she was hit by a car moments after getting off the school bus in Lincoln County. The motorist, who pleaded guilty to negligent homicide for illegally driving around a school bus, was fined $50 for the misdemeanor and placed on home confinement for one year.

Under the new law, drivers who fail to stop when a school bus stops and flashes its warning lights now could be charged with a felony. A driver who causes an injury could face up to three years in prison; a driver who kills someone could be put in prison for up to ten years. The law also increases fines for drivers who violate the school bus safety laws, and introduces the potential for drivers to lose their license.

“One bus-related death is one too many,” state Supt. Steve Paine said. “We all must be mindful of children crossing the road or getting on or off of a school bus, particularly at this time of year. The safety of our children must always be our No. 1 priority.”  

West Virginia school buses travel more than 41 million miles each year, transporting about 230,000 students each day to school safely and reliably. Across the country, school buses provide more than 10 billion passenger trips each year.

For more information, contact the Office of Communications at 304-558-2699.

 

State board approves recommendations to help children with special needs

 

The state Board of Education approved recommendations made by the West Virginia Advisory Council for the Education of Exceptional Children to aid those students with special needs.

The council, a statewide committee mandated by federal and state law, makes yearly recommendations to the West Virginia Department of Education to address unmet need of children with exceptionalities. Areas addressed include assessment, discipline, out-of-state placements, professional development, graduation requirements and other support.

 Among the recommendations in the council’s recently released annual report is the suggestion that alternative assessment to WESTEST2 be made available to some students. Such a move would cost $2 million. Instead, the state board approved the Office of Special Programs and Office of Assessment and Accountability suggestion to provide additional guidance to counties to increase participation in the current Alternate Performance Task Assessment (APTA). The Office of Special Programs has developed a checklist that has been shared with 150 teachers of special needs students.

The board also agreed to establish guidance on the definition and limitations on the use of seclusion and restraint in schools as a discipline measure. Other recommendations included working to reduce the number of students placed in out-of-state facilities, increasing Response to Intervention (RTI) professional development for teachers and principals.

For more information, contact the Office of Communications at 304-558-2699.

 

Pilot project works to improve Internet safety

 

The Internet is helping children today to explore new worlds with the touch of their fingertips. But this vast sea of information also includes hidden dangers lurking under the surface. In an effort to protect children while they are online, the West Virginia Department of Education last year launched a pilot project in Cabell, Monongalia and Wirt counties to support cyber safety. In early August, the state Board of Education learned how the project is helping protect children.

"Children today never knew a world without the Internet,” state Supt. Steve Paine said. “Teaching students, staff and families how best to use the Internet and protect themselves while online are an important step in educating children in the 21st century.”

Efforts to improve parental awareness have included informational sessions in each of the three counties. Events have included student-written and produced videos and skits, such as for Oprah’s “No Phone Zone,” guest speakers from the West Virginia State Police, student information tables at basketball games and seminars on social networking tips for parents.

“Experts tell us parents often don't talk to their children about the Internet because they don't understand it as well as their children,” Paine said. “We want to help parents so they can help their children use the Internet responsibly.”

The proliferation of child predators using the Internet to target children and teenagers has become a crisis in the United States. Experts say kids often disclose a lot of personal information, falsely believing that only other kids will see it. Studies now show that one in seven children will be solicited for sex online in the next year.

For more information, contact the West Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Communications at (304) 558-2699.

 

Technology grants go to 11 counties

 

The West Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Technology has awarded technology grants totaling about $4 million to 17 schools in 11 counties.

The awards were presented Aug. 5 by state Supt. Steve Paine during a luncheon at the Charleston Civic Center as part of the annual West Virginia Statewide Technology Conference.

The awards include funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) as well as the Enhancing Education Through Technology program, which helps fund technology in schools. Every technology integration specialist trained with money from the program receives 40 days of professional development so he or she then can return to his or her home schools and help other teachers integrate technology into their teaching plans to improve student achievement.

The Enhancing Education Through Technology program strives: to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology in schools; to assist every student in crossing the digital divide by ensuring that every student is technologically literate.

 

Schools of Excellence are honored

 

Officials of 16 West Virginia schools that have earned the Schools of Excellence award for 2010-2011 were the guests of honor at a August banquet at the Clay Center in Charleston. 

“Rewarding the hard work and dedication of school administrators and teachers is vital as our state increases rigor and incorporates 21st century learning skills into the classroom,” state Supt. Steve Paine said. “These schools have continually exceeded the academic bar and deserve this recognition.”

Schools of Excellence are selected based on the following criteria: a rigorous and challenging curriculum, a safe and drug-free learning environment, participatory leadership, active teaching and learning, an environment that strengthens teacher skills, documented student achievement and implementation of advanced and innovative programs.

The 2010-2011 Schools of Excellence and their counties are:

• Cabell: Milton Elementary and Spring Hill Elementary
• Greenbrier: Rainelle Elementary and Rupert Elementary
• Harrison: Bridgeport Middle and Johnson Elementary.
• Jackson: Ravenswood High
• McDowell: Fall River Elementary
• Nicholas: Birch River Elementary
• Ohio: Bridge Street Middle and Woodsdale Elementary
• Putnam: Hometown Elementary, Hurricane High and West Teays Elementary
• Wayne: Spring Valley High School Career and Technical Education Center
• Wood: Parkersburg High

Individual school applications were reviewed by a panel over two days. That was followed by site visits to the schools, which provided each visitor with verification and documentation to support a final recommendation for recognition.  

For more information on West Virginia Schools of Excellence, contact Donna Peduto (304) 558-7010, or the Office of Communications at (304) 558-2699.

 

Editor’s Note: -- Jim Wallace is a former government reporter for the Charleston Daily Mail and former news director of West Virginia Public Radio. He now works for TSG Consulting in Charleston and writes for several national and West Virginia publications.

 

 

 

WVBE Policies on Comment

State Board Policies Pending WVBE Action

 

Open for Public Comment

POLICY 2520.15 - Early Learning Standards Framework: Content Standards and Learning Criteria for West Virginia Pre-Kindergarten (WV Pre-k) (PDF)
Pending Board Action

POLICY 4110 - Attendance (PDF)
Pending Board Action

POLICY 2422.7 - Standards for Basic and Specialized Health Care Procedures (PDF)
Pending Board Action

 

http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/

 

Presidents Retreat

Counties showcase promising programs

By Jim Wallace

The West Virginia School Board Association’s annual presidents’ retreat this summer offered several members the opportunity to share with their colleagues innovative programs that could be replicated elsewhere. Here are brief descriptions of their presentations during the “Showcase of Counties”:

Erik Schramm, Ohio County – The West Virginia Northern Middle College Program is a three-county initiative (Brooke, Ohio and Marshall counties). It’s for students who are academically able to succeed in high school but who have difficulty participating. They are able to attend classes at West Virginia Northern Community College. For the 28 students who participated in the last academic year, their number of absences dropped by almost half over the previous year and their cumulative grade-point averages went up from 1.89 to 2.4. The cost was about $200,000, which Schramm said “turns out to be about what the state gives us to educate” them. Much of the funding came from foundations and corporate donations.

 

Lori Kestner, Marshall County – She also spoke about the Middle College Program. “If you look at the cost of what the state would have to pay to provide the skills and training and support to these people who may have dropped out of school, this cost is very small,” she said.

 

Tad Wilson, Wood County – Technology integration specialists are used to help teachers integrate technology into their classroom work. Three have been used, but five more are joining them this school year.

 

 

 

Jim Crawford, Kanawha County – The 65 and Older Club is a program that allows senior citizens to attend school activities for free. He said it is a good way to get seniors involved in the school system. “Those people are voters,” he noted. “They will help you pass your levies.” Also, Crawford said, when the seniors attend activities like athletic games, they tend to bring someone with them and buy refreshments, so the schools don’t lose money by giving them free admission. “We’ve found this has been a really good tool to get people involved in their communities,” he said.

 

David Ambrose, Morgan County – The Flex Program was developed to address the problem of disruptive and troubling behavior in the schools. A social worker does much of the work, which includes staff development and crisis intervention. “It’s not an in-school suspension,” Ambrose said. “It’s not a behavior disorder classroom. It’s a concept.” The social worker teaches students who have trouble working with their peers and teachers to cope with stressors. “Our initial results are really good,” Ambrose said.

 

Chuck Mills, Wirt County – The school system is providing laptop computers for every secondary student. “We listened to our experts in Wirt County,” Mills said. “Our experts are the teachers.”

 

 

 

Bernie Hott, Hampshire County – The Summer Enrichment Program is financed through a grant and includes all nine of the county’s schools. It is not traditional summer school. The program employed 28 teachers plus cooks for the free breakfast and lunch that was provided to students regardless of their family income. The buses don’t run, but parents are paid for their mileage in transporting students. Each teacher can teach at his or her expertise. The teachers float from school to school over the six weeks of the program. “This is new. This is different,” Hott said. “If nothing else, it keeps the kids going most of the summer.”

 

Jimmy Wyatt, Tyler County – The school system is one of several in a pilot project for the Alternative Identification and Reporting Program, which has completed two of its three years of trial. Elementary-level students with special needs are identified, but they are not classified as special education students. The program uses all resources available to meet the students’ shortcomings. One goal of the program is to reduce the number of students in special education. Tyler County did have 25 percent of students in special education; the goal is to get that down to 19 percent by next year. “The answer to any kid that was having a problem out there was to stick them in special education,” Wyatt said. The intervention lasts 15 weeks. If the problem is solved, a student goes back to the regular classroom. If not, the student is pulled out to work with a teacher. “Our people love it,” Wyatt said.

 

Ernie Moore, Braxton County – The school system is deconsolidating. The problem was that students’ test scores were dropping once they reached middle school. So the voters passed a bond issue to fix every elementary school in the county. That will allow fifth- and sixth-graders to remain at the elementary schools instead of going to the middle school. The hope is that their academic performance will improve.

 

Heather Straight, Pleasants County – The school system is working with students at younger ages to prevent them from dropping out of school when they are older. “The time to try to get to kids and to try to get them not to drop out is not when they’re in high school,” Straight said. “It’s when they’re young in elementary school.” The program tries to teach leadership skills. It also incorporates middle school students into the technology school. Straight said it’s important to keep alternative education students on-site “because these kids can’t be turfed into this program or labeled. They earn their way in, but they also have to earn their way out.” In the program, students work on both academics and social skills. “We set them up for success, not failure,” Straight said.

 

Barbara Parsons, Ed.D., Monongalia County – Students in the Star Talk Summer Camp get two weeks of immersion into the Chinese language and culture. About 50 students from kindergarten through fifth grade participate. “Studies show that the best time for kids to learn a language is actually in elementary school,” Parsons said. “When you start students early, they have a lot more time to practice the language.” She said younger students show more mental flexibility. The school system also is starting Chinese and Japanese language units for kindergarteners and first-graders. “The foreign language component of your learning allows you to see other things you wouldn’t see,” Parsons said.

 

 

WVSBA Direct

Program – West Virginia School Board Association Conference ’10
September 10/11
Charleston (Town Center Marriot Hotel)

 

Friday, September 10, 2010

10:30 a.m.	Registration
11:00 a.m.	Light Luncheon or Lunch on your Own
12:15 p.m.	First General Session: 21st Century Governments in West Virginia Presenter: The Honorable Brooks McCabe (Kanawha), West Virginia Senate District 17
1:00 p.m.	Break
1:15 p.m.	Workshops Session for West Virginia Board of Education Takeover County Boards – Board Members and Superintendents from these county boards should attend/Other Conference Participants as Designated Other Session Workshops: Green Schools – West Virginia Enters This Movement Presenters: Marshall County Board of Education Representatives Electronic Meeting Management: Presenters: Representatives – BoardDocs (TBA) Participant Lead Session Presenter: Howard M. O’Cull, Ed.D., WVSBA Executive Director
2:15 p.m.	Break
2:30 p.m.	Second General Session – Career/Technical Education – State and Condition – Trends for the Future Panel discussion with Invited Participants: James L. Skidmore, Chancellor West Virginia Council for Community & Technical College Education Brian Noland, Ph.D., Chancellor West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Priscilla Haden (Kanawha), President/West Virginia Board of Education Kathy D’Antoni, Assistant State Superintendent of Schools/Division of Technical, Adult and Institutional Education/West Virginia Department of Education The Honorable Richard Browning, D-Wyoming, West Virginia Senate District 9 (Invited) Karen Price, President/West Virginia Manufacturers Association (Invited) Patrick Crane, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin's education policy advisor Larry Parsons, Ed.D., Preston County Schools Superintendent/ President West Virginia Association of School Administrators
4:30 p.m.	Adjournment

Saturday, September 11, 2010

7:45 a.m.	Delegate Assembly
8:45 a.m.	Third General Session – Legislation Enacted in 2010 Legislative Sessions Presenter: Howard E. Seufer Jr., Esquire, Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love, WVSBA Counsel
10:45 a.m.	Break
10:45 a.m.	Latest Information Regarding State’s Fiscal Condition                 Presenters: Mike McKown, State of West Virginia Budget Office  Director Mark Muchow, West Virginia Department of Revenue Deputy Revenue Secretary
11:45 a.m.	Adjournment

Strategic Planning Committee will be announced at FY11 Annual Business Meeting

West Virginia School Board Association President Mike Mitchem (McDowell) has announced that the members of the association’s Strategic Planning Committee will be announced as part of the FYll Annual Business Meeting to be held in Charleston in conjunction with WVSBA’s Conference ’10.

“The Committee membership will be finalized in September, meaning members will be able to get to work on planning WVSBA’s future role and endeavors as an organization,” Mitchem said.

“The Committee membership will be finalized in September, meaning members will be able to get to work on planning WVSBA’s future role and endeavors as an organization,” Mitchem said.

The committee will include 11 members – one county board member representing each of the state’s Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) regions – and three “executive officers,” including co-chairs Barbara Parsons, Ed.D. (Monongalia) and Rick Snuffer (Raleigh), and executive adviser Rick Olcott (Wood).

Olcott is WVSBA’s immediate past president. He is a former Wood County Board of Education president.

Snuffer served as WVSBA’s president in 2008-2009. He is the Raleigh County Board of Education president.

Parsons, Monongalia County Board of Education President, is a member of the County Board Member Training Standards Review Committee  (TSRC).

WVSBA Executive Director Howard M. O’Cull, Ed.D., will serve as adviser to the group and, along with administrative assistant Shirley Davidson, help provide staff services.

 

County Board Training Committee approves members’ training hours for FY10

 

The County Board Member Training Standards Review Committee (TSRC),  a statutory committee established in 2009, met August 11, 2010, at the Governor’s Press Conference Room at the state Capitol.

The TSRC, chaired by state Board of Education member Gayle Manchin (Kanawha), completed the following action at its meeting:

• Directed West Virginia School Board Association Executive Director Howard M. O’Cull, Ed.D., who serves as TSRC secretary, to develop a second on-line training module, which is to be based on content relating to the state’s Open Meetings Laws as well as the state Ethics Acts. The module is to be completed by mid-October.
• Entered into a lengthy discussion concerning how to maximize the required seven (7) clock hours of training county board members are to receive by “balancing” the need for training modules, which will assist members to become more effective in their positions while also learning about developing educational issues and needs. O’Cull and the WVSBA Executive Board were asked to provide feedback in this regard for consideration at the TSRC’s October meeting.
• Discussed ways in which to assist county board members in the six (6) state Board of Education takeover counties by developing training specific to their needs, especially a “framework” for this type programming. As approved by the TSRC, the “framework” is to be shared with the West Virginia Board of Education for consideration later in the year.
• Reviewed O’Cull’s proposal to conduct a training “needs-assessment” to determine county board members’ perceived areas of training needs, including those of the six (6) WVBE takeover counties. O’Cull is to make a report regarding this exercise at the October TSRC meeting.
• Received extensive reports of participants’ evaluations of WVSBA Orientation ’10 (Morgantown – Waterfront Place Hotel) and the 2010 Presidents Retreat (Wheeling – Oglebay Park). While program evaluations were highly positive, several participants expressed the notion of scheduling conferences so they commence on Saturday afternoons, ending on Sundays to minimize loss of employment or to ensure that members do not have to use annual leave to attend training programs.

                                                                                                    
 Members also desire more “hands-on” programming to assist them in their roles, more emphasis on teamwork, especially intra-board and teamwork with the board and county schools superintendent, and a follow-up presentation solely for new members at a subsequent association training session.

 Orientation attendees also suggested members receive some type of “pre-training” or awareness session relative to duties entailed in being a county board member. 

Board presidents discussed the need for continued training regarding meeting management, how to preside and conduct hearings and how to engender intra-board cooperation.

The board presidents’ “Showcase of Counties,” while well-received, should be more structured and have greater programmatic vetting, according to several board president participants.

• Approved the WVSBA Conference ’10 program “format” and proposed programming, providing O’Cull leeway to modify the program, as presented, as long as any modifications conform to the proposal presented by WVSBA.
• Agreed to contact existing TSRC members to see if they wish to continue committee service. (Additional members may be added.) Once this information is secured, a list of TSRC members will be presented to the West Virginia Board of Education for its review in October.
• Reviewed proposed legislation relating to county board member training considered in the first and second regular education sessions. The committee is to revisit these proposals nearer the 2011 Regular Session.
• Accepted members’ hours of training for FY10. Based on these records, all members received the requisite clock hours training except a member in Monroe County and 7 members who served short terms, based on appointments.

According to the records presented to the TSRC, as prepared by the WVSBA staff, members receive an average 11.75 hours training per year – seven (7) hours are required.  Additionally, the WVSBA “fall conference” is most heavily-attended of all association-sponsored training meetings, garnering attendance from each of the 55 county boards in FY10, followed by the Winter Conference, and Presidents’ Retreat.

Based on the WVSBA staff information presented to the TSRC, 99 members – 35 percent of the 281 members serving last year – received seven (7) clock hours training. (The 281 figure includes various members who were appointed due to resignations or deaths of members last year.)

For more information regarding the report, please contact WVSBA.

 

Guido named Barbour County Superintendent

 

The Barbour County Board of Education, meeting August 2, 2010, appointed Ben Guido, Ed.D., as county schools superintendent.

Guido was given a two-year contractual term and began his superintendent duties August 4. He will hold the position until the June 30, 2012. His starting salary will be $84,000 and will increase annually by $2,000.

He is former principal of Norwood Elementary School (Harrison County) and has extensive administrative experience in that system, including central office positions, as well as having served as a professor and administrator at Alderson-Broaddus College.

In naming Guido superintendent, BCBOE President David Strait told the Barbour Democrat, “The board would like to also take a moment to say, we understand that according to state,  federal testing and auditing standards we have some room for improvement. We also understand that our system is hurting."

"The folks on the front line of our system have been wounded by administrative turmoil and turnover," Strait continued. "In just three years, you have worked through nine principal changes, two CTE (Career and Technical Educationdirectors, five board members and now a
superintendent. ... We've got to heal. With this in mind, we looked diligently for not only the person who will lead us through progress
one milestone at a time, but for the one that would help us with the healing process. We feel we found that person in Dr. Ben Guido."
"This is emotional for me. ... I feel like we're moving in the right direction nowand I feel really good about that. I never cry when I'm mad but, boy when I'm happy I  do," said Strait grinning.

The West Virginia School Board conducted the superintendent search which included extensive community involvement, including a citizens’ forum held July 31, 2010, at Phillip Barbour High School located near Philippi.

Guido is a United Methodist minister.

Showcase

Cabell County schools improve leadership skills

By Suzanne M. Oxley

Two years ago, Cabell County Schools implemented an Organizational Health model in each of its 28 schools with the goal of enhancing leadership effectiveness.  The results have been meaningful and exciting, and continue to improve.

Annual assessment of key leadership teams in the schools provides “an objective and reliable method of focusing organizational energies on continuous improvement for leaders and members of their units.  When leaders model perpetual learning, it has a positive impact upon members of their teams.  As a result of improved Organizational Health, one can predict that there will be an increase in the levels of organizational productivity. (Organizational Health Diagnostic & Development Corporation Online, Overview. 2009. http://www.organiztionalhealth.com/overview.php.) Leadership assessment is completed by a survey instrument administered to all staff to identify strengths and weaknesses in each school. 

Leadership training is crucial to attain the goals of maintaining positive organizational health.  The dimensions measured by the assessment survey are embedded in planning and implementing the plan to build leadership capacity at each school site.  Training is built around the Leadership Belief Statements:

1. We believe all decisions should be consistent with our mission and goals, should be data based, should be anchored in sound theory and practice, and should be focused on what is best for the short- and long-term interests of all students.
2. We believe all decisions should be made at the most appropriate level in the organization and should be as close to the point of implementation as possible.  The competency and commitment levels of those involved will help determine the appropriate level.
3. We believe our behavior should promote and encourage empowerment throughout our organization.  Empowerment should be highly individualized and be a function of their development on the dependent-independent-interdependent continuum within the context of belief statement #1.
4. We believe we have an obligation to establish and maintain cohesive interdependent teams that have a high commitment to the organization’s mission and goals.
5. We believe our behavior should promote and encourage professional autonomy and growth from independence to interdependence for individuals and teams throughout the organization.
6. We believe that we have an obligation to build in quality control and quality assurance strategies throughout the organization.  Building feedback loops into the systems to ensure quality control and assurance throughout the organization.

(See generally, Fairman & McClean, Enhancing Leadership Effectiveness; Lezotte, Correlates of Effective Schools.)

The Organizational Health model has a process for reaching the desired improvements within the organization.  This process is data based (from assessment surveys) and is designed to help leaders improve their leadership effectiveness and provide support to incorporate improvement strategies into daily school operations.  In accordance with the Organizational Health model, the survey measures the schools’ “health” in terms of following ten dimensions:

1. Goal Focus
2. Communication Adequacy
3. Optimal Power Equalization
4. Resource Utilization
5. Cohesiveness
6. Morale
7. Innovativeness
8. Autonomy
9. Adaptation
10. Problem-solving Adequacy

 The improvement cycle – survey, review, share results, plan for improvements, training of leadership teams, improvement follow up and support, back to survey to update – is an annual process. 

The Organizational Health infrastructure provides for leadership that draws on the talents and expertise of professional staff.  Each school has an Instructional Focus Team and an Operational Focus Team.  The Instructional Focus Team is responsible for curriculum, instruction and professional development and is comprised of the instructional department heads.  The Operational Focus Team addresses operations, scheduling, discipline, policy, etc., and is elected by faculty.  These teams are invaluable in facilitating leadership improvement and communication.  Additionally, the teams have identified and implemented creative and innovative teaching strategies that lead to better student engagement and overall student achievement.

Exciting things are happening in Cabell County Schools!

Suzanne M. Oxley is president of the Cabell County Board of Education.

 

 

Boardsmanship

 

 

School boards should be careful about late additions to an agenda

By Howard Seufer

We are often asked whether a school board, at the outset of a meeting, may lawfully add an item to the meeting agenda.  Sometimes it is proposed to do so by an amendment to the agenda or by the adoption of an “addendum” to the agenda.

The question is addressed in Advisory Opinions issued by the Ethics Commission's Open Governmental Meetings Committee.  The Committee is charged by law with interpreting West Virginia’s Open Meetings Act.

The Advisory Opinions state that in order to comply with the Act, public bodies that hold two or fewer regular meetings per month must give the public and news media at least:

• three days' advance notice of the date, time, place, and agenda of each regular meeting, 
• two days' advance notice of the date, time, place, and purpose of each special meeting, and
• two days' advance notice of any amendments to those notices.

In calculating the notice periods, the Advisory Opinions do not count weekends, legal holidays, or the day of the meeting.  An example from the Open Meetings Committee itself:  To give the minimum two days' notice of a special meeting that will be held on Monday, the notice must be posted not later than the close of business on Thursday (assuming that there are no intervening legal holidays).

The only exception recognized in the Advisory Opinions is in the case of a bona fide emergency requiring immediate official action.  In such case a board may, if necessary, give less notice than the above rules require, but it should include in the meeting minutes and any meeting notice an explanation of the facts and circumstances justifying the emergency.  (Advisory Opinions warn that an emergency will typically involve “an unexpected situation or sudden occurrence of a serious nature, such as an event that threatens public health or safety.”)

Thus, according to the Advisory Opinions,a school board cannot, at the outset of a meeting, add an item to the meeting agenda unless justified by a true emergency requiring immediate board action.

A final note:  Some school boards include in their published meeting notices language saying that when the identities of persons who may be the subject of personnel action are not known, or change, after the meeting agenda is published, a written list of the names to be considered by the board will be available at the meeting, before any action is taken.  This may allow a board, without technically amending its agenda, to fill a posted vacancy with an alternate candidate if a nominee withdraws from consideration after the agenda is published, or to accept a last-minute employee resignation.  Before instituting such a practice, a board would be well advised to adopt an appropriate policy and to consult with legal counsel in order to avoid violating the Open Meetings Act.

 

 

Resources

 

 

Career Pathways publication is out, website will follow

 

At a time when many Americans find themselves unemployed, the West Virginia Department of Education wants people to know that expanding their employment options is as close as their local career and technical education centers.

The publication, “West Virginia Career Pathways: A Bridge to Opportunities,” provides parents students and working adults with career information about jobs in West Virginia. More than 100 occupations, their average salaries and potential openings are listed in the publication. Information on West Virginia career and technical centers and the state’s community and technical colleges also is included.

"West Virginia Career Pathways equip students, parents and other adults with the knowledge they need to make wise career decisions in today's demanding global economy,” state Supt. Steve Paine said. "Career and technical education is a first-class ticket to a high-paying job and a solid career in the 21st century."

Information in the career pathways publication also is to be posted on a website, www.wvcareerpathways.com, which is scheduled to be fully operational by September. The project is a joint effort between the West Virginia Department of Education and the Community and Technical Colleges of West Virginia.

For more information, contact the Office of Communications at 304-558-2699.

 

 

Commentary

 

 

W.Va. Adopts GED Option to Help Students

By Kathy D’Antoni

It is with great pleasure I share with you good news about our public schools. West Virginia has taken an important step to make sure struggling high school students stay in school where they can get the help they need. We are doing this with the GED Option, which the state Board of Education adopted in July with updates to the General Education Development (GED) Policy 2444.4. The approval allows the Department of Education to move forward with the implementation of the GED Option pathway in conjunction with the American Council on Education GED Testing Service.

West Virginia’s program will allow students ages 16, 17 and 18 to remain enrolled in high school while completing GED requirements, a challenging assessment for even top high school students. Currently, those under age 18 who want to pursue a GED must withdraw from school before taking the GED test.

In addition, West Virginia’s program goes further by allowing potential GED students to remain in career and technical education courses. These students will be able to earn a GED as well as certification in their chosen career-technical field resulting in a high school diploma. The GED is recognized by employers, as well as colleges and universities.

The reason I am so excited about this new program is that I am confident that it not only will help students in academic trouble, but also it will reduce dropouts and increase the graduation rates. More importantly, I am proud that West Virginia is the first state to use the GED Option program to require at-risk students to complete some form of career and technical education (CTE). This important requirement gives struggling students a viable way to graduate, get a job and become a productive tax-paying member of society. CTE, with a 98 percent job placement rate, is the best option for many students who otherwise would drop out of school without a means to support themselves.

The GED Option is a wonderful educational tool for students who may learn a little differently from many of their peers. It is not an easy out; it is a valid way that builds upon the proven success of the existing GED program to help struggling students stay in school and learn a valuable trade. It gives students a real chance for lifelong success.

West Virginia has developed three potential options using the GED Option pathway.

Option 1 is designed for students in the ninth or 10th grade who have failed major core courses and are at-risk of not graduating with their cohort or dropping out of school.  Students identified to participate in Option 1 will

• attend GED preparation classes in lieu of the traditional academic requirements;
• complete a 21st Century Global Skills job preparation program;
• complete a CTE skilled pathway concentration.

Option 2 is designed for high school juniors or seniors who have failed a major core course and who are in jeopardy of not meeting the high school graduation requirements necessary to graduate with their cohort.  Students identified to participate in Option 2 will

• attend GED preparation classes that focus on the student’s deficient content area;
• pass the content area GED test;
• continue attending and passing all other classes as required by Policy 2510.

Option 3 is designed for high school students who are determined to drop out of school.  These students will be encouraged to take the official GED Practice Test (OPT) to see if they are capable of passing the GED test. If so, they will be encouraged to take the GED test prior to leaving the public school system. 

Debra Dillon Kimbler, coordinator for the project, said the changes offer students a second chance through a “unique and innovative pathway.”

“Not only will we be more likely to keep our students in school, but they will have a better chance of becoming productive members of society,” Kimbler said.

I am confident these changes will not only improve the state’s graduation rate, but will significantly improve student success for all, which will not only benefit students but our great state.

It is important to remember that education no matter the route is a good thing. Sometimes, as poet Robert Frost noted, taking the road less traveled can make all the difference.

 

D’Antoni - West Virginia Assistant Superintendent of Schools Division of Technical, Adult and Instructional Education

 

 

ETC.

 

 

 

Meanwhile in Washington Wisconsin ...

The Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association is fighting to get Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs back on their health insurance plan. Milwaukee Public Schools cut the drugs from its health plan to save at least $786,000 a year, but META is suing the district to retain those benefits. The school district previously included Viagra and other e.d. drugs in its health insurance plan, but decided to end that benefit in 2008. MTEA then filed a sex discrimination complaint with Wisconsin’s Equal Rights Division, saying the district’s health plan provides insurance coverage to women for sexual dysfunction treatments like vaginal creams, estrogen and anti-bacterial medicine, and,  thus, should provide drugs like Viagra for men. The union suit says erectile dysfunction is an “exclusively male condition” associated with heart disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, and other conditions. Count Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett among persons who say the state can’t provide everything META wants, having to make hard choices about how to best use resources, particularly during a sticky recession that’s forced the state to tighten government budgets.

Source: Wilwaukee Journal-Sentinal:  http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/100170484.html  

 

Wisdom

“One of the things we have to be thankful for is that we don’t get as much government as we pay for.” – Charles F. Kettering, independent inventor and later head of research for General Motors Corporation, founder of the Kettering Foundation, Dayton, Ohio.  

 

Soundbites

“A minimum of sound to a maximum of sense.” – Quotation attributed to Mark Twain describing the term “sound bites.”

 

“I’m very pleased and cautiously optimistic that this is a trend upwards that will be pivotal, that will stop the low-balling of the rigor and the standards that were set in 2002 and 2003.” – State Supt. Steve Paine following a report that almost all WESTEST scores had improved

“The more we see those standards being taught, I think, you’re going to find more creative ways to benchmark that progress that we don’t even know about.” – Supt. Steve Paine

“I think we’ve made great strides in early childhood education.” – Senate Education Chairman Bob Plymale

“Time is a factor. If you are behind, there is not shortcut to catching up.” – Gene Bottoms of the SREB on improving student achievement

“If you want to improve the quality of middle school and high school, you must improve the process.” – Gene Bottoms

“Good teachers will become great teachers under a great principal.” – Gene Bottoms

“When legislation was passed in 2006 to begin in January 2007, we certainly saw some dark clouds looming for county school boards without any resolution.” – Former WVSBA President Rick Olcott on the OPEB liability

“We’re appealing for help as much as anything else,” he said. “It is something that was created by the state of West Virginia and something that needs to be reconciled by the state of West Virginia.” – Rick Olcott

“It’s amazing. It could easily be $10 million in annual savings.” – PEIA Finance Board member Josh Sword reacting to the finding that almost 10,000 claimed dependents of public sector workers are ineligible for PEIA benefits.

 

 

Last Word

“The wide world is all about you; you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot fence it out.” – J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973), British writer and author of the richly inventive epic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings.

W.Va. Students and Educators Head Back to Class

 

By Steven L. Paine

The start of a new school year brings a sense of excitement to schools across West Virginia. It is a time for optimism, high energy and a commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of children.

As students return to school, I want to take a moment to publicly thank West Virginia teachers, administrators and parents for their dedication to improving student achievement. Together, we have embraced a renewed focus and dedication to helping students become college and career ready when they graduate from our high schools.

We are doing this at schools across the state by incorporating 21st century performance skills into a rigorous core curriculum. Educators and students alike are meeting the challenges of Global21: Students deserve it. The world demands it. Global21 is more than a slogan. At its core is the systemic change that must occur from preschool to high school if our children are to be successful in an ever changing world.

We are seeing the benefits of this change in better student performance across the board on the West Virginia Educational Standards Test 2, the ACT college entrance exam and the job skills assessment called Work Keys given to career and technical education students. We also have a high school graduation rate that exceeds the national average.

West Virginia schools are on a journey to prepare students who are the most prepared of any other generation. We continue to teach the basics, including English, math, science, foreign languages and the arts. It is our core mission. However, our students are learning an improved and expanded curriculum infused with world-class rigor aligned with national and international standards.

We’ve also updated our Content Standards and Objectives to incorporate 21st century performance skills, including problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration.  West Virginia has an updated assessment in WESTEST2 to better gauge learning.

We owe it to our students to believe in their ability to reach a higher bar and to support them with what it takes to reach it. Our students need rigorous standards if they are to have real choices in the future. Hard work and dedication truly does change the lives of our students for the better so that they can fulfill their potential.

The progress West Virginia students have made in recent years is a result of collective efforts of teachers and parents, administrators and students. I am confident that with continued hard work the 2010-20111 school year will be a very successful one for public education in West Virginia.

Paine is State Superintendent of Schools

 

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The Legislature is published by the West Virginia School Board Association. It provides county board of education members, state policymakers, school administrators and the education community information and opinions regarding West Virginia legislative issues. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect official opinion or policies of the WVSBA, unless specifically stated.

West Virginia School Board Association
PO Box 1008
Charleston, WV 25324
Phone (304) 346-0571 • Fax (304) 346-0572 WVSBA.ORG

Mike Mitchem (McDowell), President

Howard M. O’Cull, Ed. D., Executive Director, Editor
hocull@wvsba.org
Shirley M. Davidson, Administrative Assistant,
Production and Circulation
sdavidson@wvsba.org

Vincit omnia veritas
“Truth conquers all”