Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 38, September 20, 2024
8.1. County
Board of Education Staff (CBES) Responsibilities. It is the responsibility of
each county to plan, deliver, and evaluate the educational programs and student
support services necessary to implement a thorough and efficient system of
public education. The programs of student and student support services mandated
by regulations must be available to all students.
8.1.a. Administrative Practices. The CBES
shall ensure all components outlined in this policy are appropriately and
effectively implemented.
8.1.a.1. Implement
CBEM and WVBE policies and procedures.
8.1.a.2. Assure that all schools are safe and
that the environment is conducive to learning, per Policy 4373.
8.1.a.3. Implement rules governing student
attendance in Grades Kindergarten through 12:
8.1.a.3.A. Assure that all students, ages
6-17, are attending public schools or are exempt from compulsory public school
attendance under the provisions of W. Va. Code §
18-8-1 et seq.
8.1.a.3.B. Adjust and report the student
attendance rate for the allowable deductions defined in Policy 4110.
8.1.a.3.C. All students shall be scheduled in
the defined high school course work, college courses, CTE programs, credit
recovery, Option Pathway, experiential learning, or virtual school courses for
the full instructional day during Grades 9-12.
8.1.a.3.D. CBEM shall develop within their
attendance policy the definition of compelling circumstances under which
student may attend school for fewer than four full years and/or may be
scheduled for courses for less than the full instructional day.
8.1.a.4. Provide assurances that
the county comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling policy reflects
provisions of Policy 2315.
8.1.a.4.A. The
county school calendar shall meet the requirements of W. Va. Code §
18-5-45 and Policy 3234 by
providing: 180 separate days of instruction, with a minimum instructional day
of 315 minutes for Kindergarten and Grades 1-5; 330 minutes for Grades 6-8; and
345 minutes for Grades 9-12.
8.1.a.4.B. Co-curricular activities may, by
their nature, be scheduled within the school day.
8.1.a.4.C. Orientation programs for incoming
Pre-K and Kindergarten-aged children are acceptable means of providing
instructional time.
8.1.b. Alternate Delivery of Education
Programs. The CBES shall implement policies and documented procedures when
providing for alternative delivery of education and service programs for
students. A thorough and efficient education must be available to all students,
whether they are placed in regular or alternative programs.
8.1.b.1. Provisions of Policy 4373 and Policy
2520.19 shall be adhered to including, but not limited to, the provision of
behavioral components in addition to academic coursework.
8.1.b.2. Students with disabilities may
require an IEP meeting to determine whether their individualized needs can be
met in alternative delivery of education programs. Any change in a student's
placement must be addressed by the IEP Team and implemented in accordance with
the requirements of Policy 2419.
8.1.b.3. Students with IEPs placed in an
integrated general education environment (GEE) and requiring accommodations to
be provided by the general education teacher must not exceed 30 percent of the
total class enrollment. Students with IEPs placed in co-taught classrooms in
which instructional responsibilities are shared between a special educator and
a general educator in one physical space must not exceed 50 percent of the
total class enrollment in accordance with the requirements of Policy
2419.
8.1.b.4. Schools may award
credits earned from approved summer schools provided the instructional program
is equivalent to that required during the regular school term. All county
summer school programs shall be submitted to the WVBE for approval by June 1 of
each year.
8.1.b.5.
Homebound/Hospital Services.
8.1.b.5.A. A
student who, due to injury or illness as certified in writing by a licensed
physician who specializes in the health condition, that may temporarily confine
a student to home or hospital for a period that has lasted or will last more
than three consecutive weeks will receive home/hospital services. The written
statement from a licensed physician must include:
8.1.b.5.A.1. the specific reasons and period
of time that the student must remain at home or in the hospital; and
8.1.b.5.A.2. the criteria or conditions under
which the student will return to school, and the expected date of such
return.
8.1.b.5.B. A
written statement by a licensed physician who specializes in the health
condition must be resubmitted at least every three months if a student's
temporary home/hospital instruction is prolonged.
8.1.b.5.C. The county may require that the
parent/guardian obtain an opinion from a second licensed physician who
specializes in the health condition at the expense of the county.
8.1.b.5.D. Home/hospital services must be
designed to provide the student adequate opportunity to continue learning
toward mastery of grade level content standards while he or she is temporarily
confined to home or hospital. These services may not replace full time
instruction on an ongoing basis. The expectation is that the student will
return to the regular classroom.
8.1.b.5.E. Counties shall develop and
implement within their attendance policy procedures which shall outline and
define the delivery of home/hospital services.
8.1.b.5.F. Since home/hospital services are
temporary in nature, the home/hospital teachers are responsible for
facilitating instruction in courses with required content standards (i.e.,
English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies). For cases in
which home/hospital services may be necessary for a longer period of time, a
process for renewal is required every three months. The home/hospital services
are guided by the student's classroom teacher(s) therefore the home/hospital
teacher must be in regular contact with the classroom teacher(s) to:
8.1.b.5.F.1. secure and understand
units/lessons, instructional plans, and instructional resources (including
approved online and virtual options), and
8.1.b.5.F.2. establish procedures for the
collection, grading, and return of student work, as requested by the classroom
teacher(s) for feedback and assessment.
8.1.b.5.G. Home/hospital services provided
for an exceptional student who is unable to attend school temporarily because
of an injury, illness, or health condition require a change in the student's
placement to Out-of-School Environment (OSE) as defined Policy 2419. The change
of placement to OSE and any appropriate changes to services will be received in
the OSE setting, must be addressed by the student's IEP Team and implemented in
accordance with the requirements of Policy 2419. For students with Section 504
plans, adjustments to accommodations may be necessary during home/hospital
services. Upon return from home/hospital services, both IEP and/or Section 504
documents must be reviewed to ensure appropriate services are in place for
re-entry in the school environment.
8.1.b.5.H. Home and/or hospital services may
also be provided temporarily at the direction of the county superintendent for
students who have not met the immunization requirements of W. Va. Code §
16-3-4.
8.1.b.6. Alternative Settings for Disruptive
Students. Students whose disruptive behavior places them at risk of not
succeeding in the traditional school structure may be eligible for placement in
an alternative education program as authorized by Policy 4373.
8.1.b.7. WVVS Options (refer to Appendix C,
Virtual Learning).
8.1.b.8. County
Virtual Instruction Program (refer to Appendix C, Virtual Learning).
8.1.b.9. West Virginia Option Pathway. The
Option Pathway is a blend of the CTE Pathway and the High School Equivalency
(HSE) test. This pathway provides an opportunity for the high school students
behind their 9th grade cohorts a second opportunity
to graduate on time rather than dropping out of school.
8.1.c. Accountability for Alternative
Programs.
8.1.c.1. All alternative delivery of
programs for Kindergarten through Grade 12 must meet the standards and
safeguards set forth in WVBE policies related to curriculum, instruction, and
student support services.
8.1.c.2.
Letters of agreement and/or contracts shall be used with external agencies,
businesses, and individuals to clarify responsibilities in areas such as
student supervision, public access to school facilities, finance, and program
accountability.
8.2. Assessments. The school or
county may develop assessments aligned with the content standards to drive
instructional improvement for all students.
8.2.a. Assessments may include standardized,
non-standardized, performance assessments, end-of-course/program of study (EOC)
exams, portfolios, observation performance data, achievement checklists,
teacher-made tests, and other assessments that are at the direction of and for
use by the classroom teacher.
8.2.b. A formative assessment process shall
be used in all grades to provide educators with information to inform
instruction, personalize planning, and share individual students' progress with
students and families in meaningful ways.
8.3. Compulsory School Attendance. W. Va.
Code §
18-8-1a requires compulsory school
attendance to begin with the school year in which the sixth birthday is reached
prior to July 1 of such year or upon enrolling in a publicly supported
Kindergarten program and to continue to the seventeenth birthday or for as long
as the student continues to be enrolled in a county after the seventeenth
birthday.
8.4. Delivery and
Evaluation of Education Programs and Support Services.It is the responsibility
of each county to plan, deliver, and evaluate the education programs and
student support services necessary to implement a thorough and efficient system
of public education. The programs of study and student support services
mandated by regulations must be made available to all students.
8.5. English as a Second Language Services.
The county shall provide English as a Second Language services, or specially
designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique educational
needs of an eligible limited English proficient student. English as a Second
Language Services and content instruction conducted in the classroom and in
other settings shall be provided as specified in the student's program of study
and in accordance with Policy 2417.
8.6. Facilities. Counties shall ensure that
facilities must be safe and well-maintained and meet the standards set forth in
Policy 6200.
8.7. Information
Systems. Counties shall participate in WVEIS and other WVDE data collections
through adherence to data collection calendars and guidance documentation,
which are developed and maintained through the WVDE data governance structure
per Policy 4350, to ensure compliance with state and federal reporting
requirements and to support the population and sustainability of the state's
longitudinal data system for educational decision making.
8.8. Instructional Resources. See W. Va. Code
§§
18-2-5,
18-2-8,
18-2A-10, and
18-5-21, and Policy
2445.40.
8.9. Partnerships.
Counties may choose to optimize the flexibility demonstrated and available
within this and other WVBE policies to:
8.9.a.
cooperate with one or more counties in establishing and maintaining joint
programs;
8.9.b. contract for
services with public or private agencies having appropriate programs;
and/or
8.9.c. coordinate and share
programs, related services, and resources with other organizations, agencies,
and local businesses.
8.10. Special Education provides services and
resources to meet the unique needs of all students with disabilities. Counties
shall ensure special education requirements set forth in Policy 2419 are
implemented.
8.11. Technology. The
county shall ensure that each school has:
8.11.a. technology practices that facilitate
student development in areas such as, but not limited to, computer skills,
critical thinking and decision-making, application of academic knowledge in
workplace programs, making informed career decisions, and meeting the
requirements of Policy 2520.14; and
8.11.b. a technology infrastructure that has
multiple applications for enabling students to achieve at higher academic
levels.
8.11.c. adequate technology
resources to support instruction.
8.12. Policy Development, Implementation, and
Guidance. Counties shall develop procedures, guidelines, and
technical assistance documents necessary to implement county policy, WVBE
policy, and state law.
8.13.
Transportation. See Policy 4336.
