Introduced Version
Senate Bill 91 History
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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
Senate Bill No. 91
(By Senator Walters)
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[Introduced February 13, 2013; referred to the Committee on
Education; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-1-5b, relating
to the creation of a pilot program for middle schools to
incorporate the Khan Academy method of teaching mathematics in
the classroom.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-1-5b, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 1. GOVERNANCE.
§18B-1-5b. Pilot program of incorporating the Khan method of
teaching mathematical skills.
(a) The intent of the Legislature in enacting this section is
to create the framework for incorporating the methods and learning tools developed by the Khan Academy for the teaching of mathematics
into the classrooms of middle schools.
(b) The Legislature finds:
(1) The Khan Academy is a nonprofit educational organization
that provides free video tutorials and interactive exercises. The
Academy's declared mission is "changing education for the better by
providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere;"
(2) The lessons developed by the Khan Academy were conceived
primarily for self-education but are also suitable for use in the
classroom. The tutorials are informal in style and organized for
building knowledge one concept or lesson at a time. Many lessons
are delivered as electronic blackboard talks by someone with an
apparent enthusiasm for the topic;
(3) Khan Academy website users can maintain records of their
progress. Through the website, teachers can also monitor the
progress of students who are using the site. In pilot experiments,
schools are using a concept called "flipping the classroom," which
involves students watching the Khan Academy lectures at home and
then using classroom time for exercise and testing. In this model,
the teacher's role is changed from lecturer to tutor and progress
monitor;
(4) The Khan Academy can be seen as one of the best publicized
and most promising examples of the power of the Internet to educate
and to transform traditional education. The Academy offers over three thousand short videos on a wide range of subjects including
mathematics. To date the Academy has delivered over one hundred
thirty-two million lessons; and
(5) The Khan Academy's three-part educational philosophy is
to help students build a solid educational foundation, work at
their own pace, and promote interactivity and collaboration.
(c) Incorporating the Khan method of teaching mathematics will
be able to make maximum use of the currently existing resources,
facilities, equipment and personnel in the state's systems of
public education at a very minimal, if any, additional cost. Using
the Khan method will enable teachers to catch a vision of what
teaching can be and expose students to learning opportunities
twenty-four hours a day. It should also meet the several goals of
helping students to prepare for college level work, to increase
their likelihood of securing gainful employment given their other
relevant life circumstances, to obtain higher education core
curriculum course work that is universally accepted at all state
institutions of higher education with the grade earned and to
minimize the amount of additional course work they will be required
to take at less convenient times and locations to achieve their
educational goals.
(d) The secretary of education and the arts is responsible for
establishing a two-year pilot program consisting of no more than
eight sites within the state for the use of the Kahn method of teaching mathematics in middle schools consistent with the goals
established in this section. To the extent necessary, there is
hereby established in the State Treasury a special revolving fund
within the account of the secretary of education and the arts into
which appropriations, charitable contributions and other moneys
received by the secretary for the purposes of the program shall be
paid for expenditures in the operation of the pilot program. At
the end of the pilot program, the secretary shall make a final
report to the Legislature on the Khan method of teaching
mathematics in middle schools is beneficial and shall recommend
whether it should become permanent. If the secretary recommends
that the Khan method of teaching mathematics should become
permanent, the secretary shall also recommend specific structures
for program support and administration, instructional development
and objectives, technology, student support services and other
relevant policy issues.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to
create a pilot program
for middle schools to incorporate the Khan Academy method of
teaching mathematics in the classroom.
The bill makes findings,
requires a final report and, to the extent necessary, establishes
a
fund into which appropriations, charitable contributions and
other moneys may be made.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.