H. B. 2734

(By Delegates Williams, Manuel,
Beach, Spencer, Harrison,

Henderson and Webb)

(Originating in the Committee on Education)

[March 25, 1997]

A BILL to amend article two-e, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto four new sections, designated sections nine, ten, eleven and twelve, all relating to the improvement of communication between higher and public education administration and students; establishing the West Virginia academic enhancement and tutorial program under the auspices of the secretary of education and the arts; requiring the secretary of education and the arts to coordinate an annual state education conference to include public and higher education; requiring that the secretary of education and the arts arrange for bimonthly conferences between higher education and public education; requiring the secretary of education and the arts to collect data; requiring the state board of education to hold two town meetings in regional education service agencies; and establishing student fora to discuss education issues with the state board of education.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article two-e, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto four new sections, designated sections nine, ten, eleven and twelve, all to read as follows:
§18-2E-9 . West Virginia academic enhancement and tutorial program established; secretary of education and the arts to coordinate cooperative efforts among county boards of education, institutions of higher education, higher education teacher preparation programs; with advice of state board of education and higher education governing boards.
Legislative intent: It is the intent of the Legislature that funding for all aspects of this section shall come from existing revenues.
(a) In order to improve educational opportunities among public school students throughout the state and to help better prepare post-secondary education students studying pedagogy and academic disciplines to serve as teachers in the public schools system of this state, there is hereby established the West Virginia academic enhancement and tutorial program (hereinafter the "program" or the "West Virginia academic enhancement and tutorial program") which shall provide tutorial and educational support to the public schools of this state.
(b) The secretary of education and the arts (hereinafter the "secretary") shall organize, with the public schools through the county boards and higher education institutions of the state, a tutorial and academic enhancement program in which higher education students, particularly students enrolled in teacher preparation programs, provide tutorial assistance to students in areas in which there is a low college going rate, high unemployment, and large populations of "at risk" students, including, but not limited to: students with disabilities; academically at risk students; place bound and economically distressed students; students enrolled in areas with high rates of teen-age pregnancy; and minorities.
(c) The secretary of education and the arts shall provide for a system of data collection within existing funding to measure the effectiveness of the West Virginia academic enhancement and tutorial program including, but not limited to, graduation and drop out rates, post-secondary vocational, technical and higher education entrance and retention rates, and report back to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability on its effectiveness by the first day of December, one thousand nine hundred ninety-eight and each year thereafter.
(d) Higher education students who apply and are selected to participate as tutors in the program, shall undergo training jointly created and offered by both the higher education governing boards or their designee and the state board of education or their designee that will prepare such student tutors to assist at risk students within the public school systems in improving and maintaining academic achievement within the public schools and to encourage such students to pursue a post-secondary education.
§18-2E-10. Statewide annual conference under the auspices of the secretary; establishing formal and regular communication among the West Virginia education communities.
Legislative intent: It is the intent of the Legislature that funding for all aspects of this section shall come from existing revenues.
(a) The secretary of education and the arts (hereinafter the "secretary") shall, by the first day of July, one thousand nine- hundred and ninety-seven, and annually thereafter, with the assistance of an appropriate, established, nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide education research and analysis organization, organize a conference to include: Members from the public and private kindergarten through twelfth grade and adult basic and vocational education communities; the public higher education institutional presidents and members of the advisory councils of faculty, staff and students of the public higher education community; representatives of the private higher education community; business; labor; and industry to discuss the progress and ongoing improvement of education at all levels statewide.
(b) The purpose of this conference is to provide an open forum for the public and education communities of the state to meet and discuss issues in education in each of their communities and to constructively provide for each participant group to contribute to the improvement of education in the state and resolution of differences and difficulties.
(c) To this end:
(1) The secretary is authorized hereby to contract with an appropriate, established, nonprofit, nonpartisan, education research and analysis organization for their assistance in identifying important issues facing kindergarten, elementary schools, middle schools, secondary schools, post-secondary education, business, labor, industry and school communities.
(2) This conference shall include a survey of the participants and presenters not only for the quality of presentations and sessions offeredduring the conference but also the recommended topics for the next annual conference and issues which the participants and presenters would like the Legislature to study.
(3) The secretary shall compile the results and findings of the conference and present, by the first day of October, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven and annually thereafter, such compilation to the governor, the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Delegates, the legislative oversight commission on education accountability, the state board of education, the board of trustees of the university system of West Virginia,the board of directors of the state college system of West Virginia, the West Virginia state chamber of commerce, the West Virginia state parent teacherorganization and the association of independent colleges and universities.
(d) In addition to organizing a statewide conference, the secretary shall bimonthly convene a meeting of the education communities of the state to include the chairmen and executive committees of the higher education governing boards, chancellors and vice-chancellors of the public higher education system, the state superintendent of schools, the members of the state board of education and any other individuals or groups the secretary may wish to put on his or her agenda for the meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to establish formal and regular communication between and among the different public educational institutions and programs throughout the state and to better develop a coherent and seamless progression of educational opportunities for the people of West Virginia.
§18-2E-11. Educational town meetings among the state board of education and communities throughout the state.
Legislative intent: It is the intent of the Legislature that funding for all aspects of this section shall come from existing revenues.
(a) Beginning the first day of August, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven and annually thereafter, the state board of education shall conduct a series of town meetings, two to be held in each regional education service agency (hereinafter the "RESA") in two geographically different locations within the RESA to discuss with the public, students, members of the education communities, professional educators, school service personnel and county board members: (1) Oon-going progress on the state's educational goals; (2) information gained from and provided at the state's annual education conference; (3) implementation of state board policies; (4) implementation of federal mandates, guidelines and policies; (5) costs associated with implementing the policies of the state board of education, laws of the state of West Virginia and the laws and policies of the federal government; and (6) any matters of general interest to the community regarding the thorough and efficient provision of public education within the multi-county service area of the RESA.
(b) Such meetings are to have commenced no later than the first day of August, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven, and concluded no later than the first day of May, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight and annually thereafter.
§18-2E-12Establishing sStudent fFora to eExpand cCommunications between pPublic sSchool and aAdult bBasic eEducation and vVocational eEducation cCourse pParticipants sStudents and the sState bBoard of eEducation.
Legislative intent: It is the intent of the Legislature that funding for all aspects of this section shall come from existing revenues.
(a) Beginning the first day of August, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven, the state board of education shall hold statewide fora with students from grades nine through twelve, as well as adults enrolled in adult basic education or vocational education programs within the public school system, to provide or cause to be provided information on post-secondary educational opportunities and financial aid as well as enable students using the public schools and programs to express student concerns to the sState bBoard of eEducation regarding curriculum, safety within institutions, policies and procedures of the state board of education; and other matters generally affecting students participating in public schools and programs.
(b) Such student fora shall be held no less than twice yearly, and only one of which may be held in Charleston.
(c) The state bState Board of eEducation may chose to hold more than two such student fora throughout the state or one in each RESA. Student fora held in RESAs may be held on the same day as a scheduled RESA town meeting: Provided, That such student fora shall not be held at the same time as the statewide town meetings to be held within each rRegional eEducation sService aAgency.

All sections are new; therefore strike-throughs and underlining are omitted.