H. B. 4043
(By Delegate Mezzatesta)
[Introduced January 15, 2004; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2E-3f, relating
to establishing the priority for early childhood education in
the basic skills of reading, mathematics and English language
arts; making certain findings; stating intent and purpose; and
requiring state board rule.
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 §18-2E-3f, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 2E. HIGH QUALITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.
§18-2E-3f. Building the basics k-3 curriculum; legislative
findings; state board rule.
(a)
Legislative findings. -- The Legislature makes the
following findings:
(1) Children entering early childhood education programs have
significant differences in their cognitive development, mastery of
the early basic skills and readiness for instruction in a formal
setting;
(2) Mastery of the basic skills of reading, mathematics and
English language arts is the foundation for all further learning
and, therefore, providing the instruction necessary for each child
to attain mastery in these basic skills must be the priority for
early childhood education programs;
(3) Deficiencies in the basic skills of reading, mathematics
and English language arts that persist in children beyond the early
childhood years become more difficult to overcome as they retard
further progress in building the basics and lead to significant
gaps in the basic knowledge needed to comprehend more advanced
content in other subject areas; and
(4) Intensive instruction, early detection and intervention to
correct student deficiencies in the basic skills of reading,
mathematics and English language arts during early childhood
education are more effective strategies for improving student
performance than the alternatives such as grade level retention,
social promotion and referral for special services and can lessen
the prevalence of low basic skills as a contributing factor in
student truancy, delinquency and dropout rates.
(b)
Intent and purpose. -- The intent and purpose of this section is to establish the priority for early childhood education
to provide intensive instruction in the basic skills of reading,
mathematics and English language arts, along with early detection
and intervention strategies to correct student deficiencies, to
address the findings of this section.
(c)
State board rule. -- On or before the first day of July,
two thousand four, the state board shall adopt rules to effectuate
the intent and purpose of this section, including provisions that
address the following:
(1) Reading, mathematics and English language arts are the
only subjects that are required to be taught daily in kindergarten
through grade two early childhood education programs;
(2) Instruction in other subject matter in kindergarten
through grade two shall be oriented to reinforce instruction in
reading, mathematics and English language arts;
(3) Strategies for the early detection and intervention to
correct student deficiencies in reading, mathematics and English
language arts shall be employed throughout the instructional term
in the early childhood grades to help students achieve mastery in
these subjects, including allowing flexibility in student schedules
to provide additional time and instruction for students who are
below mastery in these subjects in grades three and four; and
(4) Any other provisions considered necessary by the state
board to achieve the intent and purpose of this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish, as the
priority for early childhood education, intensive instruction in
the basic skills of reading, mathematics and English language arts,
along with early detection and intervention strategies to correct
student deficiencies.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.
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