HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 77
(By Delegates Williams, Swartzmiller, Romine, Hamilton, Howard,
Sumner, Paxton, Long, Stemple, Crosier, Poling, Perry, Wakim,
Shaver, Renner, Sobonya, Tabb, Beach, Canterbury, Duke, Kuhn,
Hartman, Shelton, Fragale and Mezzatesta)
(Originating in the Committee on Education)
[March 8, 2004]
Directing the joint committee on government and finance to make
a study on the instructional term.
Whereas, A primary goal in establishing a calendar for the
instructional term of schools is to provide sufficient time for
delivery of the required curriculum at a pace at which the
students should be able to master the material; and
Whereas
, Once a calendar is established for the instructional
term, some of the scheduled instructional days may need to be
cancelled due to random events such as severe weather conditions,
natural disasters, infrastructure breakdowns, and other
emergencies, of which some number of these cancellations may be
anticipated based on historical experience, and these
cancellations are necessary to protect the health and safety of
the students; and
Whereas
, The present parameters established for a calendar
for the instructional term require no less than 180 separate instructional days, require 20 noninstructional days, restrict
the dates for beginning and ending the instructional term as well
as its duration, limit when certain of the required days may be
scheduled in the calendar, and require certain of the days to be
rescheduled to make up for instructional days cancelled; and
Whereas
, Variables other than the number of instructional
days in school calendar also affect the time available throughout
the instructional term for delivering the required curriculum,
including variables such as the length of the school day;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the joint committee on government and finance is hereby
directed to make a study on the instructional term; and be it
Further Resolved, That the issues considered in the study
should include, but should not be limited to:
(1) Consideration of whether the amount of required
instructional time within an instructional term may be a more
equitable and creditable standard than the number of required
instructional days and, if so, whether the standard should
reflect the "time on task" or the length of the instructional
day;
(2) Consideration of whether, and if so, how, instructional
time in excess of the required minimums accruing during the
course of an instructional term should be credited in whole or in part as time made up for scheduled instructional days that are
cancelled if the current standard for a required minimum number
of instructional days is maintained; and
(3) Consideration of how the required days or times required
for instruction in the secondary schools may be allocated between
the 1st and 2nd semesters to permit the conclusion of the 1st
semester before the first day of January; and be it
Further Resolved, That the said joint committee on
government and finance shall conduct the study and prepare a
report of its findings, conclusions and recommendations together
with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its
recommendations; and be it
Further Resolved, That the joint committee on government and
finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2005,
on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with
drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its
recommendations; and be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct
this study, to prepare a report and draft necessary legislation
be paid from legislative appropriations to the joint committee on
government and finance.
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