HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 114

(By Delegates Pasdon, Duke, Ambler, Campbell, Cooper, Ellington, Espinosa, Evans, Hamrick, Hornbuckle, Kelly, Kruchaba, Moye, Perdue, Perry, Pushkin, Reynolds, Rodighiero, Rohrbach, Romine, Rowan, Statler, Trecost, Upson and Wagner)

Requesting that the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the circumstances where West Virginia home schooled students who have completed their course work should be authorized to take the GED test, the TASC test or other approved high school equivalency assessments and earn a West Virginia High School Equivalency Diploma.

            Whereas, Home schooled students may wish to take an approved high school equivalency assessment as a means of demonstrating their academic achievements and as a means of earning a West Virginia High School Equivalency Diploma; and

            Whereas, Home schooled students sometimes complete their high school course work before they turn eighteen; and

            Whereas, The State Board of Education has promulgated rules (W. Va. C. S .R. §126-32-1 et seq.) that address the circumstances where students sixteen, seventeen and eighteen years of age may sit for an approved high school equivalency assessment; and

            Whereas, The State Board of Education’s rules do not appear to contemplate a circumstance where a home schooled student has completed his or her course work before the age of eighteen; and

            Whereas, The State Board of Education’s rules refer, rather, to home schooled students being “withdrawn from a regular high school”; and

            Whereas, The State Board of Education’s rules do not appear to allow a home schooled student, under any circumstances, to sit for an approved high school equivalency assessment at sixteen years of age; and 

            Whereas, Other states may have different policies regarding these matters; and

            Whereas, The Legislature finds that it would be helpful to study other states’ policies regarding these matters and to weigh the considerations that informed those policies and the policies that are presently reflected in the State Board of Education’s rules; and

            Whereas, It is necessary to investigate and weigh the considerations that informed the State Board of Education’s policies in this matter; and

            Whereas, It is necessary to study other states’ policies regarding when home schooled students who have completed their course work may sit for an approved high school equivalency assessment; therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

            That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to study the circumstances where West Virginia home schooled students who have completed their course work should be authorized to take the GED test, the TASC test or other approved high school equivalency assessments and earn a West Virginia High School Equivalency Diploma; and, be it

            Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the Legislature, on the first day of the regular session, 2016, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations together with drafts of any legislation to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

            Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.