WEST virginia legislature

2024 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

House Bill 5289

By Delegates Hornby, Ellington, Chiarelli, Fehrenbacher, Linville, Hite, Criss, Riley, Worrell, Thorne, and Willis

[Originating in the Committee on Finance; Reported on February 22, 2024]

A BILL to amend said code by adding thereto a new article, designated §21A-12-1, relating to establishing a partnership between Workforce West Virginia through its Division of Workforce Development and the West Virginia State Board of Education for the implementation of an educational, interactive platform designed to help students with instruction in the science technology engineering and math (STEM) field with a focus on chemistry and related careers to high schools and technical schools in the state; providing funding; and establishing an implementation plan and reporting.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 12.   Partnership with state board of education for Science education.

§21A-12-1. STEM interactive educational program partnership with West Virginia State Board of Education.

(a) Beginning for the school year 2024-2025, the Workforce West Virginia's Division of Workforce Development shall partner with the State Board of Education to implement a program in phases to provide chemistry and other science-based and math-based training through an educational, interactive platform designed to help students with instruction in the science technology engineering and math (STEM) field with a focus on chemistry and related careers to high schools and technical schools in the state.

(b) Workforce West Virginia's Division of Workforce Development shall select ten schools for the first two years of this program.

(c) After two years, the program shall be open to all high schools and technical schools in the state that choose to participate;

(d) Subject to legislative appropriation for this purpose, schools participating in the program shall be provided with instructional resources for students and teachers that use an educational, interactive platform designed to help students with instruction in the science technology engineering and math (STEM) field with a focus on chemistry and related careers for instruction.

(e) Administrators and teachers at the participating schools shall be provided access to the educational, interactive platform designed to help students with instruction in the science technology engineering and math (STEM) field with a focus on chemistry and related careers educational system as part of their professional development and support.

(f) Funding for this program shall be provided by the Department of Commerce to Workforce West Virginia's Division of Workforce Development.

(g) The program shall be designed and implemented to compliment and build upon the digital literacy standards and assessments established pursuant to §18-2-12, §18-2E-5(c), §18-2E-5(d), and §18-2E-12 of this code.  

(h) On or before January 1, 2027, the state board shall submit to the Governor and the Legislative Oversight Committee on Education Accountability an evaluation of the educational, interactive platform designed to help students with instruction in the science technology engineering and math (STEM) field with a focus on chemistry and related careers educational partnership between Workforce West Virginia's Division of Workforce Development and the State Board of Education's impact on the performance and progress of students at the participating schools. The evaluation shall include a recommendation for this program's continuation, expansion or termination and, if recommended for continuation or expansion, any recommendations for program modifications and utilization of the successful participating schools as demonstration sites to facilitate program expansion.