H. B. 2834
(By Delegate Capito)
[Introduced March 28, 1997; referred to the
Committee on Education then the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section six, article two, chapter
eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to alternative
education programs; requiring that policies and procedures
established by the state board of education for such
programs provide for adequate security at program
facilities.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section six, article two, chapter eighteen of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-2-6. Classification and standardization of schools;
standards for degrees and diploma; establishment of alternative education programs.
The state board shall make rules for the accreditation,
classification and standardization of all schools in the state,
except institutions of higher education, and shall determine the
minimum standards for the granting of diplomas and certificates
of proficiency by those schools. Not later than the school year
one thousand nine hundred ninety--ninety-one, certificates of
proficiency including specific information regarding the
graduate's skills, competence and readiness for employment or
honors and advanced education shall be granted, along with the
diploma, to every eligible high school graduate.
No institution of less than collegiate or university status
may grant any diploma or certificate of proficiency on any basis
of work or merit below the minimum standards prescribed by the
state board.
No charter or other instrument containing the right to
issue diplomas or certificates of proficiency shall be granted by
the state of West Virginia to any institution or other
associations or organizations of less than collegiate or
university status within the state until the condition of
granting or issuing such diplomas or other certificates of
proficiency has first been approved in writing by the state
board.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section to the
contrary, the requirement for granting certificates of
proficiency shall be replaced by the requirement that information
be provided on an electronic portfolio system established by the
state board pursuant to section eight, article two-e of this
chapter and issued to every high school graduate by the
appropriate county board: Provided, That the requirements for
granting certificates of proficiency shall be continued until
such time as the electronic portfolio system has been made
available to the county boards.
The state board also may establish policies and procedures
for the approval of alternative education programs for disruptive
students who are at risk of not succeeding in the traditional
school structure. These policies and procedures may provide for
the waiver of other policies of the state board, the
establishment and delivery of a nontraditional curriculum,
establishment of licensure requirements for alternative education
program teachers, and the establishment of performance measures
for school accreditation. These policies and procedures shall
provide for adequate security to ensure the physical safety of
students, teachers, school service personnel and the public at
all facilities utilized for alternative education programs during
all times when students, teachers and school service personnel participating in such programs are present.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require that policies
and procedures established by the board of education for
alternative education programs provide for adequate security to
ensure the safety of students, teachers, school service personnel
and the public at facilities used for such programs.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.