SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 22
(By Senators Wooton, Jackson and Tomblin, Mr. President)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance undertake
a study of assessment and accountability models to measure
the progress of students in the public schools in obtaining
a high quality education.
Whereas, The Legislature directed in Senate Bill No. 104,
passed at the regular session of the Legislature, one thousand
nine hundred ninety-six, that the State Board of Education
recommend to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education
Accountability an assessment model to measure the progress of
public school students in attaining a high quality education; and
Whereas, The State Board of Education recommended that the
Stanford Achievement Test be adopted for this purpose and that the
state board enter into a three-year contract with Harcort-Brace
publishers to supply materials; and
Whereas, The Stanford Achievement Test has been used in large
part to govern accreditation of schools, the major method of
holding schools accountable; and
Whereas, The contract with Harcort-Brace will expire at the
end of school year one thousand nine hundred ninety-eight--ninety-nine. The Legislature finds it necessary to establish a process
to study the broad area of education assessment models and
appropriate accountability measures; and
Whereas, The Legislature recognizes that because of the
constitutional requirement to provide a thorough and efficient
education to the children of West Virginia and because of the
importance of public education to the future of our state, a
broad-based public policy discussion needs to occur in order
to assist state leaders in determining appropriate assessment
and accountability models including, but not limited to, the
following: Ways to communicate the goals that county school
systems, schools, teachers and students are expected to
achieve, aligning assessments with curriculum, assuring that
the degree to which particular uses and interpretations of
assessment results are valid, and the degree to which
assessment results are free of measurement error; therefore,
be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is
hereby requested to create a select committee consisting of representatives of the Legislature and other interested and
affected parties who will undertake a study of assessment
models and accountability measures for public education to
determine its effectiveness and efficiency in meeting the
objectives and goals of the state; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the committee shall commence its
activities on or before the fifteenth day of May, one thousand
nine hundred ninety-eight; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the committee shall consist of
sixteen members selected as follows: Four members from the
Senate, one to serve as cochair on behalf of the Senate, and
four members from the House of Delegates, one to serve as
cochair on behalf of the House, to be appointed by the
President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House
respectively; the Secretary of Education and the Arts or a
designee; the State Superintendent of Schools or a designee;
a member of the State Board of Education to be selected by the
sState bBoard; two representatives of state-wide teacher
organizations, one to be appointed by the President of the
Senate and one to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; two
classroom teachers, one to be appointed by the President of the Senate and one by the Speaker of the House; and a director of
a regional education service agency to be selected jointly by
the directors of the regional education service agencies in the
state. Appointments shall be made no later than the thirtieth
day of April, one thousand nine hundred ninety-eight; and, be
it
Further Resolved, That the committee shall report its
findings to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education
Accountability on or before the first day of January, one
thousand nine hundred ninety-nine; 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; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby
directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the State
Superintendent of Schools and to the President of the State
Board of Education for distribution to each member thereof.