COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
H. B. 2934
(By Delegates Mezzatesta, Williams,
Perry, Shaver and Beach)
(Originating in the Committee on Education)
[March 28, 2001]
A BILL to amend article two-e, chapter eighteen of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated section five-a,
relating to a system of education performance audits.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article two-e, chapter eighteen of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section five-a,
to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2E. HIGH QUALITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.
§18-2E-5a. Review of system of education performance audits by the
state board; December 2001 report.
(a) The Legislature finds that the system of education performance audits is a valuable tool for determining the quality
of education provided in the schools of our state and for holding
schools accountable. The Legislature further finds that it is
crucial within a system of education performance audits that the
measures used to evaluate performance: (1) Are clearly aligned
with the educational goals and expectations established for the
student, school and school system performance, including student
success in postsecondary education and work; (2) reflect a priority
for student progress, health and safety; and (3) are limited in
number and easily comparable to national measures.
(b) The state board shall from its regular appropriations
conduct a review of the system of education performance audits with
the objective of achieving the findings set forth in subsection (a)
of this section and shall submit progress reports on its work as
requested by the legislative oversight commission on education
accountability at its interim meetings. The state board shall
submit a final report including any necessary revisions of its
policy on the system of education performance audits and
recommendations for statutory changes, if any, to the legislative
oversight commission on education accountability at its interim
meeting in December, two thousand one.
(c) In conducting its review, the state board shall examine
performance indicators utilized by various organizations to compare
the performance of state education systems for potential use in the
system of education performance audits. It shall also consider
methods for assigning accreditation status, such as weighting the
attainment of performance standards so that high performing schools
and school systems can be fully accredited while correcting
deficiencies on the process standards, except that process
standards affecting the health and safety of students shall be
weighted equally with the performance standards.