Senate Bill No. 416
(By Senator Love, By Request)
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[Introduced January 25, 2002; referred to the Committee
on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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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 imposing a
statewide grading scale.
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; certificates of proficiency;
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, which shall include a
state-wide grading scale, consisting of a percent to letter
grade to be printed on all report cards, 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. The
certificate of proficiency shall include the program of study
major completed by the student only for those students who have
completed the required major courses, or higher level courses,
advanced placement courses, college courses or other more
rigorous substitutes related to the major, and recommended
electives.
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.
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.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to place in effect a
state-wide percentage grade to be printed on report cards
instead of a letter grade.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.