WEST virginia legislature

2017 regular session

Engrossed

Senate Bill 524

By Senators Rucker, Azinger, Blair, Boley, Boso, Clements, Cline, Ferns, Gaunch, Hall, Karnes, Mann, Maroney, Maynard, Mullins, Smith, Swope, Sypolt, Takubo and Trump
[Introduced March 6, 2017; referred
to the Committee on Education]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2E-11, relating to West Virginia academic standards; defining “academic standards”; setting forth finding; prohibiting implementation of Common Core academic standards; requiring adoption and implementation of certain other academic standards; requiring academic standards be effective for a minimum of five school years after date of implementation; requiring any proposed changes to academic standards for public schools comply with certain section of code requiring notice, written comments and public hearings in certain instances; and requiring withdrawal from the memorandum of agreement which required that Common Core represent eighty-five percent of the state’s standards in English language arts and mathematics.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2E-11, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 2E. HIGH QUALITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.

§18-2E-11. West Virginia academic standards.

(a) For purposes of this section, “academic standards” means concise, written descriptions of what students are expected to know and be able to do at a specific stage of their education. Academic standards describe what students should have learned by the end of a course, grade level or grade span.

(b) The Legislature finds that sections one and two, article twelve of the Constitution of the State of West Virginia impose a duty on the Legislature to provide, by general law, for a thorough and efficient system of free schools and the ability to impose “duties as may be prescribed by law” on the West Virginia Board of Education.

(c) Effective July 1, 2018, the state board is prohibited from implementing Common Core academic standards.

(d) Prior to adopting academic standards, the West Virginia Board of Education shall allow West Virginia educators the opportunity to participate in the development of the academic standards.

(e) The West Virginia Board of Education shall provide by rule for a cyclical review, by West Virginia educators, of any academic standards that are adopted by the board.

(f) Effective immediately, any proposed changes to academic standards for public schools shall comply with section two, article two-h, chapter eighteen of this code, which in part requires a sixty-day written comment period and at least four public hearings in various locations in the state.

(g) The state board shall withdraw from the memorandum of agreement entered into with the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices which required the state board to agree that Common Core represents eighty-five percent of West Virginia’s standards in English language arts and mathematics.