Henry Aglio, Denise Honaker, Wes Bargeloh, Vickie Hyre, Ragina Copeland, Larry Keaton, Al Edwards, David Lancaster, Tina Edwards, Cindy Kelley, Cindy Gissy, Martha McGovern, and Patty Moffett.

Cindy Kelley updated the group on recent West Virginia State Department policy changes. Programmatic levels have changed from K-8 Multi-Subjects to Elementary Education K-6. WVU-P’s education program now reflects this change. State IGO’s are changing to "content standards; this change is effective July 1, 2003. These standards will be on-line on the WV State Department of Education web site after the September State Board of Education meeting, and a copy will be downloaded for the education curriculum lab.

Four middle school certifications have been approved as add-on endorsements to the Multi-Subject certification: Social Studies 5-9, English Language Arts 5-9, Math 5-9, and Science 5-9.

Ragina Copeland is offering a pilot course designed to target education students identified with deficiencies in written or verbal English skills. English 297 will be offered on Wednesday’s from 4:00-6:45. It is variable entry, variable exit for 1-3 hours credit. Once a problem is identified, instructors should make a referral. The student will then be required to register for this course. Although this course is designed primarily for education majors, non-education majors and others can benefit. Students may also self-refer.

Previously, West Virginia was among the states that only completed state background checks for teacher certification. Individuals who had federal records were targeting these states. West Virginia now requires FBI and state background checks for original certifications, and certification may be withheld if the applicant has felony charges or misdemeanors such as a DUI’s, underage consumption, selling alcohol to a minor, etc. To protect the institution from any liability, education students are informed of this policy in both Education 100 and 300 and are given a NCR form to sign verifying they know of this policy. Students need to know this policy as early as possible, and the division is trying to reach students at the freshman level.

The due process policy was designed and implemented to identify students with problems outside the scope typical assessment standards and offer remediation for those problems. Due process is intended to look beyond grades and at dispositions. Case law has shown that when documented developmental remediation is offered, courts typically will rule for the institution. When a problem is identified, a due process form is completed, reviewed with the student, and a copy placed in the student’s file. Each student is given a Teacher Education Handbook, and the policy and form is included in this handbook. A copy of this handbook will be forwarded to each instructional strategies instructor.

The date for NCATE review is currently February 2004. In preparation for this review, each instructional strategies instructor is asked to review their uniform course syllabus

• in relation to NCATE content standards.
• in relation to respective association standards
• with updated bibliography

Please have an electronic copy of the revised syllabus to the Education Division no later than November 1.

NCATE had 19 standards which had to be met during the last review; there are now six standards. The review is performance assessment based, and no failure is allowed on standards. We need to be able to show how we are doing, and we must prove what we are doing is making a difference for students in public schools. We can do this by showing a correlation with national standards for content area.

Performance assessment exhibits require the student’s permission for use; a sign-off sheet will be developed.