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WEST VIRGINIA HAS ONLY ONE "RURAL COUNTY" - According To US Department Of Education |
| (04/19/2004) |
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By Bob Weaver If you have been under the impression that Calhoun County, with a population less than 8,000 people and a county seat with a population of about 550 spread over 280+ square miles is "rural" - think again There is now only one "rural" county in the State of West Virginia, according to the US Department of Education. Leave it to Washington to come up with this kind of stuff. Under new changes made to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, Pocahontas County has the only "small rural schools" in West Virginia. The Department of Education's new definition of a small rural school district is based on a combination of average daily attendance, population density and the district's "locale code." Here goes their definition, according to the Pocahontas Times: The Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program is open to districts with an average daily attendance of less than 600 students or districts where all schools are located in counties with fewer than 10 people per square mile. Approximately 30% of the 15,944 school districts in the U.S. meet this definition. Pocahontas County, according to the 2000 U.S. Census has a population of 9,131 and a total area of 940 square miles. At 9.7 persons per square mile, the county just meets the criteria of the SRSA program. Dr. Jack McClanahan, Assistant State Superintendent of Schools said he was surprised to discover the state had only one district that the U.S. Department of Education considered "rural" under the new guidelines. Apparently rural schools will have it a little easier to meet the requirements of NCLB. Last month's changes in NCLB address the "Highly Qualified Teacher" provisions. According to a fact sheet released by the U.S. Department of Education, a "highly qualified teacher" must have a bachelor's degree, full state certification and must demonstrate competency in each subject taught. To demonstrate competency, teachers must have a major in the subjects they teach, credits equivalent to a major, advanced certification from the state or a graduate degree. A teacher may also demonstrate competency by passing a state developed test or a "High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation" (HOUSSE) that shows a combination of teaching experience, professional development and knowledge gained over time. Originally, teachers who taught classes in more than one subject were required to become highly qualified in all the subjects they teach by the end of the 2005-06 school year. Now, teachers in small rural schools who are highly qualified in one subject will have until the 2006-07 school year to become highly qualified in additional subjects. Newly hired teachers in small rural schools will have three years from the time hired to become highly qualified.
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