ED-WATCH: WV SCHOOLS WILL GET AN A-F GRADE WITH NEW AUDIT SYSTEM

(09/13/2014)
One of several initiatives in West Virginia to improve educational performance will commence Monday, the issuing of a report card to each school.

The audits will be used as part of an A-F grading system that will begin in the 2015-16 school year.

The new statewide audits involve onsite visits of all schools by the Office of Education Performance Audits.

The audits will provide Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, the state Legislature and the West Virginia Board of Education an overall view of performance.

Among the reasons for the visits are to identify needs for professional development and assess the adequacy of school buildings.

The visits also will determine if schools are in compliance with state school board policies and if they are meeting quality standards adopted by the board.

It was unclear how the audits would actually weigh academic achievement in a state that is rated among the poorest in achievement outcomes.

The state has gone to what they describe as a improvement model to rank academic performance, the latest listing showing schools that were funking No Child Left Behind standards, as "success."

The results of the audits will be used as part of an A-F grading system that will begin in the 2015-16 school year.