CHEWV

Category: News

  • HB 4175 Passes House Ed Comm.

    HB 4175 Passes House Ed Comm.

    After the defeat of several proposed amendments including requiring additional qualifications for instruction and requiring guidelines for children to be properly integrated in diversity, HB 4175 passed out of the House Education Committee with an amendment to add assessment reporting for grades 3, 5, 8, 11.

    The full version of the Bill can be read at the WV Legislative site.  Simply insert the Bill number and all the information about the Bill will be shown.  It may take a day or so for the amendment adding the assessment reporting for grades 3, 5, 8, 11 to be added to the House Education Committee version.

    HB 4175 will now move to the full House Floor for first reading.

    JOHN CAREY UPDATE: AMENDMENTS AND A SHOCK

    The House Education Committee began deliberations concerning the Modernization Bill 4175 at 4:30.

    Delegate Westfall withdrew his amendment that would have prevented parents from home schooling their child if they were accused of truancy. He instead presented an amendment that would require that home school student’s test results be reported to the county in grades 3, 5, and 8.  (Grade 11 was added later) This replaces the existing requirement of reporting assessment results yearly.

    The bottom line is nothing of consequence was changed in the submitted Bill.

    An amendment was offered twice, something I have never seen happen before, to require that parents have a GED or diploma to home school. One of these amendments also provided for a home school certificate something I have never heard of, as neither did the department of Education. After a very lengthy discussion, both amendments were defeated. There was also a technical amendment that merely cleaned up the Bill’s language.

    The real shock was Delegate Hornbuckle’s amendment. As I mention this I would ask that your response to Del. Sean Hornbuckle be firm but respectful.

    The amendment was as follows:

    Delegate Hornbuckle and Perdue amendment

    The State board shall develop guidelines for diversity instruction for homeschooled children which provides the child either through social interactions through public school visits or other activities or social interactions that facilitate exposure to other races, religions or belief systems that permits the child to become exposed to the cultural diversity of his or her community, to enhance social skills and tolerance for others with different beliefs or backgrounds.

    The amendment did not pass. 

    Please note: Del. Hornbuckle is getting an overwhelming amount of emails from people who are not happy with his comments. Now is truly the time to be gentle in our responses. It always helps to build bridges with those who are not familiar with home education.

    Please also note that only Hornbuckle and Blackwell voted for the amendment. Perdue was not present.

    Some have asked about testing. Children will still have to be assessed every year. This Bill now states that the reporting of those results only has to take place in grades, 3, 5, 8 and grade 11.

    Please take a moment to send a special thank you to the following delegates- they really helped get the bill through. Chairman Espinosa, Del. Rodighiero, Del Kurcaba, Del Statler, Del Ellington, Del Duke. Others need to be thanked as well. I just wanted a special thanks to go out to these if possible. Here is a link to the entire list of Delegates on the Committee where these names can be found.

    http://www.legis.state.wv.us/committe…/…/HouseCommittee.cfm…

  • Legislative Bills of Interest

    Legislative Bills of Interest

    As the WV Legislature continues to meet, CHEWV has identified several enrolled Bills that may be of interest to our members.

    SB 292 Creating income tax credits for certain educational expenses – is sponsored by Senator Robert Karnes.  It would allow a $500 credit per homeschool student.  This bill is currently in the Finance Committee.

    The Tim Tebow Bill has been introduced by Senators Charles Trump and Ed Gaunch.  SB 105  allowing a nonpublic school student to participate in public school athletics is currently in Education and Judiciary Committees.

    There are several other Bills that may be of interest to various groups of our members.  These Bills are currently in different phases of the legislative process and can be read on the WV Legislature’s Bill Status link.

    SB 10/HB 4004                              Unborn Child Protection Act

    SB 11/HB4012                               Freedom of Conscious Act

    HB 2870                                          Tax Credit for Parents (Do not Confuse with Bill mentioned above)

    HB 2942                                          Modify the Definition of Child Abuse

    HB 4018                                          Incentive for Public School to Make Facilities Available After Hours

    HB 4024                                          Prohibiting Use of Smarter Balance (Common Core)

  • Gazette-Mail Article

    Gazette-Mail Article

    WV lawmakers seek to ease home-school regulations

    (Please note that the HB numbers are switched in this article.)

    For the second consecutive year, state lawmakers are seeking to ease restrictions on home-school students in West Virginia.

    One bill (HB 4175) would remove the requirement that home-school students secure a GED diploma to qualify for the Promise Scholarship, which provides $4,750 a year in college tuition.

    “We’re trying to streamline the process for home-school kids to qualify for the Promise Scholarship,” said Delegate Brian Kurcaba, R-Monongalia, lead sponsor of the bill and father of home-schooled children.

    The House of Delegates and the Senate unanimously passed the legislation last year, but Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed the bill, saying it could entice students to drop out of high school.

    According to this year’s bill, students could qualify for the Promise Scholarship if they score in the 85th percentile on a college entrance exam, like the ACT or SAT. That would be four points higher than the ACT score that public school students must achieve to qualify for Promise. Public school students also must graduate with a 3.0 grade-point average to qualify.

    Another bill (HB 4215) under consideration this year would ease home-school testing requirements and limit paperwork that parents must submit to county school officials.

    Under the legislation, parents also no longer would have to notify county school systems two weeks before withdrawing their children from public school.

    “A lot of parents are pulling their kid out because there’s bullying or some other serious thing going on,” said Don Kincell, board member with Christian Home Educators of West Virginia. “They’re trying to protect them from something the school is either unwilling or unable to guard against.”

    Another provision would require county superintendents to show probable cause before getting a court order to deny home schooling.

    “We’ve had a lot of counties go beyond the law and actually try to threaten parents,” Kincell said. “The state Board of Education and local boards seem to be trying to tie truancy to home schooling.”

    On Monday, several House Democrats raised concerns that some home-schooled children could be left behind if the state eliminates academic progress and testing requirements.

    “I’ll see kids on a four-wheeler all day long, and they’re home schoolers,” said Delegate Ralph Rodighiero, D-Logan.

    But those who support the bill said home-schooled students typically outperform public school students on standardized tests.

    “We should be lifting up the home-school community,” Kurcaba said. “The statistics out there are very good.”

    The House Education Committee took no action on the bill Monday. The committee plans to resume discussions and vote on the legislation Wednesday.

    Also Wednesday, committee members are expected to take up the bill that no longer would require home-schooled students to pass the GED exam to qualify for the Promise Scholarship.

    Monday was “Home-school Day” at the state Legislature.

    Reach Eric Eyre at ericeyre@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4869 or follow @ericeyre on Twitter.

    – See more at: http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20160125/wv-lawmakers-seek-to-ease-home-school-regulations#sthash.ke7gL3o7.dpuf

  • Looking Forward to Next Week!

    Home School Day At the Capitol (HSDC) – Special Briefing   Info Here!
    From 9:00 to 10:00 a special briefing will be held where Senator Robert Karnes, Delegate Brain Kurcaba, CHEWV Legislative Liaison John Carey, and HSLDA Attorney Mike Donnelly will discuss the bills you should know about and provide a deeper understanding of the legislative process. Please come! This will truly be an educational event.

    Modernization and Promise Bills Up for a Vote in House Education   Committee Schedule here.

    The Promise Scholarship Bill is much different from last year. The GED requirement is not removed but is included simply as one of several available options.

    The Home School Modernization Bill will address several provisions of the home school law that have needlessly created conflicts between authorities and home educators. Home schooling has proven to be a highly successful educational alternative. It is time that the home school law reflected this fact.

    Rally for Religious Freedom on Thursday, January, 28th

    A special site has been created to enable supporters of religious freedom to contact their legislators and express their support. All that is needed is a ZIP code to identify and send a customizable pre-created message.  Click Here!

    The rally will be held at 2PM on the rear steps of the State Capitol. Private Christian School students as far away as the Panhandle are attending this event. Special speakers and music will be provided. This week could very well determine the future of this legislation. Please choose to take a stand for religious freedom – one of the two pillars that support our right to home school.

    Active Legislation:
    Home School Modernization Bill
    HB 4175
    SB 318
    Home School Promise Scholarship Bill
    HB 4215
    SB 316
    Tax Credits for Educational Expenses

    SB 292

    The Religious Freedom Restoration Act
    SB 11

     

    Like this effort on the Heritage Communications of WV Facebook Page.
  • Bills Introduced!!

    Bills Introduced!!

    ACTION NEEDED—RALLY TO SUPPORT FREEDOM FOR HOME EDUCATION!

    Join me along with CHEWV, WVHEA and hundreds of others  next week for the 26th Annual Day at the Capitol in Charleston and advance freedom for homeschooling in the Mountaineer state!

    Two important bills will be heard that day in the education committee and your presence will help support passage of both. At 9:00 a special briefing will be held where Senator Robert Karnes, CHEWV legislative Liaison John Carey, and I will talk about bills you should know about. At 11:00 watch the house in session and meet legislators. At 12:15 we will gather in the Rotunda to hear from other leaders and legislators.

    At 2:00, the House Education Committee is expected to hear HB 4175, the homeschool modernization bill, as well as HB 4215 which addresses homeschoolers’ qualification for the Promise scholarship. I plan to be on hand to answer questions. Among the reforms are elimination of the GED requirement for the PROMISE scholarship, revising the 50th percentile standard for academic progress, changes to test administration requirements, removing the plan of instruction, and a one-time Notice of Intent.

    The special program for the 26th Annual Day at the Capitol will be full of events you’ll want to be part of. You will hear from members of the House of Delegates and Senate and be able to visit your own delegate or senator.  I will be speaking about the importance of freedom in education and why West Virginia parents deserve more freedom.

    In addition to the program, you’ll want to visit the West Virginia Capitol’s impressive museum of West Virginia history and culture.

    Make plans to join us in Charleston, West Virginia, next Monday, January 25. Events start at 9:00 AM. Register to let us know you are coming and to stay informed.

    See you there!

    Montani Semper Liberi!

    Mike Donnelly

    Michael P. Donnelly, Esq.
    Staff Attorney

  • New Iowa – What’s Ahead?

    What to Expect From the New Iowa Assessments™ Test

    CHEWV’s annual testing program is in full swing. Registration is open until February 5, and tests will be administered between March 7 and April 1. This year, we have been given the opportunity to begin using the newest version of the Iowa Assessments: Form E. While this is still considered a traditional achievement test, there are a few changes from Form C, the previous version we have been using.

    The first thing your child will notice is that the new test booklet is more colorful, which should engage our students better. The format has been altered slightly to make it more readable and easier for the child to keep his place. As usual, grades K-2 will mark directly in a consumable booklet, while grades 3-12 will have separate answer sheets. The answer sheets will look a little bit different, but they use the same basic format – the student will still fill in a bubble for each answer.

    The sequence of sub-tests has moved around a bit. Here is an idea of what to expect; for Grades 3-8 (Levels 9-14) the sequence is as follows: 

    • Reading
    • Written Expression
    • Mathematics
    • Science
    • Social Studies
    • Vocabulary
    • Spelling
    • Capitalization
    • Punctuation
    • Math Computation
    • Level 9: Word Analysis
    •  Level 9: Listening

    Note that there are no separate sub-tests for Maps and Diagrams or Reference Materials. These subjects are now absorbed within the other sub-tests instead.

    The total number of questions is very similar to Form C, and it will all be multiple-choice as usual. The total amount of time needed is just about the same, and the same guidelines for accommodations apply. When registering a child for 1st grade, you will see that the levels have been changed to make it more like all the other grades. Levels 5 and 6 are now combined into Level 5/6. Level 5/6 will be normed as Kindergarten by default. Level 7 is the standard 1st grade level. This article will be helpful in determining the best level to choose.

    The score reports will also be a bit different this year. The old Performance Profile is not included with Form E, but has been replaced with the Student Profile. The Profile Narrative will be included as before. Both reports will look a bit different, but they will still have the same scores (NPR, SS, GE, etc.). CHEWV will continue to generate a WV-specific report containing the legally required information. The specific changes in the score reports will be detailed later this spring when scores are released.

    CHEWV’s testing program exists to satisfy the homeschool law’s assessment requirement and its testing conditions. Form C, published in 2007, uses norms from 2005. Under current law, this means that next year (2017) would be the last year Form C can be used for WV assessments. Form E, however, was published in 2012 and uses norms from 2011, affording us several more years of use. As federal mandates and Common Core are changing the look of nationwide testing, we have secured what we believe to be the most traditional, while current, test available that is in full compliance with our WV law – and which is usable for the next half-dozen years. While this version is only available to public and private schools right now, CHEWV has been given special permission from the publisher, and through BJU Press Testing and Evaluation, to use Form E this year. We will be leading the way with the latest and the greatest! It’s a privilege to be the first and to be exclusive with a newer—and much prettier—edition!

    As always, if you have questions or concerns about testing, please contact testing@chewv.org. We are happy to help!

  • WVU Tech Early Enrollment

    Spring Semester registration is still open at WVU Tech for early enrollment (formerly “dual credit”).  These courses are designed to give high school students a head start on their college experience.

    WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

    These classes are for junior and senior high school students in West Virginia with a GPA of at least a 3.0. They’re the same courses offered to students on campus, they’re academically challenging, and they offer high school students a preview of the kinds of courses they can expect to take in college.

    Participation in the early enrollment program at WVU Tech offers some other great benefits, too. The courses are very affordable ($25 per credit hour) and taking college courses while in high school can help you save time and money when you go to college.

    These courses are offered online. Be sure to check out available courses to see which classes might interest you.

    Want to know more? Ready to apply now?   Check out the WV Institute of Technology Early Enrollment Program.

  • 2016 Legislative Session

    Whether you choose to communicate from your kitchen table, personally visit your state legislator, or simply want to attend the Home School Day at the Capitol, our goal is to assist you in your efforts.  We hope our new tool box is helpful.  If you have a moment, we would love feedback and ideas to make it even better!

    The 2016 Session is fast approaching. It begins Wednesday, January 13th, and ends in the middle of March.

    Early in the session, we expect the state legislature to introduce the two homeschool bills vetoed by the Governor last year. One of these seeks to make it easier for homeschoolers to apply for the Promise Scholarship. The second, the homeschool modernization bill, seeks to upgrade the homeschool law to reflect the fact that parents are the ones responsible for directing the education of their children.

    The important thing to remember about the legislative session is that each step in the process is another opportunity for you to contact your legislator in order to make him or her aware of your support or opposition for legislation. If the phones remain silent at these various steps, then the perception by legislators is that their constituents really do not care about the issues on which they must decide.

    Yet it does not take many calls to make a difference. Only ten calls to a Delegate and as few as 25 calls to a State Senator can be enough to convince your representatives that an issue is important to their constituents.

    Early January is a good time to set aside time to get ready for the session. We’ve put some timely and practical resources together for your convenience at HeritageCWV.org:

    • How a Bill Becomes a law
    • A current listing of both House and Senate Education Committee Members
    • A complete list of all Delegates and Senators
    • A map of the State Capitol
    • Parking Directions
    • Information on the Cafeteria
    • Guidelines for How to Address a Letter to a Legislator
    • More to come . . .

    In communicating with your legislators, it may help you to realize that they understand some folks like to simply express their support or opposition in a single sentence, while others enjoy expressing their views at length. Never feel apprehensive about expressing your views the way that best fits you! The only requirement is that ALL communications are courteous and respectful. Seek the Lord for discernment and grace. The reason your representatives sought office is to represent you. Help them do their job! They very much want to hear from you and have set aside time to do so.

    To participate in Home School Day at the Capitol, click here.

  • ATTENTION SENIORS!

    ATTENTION SENIORS!

    CHEWV’s 2016 High School Commencement and Reception

    Saturday afternoon, May 21st

    Centerbranch Assembly of God Church, Clarksburg, WV

    To celebrate the successful completion of formal home instruction for West Virginia high school seniors, we correspond with each registered graduate; design a special printed program with photos, bios and highlights of the ceremony; coordinate special presentations, including a Power Point photo collage; and prepare favors and gifts.  CHEWV hosts a gala reception for our graduates, their families, and guests.  We try to see that each graduate’s family receives a free DVD of the ceremony.

    Our desire is to create a personalized, Christ-exalting venue for participating students and their families.  Hundreds of families have found it uplifting and worthwhile to pause and reflect on how the Lord has enabled them to faithfully carry out their vision of godly discipleship and stay the course of home education through high school.  A brief “Charge to the Graduates” imparts wisdom for a culture-changing Christian worldview while exhorting our graduates to greater vision and purpose.

    This special evening highlights the power of the Lord’s blessing and the eternal benefits of a Bible-based education.  Revealing God’s heart for every family, it never fails to bring praise to our Savior, Jesus Christ, inspiring old and new homeschoolers alike.  While CHEWV’s Commencement is an optional event for our members and graduating seniors, we encourage you to participate!  Join our celebration of the rich journey of homeschooling and discipleship anchored firmly in the grace of our Lord and His unfailing Word.

     

    CHEWV Membership required (current through May 2016)

    Registration Deadline:  March 25, 2016

    Click here to register online

    Questions?  Email Roger & Marlo Sherman at legislative-graduation@chewv.org

  • New Name, Same Song?

    “No Child Left Behind Act” Becomes “Every Student Succeeds Act”

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) must be reauthorized every 15 years. In 2001 that re-authorization was known as the No Child Left Behind Act. The 2015 version is now called the Every Student Succeeds Act. This version still includes language which protects homeschools and private schools (those that do not accept federal funds) from any federal control.

    The re-authorization of the ESEA in 1996 was the infamous H.R. 6. The H.R. 6 required every teacher to be certified in the subject and grade they taught – including homeschool teachers. When this came to the attention of HSLDA, they notified homeschoolers nationwide, and the Capitol switchboard was shut down from more than one million calls opposing the bill. By God’s grace, H.R. 6 was soundly defeated!

    The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 included protective language that remains in the most recent Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. In part, Section 8506 of the 2015 federal law states,

    “APPLICABILITY TO HOME SCHOOLS. – Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect a home school, whether or not a home school is treated as a home school or a private school under State law, nor shall any student schooled at home be required to participate in any assessment referenced in this Act.”

    In addition, the Every Student Succeeds Act includes some restrictions on the advancement of the Common Core, but there are still requirements for states and local school districts. Although homeschool freedoms are protected in this legislation, the federal government continues to be involved in local public education. That involvement continues to affect homeschoolers indirectly.

    Editor’s Note: Much of this article is from Yvonne Bunn’s Q&A on the website of Home Educators of Virginia and is used with permission.

    https://heav.org/blog/2015/12/15/federal-legislation-and-homeschoolers/