The West Virginia Board of Education has identified a list of 32 low performing schools across the state as priority schools.
The priority schools designation is part of West Virginia’s ESEA Flexibility Request which includes waivers of certain provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind Act.
According to the ESEA Flexibility Request, these priority schools are among the lowest five percent of Title I schools based on school-wide student achievement and a historical lack of progress over three years. Non-Title I schools meeting the same criteria are also on the list.
Under the priority schools designation, a diagnostic visit will be conducted to identify weaknesses within the school and then each school will be provided a road-map to success based on its specific needs.
The West Virginia Department of Education and Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs) will then work together with each school and county school system to provide professional development and technical assistance to improve the performance level of each school.
Schools named priority schools and their county are: Barbour, Philippi Middle, Junior Elementary; Berkeley, Burke Street Elementary; Braxton, Braxton County High; Cabell, Peyton Elementary, Enslow Middle; Fayette, Ansted Elementary, Collins Middle; Grant, Union Educational Complex; Hampshire, Hampshire Senior High; Kanawha, Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary, Watts Elementary, J E Robins Elementary; Lincoln, Lincoln County High, Midway Elementary; Logan, Buffalo Elementary, Man Senior High, Chapmanville Senior High; Mercer, Spanishburg School; Mingo, Gilbert Middle, Williamson Middle; McDowell, Southside K-8, Mount View High; Preston, Tunnelton-Denver Elementary; Summers, Summers County High School; Taylor, Anna Jarvis Elementary; Wayne, East Lynn Elementary, Wayne Middle; Webster, Webster County High, Glade Middle; and Wood, Jefferson Elementary, Franklin Elementary.
If after a three year period the priority school no longer fits the initial criteria for priority status and shows major improvements in student achievement, they can lose the status.