MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia K-12 teachers, faculty members who teach teachers and others in the education field have begun analyzing online comments submitted as part of the state’s Common Core-based standards review, which was launched after many lawmakers tried to eliminate the learning requirements earlier this year.
In July, the state Department of Education, in partnership with West Virginia University and other entities, launched its Academic Spotlight comment website. Kristin Anderson, spokeswoman for the department, said the site received more than 251,400 comments from over 4,100 individuals before it closed Sept. 30.
Officials have said the review effort is expected to cost $300,000, including $100,000 from the education department and another $100,000 from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, which supports education and economic development in West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania.
On Tuesday, different “content review teams” — there were 32 total educators involved in different teams — met at WVU’s Erickson Alumni Center from about 10 a.m. to past 4 p.m. to review the comments for grades six through 12 standards and submit recommended changes. There were breaks, although the discussion of the standards continued at at least one table over lunch.
Those teams, some looking at math standards and others at the English/language arts requirements, are supposed to finish up their analysis today. More teams are set to meet Thursday and Friday at Marshall University…