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School choice

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School choice is a term that refers to programs offering alternatives to assigned local public school options. Public school choice options include open enrollment policies, magnet schools, and charter schools. Other options include school vouchers, scholarship tax credits, and education savings accounts (ESAs).^[1]^[2]

HIGHLIGHTS

As of June 2016, West Virginia had not approved legislation authorizing the creation of charter schools.

In West Virginia, there were 14,350 students enrolled in 130 private schools in fall 2013, accounting for roughly 5.14 percent of the state's total school-age population.

According to the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, as of June 2016, West Virginia provided no financial assistance (either in the form of vouchers or tax credits) to parents wishing to send their children to private schools instead of public schools.

Proponents argue that school choice programs improve educational outcomes by expanding opportunity and access for historically disadvantaged students. In addition, advocates claim that school choice programs empower parents and improve traditional public schools through competition. Critics contend that these programs divert funds from traditional public schools, thereby generating unequal outcomes for students. In addition, some critics argue that school voucher programs wrongly direct tax dollars to religious organizations, which operate many private schools.

Educational choice options

See also: Number of schools by school type in the United States

Charter schools

See also: Charter schools in West Virginia

Charter schools are public schools operated independently of the public school system, either by nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Although they are publicly funded, charter schools are exempt from many of the requirements imposed by state and local boards of education regarding hiring and curriculum. As public schools, charter schools cannot charge tuition or impose special entrance requirements; students are typically admitted through a lottery process if demand exceeds the number of spaces available in a school. Generally speaking, charter schools receive a percentage of per-pupil funds from state and local boards of education for operational costs based on enrollment. In most states, they do not receive funds for facilities or start-up costs; therefore, they must rely to some extent on private donations. The federal government also provides revenues through special grants.^[3]^[4]^[5]

As of June 2016, West Virginia had not approved legislation authorizing the creation of charter schools. The table below presents charter school prevalence and participation data for West Virginia and surrounding states.^[6]

Charter schools, 2015-2016
State	Total number of charter schools	Estimated enrollment	Percentage of total public school enrollment
West Virginia	0	0	0.00%
Kentucky	0	0	0.00%
Ohio	373	132,000	7.77%
Virginia	9	1,200	0.09%
United States total	6,824	2,930,600	5.85%
Note: The percentages in the column labeled "Percentage of total public school enrollment" were calculated by taking the estimated number of charter school students in a given state and dividing by the total estimated number of public school students in that state in 2015. Total public school enrollment estimates came from the National Center for Education Statistics. Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016

Magnet schools

See also: Magnet school participation statistics

Magnet schools, or theme-based schools, are public schools of choice that utilize specialized subject areas or innovative learning approaches to attract students from more diverse backgrounds. Magnet schools were first formed to desegregate public schools through choice rather than force. Magnet schools can reach beyond the boundaries of school districts, but they are still managed and funded publicly by local districts even though they are centered around specialized themes and subjects.^[7]^[8]

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 3,254 magnet schools in the United States in the 2013-2014 school year, none of which were in West Virginia. The table below presents magnet school prevalence and participation data for West Virginia and surrounding states.^[9]^[10]

Magnet schools, 2013-2014
State	Number of magnet schools	Total enrollment	Minority enrollment percentage	Student-teacher ratio
West Virginia	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Kentucky	39	35,177	50%	17:1
Ohio	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Virginia	137	138,395	61%	16:1
United States total	3,254	2,549,825	N/A	N/A
Note: "N/A" indicates that information was not available, either because the state does not have magnet schools or because the data were not reported. Source: Public School Review, "Find Public Schools," accessed May 24, 2016

Open enrollment policies

According to the Education Commission of the States, there are two primary types of open enrollment policies:^[11]

Under intra-district enrollment policies, students may transfer to schools within their home districts.
Under inter-district enrollment policies, students may transfer to schools outside of their home districts.

Open enrollment policies may be either mandatory or voluntary. Under mandatory programs, districts must allow for open enrollment. Under voluntary programs, districts may choose whether to allow for open enrollment.^[11]

West Virginia enforces voluntary intra-district and inter-district open enrollment policies.^[11]

Private schools

Private schools are operated by private organizations as opposed to government entities. Private schools typically rely on tuition, private grants, and donations for funding. Because private schools are not operated or funded directly by government entities, they may operate under different personnel and curricular standards. Private schools are often associated with religious institutions. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 5,395,740 students enrolled in 33,620 private schools nationwide in fall 2013. This accounted for approximately 10 percent of the total school-age population.^[12]^[13]

In West Virginia, there were 14,350 students enrolled in 130 private schools in fall 2013, accounting for roughly 5.14 percent of the state's total school-age population. The table below presents this information for West Virginia and surrounding states.

Private schools, fall 2013
State	Number of private schools	Enrollment	Enrollment as a percentage of total school-age population
West Virginia	130	14,350	5.14%
Kentucky	470	74,750	10.12%
Ohio	1,160	238,620	12.18%
Virginia	910	131,330	9.69%
United States total	33,620	5,395,740	10.04%
Note: The column labeled "Enrollment as a percentage of total school-age population" was calculated by taking the total private school enrollment in a given state and dividing by the total school-age population of that state. Figures for total school-age population were obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics. Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 101.40. Estimated total and school-age resident populations, by state: Selected years, 1970 through 2014," accessed May 24, 2016 National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 205.80. Private elementary and secondary schools, enrollment, teachers, and high school graduates, by state: Selected years, 2003 through 2013," accessed May 24, 2016

Homeschooling

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were approximately 1.7 million homeschooled students in the United States as of 2012. This accounted for roughly 3.4 percent of the total school-age population.^[14]^[15]

According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, a parent or guardian must do the following in order to homeschool a child in West Virginia without school board approval:^[16]

Have a high school diploma or its equivalent
File a notice of intent with the local school board
Conduct annual assessments of the child's progress (details about assessment methods are available here)
File assessments for grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 with the local school superintendent

Online learning

See also: Blended learning

According to the Evergreen Education Group, 24 states operated state virtual schools in the 2014-2015 school year. State virtual schools are "operational intermediate supplier organizations that provide online learning programs to schools statewide." State virtual schools are created by legislative or state agency action and are "usually funded in part or entirely by a state appropriation or grant." As of the 2014-2015 school year, West Virginia did have a state virtual school: the West Virginia Virtual School. There were 10,428 course enrollments in the West Virginia Virtual School in the 2014-2015 school year, up 72.68 percent from the 6,039 course enrollments logged in the 2012-2013 school year.^[17]

Financial assistance

According to the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, as of June 2016, West Virginia provided no financial assistance (either in the form of vouchers or tax credits) to parents wishing to send their children to private schools instead of public schools.

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions

School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.^[18]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.^[19]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

West Virginia is not one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Studies and reports

Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice

In January 2016, the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice released a report ranking school choice programs across the nation by participation. No West Virginia programs were ranked in the report. For the full report, visit this website.^[20]

That same month, the Friedman Foundation released the 2016 edition of "The ABCs of School Choice," a comprehensive report detailing and commenting upon every school choice program in the nation. To access the full report, click here.

School choice ballot measures

See also: School choice on the ballot and List of West Virginia ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked no statewide ballot measures relating to school choice in West Virginia.

School choice legislation

The following is a list of recent charter school bills that have been introduced in or passed by the West Virginia State Legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms West Virginia education choice. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

School choice in West Virginia - Google News

External links

Footnotes

[1] National Conference of State Legislatures, "School Choice and Charters," accessed June 18, 2014

[2] Friedman Foundation for School Choice, "What is School Choice?" accessed June 18, 2014

[3] National Charter School Resource Center, "Understanding Charter Schools," accessed April 29, 2104

[4] Uncommon Schools, "Frequently Asked Questions About Public, Charter Schools," accessed April 30, 2014

[5] The Center for Education Reform, "Just the FAQs--Charter Schools," accessed April 30, 2014

[6] National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016

[psr-7] Public School Review, "What is a magnet school?" accessed December 9, 2014

[msa-8] Magnet Schools of America, "What are magnet schools?" accessed December 9, 2014

[nces2014-9] National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 3. Number of operating public elementary and secondary schools, by school type, charter, magnet, Title I, and Title I schoolwide status, and state or jurisdiction: School year 2013–14," accessed May 24, 2016

[10] Public School Review, "Find Public Schools," accessed May 24, 2016

[ecs-11] 11.0 ^11.1 ^11.2 Education Commission of the States, "Open Enrollment 50-State Report," updated November 2015

[ncesprivate-12] National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 205.80. Private elementary and secondary schools, enrollment, teachers, and high school graduates, by state: Selected years, 2003 through 2013," accessed May 24, 2016

[schoolage-13] National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 101.40. Estimated total and school-age resident populations, by state: Selected years, 1970 through 2014," accessed May 24, 2016

[14] Coalition for Responsible Home Education, "Homeschooling Numbers," accessed May 25, 2016

[15] National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 206.10. Number and percentage of homeschooled students ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, by selected child, parent, and household characteristics: 2003, 2007, and 2012," accessed May 25, 2016

[16] Home School Legal Defense Association, "West Virginia," accessed May 25, 2016

[17] Evergreen Education Group, "Keeping Pace with K-12 Digital Learning, 2015," accessed May 25, 2016

[petition-18] Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue: "Petition for a writ of certiorari," accessed July 3, 2019

[opinion-19] Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, decided June 30, 2020

[20] Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, "America's School Choice Programs Ranked by Participation, 2016 Edition," January 27, 2016

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{PLP banner|State=West Virginia ||EP=Y|EnP=Y|F=Y|PE=Y|SC=Y|PP=Y|SB=Y|TP=Y|VP=Y|BAR=Y|}}{{School choice navbox}}{{tnr|maxwidth=200px}}{{Choice intro}}
+{{PPD election banner|State=West Virginia}}{{School choice navbox}}{{tnr|maxwidth=200px}}<section begin=schoolchoiceintro/>
+{{Choice intro}}
+{{TLDRbox| As of June 2016, West Virginia had not approved legislation authorizing the creation of charter schools.
+| In West Virginia, there were 14,350 students enrolled in 130 private schools in fall 2013, accounting for roughly 5.14 percent of the state's total school-age population.
+|According to the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, as of June 2016, West Virginia provided no financial assistance (either in the form of vouchers or tax credits) to parents wishing to send their children to private schools instead of public schools.
+}}
+Proponents argue that school choice programs improve educational outcomes by expanding opportunity and access for historically disadvantaged students. In addition, advocates claim that school choice programs empower parents and improve traditional public schools through competition. Critics contend that these programs divert funds from traditional public schools, thereby generating unequal outcomes for students. In addition, some critics argue that school voucher programs wrongly direct tax dollars to religious organizations, which operate many private schools.<section end=schoolchoiceintro/>
+==Educational choice options==
+::''See also: [[Number of schools by school type in the U.S.|Number of schools by school type in the United States]]''
+===Charter schools===
+::''See also: [[Charter schools in West Virginia]]''
-School choice options in [[West Virginia]] include: homeschooling, [[online learning]], private schools and two voluntary public school open enrollment policies.
+[[Charter schools]] are public schools operated independently of the public school system, either by nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Although they are publicly funded, charter schools are exempt from many of the requirements imposed by state and local boards of education regarding hiring and curriculum. As public schools, charter schools cannot charge tuition or impose special entrance requirements; students are typically admitted through a lottery process if demand exceeds the number of spaces available in a school. Generally speaking, charter schools receive a percentage of per-pupil funds from state and local boards of education for operational costs based on enrollment. In most states, they do not receive funds for facilities or start-up costs; therefore, they must rely to some extent on private donations. The federal government also provides revenues through special grants.<ref>[http://www.charterschoolcenter.org/priority-area/understanding-charter-schools ''National Charter School Resource Center'', "Understanding Charter Schools," accessed April 29, 2104]</ref><ref>[http://www.uncommonschools.org/faq-what-is-charter-school ''Uncommon Schools,'' "Frequently Asked Questions About Public, Charter Schools," accessed April 30, 2014]</ref><ref>[http://www.edreform.com/2012/03/just-the-faqs-charter-schools/ ''The Center for Education Reform,'' "Just the FAQs--Charter Schools," accessed April 30, 2014]</ref>
-==Educational choice options==
+As of June 2016, West Virginia had not approved legislation authorizing the creation of charter schools. The table below presents charter school prevalence and participation data for West Virginia and surrounding states.<ref>[http://www.publiccharters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/New-Closed-2016.pdf ''National Alliance for Public Charter Schools'', "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016]</ref>
-::''See also:  [[Number of schools by school type in the U.S.]]''
-===Charter schools===
+{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="text-align:center; margin:auto; width:auto;"
-As of the 2012-2013 school year, West Virginia did not have a charter school law.<ref>[http://dashboard.publiccharters.org/dashboard/schools/page/overview/state/WV/year/2013 ''National Alliance for Public Charter Schools'', "Total Number of Schools: 2012-2013 West Virginia," accessed June 26, 2014]</ref>
+! colspan="4" align="center" style="background-color:#008000; color:white;" | Charter schools, 2015-2016
+|-
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | State
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | Total number of charter schools
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | Estimated enrollment
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | Percentage of total public school enrollment
+|-
+| [[Charter schools in West Virginia|West Virginia]] || 0 || 0 || 0.00%
+|-
+| [[Charter schools in Kentucky|Kentucky]] || 0 || 0 || 0.00%
+|-
+| [[Charter schools in Ohio|Ohio]] || 373 || 132,000 || 7.77%
+|-
+| [[Charter schools in Virginia|Virginia]] || 9 || 1,200 || 0.09%
+|-class="sortbottom"
+| '''United States total''' || '''6,824''' || '''2,930,600''' || '''5.85%'''
+|-class="sortbottom"
+| colspan="4" style="text-align:left; line-height:135%;" |<small>'''Note:''' The percentages in the column labeled "Percentage of total public school enrollment" were calculated by taking the estimated number of charter school students in a given state and dividing by the total estimated number of public school students in that state in 2015. Total public school enrollment estimates came from the National Center for Education Statistics.<br>'''Source''': [http://www.publiccharters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/New-Closed-2016.pdf ''National Alliance for Public Charter Schools'', "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016]</small>
+|}
 ===Magnet schools===
-::''See also: [[Number of schools by school type in the U.S.]]
+::''See also: [[Magnet school participation statistics]]''
-'''[[Magnet schools]]''', sometimes called theme-based schools, are public '''[[School choice information by state|schools of choice]]''' that use a specialized subject area or innovative learning approach to attract students from more diverse backgrounds. In fact, magnet schools began as a way to desegregate public schools through choice rather than force. Magnet schools can reach beyond the barriers of school districts, but they are still managed and funded publicly by local districts, even though they are centered around specialized themes and subjects. As of December 2014, West Virginia did not have any dedicated magnet schools as in many states. Instead, the state uses "magnet programs," which are out-of-school programs that give students opportunities to further certain skills. These programs are different from magnet schools in that students still attend their home school for their core classes, but travel to a different location at certain times to receive additional instruction. These types of programs are not considered by the federal government to be magnet schools, so there is little, if any, information on them available from federal or state sources.<ref name=psr>[http://www.publicschoolreview.com/articles/2 ''Public School Review'', "What is a magnet school?" accessed December 9, 2014]</ref><ref name=msa>[http://www.magnet.edu/about/what-are-magnet-schools ''Magnet Schools of America'', "What are magnet schools?" accessed December 9, 2014]</ref><ref>[http://blogs.charlestondailymail.com/mommyhood/tag/magnet-school-for-music/ ''Charleston Daily Mail'', "Magnet school for music," accessed December 16, 2014]</ref>
+[[Magnet schools]], or theme-based schools, are public [[School choice information by state|schools of choice]] that utilize specialized subject areas or innovative learning approaches to attract students from more diverse backgrounds. Magnet schools were first formed to desegregate public schools through choice rather than force. Magnet schools can reach beyond the boundaries of school districts, but they are still managed and funded publicly by local districts even though they are centered around specialized themes and subjects.<ref name=psr>[http://www.publicschoolreview.com/articles/2 ''Public School Review'', "What is a magnet school?" accessed December 9, 2014]</ref><ref name=msa>[http://www.magnet.edu/about/what-are-magnet-schools ''Magnet Schools of America'', "What are magnet schools?" accessed December 9, 2014]</ref>
+According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 3,254 magnet schools in the United States in the 2013-2014 school year, none of which were in West Virginia. The table below presents magnet school prevalence and participation data for West Virginia and surrounding states.<ref name=nces2014>[https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2015/2015151/tables/table_03.asp ''National Center for Education Statistics'', "Table 3. Number of operating public elementary and secondary schools, by school type, charter, magnet, Title I, and Title I schoolwide status, and state or jurisdiction: School year 2013–14," accessed May 24, 2016]</ref><ref>[http://www.publicschoolreview.com/find-schools ''Public School Review'', "Find Public Schools," accessed May 24, 2016]</ref>
+{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="text-align:center; margin:auto; width:auto;"
+! colspan="5" align="center" style="background-color:#008000; color:white;" | Magnet schools, 2013-2014
+|-
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | State
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | Number of magnet schools
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | Total enrollment
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | Minority enrollment percentage
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | Student-teacher ratio
+|-
+| West Virginia || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A
+|-
+| Kentucky || 39 || 35,177 || 50% || 17:1
+|-
+| Ohio || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A
+|-
+| Virginia || 137 || 138,395 || 61% || 16:1
+|-class="sortbottom"
+| '''United States total''' || '''3,254''' || '''2,549,825''' || '''N/A''' || '''N/A'''
+|-class="sortbottom"
+| colspan="5" style="text-align:left; line-height:135%;" |<small>'''Note:''' "N/A" indicates that information was not available, either because the state does not have magnet schools or because the data were not reported.<br>'''Source''': [http://www.publicschoolreview.com/find-schools ''Public School Review'', "Find Public Schools," accessed May 24, 2016]</small>
+|}
+===Open enrollment policies===
+According to the Education Commission of the States, there are two primary types of open enrollment policies:<ref name=ecs>[http://ecs.force.com/mbdata/mbquest4e?rep=OE1505 ''Education Commission of the States'', "Open Enrollment 50-State Report," updated November 2015]</ref>
+# Under '''intra'''-district enrollment policies, students may transfer to schools within their home districts.
+# Under '''inter'''-district enrollment policies, students may transfer to schools outside of their home districts.
+Open enrollment policies may be either mandatory or voluntary. Under '''mandatory''' programs, districts must allow for open enrollment. Under '''voluntary''' programs, districts may choose whether to allow for open enrollment.<ref name=ecs>[http://ecs.force.com/mbdata/mbquest4e?rep=OE1505 ''Education Commission of the States'', "Open Enrollment 50-State Report," updated November 2015]</ref>
+West Virginia enforces voluntary intra-district and inter-district open enrollment policies.<ref name=ecs>[http://ecs.force.com/mbdata/mbquest4e?rep=OE1505 ''Education Commission of the States'', "Open Enrollment 50-State Report," updated November 2015]</ref>
+===Private schools===
+Private schools are operated by private organizations as opposed to government entities. Private schools typically rely on tuition, private grants, and donations for funding. Because private schools are not operated or funded directly by government entities, they may operate under different personnel and curricular standards. Private schools are often associated with religious institutions. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 5,395,740 students enrolled in 33,620 private schools nationwide in fall 2013. This accounted for approximately 10 percent of the total school-age population.<ref name=ncesprivate>[https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d15/tables/dt15_205.80.asp ''National Center for Education Statistics'', "Table 205.80. Private elementary and secondary schools, enrollment, teachers, and high school graduates, by state: Selected years, 2003 through 2013," accessed May 24, 2016]</ref><ref name=schoolage>[http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d15/tables/dt15_101.40.asp ''National Center for Education Statistics'', "Table 101.40. Estimated total and school-age resident populations, by state: Selected years, 1970 through 2014," accessed May 24, 2016]</ref>
+In West Virginia, there were 14,350 students enrolled in 130 private schools in fall 2013, accounting for roughly 5.14 percent of the state's total school-age population. The table below presents this information for West Virginia and surrounding states.
+{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="text-align:center; margin:auto; width:auto;"
+! colspan="4" align="center" style="background-color:#008000; color:white;" | Private schools, fall 2013
+|-
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | State
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | Number of private schools
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | Enrollment
+! valign="center" style="background-color:#444; color: white;" | Enrollment as a percentage of total school-age population
+|-
+| West Virginia || 130 || 14,350 || 5.14%
+|-
+| Kentucky || 470 || 74,750 || 10.12%
+|-
+| Ohio || 1,160 || 238,620 || 12.18%
+|-
+| Virginia || 910 || 131,330 || 9.69%
+|-class="sortbottom"
+| '''United States total''' || '''33,620''' || '''5,395,740''' || '''10.04%'''
+|-class="sortbottom"
+| colspan="5" style="text-align:left; line-height:135%;" |<small>'''Note:''' The column labeled "Enrollment as a percentage of total school-age population" was calculated by taking the total private school enrollment in a given state and dividing by the total school-age population of that state. Figures for total school-age population were obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics.<br>'''Sources''': [http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d15/tables/dt15_101.40.asp ''National Center for Education Statistics'', "Table 101.40. Estimated total and school-age resident populations, by state: Selected years, 1970 through 2014," accessed May 24, 2016]<br>[https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d15/tables/dt15_205.80.asp ''National Center for Education Statistics'', "Table 205.80. Private elementary and secondary schools, enrollment, teachers, and high school graduates, by state: Selected years, 2003 through 2013," accessed May 24, 2016]</small>
+|}
 ===Homeschooling===
-An estimated 6,720 students were home-schooled in West Virginia during the 2012-2013 school year, which represented approximately 2.39 percent of all students in the state.<ref name=atoz>[http://a2zhomeschooling.com/thoughts_opinions_home_school/numbers_homeschooled_students/#.Uztkx1wtAK4.gmail ''A2Z Home's Cool - Home Education from A to Z'', "How Many Homeschoolers in America?" updated February 3, 2014]</ref>
+According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were approximately 1.7 million homeschooled students in the United States as of 2012. This accounted for roughly 3.4 percent of the total school-age population.<ref>[http://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/homeschooling-101/homeschooling-numbers/ ''Coalition for Responsible Home Education'', "Homeschooling Numbers," accessed May 25, 2016]</ref><ref>[https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_206.10.asp?current=yes ''National Center for Education Statistics'', "Table 206.10. Number and percentage of homeschooled students ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, by selected child, parent, and household characteristics: 2003, 2007, and 2012," accessed May 25, 2016]</ref>
-Parents or guardians must have a high school diploma or GED in order to homeschool their children. They must also submit a plan of instruction for the coming year to the county superintendent or county board. An academic assessment of each home-schooled child must also be submitted to the county superintendent or county board. The assessment must be submitted by June 30 each year and can be a nationally normed achievement test, the testing program currently used by the state in public schools or a portfolio of the child's academic progress for the year.<ref>[http://a2zhomeschooling.com/laws/united_states/west_virginia_home_school_laws/ ''A2Z Home's Cool - Home Education from A to Z'', "West Virginia Home School Laws," accessed June 26, 2014]</ref><ref>[http://www.legis.state.wv.us/wvcode/code.cfm?chap=18&art=8 ''West Virginia Code'', "Chapter 18, Section 18-8-1," accessed June 26, 2014]</ref>
+According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, a parent or guardian must do the following in order to homeschool a child in West Virginia without school board approval:<ref>[http://www.hslda.org/hs101/WV.aspx ''Home School Legal Defense Association'', "West Virginia," accessed May 25, 2016]</ref>
+# Have a high school diploma or its equivalent
+# File a notice of intent with the local school board
+# Conduct annual assessments of the child's progress (details about assessment methods are available [http://www.hslda.org/hs101/WV.aspx here])
+# File assessments for grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 with the local school superintendent
+===Online learning===
+::''See also: [[Blended learning]]''
+According to the Evergreen Education Group, 24 states operated state virtual schools in the 2014-2015 school year. State virtual schools are "operational intermediate supplier organizations that provide online learning programs to schools statewide." State virtual schools are created by legislative or state agency action and are "usually funded in part or entirely by a state appropriation or grant." As of the 2014-2015 school year, West Virginia did have a state virtual school: the West Virginia Virtual School. There were 10,428 course enrollments in the West Virginia Virtual School in the 2014-2015 school year, up 72.68 percent from the 6,039 course enrollments logged in the 2012-2013 school year.<ref>[http://www.kpk12.com/wp-content/uploads/Evergreen_KeepingPace_2015.pdf ''Evergreen Education Group'', "Keeping Pace with K-12 Digital Learning, 2015," accessed May 25, 2016]</ref>
-===Online learning===
+==Financial assistance==
-Most [[online learning]] opportunities in West Virginia come from the West Virginia Virtual School (WVVS). WVVS is a state virtual school that offers courses for students in sixth through 12th grades and approves of courses for younger grades as well. WVVS was created in 2000, and during the 2012-2013 school year, it served 6,039 enrollments, which was an increase of 35 percent from the previous school year.<ref>[http://kpk12.com/states/west-virginia/ ''Keeping Pace with K-12 Online & Blended Learning'', "Data & Information: West Virginia," accessed June 26, 2014]</ref>
+According to the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, as of June 2016, West Virginia provided no financial assistance (either in the form of vouchers or tax credits) to parents wishing to send their children to private schools instead of public schools.
+===''Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue'' (2020)===
+{{Espinoza_context_edpolicy|State=West Virginia| Blaine=N}}
-===Private Schools===
+==Studies and reports==
-In the 2011-2012 school year 12,325 students, or 4.36 percent of school age children, were enrolled in 116 private schools. West Virginia ranks 48th in the U.S. in private school attendance.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/ ''U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD)'', "Private School Universe Survey (PSS)", 2011-12 ; "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey", 2011-12 v.1a; "State Nonfiscal Public Elementary/Secondary Education Survey", 2011-12 v.1a.," accessed May 12, 2014.]</ref>
+[[File:Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice.png|thumb|150px|left|Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice]]
+===Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice===
+In January 2016, the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice released a report ranking school choice programs across the nation by participation. No West Virginia programs were ranked in the report. For the full report, visit this [http://www.edchoice.org/blog/americas-school-choice-programs-ranked-by-participation-2016-edition/ website].<ref>[http://www.edchoice.org/blog/americas-school-choice-programs-ranked-by-participation-2016-edition/ ''Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice'', "America's School Choice Programs Ranked by Participation, 2016 Edition," January 27, 2016]</ref>
-===Public school open enrollment===
+That same month, the Friedman Foundation released the 2016 edition of "The ABCs of School Choice," a comprehensive report detailing and commenting upon every school choice program in the nation. To access the full report, click [http://www.edchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2016-ABCs-WEB-2.pdf here].
-West Virginia has voluntary intra-district and voluntary inter-district public school open enrollment policies. The voluntary intra-district policy allows superintendents to transfer students in between schools within the county at the request of a parent or guardian or for reasons that affect the best interests of the school. The voluntary inter-district policy allows county boards of education to transfer students to different school districts within the state, either part-time or full-time. This is used particularly when topography, such as passable roads or long bus rides, impedes a student's access to school.<ref>[http://ecs.force.com/mbdata/mbtab8OE?sid=a0i70000006fu14&rep=OE132T ''Education Commission of the States'', "50-State Analysis," accessed June 26, 2014]</ref>
-==Education ballot measures==
+==School choice ballot measures==
 ::See also: ''[[School choice on the ballot]]'' and ''[[List of West Virginia ballot measures]]''
 {{#dpl:
-|category = School choice,_West Virginia
+|category = Charter schools and vouchers, West Virginia
 |notnamespace = Category
 |titlematch=West Virginia%
@@ Line 37: / Line 136: @@
 |noresultsheader = Ballotpedia has tracked no statewide ballot measures relating to school choice in West Virginia.
 |format = ,\n#[[%PAGE%{{!}}%TITLE%]],,
-|resultsheader = Ballotpedia has tracked %PAGES% statewide ballot measures relating to education.
+|resultsheader = Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to school choice.
 }}
+==School choice legislation==
+The following is a list of recent charter school bills that have been introduced in or passed by the [[West Virginia State Legislature]]. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by [https://www.billtrack50.com/ BillTrack50] and [https://legiscan.com/ LegiScan].
+''Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.''
+<table align="center" style="margin-top:.2em; text-align:left;">
+<tr><td align="center" colspan="2"><BillTrack50 width=650 height=300 rows=25 stateFilter="WV" title="Charter schools in West Virginia" billSheet="c70b0de4-0472-4c83-92f1-f241e8277dce"/></td></tr></table>
 ==Recent news==
-This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term "'''West Virginia + Education + Choice'''"
+{{News feed form
-:''All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.''
+|Term1=West Virginia
-{{RSS|feed=http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&gl=us&q=West+Virginia+education+choice&um=1&ie=UTF-8&output=rss|template=slpfeed|max=10|title=West Virginia Education News Feed}}
+|Term2=education
+|Term3=choice
+|Term4=
+|Term5=
+}}
 ==See also==
-*[[West Virginia state budget]]
+[[File:School Board badge.png|150px|link=School Boards and School Board Elections|right]]
-*[[West Virginia Department of Education]]
+* [[Public education in West Virginia]]
-*[[West Virginia school districts]]
+* [[Charter schools in West Virginia]]
-*[[West Virginia]]
+* [[List of school districts in West Virginia]]
-*[[Education Policy in the U.S.]]
+* [[School choice]]
+* [[Charter schools]]
+* [[Magnet schools]]
+* [[School vouchers]]
 ==External links==
-* [http://wvde.state.wv.us/ West Virginia Department of Education]
+* [http://www.publiccharters.org/ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools]
-* [http://wvde.state.wv.us/boe/ West Virginia State Board of Education]
+* [http://www.edchoice.org/ Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice]
-* [http://wvde.state.wv.us/superintendent.html West Virginia Superintendent of Schools]
+* [http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/IN/default.asp Home School Legal Defense Association]
-* [http://virtualschool.k12.wv.us/vschool/index.html West Virginia Virtual School]
-* [http://wvde.state.wv.us/ed_directory/ West Virginia School Directory]
-* [http://wveis.k12.wv.us/nclb/pub/ West Virginia School Data and Reports]
-* [http://wvde.state.wv.us/finance/ West Virginia Finance Information]
-* [http://www.psk12.com/rating/USindexphp/STATE_WV.html West Virginia Public School Ratings by PSK12]
-* [http://www.greatschools.net/west-virginia/ West Virginia Public School Ratings by Great Schools]
-==References==
+==Footnotes==
 {{reflist}}
 {{Plp education hnt}}
-{{West Virginia schools}}
 {{West Virginia}}
+{{Policy HNT}}
 [[Category:School choice by state]]

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School choice in West Virginia: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 16:25, 12 February 2021

Contents

Educational choice options

Charter schools

Magnet schools

Open enrollment policies

Private schools

Homeschooling

Online learning

Financial assistance

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)

Studies and reports

Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice

School choice ballot measures

School choice legislation

Recent news

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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