WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2024 REGULAR SESSION
Committee Substitute for House Bill 5289
By Delegates Hornby, Ellington, Chiarelli,
Fehrenbacher, Linville, Hite, Criss, Riley, Worrell,
Thorne, and Willis [Originating in the Committee on Finance; Reported on February 22, 2024]
CS for HB 5289
1 A BILL to amend said code by adding thereto a new article, designated §21A-12-1, relating to
2 establishing a partnership between Workforce West Virginia through its Division of
3 Workforce Development and the West Virginia State Board of Education for the
4 implementation of an educational, interactive platform designed to help students with
5 instruction in the science technology engineering and math (STEM) field with a focus on
6 chemistry and related careers to high schools and technical schools in the state; providing
7 funding; and establishing an implementation plan and reporting.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 12. PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR SCIENCE
EDUCATION.
§21A-12-1. STEM interactive educational program partnership with West Virginia State Board of Education.
1 (a) Beginning for the school year 2024-2025, the Workforce West Virginia's Division of
2 Workforce Development shall partner with the State Board of Education to implement a program in
3 phases to provide chemistry and other science-based and math-based training through an
4 educational, interactive platform designed to help students with instruction in the science
5 technology engineering and math (STEM) field with a focus on chemistry and related careers to
6 high schools and technical schools in the state.
7 (b) Workforce West Virginia's Division of Workforce Development shall select ten schools
8 for the first two years of this program.
9 (c) After two years, the program shall be open to all high schools and technical schools in
10 the state that choose to participate;
11 (d) Subject to legislative appropriation for this purpose, schools participating in the
12 program shall be provided with instructional resources for students and teachers that use an
13 educational, interactive platform designed to help students with instruction in the science
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CS for HB 5289
14 technology engineering and math (STEM) field with a focus on chemistry and related careers for
15 instruction.
16 (e) Administrators and teachers at the participating schools shall be provided access to the
17 educational, interactive platform designed to help students with instruction in the science
18 technology engineering and math (STEM) field with a focus on chemistry and related careers
19 educational system as part of their professional development and support.
20 (f) Funding for this program shall be provided by the Department of Commerce to
21 Workforce West Virginia's Division of Workforce Development.
22 (g) The program shall be designed and implemented to compliment and build upon the
23 digital literacy standards and assessments established pursuant to §18-2-12, §18-2E-5(c), §18-
24 2E-5(d), and §18-2E-12 of this code.
25 (h) On or before January 1, 2027, the state board shall submit to the Governor and the
26 Legislative Oversight Committee on Education Accountability an evaluation of the educational,
27 interactive platform designed to help students with instruction in the science technology
28 engineering and math (STEM) field with a focus on chemistry and related careers educational
29 partnership between Workforce West Virginia's Division of Workforce Development and the State
30 Board of Education's impact on the performance and progress of students at the participating
31 schools. The evaluation shall include a recommendation for this program's continuation,
32 expansion or termination and, if recommended for continuation or expansion, any
33 recommendations for program modifications and utilization of the successful participating schools
34 as demonstration sites to facilitate program expansion.
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Statutes affected: Introduced Version: 21A-12-1
Committee Substitute: 21A-12-1