AF - School Day

File:    AF

School Day

1.     GENERAL

1.1  SCOPE      This policy provides the minimum academic requirements of the school day for the various                                    grade levels for all Clay County School.

1.2   AUTHORITY    West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2510 – Assuring the Quality of Education:                                              Regulations for Education Programs

1.3  FILING DATE            JULY 2010

1.4  EFFECTIVE DATE    July 2010

2.     REQUIREMENTS

2.1     The school calendar shall provide, at a minimum, 12 hours per week for pre-k, and an instructional                      day of 315 minutes for kindergarten and grades 1-4, 330 minutes for grades 5-8, and 345 minutes for                   grades 9-12.

2.2     In k-2 classrooms, the given content areas are taught daily.

 i.     It is required, in accordance with scientifically based reading research, that, at a minimum, a              daily uninterrupted 90 minute reading/English language arts block be scheduled during which                 students are actively engaged in learning through whole group, small group and reading center                  activities.

   ii.     A minimum of 60 minutes of daily mathematics instruction is required. 

   iii.     In k-2 classrooms, not less than 30 minutes of physical education, including physical exercise                and age appropriate physical activities, for not less than three days a week shall be provided. 

    iv.     All content areas of Science, Social Studies, Visual Art, Music Health Learning Skills and                        Technology Tools may be integrated into classroom instruction and must be taught in a                            manner that supports the acquisition of strong reading, language arts and mathematics skills. 

      v.     Specific content area instruction in the given content areas may or may not be offered daily.                  Sufficient emphasis must be placed on the given content areas to ensure that students master                  content knowledge and skills as specified in the 21st century content standards and objectives                  for each subject.

2.3  In the intermediate elementary grades (grades 3 and 4) students will be taught the given content areas.

     i.     It is required, in accordance with scientifically based reading research, that, at a minimum, 90                minutes of reading and English language arts instruction be provided through whole group,                       small group and reading center activities as a block or throughout the school day.

    ii.     A minimum of 60 minutes of daily mathematics instruction is required.

    iii.     Sufficient emphasis must be placed on the following content areas to ensure that students                         master content knowledge and skills as specified in the 21st century content standards and                     objectives for each subject:

1.     Reading and English Language Arts

2.     Mathematics

3.     Science

4.     Social Studies

       iv.     Intermediate elementary students shall be provided not less than 30 minutes of physical                            education, including physical exercise and age appropriate physical activities, for not less                        than three days a week. 

         v.     Schools which do not currently have the number of certified physical education teachers or                       required physical setting may develop alternate programs that will enable current staff and                       physical settings to be used to meet the physical education requirements. The alternate                           programs shall be submitted to the WVDE and the Healthy Lifestyle Council for approval.

2.4    In the grades of 5, 6, 7, and 8, the following given content areas will be offered with frequency sufficient              to achieve mastery of the West Virginia approved content standards and objectives for those areas and                 meet the needs of children:

              i.     Visual Art

              ii.     Music

              iii.     Health

               iv.     Learning Skills

                v.     Technology Tools

2.5  The following required core courses shall be taught daily by a team of qualified teachers.

                   i.     Reading and English Language Arts

                   ii.     Mathematics/Algebra I

                  iii.     Science

                  iv.     Social Studies

2.6    An intervention component will ensure mastery of the rigorous content standards and objectives at                       each grade level.

2.7   The core courses (Reading and English/Language Arts, Mathematics/Algebra I, Science and Social                   Studies) will be offered within a block of time no less than 180 minutes.  

                   i.     The principal and a team of teachers will determine time allocations that provide                                        adequate time to achieve mastery of the West Virginia content standards and objectives                            for each of the required courses and effectively address the academic needs of                                    students who are below mastery in the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics.

                    ii.     It is recommended that all students planning to enter the high school professional                                      pathway will be enrolled in Algebra I in the 8th grade.

2.8  Students in middle grades shall be provided not less than one full period of physical education, including                physical exercise and age appropriate physical activities, each school day of one semester of the                       school year.

                   i.     Schools which do not currently have the number of certified physical education teachers                        or required physical setting may develop alternate programs that will enable current staff                        and physical settings to be used to meet the physical education requirements.

                    ii.     The alternate programs shall be submitted to the WVDE and the Healthy Lifestyle                                     Council for approval.

2.9       The following required courses are considered part of the encore curriculum and each course shall                   be taught as a separate subject:

                            i.     Visual Art

                           ii.     Music

                           iii.     Health

2.10        Students shall be enrolled in each course for a minimum of 18 weeks cumulative                                              across grades 6-8.

   2.11        Foreign language shall be offered annually.

  2.12     These requirements shall be integrated into the middle level education as determined by the                               principal and the team of teachers.

                              i.     Advisory/Comprehensive School Guidance and Counseling

                             ii.     Career Exploration

                            iii.     Technology

 2.13     At the high school level (grades 9, 10, 11, and 12), class periods shall be scheduled in a manner that                  results in a minimum of 8100 minutes of instructional time allotted for a high school course credit. 

2.14      The high school requirement shall be consistent with WV Board of Education Policy                                           2510 (See High School Graduation Requirements Policy, File Policy IHE-A of this Policy Manual).

Clay County Board of Education