Transportation, student math achievement identified as areas that need improvement in WV schools

By Autumn Shelton, RealWV

CHARLESTON, WV – On October 1, members of the West Virginia Board of Education heard an update on the 2025 “County Approval Status and Accreditation” report. This annual report is designed to ensure that each county board of education is able to deliver “a thorough and efficient education” for each student, based on measures of operational efficiency and student success.

According to Alexandra Criner, director of the West Virginia Department of Education Office of Accountability, operational efficiency measures (such as child nutrition, county board member effectiveness, facilities, personnel, special education and transportation), and student success measures (such as attendance, English Language Arts and math achievement, and graduation rates) help determine the overall effectiveness of a county school system.

Efficiency measures, Criner stated, are either defined as “meet requirements” or “needs assistance.”

“This year, nearly half of all counties met requirements for all the operational effectiveness indicators,” Criner said. “However, transportation, finance, County Board of Education Member (CBEM) effectiveness and facilities were common areas in which counties were designated as needing assistance.”

According to the report, counties and areas that were defined as needing assistance are as follows:

Berkeley – special education
Boone – CBEM effectiveness, facilities, finance, transportation (The WVBE voted to immediately intervene in the operation of this county and has therefore issued a non-approval status until acceptable progress is demonstrated.)
Cabell – Transportation
Calhoun – English as a Second Language programs
Grant – Transportation
Greenbrier – CBEM effectiveness
Hancock – CBEM effectiveness, finance, transportation
Hardy – Transportation
Jackson – Transportation
Jefferson – Transportation
Kanawha – Transportation
Lewis – English as a Second Language programs, finance
Logan – CBEM effectiveness, child nutrition, facilities, transportation
McDowell – Special education
Mineral – English as a Second Language programs
Mingo – CBEM effectiveness, facilities (The WVBE voted to immediately intervene in the operation of this county and has therefore issued a non-approval status until acceptable progress is demonstrated.)
Nicholas – CBEM effectiveness, transportation (The WVBE voted to immediately intervene in the operation of this county and has therefore issued a non-approval status until acceptable progress is demonstrated.)
Pocahontas – Special education
Preston – Transportation
Putnam – Transportation
Randolph – Finance, transportation
Ritchie – English as a Second Language programs, transportation
Roane – Finance
Summers – Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs
Tucker – Transportation
Tyler – CBEM effectiveness (The WVBE voted to immediately intervene in the operation of this county and has therefore issued a non-approval status until acceptable progress is demonstrated.)
Upshur – CBEM effectiveness, finance (The WVBE voted to immediately intervene in the operation of this county and has therefore issued a non-approval status until acceptable progress is demonstrated.)
Wayne – Transportation
Wyoming – Transportation

“These counties will be required to create and implement a corrective action plan to address and identify operational challenges,” Criner said.

On the other hand, student performance and success is measured by the results of the annual Balanced Scorecard.

“Counties are identified as on watch, support, or intensive support based on three consecutive years of district level accountability data,” Criner explained. “Math achievement was the most frequently flagged indicator across all categories, especially in the intensive support category.”

According to the report, counties and areas that have been identified as needing intensive support are as follows:

Barbour – Math achievement
Berkeley – Math achievement, Post-Secondary Achievement
Boone – Math Achievement, On-Track to Graduation
Cabell – On-Track to Graduation
Clay – Math Achievement
Fayette – Math Achievement
Hancock – Post-Secondary Achievement
Jefferson – Post-Secondary Achievement
Logan – Math Achievement, On-Track to Graduation
McDowell – Math Achievement, Math Progress, On-Track to Graduation
Pocahontas – Attendance
Randolph – Math Achievement
Tucker – Math Achievement
Webster – Attendance

“Identified districts will work with the [WVDE] to implement and monitor improvement plans and receive targeted technical assistance,” Criner said. “Those districts in intensive support will report progress quarterly to the Office of Accountability.”

According to Criner, “Charter Public Schools are accountable for West Virginia Balanced Scorecard indicators of student performance and success,” but “county operational effectiveness indicators of efficiency do not apply.”

The complete County Approval Status and Recommendation report can be viewed here.

Additionally, according to the Balanced Scorecard, various schools throughout the state have been identified as needing “Comprehensive Support and Improvement,” based on federal requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

“Identified schools represent, at a minimum, the lowest performing 5% of Title I schools based on three identification categories or any high school failing to graduate one third of students.”

West Virginia schools that have been identified as needing Comprehensive Support and Improvement, making them eligible for additional assistance from the state, are as follows:

Barbour – Philippi Elementary School, Philippi Middle School, Kasson Elementary/Middle School
Berkeley – Eagle School Intermediate
Boone – Whitesville Elementary School
Cabell – Explorer Academy, Cox Landing Elementary School
Clay – Clay Middle School
Fayette – Oak Hill Middle School
Gilmer – Gilmer County Elementary School
Harrison – Lumberport Elementary School, Liberty Middle School
Jackson – Ripley Middle School
Jefferson – North Jefferson Elementary
Kanawha – West Side Middle School, Edgewood Elementary, Kanawha City Elementary School, Nitro Elementary School
Lewis – Peterson-Central Elementary School
Lincoln – Guyan Valley Middle, Duval Pk-8
Logan – Justice Elementary School
Marshall – Central Elementary School
Mason – Beale Elementary School
McDowell – Southside K-8, Bradshaw Elementary
Mercer – Bluefield Intermediate School, Mountain Valley Elementary School
Mineral – Keyser Primary School
Monongalia – Mountainview Elementary School
Monroe – Peterstown Elementary School
Nicholas – Gauley River Elementary School
Pleasants – Belmont Elementary School
Raleigh – Stratton Elementary
Randolph – Beverly Elementary School
Tyler – Arthur I Boreman Elementary School
Upshur – Hodgesville Elementary
Wetzel – Short Line School, Hundred Heritage
Wirt – Wirt County Primary Center
Wood – Kanawha Elementary School
Wyoming – Baileysville Elementary & Middle School, Berlin McKinney Elementary School, Pineville Middle School
West Virginia Virtual Academy
Virtual Preparatory Academy of West Virginia

Balanced Scorecard results are divided into multiple categories including academic achievement, academic progress, English learners, and student success to determine a school’s, or county’s, effectiveness.

A snapshot of Gauley River Elementary School in Nicholas County, identified as a “Comprehensive Support and Improvement” school shows that it does not meet standards in academic achievement, academic progress in math, or attendance. However, this is just a snapshot of Balanced Scorecard results and does not take into account the school environment as a whole.