W. Va. Code R. § 133-24-4
While the specific levels of knowledge, skill and competency needed to be successful in post-secondary education may vary among types of institutions and within academic programs, mastery of the following essential skill areas and minimum levels of attainment should assure success in a community and technical college, baccalaureate institution or other initial post-secondary education setting.
A student will be able to:
- Demonstrate proficient use of English punctuation and spelling;
- Demonstrate proficiency in grammar and usage, including the ability to write complete, grammatical sentences with some variety in syntax; and
- Write an essay with a central idea or thesis, an introduction, body, and conclusion; paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting details; appropriate word choice; and clear flow of ideas from one part to another.
Proficient reading skills are essential for success in every academic field, particularly humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Similarly, effective study skills are essential for all academic areas. A successful college student must be able to:
- Use word analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words;
- Use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words;
- Read for the main idea;
- Read for information;
- Make inferences;
- Understand figurative language;
- Draw conclusions and predict outcomes;
- Recognize organizational patterns;
- Generalize;
- Evaluate ideas;
- Manage time effectively;
- Develop good notetaking and outlining skills for both in-class and out-of-class activities; and
- Develop good test-taking skills
Algebra and geometry serve as gatekeepers to successful college work. Students who successfully complete algebra and geometry in high school are more likely to enter college and complete college than other students. An entering college student must be able to:
- Simplify numerical expressions and evaluate algebraic expressions;
- Represent problems and solve linear algebraic equations, systems of equations, and inequalities;
- Use the laws of exponents and simplify square roots;
- Factor polynomials by applying various methods;
- Graph linear equations by the slope-intercept, point-slope, and x and y intercept methods;
- Add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational expressions;
- Solve quadratic equations with real roots by factoring, completing the square, and using the quadratic formula;
- Apply the Pythagorean Theorem in solving practical problems and in deriving the special right angle ratios;
- Develop basic concepts of analytical geometry such as formulas for distance, slope, and midpoint;
- Collect, organize, and interpret data using graphs, charts, and tables; and
- Demonstrate the ability to use logarithms.
Good skills in communication are important for success in college. A student must be able to:
- Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of effective communication;
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and use effective strategies for formal and informal speaking situations in public, group, work and personal settings;
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and use different listening skills appropriate for diverse types and purposes of listening;
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and use communication strategies to enhance relationships and resolve conflicts.
It is important that a beginning college student possess the ability to analyze, reason and think critically. These complex skills are essential to all academic areas, but are particularly crucial to success in the natural sciences and social studies. A student must have at least minimal skills to:
- Understand and interpret data;
- Evaluate conflicting viewpoints;
- Demonstrate creative thinking and problem solving;
- Solve problems rationally; and
- Demonstrate "common sense"
Proficiency in science incorporates mathematics and social issues into the learning of basic scientific concepts. Students must be able to:
- Identify a problem, recognize relevant/necessary information for problem solving and inductively form a theory;
- Develop a hypothesis to test a given theory;
- Conduct a scientific inquiry and produce a written or oral report;
- Solve problems which integrate science and mathematics with technology;
- Apply scientific methods and knowledge to individual and social issues;
- Recognize the diversity and unity of our natural world;
- Recognize the basic components of matter, cells, and tissue;
- Recognize levels of organization for living and non-living systems.
Recognizing the importance of the fine and performing arts is essential to the well-being of a society. Students should receive exposure in the fine and performing arts in the beginning stages of their education. This significant aspect of life should not be left to chance. Specifically, students must be provided opportunities to:
- Observe the fine and performing arts, namely art, music, theater, and dance;
- Actively participate in activities in the fine and performing arts.
The basic humanities explore the worlds of language, literature, classics, philosophy and/or religious studies. Specifically, students must:
- Have the opportunity to participate in the humanities including the study of foreign languages, world literature, the classics, philosophy and/or religious studies;
- Recognize how symbolic texts are valued and revalued over time as each generation examines them anew from its own current perspective;
- Recognize the ways in which cultural values define what an individual experiences as "reality," influence the channels available for human expression, and affect the perception of an interaction among all areas of experience.
The mastery of basic skills and understanding in the social studies is essential. A student must be able to:
- Gather, classify, interpret, analyze, summarize, synthesize, and evaluate the accuracy of information, i.e., credibility, validity; reliability; comprehensiveness; bias; accuracy; frame of reference; and currency;
- Interpret, critique, and design graphs, tables, timelines, pictures, maps, and cartoons;
- Demonstrate knowledge of the contributions of key men and women and the impact of major historical events;
- Demonstrate knowledge of the development of the United States Constitution, its importance, and the adaptability and applications of its principles in maintaining the political institutions that ensure the liberty and equality of United States citizens.
The ability to use computers and other forms of telecommunication technology is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity. A student must be able to:
- Keyboard effectively;
- Use computers for word processing and other academic tasks;
- Use technology to communicate and to be an active participant in the information age; and
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and use skills necessary for competent participation in communication across various types of electronic audio and visual media.
It is vital that a beginning college student exhibit good citizenship behavior. While what constitutes good citizenship may be somewhat nebulous, it is clear that a basic understanding of the rights and responsibilities of living in a democratic society is an important part of the educational process. A successful student must be able to:
- Demonstrate an appreciation of democratic values and responsible participation in governing processes;
- Learn to work with others;
- Understand and appreciate diversities among people, groups, and nations; and
- Learn to be respectful of personal dignity.
There is strong evidence that students who complete a rigorous core curriculum in high school perform better in college than those who do not. Beginning with the seminal study on educational attainment of school and college student, A Nation at Risk, published in 1983 by the National Commission on Excellence in Education, numerous studies attest to the importance of students completing a rigorous high school curriculum as an essential condition to assure success in college. A Nation at Risk stated that all high school students should complete a core including at least four units of English, three units of mathematics, three units of social studies and three units of science. More recent studies, from organizations such as the Southern Regional Education Board and the American College Testing Service, underscore the need for a rigorous curriculum.
The West Virginia Board of Education and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, recognizing the need for students' completion of demanding coursework in core areas, have called for enhanced high school graduation requirements and more stringent baccalaureate admission standards. The new high school graduate standards, to be implemented in 2008, will have increased requirements in mathematics and science and first time requirements in foreign language for the college preparatory track. Similar to the new graduation requirements are more rigorous baccalaureate admission standards for the state colleges and universities. Beginning in 2008, entering baccalaureate students must have completed at least the following units at the secondary level:
4 English (including courses in grammar, composition, and literature)
3 Social Studies (including U.S. History)
4 Mathematics (three units must be Algebra I and higher)
3 Science (all courses to be laboratory science; CATS I & II combined count as one lab science unit)
1 Arts
2 Foreign Language (Two units of the same foreign language)
The new baccalaureate admission standards demonstrate the value of a strong core curriculum. The importance of completion of a solid academic core curriculum is assuring success in college cannot be underestimated. Data from the American College Testing Service (ACT) also indicate that students who have taken core courses score significantly higher on ACT exams in English, mathematics, and science reasoning than students who have not taken core courses.
Since data indicate that completion of the core curriculum in high school enhances the opportunities for success in college, prospective college students are encouraged to complete a core curriculum in advance of implementation of the 2007 standards.
W. Va. Code R. § 133-24-4