Summarizes and critiques West Virginia educational reforms during the past decade, highlighting the state's rural character, a brief history of the reform catalyst (Pauley v. Bailey), recent reform activity, and some cautiously optimistic predictions. The state's 1982 Master Plan for education has been replaced by Policy 2000, whose six goals…

In 1982 the "Recht decision," in Pauley v. Bailey, found school financing in West Virginia to be inequitable and prescribed quality standards for every aspect of public education. This report examines teachers' responses to resulting school reform efforts. In-depth interviews were conducted with over 200 selected teachers and…

This paper reports the perspectives of county-level supervisors who have been important in advancing state-mandated school reforms in West Virginia. A chronological background on West Virginia school reform from 1982 through 1997 covers legislation related to the "Recht Decision," state reform initiatives, creation of the School Building…