GHA June 25-July 15, 2022

GHA  Counselor or Principal Responsibilities (School-level responsibilities)

1. Inform all qualifying students of their eligibility. Speak with students about the merit of GHA. If a student from your school attended last year, have him/her speak to prospective students. Inform students that the application is available at www.govschools.wv.gov, and guide them to it.
2. For students who do not have home Internet access, provide an opportunity for the student to complete the application using a school computer.
3. Set a due date for students to submit applications at the school level. Remember that the county must submit superintendent's selections and alternates to the state office no later than published deadline, so you must check with the county coordinator to see when he/she must have the applications from your school.
4. Be certain to include first-semester or first-term grades. If they have not been recorded on the transcript, a copy of  the most current grade card will suffice.
5. Check to see that online application confirmation sheet is on top of the application.
6. Establish a selection committee composed of the principal or designee, a teacher of gifted or high level courses, the counselor, a technical education teacher, an alumnus of GHA if possible, and others at the discretion of the principal.
7. Meet with selection committee to review all applications and rank the recommended applications for the county selection team.
8. Send applications and rankings to county selection coordinator, using the Principal's Recommendation Form. Check to see that the pages are  ordered numerically, with the essay and transcript/test record at the end. Fasten with a paper clip, please. Applications are being scanned, and removing the staples is time consuming. 
9. Do not send photographs; do not put each application in a separate folder
   

 GHA  County Coordinator Responsibilities 

1. The first thing the county coordinator should do is read through the entire website, looking for appropriate forms and making note of important information. For example, the Superintendent's Selection form is found in a link in item # 8 below.
2. County coordinators should contact each high school to let the counselor or principal know the central office due date. This includes both public and private schools.
3. Each county has the privilege of choosing one male and one female to attend GHA. If there are suitable applications from both genders, counties may NOT submit the names of two students of the same gender as superintendent's choices. On the other hand, those names and applications may be submitted for consideration in the statewide pool.
4. The county selection team shall consist of the superintendent's designee (usually the county coordinator), one teacher of honors or advanced classes from each represented high school in the district, a counselor, a teacher of gifted students, and a representative from career/technical education.
5. Plan your selection meeting early enough so that if school is cancelled you will still have time to reschedule and meet the deadline.
6. When selecting students, try to be equitable across schools unless there is a serious breach in the quality of applicants.
7. Check to see that the pages ordered numerically, with the essay and transcript/test record at the end. Fasten with staple; do not send photographs; and do not put each application in a separate folder.
8. Submit names and applications postmarked by March 8 to Sherry Keffer, WVDE, Building 6, Suite 500, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East; Charleston, WV 25305. The address is also on the bottom of the Superintendent's Selection Form.

Parent Information 

Prospective Faculty 

1. The Academy dates are June 25-July 15, 2022. Employment begins June 24 and ends July 15.
2. All classes are currently planned to take place on campus. Keep in mind, however, that if the COVID Pandemic escalates and closures are mandated, the switch will be made to a virtual academy.  Although we hope that does not happen, faculty applicants still must write a 1-2 page describing how material will be shared and how the classes will be taught via Microsoft Teams.  Include ways that you will have students interact actively and ideas for keeping enthusiasm high.
   
3. There may be an orientation workshop in early spring.
4. All faculty are required to submit and pass a background check prior to the beginning of the academy. Payment is the responsibility of the applicant.
5. All faculty are required to teach two courses each class day that address the embedded theme of The World We Will Inherit.  Courses will be limited to 14 students each, with a minimum of 12 students. The two courses are 1) an Intensive Course that addresses a Governor’s Honors Academy student’s greatest academic strengths and interests and 2) a Broad-Based Course intended to expand a student’s knowledge base in areas that are not necessarily viewed as the individual’s strengths or primary areas of interest. Both courses shall include a multi-disciplinary approach to instruction as well as a clear discussion of how the Academy’s theme would be addressed in the Academy in 2022.
6. The central organizing theme should bring together both the academic and cultural aspects of the academy, making them an educational and highly enjoyable experience for all. A thorough description of the theme is posted on the GHA ___ page.