This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.30, to allow students enrolled in online instructional sites to complete state assessments remotely starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The commissioner of education is tasked with adopting necessary policies and procedures for remote assessment administration, which will include guidelines on testing personnel qualifications, student-to-proctor ratios, verification processes, and monitoring requirements. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Education conduct validation activities to ensure the integrity and comparability of scores from remote assessments versus in-person assessments.

The bill also includes provisions for appropriating funds from the general fund to the Department of Education to support the development of these remote assessment policies and procedures. New subdivisions are added to the statute to outline the requirements for remote assessment administration and the definition of validation activities, which involve collecting evidence to evaluate the appropriateness of assessment results. All new provisions and appropriations are set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 120B.30