H-0136.1
HOUSE BILL 1079
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Ortiz-Self and Rude
Prefiled 12/16/24.
1 AN ACT Relating to supporting remote testing options for students
2 enrolled in online school programs; adding a new section to chapter
3 28A.250 RCW; and creating a new section.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
5 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that students
6 enrolled in online school programs are required to travel to
7 designated testing sites for state assessments. This travel can
8 impose significant burdens on students and families, including
9 requiring parents or guardians to take time off from work, travel
10 long distances, and incur costs for accommodations and meals.
11 As a result of these burdens, some parents have chosen to excuse
12 their students from taking state assessments. These choices, however,
13 impact the ability of educators and the state to measure the academic
14 progress of these students.
15 The legislature finds that to ensure equitable access to state
16 assessments and to uphold their integrity, the state must permit
17 remote testing options for students enrolled in online school
18 programs that align with the students' online instruction
19 environments.
20 The legislature, therefore, intends to expressly permit school
21 districts to offer remote testing options for students enrolled in
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1 online education programs to reduce barriers to assessment
2 participation, and maintain fairness, equity, and security in the
3 assessment process.
4 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.250
5 RCW to read as follows:
6 (1) Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, school districts with
7 online school programs may provide all students within those programs
8 with the ability to complete statewide assessments remotely.
9 (2)(a) By April 1, 2026, the office of the superintendent of
10 public instruction shall develop or review and update as necessary
11 assessment administration and security policies to support remote
12 testing options for students enrolled in online school programs
13 including the remote administration of statewide academic
14 assessments. The policies required by this subsection (2), at a
15 minimum, must address:
16 (i) Required qualifications for testing personnel;
17 (ii) The maximum ratio of students to proctors;
18 (iii) Requirements for remote testing environments, including
19 restrictions on access to devices and persons, and procedures for
20 monitoring students completing tests;
21 (iv) Device and network requirements; and
22 (v) Parental consent and agreement forms.
23 (b) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall
24 periodically review and revise as necessary the policies required by
25 this subsection (2).
26 (3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall
27 adopt and revise as necessary rules to implement this section. When
28 adopting rules in accordance with this section, the office of the
29 superintendent of public instruction is encouraged to consider
30 utilizing pilot rule making as provided in RCW 34.05.310.
31 (4) For the purposes of this section, "device" means any
32 electronic equipment, including computers, tablets, and smartphones,
33 used for test administration.
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