(1) Beginning in the 2027-28 school year, school districts with online school programs may provide all students within those programs with the ability to complete statewide assessments remotely.
(2)(a) By April 1, 2027, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop or review and update as necessary assessment administration and security policies to support remote testing options for students enrolled in online school programs including the remote administration of statewide academic assessments. The policies required by this subsection (2), at a minimum, must address:
(i) Required qualifications for testing personnel;
(ii) The maximum ratio of students to proctors;
(iii) Requirements for remote testing environments, including restrictions on access to devices and persons, and procedures for monitoring students completing tests;
(iv) Device and network requirements; and
(v) Parental consent and agreement forms.
(b) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall periodically review and revise as necessary the policies required by this subsection (2).
(3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall adopt and revise as necessary rules to implement this section. When adopting rules in accordance with this section, the office of the superintendent of public instruction is encouraged to consider utilizing pilot rule making as provided in RCW 34.05.310.
(4) For the purposes of this section:
(a) "Device" means any electronic equipment, including computers, tablets, and smartphones, used for test administration; and
(b) "Statewide assessments" and "statewide academic assessments" means the general and alternate academic achievement assessments administered statewide for English language arts, mathematics, and science.