Purpose

• Allow districts that provide digital (virtual) instruction to administer state assessments remotely, in a way that aligns with the district’s regular digital instruction for students enrolled full-time.

Main Provisions

• Creates new remote test administration rules under Minnesota Statutes section 120B.30 (subdivision 12a).
• Eligible district and students: Applies to enrolling districts that offer full-time digital instruction under section 124D.094, subdivision 2.
• How remote testing works:
  • Assessments must be given on an assigned date and time within the same test window designated by the commissioner.
  • Students participate in a synchronous assessment session, initiated and managed by designated district staff.
  • Proctoring: the student takes the test while the proctor monitors the student via video for the entire test.
  • Devices: the student uses one device to take the test and, if needed, a second device to allow the proctor to monitor (unless the testing platform supports integrated camera proctoring).
  • If a second device is used, the district must ensure the proctor can view the student and the background, unless the platform can do integrated camera proctoring.
  • Proctoring ratio: districts must aim for a student tester-to-proctor ratio of ten-to-one or lower.
  • Behavior during testing: the student may not exit the test until instructed to do so by the proctor.
  • Verification: the assessment submission must be verified by the proctor.
• Exclusions:
  • This remote testing option does not apply to college readiness or workforce readiness assessments provided by a national college and career readiness assessment provider.
• Data and administration standards:
  • Assessment administration and data under this subdivision must be consistent with section 13.32.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Adds a new subdivision (12a) to Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.30, establishing a formal framework for remote administration of state assessments for students in districts offering full-time digital instruction.
• Introduces specific technological and monitoring requirements (video proctoring, possible dual devices, synchronous sessions) and security/verification measures for remote testing.
• Sets a district-level governance and scheduling process aligned with the commissioner’s designated test windows.
• Limits the new remote testing provision to digitally-instructed students and excludes certain national provider-based college/workforce readiness assessments.

Implementation Considerations

• This change emphasizes alignment with the district’s digital learning model and requires designated district staff to manage testing sessions.
• The requirement to maintain a 10:1 or lower proctor-to-student ratio may affect staffing and scheduling.
• Requires adherence to existing data and testing standards in section 13.32, ensuring data handling and reporting continuity.

Relevant Terms - remote test administration - digital instruction - state assessment - enrolled students - full-time - assigned date and time - test administration window - synchronous assessment session - assessment proctor - device monitoring - integrated camera proctoring - assessment platform - proctoring ratio (ten to one) - assessment submission verification - college readiness - workforce readiness - national college and career readiness assessment provider - section 13.32 - Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 120B.30 - 124D.094 subdivision 2