House Education Committee advances package of bills on remote testing, special education, financial literacy, teacher training and student safety

OLYMPIA — The Washington House Education Committee met in executive session and advanced a package of education bills Tuesday, voting to report multiple proposed substitutes and amended bills out of committee with due-pass recommendations.

The bills span several topics: allowing online students to take statewide standardized tests remotely (House Bill 1079); extending the provision of special education services through the school year a student turns 22 (House Bill 1257); creating pilot programs and data work for CTE dual-credit pathways (House Bill 1273, proposed substitute H-1427.1); a financial-education high school graduation requirement (House Bill 1285); a voluntary statewide parent/guardian survey about public school satisfaction and disenrollment reasons (House Bill 1289); teacher residency and apprenticeship program rules (House Bill 1651); restrictions and reporting requirements on student isolation and restraint (House Bill 1795); and directing the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to plan for institutional education responsibilities for justice-involved students (House Bill 1827).

The committee approved amendments on many bills before moving them forward. Representative Ortiz Self, sponsor of HB 1079, urged the committee to approve the amendment extending implementation and said the bill allows students who take online coursework "to take those online the state test online without having to leave their home in the area in which they've been taking all their coursework." Representative Pollet, sponsor of HB 1257, said the bill ensures "students who are entitled to special education services until age 22" receive services through the full school year in which they turn 22, noting the change aligns state practice with federal law.

Committee staff briefed bills in turn. Damien Morton Snipper, public…