(1)(a) Subject to availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall take the lead in identifying and developing a library of openly licensed courseware aligned with the common core state standards and placed under an attribution license, registered by a nonprofit or for-profit organization with domain expertise in open courseware, that allows others to use, distribute, and create derivative works based upon the digital material, while still allowing the authors or creators to retain the copyright and to receive credit for their efforts.

(b) During the course of identification and development of a library of openly licensed courseware, the superintendent:

(i) May contract with third parties for all or part of the development;

(ii) May adopt or adapt existing high quality openly licensed K-12 courseware aligned with the common core state standards;

(iii) May consider multiple sources of openly licensed courseware;

(iv) Must use best efforts to seek additional outside funding by actively partnering with private organizations;

(v) Must work collaboratively with other states that have adopted the common core state standards and collectively share results; and

(vi) Must include input from classroom practitioners, including teacher-librarians as defined by RCW 28A.320.240, in the results reported under subsection (2)(d) of this section.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction must also:

(a) Advertise to school districts the availability of openly licensed courseware, with an emphasis on the fact that the courseware is available at no cost to the districts;

(b) Identify an open courseware repository to which openly licensed courseware identified and developed under this section may be submitted, in which openly licensed courseware may be housed, and from which openly licensed courseware may be easily accessed, all at no cost to school districts;

(c) Provide professional development programs that offer support, guidance, and instruction regarding the creation, use, and continuous improvement of open courseware; and

(d) Report to the governor and the education committees of the legislature on a biennial basis, beginning December 1, 2013, and ending December 1, 2017, regarding identification and development of a library of openly licensed courseware aligned with the common core state standards and placed under an attribution license, use by school districts of openly licensed courseware, and professional development programs provided.

(3) School districts may, but are not required to, use any of the openly licensed courseware.

(4) As used in this section, “courseware” includes the course syllabus, scope and sequence, instructional materials, modules, textbooks, including the teacher’s edition, student guides, supplemental materials, formative and summative assessment supports, research articles, research data, laboratory activities, simulations, videos, open-ended inquiry activities, and any other educationally useful materials.

(5) The open educational resources account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from funds collected under this section must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the development of openly licensed courseware as described in this section. Only the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent’s designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

Finding—2012 c 178: “The legislature finds the state’s recent adoption of common core K-12 standards provides an opportunity to develop a library of high quality, openly licensed K-12 courseware that is aligned with these standards. By developing this library of openly licensed courseware and making it available to school districts free of charge, the state and school districts will be able to provide students with curricula and texts while substantially reducing the expenses that districts would otherwise incur in purchasing these materials. In addition, this library of openly licensed courseware will provide districts and students with a broader selection of materials, and materials that are more up-to-date.” [ 2012 c 178 § 1.]