OPI September Navigator

Montana Office of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 09/02/2022 08:00 AM MDT

September 2, 2022

The OPI is providing this newsletter to legislators every four weeks to keep you updated on current events and ongoing education-related issues in Montana. The next Navigator will be sent to you on October 7^th, 2022.

Countdown to the 68th Legislative Session

There are 122 days until the legislative session begins.

Caucus meetings are November 16-19, 2022.

OPI Law Conference

Join us November 10,2022 for our Law Conference at the Capitol room 303 The Old Supreme Chambers from 1:00pm to 4:00 pm. Zoom link to come.

Please read Superintendent Arntzen's message, Constitutional Promise for a New School Year, or listen here.

State Superintendent's Message

The excitement of the new 2022-2023 school year is upon us! The state aggregate assessment scores of 3-8 grade SBAC and 11-grade ACT scores from last year will be embargoed to our schools the week of September 5-9 and will be publicly available on September 12. Reflecting on these scores, going back to basics with the importance of Math and Reading for the success of our students remains a top priority. I am requesting to revise our math state standards, placing more emphasis on professional development while linking through our new TeachMT state licensing system and piloting a more meaningful teaching and learning assessment system. Together, we will put our Montana students first this year!

Breaking Ground 1300 11^th Ave

In honor 9/11, OPI is celebrating the installation of our lighted 20-foot flagpole with local Jr ROTC representing East Helena High School on September 9^th, 2022, @ 12:00 pm.

August 2022 Press Releases from the Montana OPI

For more information, please contact Brian O’Leary, Communications Director at Brian.O’Leary@mt.gov or 406-444-3559.

Fire Report Update

The Superintendent is part of the Land Board §77-1-201, MCA. As of August 31, 2022, The Elmo Fire in Lake County, Montana, burned 21,349 acres including 1,200 acres of state trust lands.

As of 8.29.22. Click here to view interactive fire map.

Weekly Fire Update from DNRC

For more information, please contact Pat Beddow, Land Board Advisor at Patrick.beddow@mt.gov or 406-855-8838.

Meet Chief Legal Counsel

Meet our Chief Legal Counsel Robert Stutz. Rob will be interfacing with you during this legislative session. He comes to OPI with legal experience in state and federal government. His background includes 10+ years in education law, including as legal counsel for the Montana Board of Public Education, at the U.S. Department of Education headquarters, and with the Montana School Boards Association. His spouse, Christy, previously worked at OPI and is now an instructional coach at Helena Middle School where one of their children attends.

Robert Stutz, Chief Legal Counsel, rob.stutz@mt.gov or 406-444-4399.

Back-to-School Employee Gathering with retired Carrol College Coach Mike Van Diest

On Thursday, August 25 the OPI staff held a Back-to-School Event in the Rotunda. Retired Carroll College Head Football Coach Mike Van Diest was the keynote speaker. Coach Van Diest spoke about the importance of supporting our Montana students in and out of the classroom.

Class 7 Professional Development - Language Revitalization

The next Class 7 Language Revitalization Workshop is taking place at the Capitol on September 7 and 8, 2022. To register, click here.

American Indian Heritage Days

This year American Indian Heritage Day will be celebrated on both September 23 and 30:

In 1997, the Montana Legislature passed into law 20-1-306, MCA, designating the fourth Friday in September as American Indian Heritage Day. Under this law, schools are to conduct “appropriate exercises during the school day.”
In 2009, the last Friday in September was established as American Indian Heritage Day for the state of Montana for all Montanans to “(1) reflect on American Indian culture and heritage; and (2) celebrate American Indians and their culture and heritage...”

On September 23, OPI will hold an event near Pryor on the Crow Reservation at the Arrow Creek battle site with Hardin Schools.

On September 30, OPI is partnering up with the Myrna Loy Theatre in Helena to sponsor a couple of young Native American comedians who will perform that evening at the Myrna Loy. OPI is also working with Helena schools to have the comedians speak to students.

For more information, please contact Mike Jetty, Indian Education Specialist, at mjetty@mt.gov or (406) 444-0720.

Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Pilot Program

The goal is to have a through year testing system closest to the teaching and learning of the skills.

Montana has received a $3 million Competitive Grant for State Assessments (CGSA) to complete the Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) pilot program. On February 16, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education released a notice inviting applications for the Competitive Grants for State Assessments (CGSA) program. The purpose of this program is to enhance the quality of assessment instruments and assessment systems used by States for measuring the academic achievement of elementary and secondary school students. It is authorized by section 1203(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).

Montana was one of 10 states to receive the grant August 25, 2022. Montana applied for the Absolute Priority 2 of the CGSA, which is for evaluating student academic achievement through the development of comprehensive academic assessment instruments (such as performance and technology-based academic assessments, computer adaptive assessments, projects, or extended performance task assessments) that emphasize the mastery of standards and aligned competencies in a competency-based education model. Competitive Grants for State Assessments award

For more information, please contact Sharyl Allen, Deputy Superintendent at Sharyl.allen@mt.gov or 406-444-5658.

Chapter 55 School Accreditation Standards

School accreditation standards include rules on curriculum, class sizes, teacher and staff qualifications, Indian Education for All, and student learning assessment to ensure all students receive a quality education.

For more information visit our website here.

On August 24, 2022, the OPI held two Question and Answer sessions on Chapter 55. There were good discussions that centered around the duties and roles of principals and superintendents and the relationship between school boards and superintendents.

Another Question and Answer session will be held on September 20, 2022, 2022 at 4:30 PM for school board trustees and county superintendents.

To view a five-page summary of the rule changes, please click here.

Draft Board of Public Education Timeline: Proposed Chapter 55 Rules:

BPE approves rulemaking timeline - September 14-15, 2022
BPE authorization to publish proposal notice, including public hearing date - September 14-15, 2022
Proposal notice to SOS for publication in MAR - September 27, 2022
MAR publication of proposal notice - October 7, 2022
Public hearing date - Oct./Nov. TBD, 2022
Final public comment deadline - November 4, 2022
Draft Notice and Economic Impact Statement to Interim Committee Before - Nov. 7, 2022
Adoption notice to BPE for consideration/respond to comments - Nov 17-18, 2022
Interim Committee Meeting - December 7, 2022
BPE authorization to publish adoption notice, including comments and responses - January 12-13, 2022
Adoption notice to SOS for publication in MAR - January 2023
MAR publication of adoption notice - January 2023
Effective date of rules - July 2023

*The Board of Public Education may revise the above-italicized dates, based on the requirements of the Montana Administrative Procedure Act and the Negotiated Rulemaking statutes

For more information, please contact Julie Murgel, Chief Operating Officer at julie.murgel@mt.gov or (406) 444-3172.

Data Taskforce

The OPI Data Taskforce met on August 31, 2022, Data System Modernization Updates for more info visit our website, click here.

Chris Sinrud updated the Task Force on the Data Modernization projects and projected timelines. He introduced the project managers for the Licensure (TMT) as well as the Single Sign-on (SSO) Project with presentations provided by both project managers.
Teach Montana (TMT) Presentation provided by our Project Manager Zam Alidina
Single Sign-on (SSO) Presentation provided by our Project Manager Bitsey Draur

Please click here for a power point Data Modernization Project Status & Overview that was given around HB 630 & HB 632.

The members of the Data Taskforce are:

Senator Daniel Salomon, Ronan
Senator Russ Tempel, Chester
Senator Edie McClafferty, Butte
Representative Seth Berglee, Joliet
Representative Fred Anderson, Great Falls
Representative Moffie Funk, Helena
Representative David Bedey, Hamilton
School Board Trustee Ben Meyer, Stevensville
School Board Trustee Adam Milligan, Reed Point
Assessment Director Roger Dereszynski, Billings
Superintendent Scott Kinney, Superior
Lisa Fant, Kalispell
Mike Lovato, Colstrip
Paul Kozlowitz, Missoula
Melinda Obert, Big Timber
Todd Lark, Lewistown
Christy Flora, Roundup
Eric Miletich, Kalispell
Alyssa Cliver, Shelby
School District Clerk Dustin Zuffelato, Columbia Falls

A BIG thank you to Rep. Fred Anderson and Rep. Moffie Funk for joining our Data Taskforce.

For more information, please contact Chris Sinrud, Chief Information Officer, at christopher.sinrud@mt.gov or (406) 444-4451.

2023 Montana Teacher of the Year Finalists

Kris Gulman, a 6-8 grade English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Geography teacher at Hamilton Middle School
Shelia Devins, a Kindergarten teacher at Seeley Lake Elementary School
Catherine Matthews, a Special Education Preschool teacher at Hyalite Elementary School
Jake Warner, a high school Math and Robotics teacher at Capital High School

On September 6, 2022, a committee will meet to choose the 2023 Montana Teacher of the Year. Click here to read more.

2022 Facts About Montana Education

The brochure can be viewed here.

HB 632 ARPA Infrastructure Advisory Council

Lead remediation dollars are still available to schools, DEQ is targeting schools that have not tested, publication will be going out to inform schools. DEQ is working with the School Board Assoc., School administrators of Montana and the Assoc. of Business Officials. The department of Commerce is also doing radio and social media outreach as well.

DEQ maintains all school sampling data on their website. A new dashboard launching this month makes it easier for the schools to upload data and automatically populates the results for the public to view. To view the dashboard visit: EQuIS Enterprise - Montana Lead in School Program (equisonline.com)

DEQ and DPHHS Urge Schools to Test for Lead in Drinking Water ...

Lead and Copper Rule Revisions Service Line Inventory Guidance

On August 4, 2022, EPA released Guidance for Developing and Maintaining a Service Line Inventory to support water systems with their efforts to develop inventories and to provide states with needed information for oversight and reporting to EPA. The guidance provides essential information to help water systems comply with the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions requirement to prepare and maintain an inventory of service line materials by October 16, 2024. Specifically, EPA’s Lead Service Line Inventory guidance:

Provides best practices for inventory development and communicating information to the public.
Includes a template for water systems, states, and Tribes to use or adapt to create their own inventory.
Contains case studies on developing, reviewing, and communicating about inventories.
Highlights the importance of prioritizing inventory development in disadvantaged communities and where children live and play.

For more information, please contact Greg Montgomery, Drinking Water Scientist, DEQ, at DEQleadinschools@mt.gov or (406) 444-5312.

ESSER and EANS Updates

Reminder: The federal COVID relief ESSER I dollars must be expended by September 30, 2022. The OPI team is available to assist with any questions school districts have on expending these ESSER I dollars. By the 15th of each month OPI will send an updated ESSER report to each Board Chair. These reports will show the allocation, expenditure, and balance for ESSER I, II, and III. An example report can be seen here.

An 80-page August Monthly Status Report for ESSER includes all Montana School Districts.

Reminder: ESSER II ends September 2023 and ESSER III ends September 2024.

The ESSER Funds Management Conference was held on August 9, 2022. This conference had 95 attendees from Montana, Colorado, Oregon, and Texas and included superintendents, trustees, administrators/directors, and clerks.

The top three topics of interest were:

Broadband
Audits
Egrant Amendments

This ESSER Virtual Conference was a kickoff event as the first part of a series of insightful monthly opportunities for school districts and OPI staff to work collaboratively. Please help determine the time and topics for these monthly guidance sessions by filling out THIS SURVEY to let OPI know what to discuss.

Many resources are available on the OPI ESSER webpage including but not limited to:

Department of Education ESSER FAQ
Department of Education Labor Shortages and ESSERfunding allocations
CCSSO ESSER Construction Fundsguide
Department of Education ESSER ARP and IDEA Section 2014Fact Sheet
Montana District list of ESSER Plans
Montana District list of fund allocations

Grant Annual Reporting on outcomes achieved for the Montana Afterschool Program Grant will be open for submission in early Fall 2022. Just like with other ESSER grants, OPI needs to collect data on how the Spring Afterschool funding was spent.

Program Reports Data Collection Summer Enrichment: Once the ARP Summer Enrichment grant cycle ends on August 31, 2022 we will begin collecting data on how the funds were spent. You can anticipate communication from OPI on this data collection in late August or early September.

We are very near the end of the ESSER CARES I funding cycle, which closes on September 30, 2022. If your district has not yet used all these funds, please make sure they get used before the deadline. It is important to use these funds before ESSER CRRSA II and ESSER ARP III funds. District allocations can be viewed here, District plans reviewed here. OPI and the Department of Education supports the use of funds to ensure Montana students are safe and secure.

For more information on ESSER please click here or contact Wendi Fawns at wendi.fawns@mt.gov.

Broadband Update

"Help Close the Digital Education Divide in Montana" On September 1, 2022, OPI met with Summit consulting firm, a research team that the State of Montana contracted to host a series of public townhall outreach sessions across Montana to hear firsthand how internet access (or a lack thereof) impacts our communities. Infrastructure Act has several programs within in: BEAD and Digital Equity Act(DEA) BEAD awards funding to every state in the union with purpose of investing in broadband. DEA requires states to conduct stakeholder outreach (education in particular focus) To see if a session is near you, and to RSVP for a session, please click here. Here is a link to the 10 minute survey.

For more information here click on these links:

ARPA Commission https://arpa.mt.gov
AGA https://www.agacgfm.org/About.aspx
BEAD https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-bead-program
ConnectMT information https://connectmt.mt.gov

For more information, please contact Victoria Hoefler, Victoria.Hoefler@mt.gov or 406-438-3601.

Constitution Day Celebration

Join the Annual Celebration of Constitution & Citizenship Day in the Capitol Rotunda Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, at 12:00 PM.

Legislative Updates

Senator Cary Smith Senate Bill 99 - Human Sexuality Instruction

Senate Bill 99 was passed during the 2021 legislative session and went into effect on July 1, 2021. SB 99 resulted in the adoption of a new statute, § 20-7-120, MCA, which states that: "a parent, guardian, or other person who is responsible for the care of a child may refuse to allow the child to attend or withdraw the child from a course of instruction, a class period, an assembly, an organized school function, or instruction provided by the district through its staff or guests invited at the request of the district regarding human sexuality instruction. The withdrawal or refusal to attend is an excused absence pursuant to 20-5-103.

(2) Any school implementing or maintaining a curriculum, providing materials, or holding an event or assembly at which the district provides human sexuality instruction, whether introduced by school educators, administrators, or officials or by guests invited at the request of the school, shall adopt a policy ensuring parental or guardian notification no less than 48 hours prior to holding an event or assembly or introducing materials for instructional use....

(6) For purposes of this section, "human sexuality instruction" means teaching or otherwise providing information about human sexuality, including intimate relationships, human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexually transmitted infections, sexual acts, sexual orientation, gender identity, abstinence, contraception, or reproductive rights and responsibilities."

Rep Duram- School Bus Safety

Existing school bus stop arm requirements were impacted by the adoption of:

HB 267 (codified in § 61-8-351, MCA) by the Legislature; and
the 2022 Montana School Bus Standards by the Montana Board of Public Education.

The law now requires school buses to have extended stop arms. Funding opportunities for extended bus arms may include:

General Fund (01) 20-9-308, MCA where available funds are non-restricted, and consideration of general operations budgetary constraints are met.
Transportation Fund (10), 20-10-143, MCA (1) The trustees of a district furnishing transportation to pupils who are residents of the district shall provide a transportation fund budget that is adequate to finance the district's transportation contractual obligations and any other transportation expenditures necessary for the conduct of its transportation program. The transportation fund budget must include: …(e) any other amount necessary to finance the administration, operation, or maintenance of the transportation program of the district, as determined by the trustees.
Bus depreciation reserve fund (11) 20-10-147, MCA (1) The trustees of a district owning a bus used for purposes of transportation, as defined in 20-10-101, or for purposes of conveying pupils to and from school functions or activities may establish a bus depreciation reserve fund to be used for the conversion, remodeling, or rebuilding of a bus or for the replacement of a bus or communication systems and safety devices installed on the bus, including but not limited to global positioning systems, cameras, and two-way radios. The trustees of a district may also use the bus depreciation reserve fund to purchase an additional bus for purposes of transportation, as defined in 20-10-101.
Impact Aid (26) 20-9-514, MCA expenditure of money from the impact aid fund must be made pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 7701, et seq.
Miscellaneous Programs Fund (15) 20-9-507, MCA But only where available funds are non-restricted.

If you have questions, feel free to contact Donell Rosenthal or call (406) 461-9316.

OPI Proposed Legislation

A Promise is a Promise: Base Aid requirements
Teacher Dollars Working for Teachers: Teacher Licensing fees (drafted)
One-time only funding for new audiology equipment
Amending mental health tuition payments to allow tuition for any residential mental health (not just children’s psychiatric hospitals or residential treatment centers) that is licensed by DPHHS and is providing education services to those student residents

Calendar Events

Questions? Contact:

Tara Boulanger, Legislative Liaison, (406) 444-2082

The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.