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The OPI is providing this newsletter every month for an update on current events and ongoing education-related issues in Montana. The next Navigator will be sent to you on
May 5, 2023.
For previous editions of the Navigator click here.
68th Legislative Session
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Day 71
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April We Celebrate the Month of the Military Child
During April we celebrate the Month of the Military Child. Montana is home to over 6,200 military-connected youth and over 50 children on Malmstrom have a parent who is deployed. A big shout out to our 2023 Purple Star Schools and Champions for supporting our active-duty families!
Please read the Governor's Proclamation here.
MIC3 Purple Up Day: April 19, 2023, Capitol Fan Widow 11:30-1:00 pm
Calendar of Events
Important Upcoming Dates:
Tribal Education Caucus: Capitol Room 350 Thursday, April 13 and 20, 2023, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Land Board: Montana Supreme Court Mazurek Justice Building April 17, 2023, 9:00 am
Education Caucus: Capitol Room 335 Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 7:00 am to 7:30 am
MT Ready Day Career Day: Wednesday, April 12, 2023, Capitol Rotunda 12:00 pm
WHAT IS MONTANA READY?
Mission Statement
Montana Ready is an initiative driven by Superintendent Elsie Arntzen to promote Community, College, and Career preparedness with K-12 and adult education students. Focused on STEM, CTAE, and CTSOs, Montana Ready partners with the public and private sector, the military, and post-secondary entities to promote career ready students as the quality, high-skilled workforce of tomorrow.
Montana Ready Strategic Plan
The Montana Office of Public Instruction seeks to provide every school and adult education sector the opportunity for students to be Montana Ready with the following tools:
- Local Control of CTE and other academic credits for Work-Based Learning
- Regional Work-Based Learning (WBL) Career Coaches to oversee and guide:
- Collaboration with school administrators, teachers, counselors, parents, and public and private sector
- Partnerships with Department of Labor for Pre-apprenticeship and Apprenticeship
- Partnerships with the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education for dual enrollment
- Learning objectives/outcomes and assessment
- Career Pathways
- Active CTSO participation
- Career Readiness for employability (aka “soft skills) skills
- Final project, portfolio, or employment placement for Work-Based Learning experience YOU’RE INVITED!
Join the Montana Office of Public Instruction, Montana Chamber of Commerce, and Dick Anderson Construction for lunch to celebrate Montana Ready Day on Wednesday, April 12th from Noon-1pm in the Capitol Rotunda.
68th Legislature - 2023 Session Calendar – Draft Schedule
Click here to view the Legislative Calendar.
Legislation
Montana Legislature Bill Search Results for Education
Click the image to link to the list of Schools and Education Bills.
As of 04/10/2023, there are 311 Total Requested Education Bill Drafts and 122 Introduced Bills. These requested bills fit into the following categories:
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Generally Revise Bills
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155
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Health and Safety Bills
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75
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Ag Bills
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1
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School Finance Bills
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56
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Indian Education Bills
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10
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Election Bills
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12
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Transportation Bills
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2
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Total
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311
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There are 1644 Introduced Bills and 4640 total Requested Bill Drafts as of 04/10/23.
OPI Priority Legislation
Legislation Update
- OPI Priority Legislation:
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HB 15 – Promise is a Promise Base Aid - Chapter Number Assigned
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HB 2 – Includes teacher licensing fees being used for TeachMT maintenance and a One-Time-Only audiology payment
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HB 171 – Tuition Reimbursement for Mental Health Facilities - Returned From Enrolling
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Women Leaders in Montana Government
 On March 22 the Superintendent celebrated women leaders in Montana government. Thank you to Lt. Gov. Juras for speaking and a special thank you to Keir Balukus, a 6th grade student at East Valley Middle School in East Helena, for sharing her voice with us!
Please watch the Celebrating Women Legislators video.
Montana's 68th Legislative Session Tribal Education Caucus
Please join us for the Tribal Education Caucus: Capitol Room 350 Thursday, April 13, and 20, 2023, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Please click here to watch and read past meetings and materials
Montana's 68th Legislative Education Caucus
Please join us for the Education Caucus: Capitol Room 335 Tuesday April 18, 2023, 7:00 am - 7:50 am for coffee and hot apple fritters.
Please click here to see previous meeting materials and handouts
Unified Champion Schools and Special Olympics
On March 28 Superintendent Arntzen celebrated our Unified Champion Schools and Special Olympics. A big shout-out to Taryn from East Helena for sharing her experiences in basketball and bowling. Unified Champion Schools bring students of all abilities together through sports to create healthy school environments.
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) still face exclusion, social isolation, and social abuse. Spread the Word Inclusion efforts are designed to rally schools, organizations, and communities to commit to the inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Spread the Word theme for 2023 is Going All In(clusive): This thematic is action-oriented—a motivational rallying cry that doubles down on the belief that everyone has value, deserves to have their voice heard and to be treated with kindness and respect. Going all in(clusive) also means speaking up against the wrong and demeaning use of the R-word in conversations. It is part of an education effort that showcases that language informs attitudes and attitudes impact actions.
Check out the different resources below:
For more information please contact Jeannette Gray, Special Olympics Montana and Unified Champion Schools Senior Director, at jgray@somt.org or (406) 396-8082.
Legislative Pages
Every Tuesday morning Superintendent Arntzen meets with the legislative pages for the week. During the April 4, 2023, meeting OPI Special Education Director JP Williams joined her for the meeting.
OPI Updates
March 2023 Press Releases
For more information, please contact Brian O’Leary, Communications Director at Brian.O’Leary@mt.gov or 406-444-355.
Join us in Celebrating
Montana SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference
 The Montana SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference. These 200 high school students are leading the way in becoming #MTReady. A shout-out to Cary Hegreberg from the Montana Bankers Association for his keynote address!
Montana FFA Association State Convention
Honored for the opportunity to speak at the Montana FFA Association State Convention in Great Falls during Montana Ag week. The conference had over 1,600 Montana students. These student leaders are the future of agriculture in our state! #MTReady
Math Implementation in the Classroom
 Thank you to Dr. Jo Boaler for joining teachers and parents to discuss math implementation in the classroom. Dr. Boaler is one of the top math educators in the world. Montana is getting back to the basics by prioritizing math learning!
Montana Youth Challenge Academy
 It is always an honor to attend the induction ceremony for the Montana Youth Challenge Academy. Best of luck to the 48th class!
Bridging the Communication Between Schools and Families
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Superintendent Arntzen was excited to be in cowboy country for a community conversation about education! A huge shout out and thank you to Miles Community College (President Miles Slinger) and Sidney Middle School (Principal Ashley Copple) for hosting discussions about education with the Eastern Montana communities of Miles City, Sidney, Savage, Lambert, and beyond on March 6th. Thank you, MSU Northern (Chancellor Greg Kegel) for hosting us for a great community conversation about the 2023 legislature and education on March 7th. My thanks to Lewistown Middle School (Superintendent Thom Peck) for hosting on the afternoon of March 7th. I appreciate Representative Bergstrom as well as the many teachers and families for joining the conversation which focused on recruitment and retention. One more thank you to Montana Tech (Chancellor Les Cook) for hosting our final event on March 8th in Butte discussing economics and education. Thank you to all who came and traveled to join the conversation!
Please watch Superintendent Arntzen's OpEd, Community Discussions on Education Delve into Spicy Topics.
Innovations for Montana Students
Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Pilot Program
Chapter 55: School Accreditation
Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds - ESSER
World Languages Standards Revision Task Force Application Deadline Extended to April 10th at Noon
Montana’s English Learner Standards Revision
Math Innovation Zones
Student Mental Health
Teacher Residency Demonstration Project
Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Pilot Program
The final MAST testing window will be April 17-28, 2023.
The MAST Pilot Program tests 5th and 7th-grade students in Math and Reading with a through-year model that aligns student testing closest to the learning of the skill. Currently, districts have administered three of four testing windows. More than 30 districts and nearly 5,000 students have participated in the MAST Pilot Program to date. The final spring testing window will be from April 17-28, 2023.
Public Comment Sought!
Please complete the Field Testing Flexibility for Montana Assessment System Waiver Survey
Superintendent Elsie Arntzen is expanding the Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Pilot Program to grades 3-8 in Math and Reading for the 2023-2024 school year. Due to this expansion, the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is seeking a Field Test Flexibility waiver to eliminate an undue burden on students, teachers, and district leaders by preventing double testing. Currently, the districts participating in the through-year MAST program for grades 5 and 7 are also required to complete the federally mandated end-of-the-year summative assessment. The Field Test Flexibility waiver is for one year and is granted to states that are changing their assessment system by the US Department of Education (DOE).
The Field Test Flexibility waiver will only affect districts and schools that are participating in the MAST Pilot Program. All other districts and schools will still be required to take the federally mandated end-of-the-year summative assessment. OPI is seeking public comment from parents, teachers, test coordinators, school leaders, and community members on the Field Test Flexibility waiver from March 30 – April 28, 2023. Public comment can be provided by:
- Submitting written comment to essainput@mt.gov
- Participating in one of three public comment webinars
The Field Test Flexibility waiver and a summary of public comment will be submitted to the DOE on May 2, 2023.
For more information on MAST, please contact Krystal Smith, Education Innovation Manager, at krystal.smith@mt.gov, or (406) 249.0758.
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Chapter 55: School Accreditation
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During the March 9-10 Board of Public Education (BPE) meeting the board approved the recommended changes to Chapter 55. BPE has offered the following pertaining to the graduation requirements:
Delayed Effective Date under consideration for new Graduation Requirements:
The Board of Public Education’s recently adopted rules for Title 10, Chapter 55, Standards of Accreditation, include new graduation requirements for:
- ½ unit of economics or financial literacy within the 2 units of social studies, the 2 units of mathematics, or the 1 unit of career and technical education; and
- ½ unit of civics or government within the 2 units of social studies.
In response to comments from school districts, and in consultation with the Office of Public Instruction, the Board of Public Instruction is considering a proposal to set a delayed effective date for these new graduation requirements. To make this change, the Board will need to hold a special board meeting to approve an amended notice of adoption for Rule 10.55.905. The Board plans to meet to consider this amendment in early April.
For more information, please contact Dr. Julie Murgel, Chief Operating Officer at julie.murgel@mt.gov or (406) 444-3172.
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Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds - ESSER
ESSER Data Collection Year 3:
The ESSER Year 3 (Jul21-Jun22) Annual Federal Data Collection process has begun. This is a requirement of the ESSER grant and includes data from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. The Annual Federal Data Collection Year 3 process will include:
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Register for a “Work Session” with OPI between April 4th-6th or April 11th-13th.
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Submission of an Excel file uploaded through portal by Friday, April 14th, 2023
VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS on the Data Collection process are here: https://youtu.be/PiZDrdcAUD8
Deadlines for ESSER II is September 30, 2023
Deadline for ESSER III is September 30, 2024
Each month school board trustees are sent a monthly allocation report for ESSER funds. These reports can be found here.
The state-wide ESSER allocation through February 28, 2023, is:
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 For more information on ESSER please click here or contact Wendi Fawns at wendi.fawns@mt.gov.
World Languages Standards Revision Task Force
If you have questions, please contact project lead Stephanie Swigart at stephanie.swigart@mt.gov.
Montana’s English Learner Standards Revision
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The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is pleased to invite you to collaborate on the revision of Montana’s English Learner Standards. We want our task forces to be representative of the unique voices and perspectives in Montana! As a key education partner, we hope you will consider filling out the Montana English Learner Standards Task Force Application.
Additionally, we would be grateful if you would share the application with your networks by sharing this opportunity with your colleagues.
We need the help of education leaders like you to make sure teachers have an excellent framework through which to serve the growing number of English Learners/Multilingual Learners in our state. The work you do is so important, and we’d love for you to seize this opportunity to make a broader impact.
The application is now open and closes on April 16th. Here is a timeline for the process:
Application Collection: March 15 through April 16, 2023
Application Review: April 16 through April 21, 2023
Writing/Revision Team Meets Virtually: April 22 through May 15, 2023
For more information, please contact The English Learner Standards Review Team:
Michelle McCarthy, MT OPI Science Instructional Coordinator and Project Lead, MMcCarthy5@mt.gov, or Destin Markland, MT OPI EL Coordinator, destin.markland@mt.gov
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Math Innovation Zones
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The OPI will provide incentives, support and technical assistance to establish Innovation Zones in key LEAs where
underserved student populations demonstrate the greatest needs. The project is an innovative approach to unfinished
and impacted learning by blending adaptive digital curriculum with more traditional classroom study with an emphasis
on learner agency and student driven choice. This allows teachers to continuously offer feedback and co-assess
learning in real time. The OPI will use external partners to ensure effective practices around learner agency, blended
learning, formative assessments, and student ownership of learning are developed in LEA teachers.
How to participate in the MIZ pilot with your school or district:
1. Apply to participate in the program by April 27, 2023.
2. If selected as a MIZ grantee, schools will be required to participate in a Community of Practice in the
2023-2024 school year to co-design a personalized learning environment measured by proficiency that districts
will be required to implement in the 2024-2025 school year with a focus on mathematics.
3. Engage with your school community to prepare your local community for a shift to a more personalized
mathematics learning environment, measured by proficiency. Work to foster the enabling conditions for success,
specific to your school or district during the 2023-2024 school year.
4. Drive transition to personalized learning in math instruction in the 2024-2025 school year.
For more information, please click here.
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Student Mental Health
In 2021, over 41% of high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless (Montana YRBS, 2021), the highest rate ever reported in the state of Montana. In the same year, nearly a quarter (23%) of high school students reported seriously considering suicide and over 10% actually made a suicide attempt (Montana YRBS, 2021). For all age groups, Montana has ranked in the top five for suicide rates in the nation for the past thirty years (Montana DPHHS, 20202).
Despite these stark numbers, schools across the state are taking important steps to support student mental health. At the Office of Public Instruction, we are working to highlight some of the successful programs being implemented in Montana’s schools to improve the mental health of their students, elevate the voices of students, and bring a message of hope and encouragement to continue to keep the mental health of students as a top priority in the state of Montana. We graciously thank the students and school staff who helped make this video possible, and all the students and school staff from across the state who are working tirelessly to support student mental health and wellness.
Please visit the OPI’s School Mental Health website for more information and resources.
Please view Student Mental Health featuring our Montana students.
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Questions? Contact:
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.
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