OPI July 2023 Compass

The recruitment phase for the second year of the MAST pilot program has closed.

Year two will include grades 3-8 in Math and English Language Arts (ELA), or Reading. Participation numbers in Year II will be:

• 125 schools
• 52 school districts
• over 19,700 students.

A comparison map between year I and year II:

ESSER II, III, After School & Summer Enrichment Success Stories:

Career Tech, Vocational, Trades Programs
Eureka MT- Students spend part of the day off-site building ‘tiny houses’ and practicing math, communication, and marketing skills while also creating a real-world product and incentivizing students to do well academically. ESSER funds have enabled creativity and engaged student proficiency-based learning that everyone in the community can embrace. The students have been involved in every aspect of the building process - from initial plans all the way through the finished work.

Afterschool/Summer Support for Learning Loss, Focus on Math Skills Billings MT- Focusing on math skills among grades 2-3 during spring, and grades K-5 during summer. Respond to students’ lack of interest in mathematics by showcasing daily uses/encounters with mathematics through games, free play, and field trips.
Through continued exposure and usage, students persevere in making sense of and solving problems with mathematics.

Afterschool/Summer Support for Learning Loss, Focus on Math and Literacy Skills Livingston MT- Garden- and cooking-based math and literacy enrichment education. Children learn about nutrition and the environment through hands-on activities while focusing on math, literacy, and social-emotional development.

As a reminder, ESSER II must be expended by September 30, 2023, and ESSER III must be expended by September 30, 2024.

 The state-wide ESSER allocation through May 31, 2023, is:

OPI held a Graduate Profile Educational Summit on April 14, 2023 for Montana schools. Watch the recording here.

A Stakeholder Review comprised of school and community leaders will convene to discuss the new 4-point system to ensure that Montana schools can understand the new system.

The 4-point includes:

1. Family and Community Engagement
2. Professional Development
3. Academic Programming including how the education program enables students to recognize the district and unique cultural heritages of American Indians
4. Assurance checklist for required accreditation policies

The Stakeholder Review will meet eleven times between July 2023 and March 2024 via Zoom:

• July 27, 2023
• August 9, 10, and 15, 2023
• September 11 and 18, 2023
• October 16, 2023
• November 20, 2023
• January 8, 2024
• February 12, 2024
• March 11, 2024

OPI will offer multiple work sessions offered to parents, teachers, and school leaders:

• July 25 and 26, 2023 at the Great Northern Hotel in Helena
• August 14, 2023 via Zoom
• September 28 and 29, 2023 at Lockwood High School
• October 18-20, 2023 during the Montana Conference of Education Leadership (MCEL) Conference in Helena
• November, TBD at Montana Tech in Butte
• January 25 and 26, 2024 at the Great Falls Public Schools Office
• February 20-22, 2024 via Zoom
• March 1 and 5-7 via Zoom

More details on the work sessions are available here.

For more information, please contact Crystal Andrews, Accreditation and Licensure Manager, at crystal.andrews@mt.gov.

Superintendent Arntzen appointed six new members to the Variance to Standards Review Board:

Abby Moscatel is the Family and Community Representative. Abby is a lawyer at the Blacktail Law Firm in Lakeside, Montana. She is admitted to practice in California, Montana, and some federal court jurisdictions.

Nancy Stiffarm is the Tribal Representative. Nancy is a Junior High Math teacher at Harlem Public Schools on the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana.

Hannah Nieskens is the District Superintendent Representative. Hannah has been an educator for 24 years. She is entering her fifth year as the district superintendent in Whitehall, Montana. She was formerly a 6-12 principal in Whitehall. Prior to that she was an intermediate principal and HS dean of students in Wolf Point and elementary teacher in Billings. 

Ashley Olson is one of the Elementary School Teacher Representatives. Ashley has been a classroom teacher for over 20 years and is currently pursuing her Master's in Educational Leadership. Her family includes her supportive husband and 3 active children: one each in elementary, middle, and high school.  During the '21-'22 school year, she received the elementary teacher Golden Apple award for Billings Public Schools in Montana.

Jay Phalen is the Board of Trustees Member Representative. Jay was elected to the Glendive Board of Trustees in 2021 and serves on the board’s policy committee. He was raised in Dawson County Montana where he lives with his wife and three children.

Cammie Knapp is one of the High School Principal Representatives. Cammie started her career at Corvallis High School over two decades ago. She has been principal for five years, and since then, has turned the football program around, revamped the homecoming festivities and made sure every student was cared for and had a mentor to go to, according to her students. In 2023 she was named the Montana Association of Secondary Principals Principal of the Year.

The Board is comprised of:

Create A Positive Impact In Your Community

Inclusive youth leadership is when young people of all abilities are given opportunities to be leaders in their schools and communities. These leadership activities help students find their voices and teach them to become change agents in their communities by promoting equity and acceptance. Social inclusion is best fostered when activities within the classroom, school, and community are designed and implemented by a diverse group of students within a school.

There are many different ways to nurture youth leadership in the school setting. Ensuring that various leadership roles are inclusive to all students who have ranging skillsets, abilities, and perspectives will greatly enhance efforts to create and sustain change within the school and the community.

Please watch Let Them Lead, a video on Unified Leadership.

For more information on Inclusive Youth Leadership contact Senior Director of Unified Champion Schools, Jeanette Gray at jgray@somt.org.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services’ Director’s office has partnered with Big Sky Decon, a Montana-owned business, that specializes in disinfection utilizing Ultraviolet (UVC) germicidal lights. These lights can be used to inactivate common bacteria and viruses in less than 5 minutes. This partnership will offer free Area Decon Units and Incident Response Bags to Montana K-12 schools through September 30, 2023. Big Sky Decon has two products available to schools to mitigate and prevent the spread of COVID-19, common bacteria, common viruses, protozoa, and fungi. The Director’s office is utilizing Governor's Emergency Education Relief Funding (GEER) federal funds to help schools access these resources. Please visit the company website to read more information on these 2 available products at Products | Big Sky Decon. Please note that these products do not replace regular cleaning protocols but may be used in addition to.

How it Works

To place an order, a school or school district administrator, must complete an order form and submit it to a Big Sky Decon representative; submission instructions can be found on the order form. Big Sky Decon will ship the requested products directly to your school and directly bill DPHHS.

A Big Sky Decon representative can help you determine which product is right for your school, address safety precautions, and suggest practical use of equipment. The products come with a 1-year manufacturer warranty. Educational material and user information will be provided by Big Sky Decon with your order. Area Decon Units and Incident Response Bag products will be available on a first come first serve basis, as funding permits. Due to the limited funding available, initial school orders will be limited to 1 of each item per school.