Accreditation & Educator Preparation August 2023

Montana Office of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 07/25/2023 10:20 PM MDT

NEW SUPERINTENDENT WORK SESSION

August- 14th- 12:30- 2:00- Zoom Link

See the Accreditation webpage for more information!

EVALUATION

The Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM ) has added 10.55.724 about evaluations.

Key Takeaway:

The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop and publish model evaluation instruments that comply with this rule in collaboration with the Montana Federation of Public Employees, the Montana Rural Education Association, the Montana School Boards Association, the School Administrators of Montana, and the Montana Small School Alliance. A school district adopting and using one of the model instruments shall be construed to have complied with this rule, though use of one of the models shall not be required provided that the district's evaluation instrument and process substantially conform to the requirements set forth in this rule.

The OPI will be posting model instruments this month!

VARIANCE OF STANDARDS UPDATES

Check out ARM 10.55.604 for updates to the rule that supports flexibility for school districts.

Upcoming Due Dates:

Oct. 9th- Variance to Standard Applications due

Link to application information

Nov. 15th- Internship Applications due from EPPs and Districts (through TeachMT)

*Reminder: The school district must report to the superintendent during the annual data collection, at the beginning of years two and three of each internship agreement, the intern's yearly progress toward completion of the program of study.

Distant Learning Providers

The Administrative Rules of Montana, Standards of Accreditation, Rule 10.55.907 requires providers of Distance Online Technology Delivered Learning Programs to Montana school districts to register annually with the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) and provide information concerning the course(s) with current student enrollment and the qualifications of each instructor.

Link to Secure Portal

Course Codes FY24 Updates

Check for updates to MT Teacher Licensure endorsement and course codes for the 2023-24 school year here!

OPI Compass Webpage

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.