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 in

January 2024.

For previous editions of the Navigator click here.

Superintendent's Message

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah

Blessings to you and your families during the Christmas and Chanukah seasons.

Teacher Licensing Fees

As a teacher of 23 years, I am disappointed in the Board of Public Education's (BPE) decision to raise taxes on our hard-working classroom teachers. My proposed fee structure protected our teachers while following the law and fully funding our licensing system.

House Bill 403, sponsored by Representative Bedey, amended the fee structure for teacher licensing to allow the Superintendent of Public Instruction to recommend the fee amounts to BPE. The purpose of this change was to ensure full self-funding for TeachMT, OPI’s new digital teacher licensing system, including personnel services.

HB 403 contained special revenue authority that, as Representative Bedey testified to BPE, “is less than is necessary to fund the operation” of the licensure program. Recognizing the bill’s spending authority deficiency, as well as the State’s obligation to fully pay for the licensure program, I proposed a reasonable solution, reflected in my proposal, to minimize the impact on classroom teachers. While individuals can differ on the appropriate fix to the bill’s deficiencies, I believe it is not reasonable to presume that supplemental authority would be available when that option was not included in the bill.

I appreciate the purpose of HB 403. But the bill’s deficiencies and the increase in program costs, such as including paying for the staff that process the licenses, posed a challenge. Considering the state of the economy, inflation, and teacher pay in Montana, I drew a line in the sand at raising fees on our teachers. I made my position well known in many hearings and meetings that I had on this legislation. At the end of the day, HB 403 was simply not ready for prime time due to its unfunded mandate.

Please read the OpEd I wrote prior to the Board of Public Education’s meeting on November 17, 2023, which includes my proposed fee structure, Superintendent Arntzen Urges Board of Public Education to Keep Teacher Licensing Fees Low.

State Lands Fund Public Schools

This year’s $48.6 million equates to about $323 per student in our public schools. Agriculture leases, timber sales, wheat, barley, and hay, grazing, oil and gas, coal, and mineral revenues contribute to the Common School Fund. More details can be found in DNRC’s Trust Lands Management Review. The OPI also received $9 million associated with a riverbed rent settlement. During the upcoming biennium, these funds will be used to enhance the Debt Service Assistance program described in section § 20-9-367, MCA.

During Superintendent Arntzen’s time in office, the following distributions have been made available for the benefit of Montana’s public schools:

• 2017:  $43.1 million
• 2018:  $41.9 million
• 2019:  $45.9 million
• 2020:  $41.1 million
• 2021: $47.7 million
• 2022: $46.3 million
• 2023: $48.6 million

All state trust lands are managed by the DNRC Trust Lands Management Division and benefit public schools through the sale of timber, surface, and mineral resources. The Land Board members are the five constitutionally elected officials in the state -- the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance.

When Montana became a state in 1889, the Enabling Act set aside a vast number of lands that support Common Schools.  Today, the State manages 5.2 million surface acres and 6.2 million mineral acres in state trust lands that benefit Montana’s Common Schools.

Legislative Updates

Legislative Implementation

Education Savings Account - HB 393

Superintendent Arntzen is seeking ten Montana parents and community members to provide the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) with consultation and advice on the administration of the Education Savings Account (ESA), created by HB 393, sponsored by Representative Sue Vinton. The Education Savings Account Steering Committee will provide strategic advisory support to ensure the administrative process of the ESA program meets the needs of students and families enrolled in the program.

“As the daughter of a special education teacher, I understand the unique needs of students of all abilities,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “This steering committee is reflective of my Montana Hope initiative, which focuses on developing the whole child through parental and community engagement. I encourage all parents with children of varying abilities to apply to this committee.”

“I was pleased to sponsor The Students with Special Needs Equal Opportunity Act in the 2023 Legislative Session which includes the Montana Special Needs Equal Opportunity Education Savings Account Program,” said Representative Sue Vinton. “All students are different, and their needs are similarly unique. This Act provides families with flexibility in accessing the best and most appropriate educational setting for their child while upholding Montana's constitutional mandate to provide equal opportunity to all children to reach their full educational potential. I am gratified that families of students with special needs will now be able to customize their child's education under the administration and oversight of the OPI.”

Committee members will be selected by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and will represent families from the entire state of Montana. Applications will be available on OPI’s website through December 5, 2023. The Superintendent will appoint at least ten members to the Committee, based on the documentation provided in the application. Members will serve through the Fall of 2024 and may be reappointed for consecutive terms.

The committee will meet every month for two hours. Meetings will be held online, and an agenda will be available prior to the meetings. Committee responsibilities include:

• Active participation in meetings
• Timely review of any materials
• Focus on solutions
• Ensure timely and accurate communication with OPI
• Provide specific feedback on agenda items and request future agenda items as needed
• Keep information confidential as required

Click the button for a complete list of bills, guidance and information, and legislation effective dates.

The OPI proudly implements the legislative tasks signed into law during the 68^th Legislative Session. To help guide schools on new legislative requirements and updates, the OPI has a Legislative Implementation page. Please click on the link above to access this page.  

For more information, please contact Christy Mock-Stutz, Assistant Superintendent, at christy.mock-stutz@mt.gov.

2023 Statutes Now Live

The updated Montana Code Annotated is now online incorporating the changes from the 2023 Legislature. If you have any legal questions, please contact Chief Legal Counsel Rob Stutz or Attorney Brenton Craggs.

 Presentation to the Economic Affairs Interim Committee

Our team gave a presentation to the Economic Affairs Interim Committee on childcare and the workforce and hosted the Math Negotiated Rulemaking Committee. My agency works hard to put Montana students and families first! Agenda - Minutes - Audio / Video of the committee meeting.

The Gavel provides updates on the implementation of new laws, in-depth research, links to interesting topics, and timely items about the Legislature.

Legislative Calendar Updates

December 4- Lighting of the Montana State Capitol Christmas Tree

December 6- Community Choice Schools Commission

December 6- Montana State Library Commission Meeting

December 7-15- CHANUKAH

December 7- Menorah lighting at the Capitol Rotunda

December 7- Joint 911 and Public Safety Radio Advisory

December 7- Broadband IIJA Communications Advisory Commission

December 12- Select Committee on Corrections Facility Capacity and System Development

December 13- Interim Budget Committee Section A-General Government

December 13- Interim Budget Committee Section B-Health and Human Services

December 13- Interim Budget Committee Section C-Natural Resources

December 13- Interim Budget Committee Section D-Public Safety

December 13- Interim Budget Committee Section E-Education

December 13- Interim Budget Committee Section F-Long Range Planning

December 14- Legislative Finance Committee

December 14- FWP Commission Meeting

December 15- Study of State Budget Process and Personal Services

December  18- Land Board (mt.gov)

December 25- CHRISTMAS

Join us in Celebrating

World Languages Negotiated Rule Making Committee

I welcomed the World Languages Negotiated Rule Making Committee on November 13, 2023. This committee will make recommendations on how we teach world languages to our Montana students. Thank you to all who said yes to being a part of this committee!

LEAD Montana Conference

 Superintendent Arntzen had lunch with students from across Montana during the Jobs for Montana's Graduates - LEAD Montana Conference. These students had the opportunity to learn about different career choices and how to be leaders in their communities. Proud of the Montana Ready students!

Montana Teacher of the Year Introduced at the Brawl of the Wild

Kevin Kicking Woman was introduced to Montana during the Brawl of the Wild on Saturday November 18. On November 17, Kevin was introduced to the Governor's Board of Education, a joint meeting of the Board of Public Education and the Board of Regents. Click here to listen as he shared his voice with the Board.

National Meth Awareness Day - November 30

It is my pleasure to partner with Montana Meth Project's Paint the State as part of my Montana Hope initiative. Thank you to all of our students who participated this year! A complete list of winners can be found here: https://paintthestate.org/winners/ [paintthestate.org]

Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Pilot Program

The second testing window for the MAST Through-Year Pilot runs from November 27 through December 15, 2023, for grades 3 through 8 in math and reading/language arts. MAST Statewide Implementation SY 2024-2025 On October 12, 2023, Superintendent Arntzen announced the transition away from the federally mandated end-of-year summative assessment Smarter Balanced. The MAST program is scheduled to fully replace the current statewide end-of year-assessment beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. The MAST will become the new general math and reading/language arts assessment for academic achievement reporting and accountability for grades 3–8 for the 2024-2025 school year. Read the press release here. Window 1 Completion Rates The OPI would like to express our gratitude for the collaborative efforts of all our stakeholders in achieving a 95.9% ELA testlet completion and a 95.4% Math testlet completion. We highly value the feedback received from participating districts and commend your flexibility as we continue to iterate and pioneer this innovative assessment. For more information on the Completion Rates, please click here. For more information, contact Tressa Graveley, Assessment Specialist.

Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds - ESSER

The ESSER Team has been working with schools to help them process and meet all ESSER compliances as we enter into the final year of ESSER grant funding with ESSER III. ESSER III funds must be expended by September 30, 2024. The state-wide ESSER allocation through October 31, 2023, is:

*This ESSER II Report does not reflect final expenditures. The December Report will include all final expenditures*

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

2023 Purple Star Schools and Purple Star Champions Awards

The Montana Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) and Superintendent Arntzen are proud to announce Montana’s Purple Star Schools and Purple Star Champions Awardees for 2023-2024. Montana’s 2023-2024 Purple Star School Awardees are: Valley Christian School, Missoula, MT (renewal) Loy Elementary School, Great Falls, MT (renewal) North Middle School, Great Falls, MT (renewal) CMR High School, Great Falls, MT (renewal) Washington Middle School, Glendive, MT The 2023- 2024 Purple Star Champion Awardees are:

Nick Budeski, CMR High School Counselor, Great Falls, MT. Nick has been teaching for 14 years. He has served as a warehouse driver, an English and Resource teacher, a school within a school specialist, and a counselor. Nick takes great pride in serving military families and supporting military career exploration in his current role as a counselor at CMR High School. He has extensive connections in the community and works with every military branch in Great Falls to provide students opportunities for career exploration within the military. Nick oversees the CMR Student2Student (S2S) new student support club, which takes special care to help new military students transition into CMR.

Jamie Williams, CMR High School Librarian and Instructional Coach, Great Falls, MT. Jamie has been a librarian in Great Falls Public Schools for 18 years at CMR. She also specializes as a part-time instructional coach. Jamie supports students, staff, and parents with technology needs, engagement strategies, online learning platforms, and research needs. She also engages with students through extracurricular activities like 4H and Leadership High School. Jamie takes great pride and goes out of her way to help coordinate activities with Malmstrom Air Force Base, specifically to support newly arrived military families and their students transition to CMR and be academically successful.

Lisa Sapp, Malmstrom Air Force Base, School Liaison, Great Falls, MT. Lisa is a Department of the Air Force School Liaison for the 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. As the only active-duty military base in the state, Sapp serves as the total force education navigator for approximately 10,000 military-connected students statewide. She is the primary point of contact as the base subject matter expert for highly mobile students in transition. Her position is crucial in identifying academic barriers and in developing real-time solutions that enhance educational opportunities with thriving local community and state-level partnerships.

The Purple Star Award distinguishes Montana schools and individual champions who have displayed extraordinary commitment to supporting our military students and their families. To qualify as a Purple Star School, each school must meet specific designation criteria and be given support through the state and national Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission to continue the strong support of our military-connected students and families.  This is the fourth year MIC3 and OPI will be recognizing Montana’s military-friendly schools with the Purple Star School Award.  This is the third year recognizing and awarding Montana Purple Star Champions.

The 2022-2023 Purple Star School Awardees were the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, Great Falls High School, Chief Joseph Elementary School, Meadowlark Elementary School, and the Early Learning Family Center. The Purple Start Champions were Brian Holbein, Lt. Col (R), Michael Wonch, MSgt (R), and Col. Christopher Karns.

The Purple Star School designation lasts three years at which time the school is eligible for redesignation. These schools have gone above and beyond being military friendly, through a maintained commitment to serve their military students and continually honor the military family sacrifice.

MT English Language Arts Standards Revision Task Force Applications Now Open

Superintendent Elsie Arntzen has approved the online application for the English Language Arts and Literacy Standards Revision Task Force. The application is now open, and we are inviting interested stakeholders to apply. Fellow educators, parents, and community members can find more information about the standards revision processes and materials on the new Montana Content Standards Revision site.

For more information about the ELA standards revision process, contact ELA Content Specialist Stephanie Swigart. 

Montana Association for Career and Technical Education

Congratulations to Montana Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) for receiving the 2023 Quality Association Standards (QAS) Award! Hats off to Executive Director, Mark Branger, the Montana ACTE Board of Directors, and all Montana ACTE members, teachers, and supporters for their dedication to provide quality programs for our state membership. The mission of the Association for Career and Technical Education is to provide educational leadership in developing a competitive workforce. The purpose of the Quality Association Standards (QAS) is to provide benchmarks for state associations to determine levels of performance and satisfactory service to their members and prospective members. QAS should be useful to states in evaluating their basic organization and whether their leadership is providing minimum, average or superior programs for the membership. It’s not intended to be a competition between states and/or to establish a “class system” of state associations, nor is it a system for rating the performance of a state’s executive director or volunteer leaders. The hope of the QAS is to prompt states to challenge themselves to improve and maintain the very best possible organization and leadership for their members within the association’s means. ACTE is committed to assisting state leadership in reaching Association goals.

Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools

Great things are happening this year with Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools across the state—check out some of these highlights! Sunnyside Elementary (Great Falls Public Schools) has implemented an inclusive Disc Golf Club. This inclusive club is made up of students of all grade levels and meets once a month from 3:30 to 4:00 pm. During this time, students form small groups and practice their frisbee golf skills at various stations on the playground. Teachers Megan Schaak and Natalie Bright monitor the stations and students, encourage students to support one another, to make new friends, and to have “FUN”! Thanks, Sunnyside, for all you do to promote inclusion! Hamilton High School recently held a Unified Volleyball scrimmage. Athletes and unified partners came together to share sports, friendship, and lots of fun! This event brought the community together (check out the fans in the stands) to support inclusion at Hamilton High School. Special thanks to Jen Carmody, UCS School Liaison at Hamilton High School, for organizing this great inclusive event!

Not yet a Unified Champion School? Click here to complete the UCS Commitment Form and start the inclusion revolution in your school, district, and community! Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® is a program for schools Pre-K through university that intentionally promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments utilizing three interconnected components: Special Olympics Unified Sports®, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement.

For questions, contact Terri Norman, UCS Senior Director at tnorman@somt.org.

October-November 2023 Press Releases

Superintendent Arntzen Opens the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Competition

Superintendent Arntzen Opens Applications for the Education Savings Account Steering Committee

Superintendent Arntzen to Host Sixth Community Discussion on Education Legislation

Superintendent Arntzen Accepts $48.6 Million From Trust Land Revenue for Common Schools Fund An Additional $9 Million was Accepted for the School Facility and Technology Fund;

Superintendent Arntzen and Commissioner Ray Shaw Honor Montana’s Military-Friendly Schools and Community Members

Superintendent Arntzen Celebrates the Great American Smokeout by Opening Tobacco Use Prevention Specialist Position

Superintendent Arntzen Offers Accreditation Professional Development Opportunities

Superintendent Arntzen Urges Board of Public Education to Keep Teacher Licensing Fees Low

Superintendent Arntzen Opens Negotiated Rulemaking Committees for Content Standards Revisions

DPHHS, OPI to Offer Summer EBT in 2024

Montana Teacher Residency Program to be Promoted by the US Department of Education in Focus on the Field Video Series

Superintendent Arntzen Announces the Early Literacy Collaborative Members

Superintendent Arntzen to hold Annual Fall Meeting of the Montana Technical Advisory Committee

Superintendent Arntzen Offers Update on Federal ESSER II Closeout

Superintendent Arntzen Opens First Testing Window for Year Two of the MAST Program

Superintendent Arntzen to Host Fifth Community Discussion on Education Legislation

Superintendent Arntzen Recognizes Red Ribbon Week

Montana Office of Public Instruction Selects Discovery Education’s DreamBox Learning to Increase Learning Achievement for Montana Students

Superintendent Arntzen Announces Montana Will Offer GED as a High School Equivalency Exam

Superintendent Arntzen to Transition Away from Smarter Balanced as MAST Program Becomes Primary Assessment

Superintendent Arntzen Announces Appointee to the Montana 250th Commission

Superintendent Arntzen Hosts Work Sessions for the Integrated Strategic Action Plan for the 2023-2024 Accreditation Process

Superintendent Arntzen Recognizes National School Lunch Week

Superintendent Arntzen Announces Perkins V Parent Steering Committee Membership

Superintendent Arntzen Fills Community Choice School Commission Vacancy

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.