OPI's January 2024 Compass

Remember the next testing windows are:

• Testing Window #3: January 29 - February 16, 2024
• Testing Window #4: March 11 - April 5, 2024 
  (performance tasks)
• Testing Window #5: April 15 - May 10, 2024

The first Montana MAST Through-Year Assessment Summit will be held on February 27, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Hosted virtually, this event is tailored to Montana school personnel involved in grades 3-8 assessment in preparation for MAST statewide implementation in the 2024-2025 school year. 

The agenda features engaging discussions with keynote speakers, including representatives from Education First, the Center for Assessment, and New Meridian. Topics range from the foundations of through-year assessments to Montana's MAST implementation.

Join participation-based sessions, role-alike discussions, and a panel on family engagement. The day concludes with insights into educator engagement, score report development, accommodations, and instructional utility.

For more information, contact Tressa Graveley, Assessment Specialist.

Feedback Sought!

Please see the draft for the proposed amendment for language changes in the Montana ESSA plan regarding rigorous action. 

Current ESSA Plan:
C. More Rigorous Interventions. Describe the more rigorous interventions required for schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement that fail to meet the State’s exit criteria within a State- determined number of years consistent with section. (Page 32-33)

Below is the part we would like to amend:
Schools making progress will continue with the OPI’s support. Schools not making progress will receive support through additional interventions and intensive support from a three-person OPI and district-level team. The goal is to have all schools within a high-priority district out of the bottom 5 percent within seven years. The high-priority district will exit a school from comprehensive support and improvement only if an individual school meets the exit criteria identified.

Below is the draft of what would replace the above statement. Rigorous Action (draft)

Through a tiered approach, schools making progress towards meeting exit criteria will continue with OPI’s support. When adequate progress towards established improvement goals is not being made, the OPI will collaborate with each school district to identify necessary actions and/or interventions that need to be considered. These include but not limited to:

• Participation in collaborative strategic planning with all stakeholders, consisting of but not limited to: Students, Families, Community Members, Tribal Elders, Knowledge Keepers, School Board, & Staff to include:
  • Identification of strengths, challenges, & goals
  • Recruitment & Retention
  • District Capacity Review
  • Curriculum Alignment
  • Data-Driven Decision-Making
• Districts with the assistance of OPI develop a rigorous 30, 60, 90-day plan with follow up after each interval.
• Annually districts complete a review process for up to 3 years.
• Reengaging stakeholders to conduct a diagnostic review.
• Directed use of resources/Funds -or oversight.
• Increased Coaching.
• Assign target professional learning.

Please click here to leave feedback.

For more information, please contact Carrie Kouba, Innovation and Improvement Senior Manager, at Carrie.Kouba@mt.gov. 

Reminders:

• ESSER II is almost closed.
• ESSER III - a few changes are detailed in the Compass ESSER Bulletin including: cash requests can not be embedded in Final Expenditure Reports.

Thank you to Victor, Evergreen, Corvallis, and Frenchtown school districts for their examples of ESSER processing support documents which are posted on ESSER website under 'stories'.

There are still Afterschool and Summer School grants available with a continued focus on math and literacy. Data on 2022-2023 Afterschool and Summer School grants is:

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

Effective January 1, 2024 new licensure fees will take effect. The new licensure fees were set by the Montana Board of Public Education, per House Bill 403.

On January 1st and 2nd, the TeachMT licensure system will be under system maintenance due to the new fee schedule. 

See new fee schedule here:

Superintendent Elsie Arntzen has hired Danni McCarthy as the Office of Public Instruction’s (OPI) State Special Education (SPED) Director. The SPED Director is responsible for managing the OPI’s special education unit, which is comprised of School Improvement, Continuing Education and Technical Assistance, Early Childhood Education, Data Systems and Reporting, Stipend Programs, Dispute Resolution, and the Early Assistance Program.

“Our students with disabilities are my number one priority,” said Danni McCarthy. “I look forward to working with our school districts, cooperatives, parents, and other stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for our students in Montana.”

Danni graduated from Carroll College with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education. She graduated from Northwest Nazarene University with her Education Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership. Danni comes into this job with 20 years of experience in the field of special education. She was a special education teacher for 7 years and has been with OPI’s special education unit for 13 years in various roles, most recently as the fiscal and reporting manager.

For more information, please contact Patrick Cates, Student Support Services Senior Manager at patrick.cates@mt.gov or 406-594-9993.

A big shout out to Helena Public Schools for incorporating more Montana-made foods in their school nutrition program and being featured in the national newsletter Nutrition and Dietetics SmartBrief! See KTVH's story, Helena Schools working to include more Montana produce and livestock in student meals.

Special Olympics Montana (SOMT) and the Montana High School Association (MHSA) are proud to continue partnering in efforts to include all students in this year’s track season. Unified Track includes athletes with and without Intellectual Disabilities on high school track teams. Teams compete in various meets throughout the year and are able to compete in the MHSA State Track Meet in May! Last year, thirteen high schools from across the state competed in Unified Track. Shout out to Big Sandy High School, Box Elder High School, Bozeman High School, Butte High School, Browning High School, Columbia Falls High School, Frenchtown High School, Gallatin High School, Glacier High School, Hamilton High School, Polson High School, Simms High School and Whitefish High School for participating. Join the Inclusion Revolution - get your school involved!

To participate, schools must sign up as Unified Champion School, register their Unified Track team with SOMT, and adhere to MHSA Guidelines. Interested in getting involved? Details for the 2024 season will go out to all UCS schools in January!

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.

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is pleased to offer over twenty-six different scholarships for graduating high school seniors, and college, graduate and medical students through our online application portal for the upcoming academic year. DAR Scholarships are awarded and judged without regard to gender, race, color, religion, national origin, or disability. 

• Applicants must be citizens of the United States (U.S.). 
• Applicants must attend or plan to attend an accredited college or university in the U.S. 
• All multi-year scholarships, typically renewable up to four years, must be for consecutive years of attendance.
• Awards are based on academic excellence, commitment to the field of study, and/or financial need, or other restrictions on specific scholarships.
• Awards are placed on deposit with the college or university and any unused portion shall be returned to the NSDAR.
• Students are eligible for one scholarship only from NSDAR.

To Apply for DAR Scholarships...

The scholarship application portal opened on November 1, 2023 and will remain open through January 31, 2024 at 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time). The direct URL link for the online submission portal is: https://dar.academicworks.com

American Indian Scholarships are also available. 

• An American Indian Scholarship for $4,000.00 (more than one may be awarded each year) which requires a 3.25 GPA and has a deadline of January 31. Contact americanindianschol@nsdar.org for information from the National Vice Chair.
• The Frances Crawford Marvin American Indian Scholarship (one awarded per year) with a 3.25 GPA requirement and a variable award sum determined annually by the return on the endowment has a deadline of January 31. Contact Fcmarvinamericanindiansscholarship@nsdar.org for information from the National Vice Chair.

Overseen and managed by the College of William and Mary:

• The Anne Trevarthen Memorial Scholarship is a one-time scholarship presented each April to a high school senior who will be attending the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.  The scholarship amount is based on the annual return of the endowment and is administered by the college.  For further information please contact the College of William and Mary Office of Admissions at (757) 221-4223.

For more information, visit the dar.org website and click on the Scholarship page or American Indian Committee page.

Elementary teachers: Apply for a six-week paid research experience at MSU this summer  

Montana State University will host a six-week Research Experience for Teachers (RET) for elementary teachers in Summer 2024. The experience includes a stipend plus housing and travel expenses.  

In the energy-themed program, teachers gain hands-on experience in state-of-the-art engineering research labs and will visit energy facilities such as a hydroelectric dam as well as nearby American Indian cultural sites. We will explore Indigenous perspectives in engineering, with a focus on integrating STEM with Montana's Indian Education For All curriculum. The application deadline is Feb. 4, 2024.

 Visit www.montana.edu/ret [montana.edu] for more information and a link to the application. No STEM degree or prior experience is required, and all Montana elementary teachers are encouraged to apply. 

The Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Western Music Rendezvous is a 3-day cultural festival, held annually in mid-August in Lewistown, Montana, and dedicated to celebrating and preserving the history, heritage, and values of the cowboy lifestyle of the Upper Rocky Mountain West. About 100 cowboy poets, western musicians, and artists, from all over the United States and Canada, convene to share their talents and perpetuate the traditions of the American West.

For the 2024 gathering, we are encouraging the involvement of youth by sponsoring a YOUTH Cowboy Poetry Contest. Young poets, ages 12-18 are encouraged to write some “cowboy” poetry. First place prize is $100, second place prize is $75, and the winners will recite their poems on the Grand Stage Saturday evening. The theme for the 2024 Gathering is “A Cowboy and His Dog”, but any “cowboy” subject will be acceptable.

Access the entry form on our website: MontanaCowboyPoetryGathering.com and follow us on Facebook.

Please call Charlotte Carroll at 406-538-3058 if you have any questions.