OPI's March 2024 Compass

Testing Windows for MAST Through-Year districts:

• Testing Window #4: Mar. 11 - Apr. 5, 2024 (ELA performance task)
• Testing Window #5: Apr. 15 - May 10, 2024 MAST Form B Testing Window

• MAST Summit

  The first Montana MAST Through-Year Assessment Summit, scheduled for February 27, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

  This virtual event is specifically designed for Montana school personnel involved in grades 3-8 assessments as part of the preparations for MAST statewide implementation in the 2024-2025 school year.

  Event Highlights:

  • Engaging in discussions with keynote speakers from Education First, the Center for Assessment, and New Meridian.
  • Topics range from the foundations of through-year assessments to Montana's MAST implementation.
  • Participation-based sessions, role-alike discussions, and a panel on family engagement.
  • Insights into educator engagement, score report development, accommodations, and instructional utility.

  This summit will provide valuable insights and enhance your understanding of through-year assessments. Please mark your calendar, and we look forward to your presence at this informative and collaborative summit. Navigate to the MAST KickOff Virtual Event page to find registration information, agendas, presenter bios, and more!

For more information, contact Tressa Graveley, Assessment Specialist.

ESSER System of Support includes 6 days/week via Zoom, phone, email, text, and in person.

If your district has additional funding needs, please let the ESSER Team know so we can work toward a solution.

Remember ESSER III deadline is on September 30, 2024.

Allocation Report:

The state-wide ESSER allocation through February 22, 2024, is:

Year Three

The recruitment form for the 2024-2025 Teacher Residency Program is now open. Any districts interested in hosting a teacher resident for the 2024-25 school year should complete the form.

Open House

You're invited to attend an open house next Thursday, February 29th at 5:30pm to learn more about the Montana Teacher Residency Program. The Residency Program is a year-long alternative to student teaching that Montana college students seeking an education degree can join to gain more experience in the classroom while being paid to student teach! 

We are excited to connect with anyone who would like to learn about what it is and how they can participate. The open house is for college students in an education program, EPPs and their education-related faculty, and districts that are interested in learning more. During the open house the Residency Program will be highlighted as well as its benefits for the different parties involved and how to become connected with the Residency Program Coordinator.

Click here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Learning Lab

The next Residency Learning Lab will be March 7-8, 2024. This meeting will take place virtually and include a Job Fair on March 8. Learn more about professionalism, resume building, and interviewing skills/techniques. 

Superintendent Arntzen is actively implementing HB 352, Early Literacy Targeted Intervention Program, 20-7-1803, MCA. This program enhances early literacy learning in Montana schools by offering optional classroom-based, home-based, and jumpstart programs for eligible students. The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is working with the Board of Public Education's Early Literacy Advisory Council to ensure successful program implementation, aiming to improve reading proficiency by the end of third grade. The Early Literacy Collaborative provides guidance to engage stakeholders and offers clear directives for local districts.

There are three optional programs for parents and schools to participate in the program:

• Classroom-Based Interventions:
  • The classroom-based program is specifically tailored for children who are not yet entering or have not completed kindergarten. To be eligible for this program, a child must be 4 years of age or older on or before September 10. Programming options include both half-time (360 instructional hours) and full-time (720 instructional hours), providing flexibility to meet the diverse needs of students. The instruction within the classroom-based program must align with the Montana Early Learning Standards, which are currently undergoing revision to ensure the most up-to-date and effective educational practices.
• Home-Based Interventions:
  • The home-based learning program is designed for eligible children who are 4 years of age or older on or before September 10 of the year in which the child is to participate and who have not yet completed 2nd grade. This program, which will be established through a Request for Proposal (RFP) must be research-based, proven effective at developing early literacy skills in populations at risk of not being reading proficient by the end of 3rd grade, and foster parental engagement. The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) will provide access to school districts on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the RFP process has been completed, the agency will notify districts of how to apply for these resources.
• Jumpstart Programs:
  • The jumpstart program targets eligible children who are 5 years of age or older, on or before September 10, and have not yet completed 3rd grade. Taking place during the summer between school calendars (except for 2024, where the effective date is July 1, 2024), the program requires 120 hours of instruction in a minimum of 4 weeks. All program hours/weeks for the summer of 2024 must begin on or after July 1, 2024. The jumpstart program must align with both the Montana Early Learning Standards and Montana Content Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy. Additionally, an eligible child participating in a jumpstart program may be counted as quarter-time enrollment for Average Number Belonging (ANB) calculations.

Parental consent is required for a child to undergo screening for participation in any of the established early literacy intervention programs. Eligibility is determined through the evaluation methodology established by the Board of Public Education through the work of the Early Literacy Advisory Council. The evaluation methodology, a guidance document, and a District Implementation Interest Survey are available on the OPI’s Early Literacy Targeted Interventions page.

Superintendent Arntzen opened the new platform for school accreditation on January 31, 2024, as planned. This platform incorporates the changes to the school quality rules in Chapter 55 of the Administrative Rules of Montana. District superintendents, superintendent designees, and county superintendents have access to the platform through the TeachMT teacher licensing platform. For assistance accessing the system, please contact the Office of Public Instruction’s Accreditation Team.

All accreditation information must be submitted on or before March 29, 2024. The Accreditation Team is actively working with districts and schools throughout this process. A list and registration information for virtual and in person work sessions are located on the Accreditation website. Office Hours are also available every Tuesday from 3:00-4:00 pm by using this Zoom link (no session on February 20th or March 5th).

Virtual Work Sessions:

• February 20-22 and March 4-8: Registration

In Person Work Sessions:

• February 26- Billings (MSU-B)
• February 28- Missoula (UM)
• February 29- Havre (Havre Public Schools)

For more information or further assistance, please contact Ellery Bresler, Accreditation Specialist, at ellery.bresler@mt.gov or Michelle Price, Accreditation Specialist, at michelle.price@mt.gov.

The Assessment Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (NRC) met in February to review proposed amendments to the Title 10, Chapter 56, Subchapter 1, Assessment Standards. Relevant information can be found in the summary document and on the OPI website on the Assessment Homepage.

Assessment Standards Revisions:

• OPI Website 
• Economic Impact Survey
• Summary Document

The World Languages Content Standards Revisions Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (NRC) met throughout the fall and into December to review the Administrative Rule of Montana (ARM), Title 10, Chapter 54, Subchapters 85 & 86. These standards were last revised in 1999. Relevant information about these revisions can be found on the Content Standards Revision Homepage.

World Languages Standards Revisions:

• OPI Website
• Economic Impact Survey
• Summary Document

For more information, please contact Marie Judisch, Teaching and Learning Senior Manager.

Superintendent Elsie Arntzen and Attorney General Austin Knudsen have opened the 41^st annual National Missing Children’s Poster contest, with the theme “Bringing Our Missing Children Home.” The contest is open to all Montana fifth-grade students. Montana students have participated in the national poster contest since 2009. The 2023 winner was Samantha Salley from Helena.

Students must meet the following criteria:

• Original and handcrafted art
• 8 ½ x 14 inches
• Include the words “Bringing Our Missing Children Home”
• Include a written application, which includes a description of the poster and a brief biography of the artist
• Submissions must be received by March 4, 2024

The posters cannot contain digitally produced images, collages, cut-outs, or stamping. The poster will be judged on originality, creativity, the use of color and materials, and the reflection of the contest theme. The written application will be judged on clarity, comprehension, and grammar.

The winner of this year’s contest will receive a cash prize of $100, will be awarded a pizza party with their class, and will be entered into the national contest. The national poster winner will win a trip to Washington DC and will participate in the National Missing Children’s Day ceremony on May 22, 2024.

In Montana, 77 children have been located through 55 AMBER Alerts since 2003. for more information on AMBER Alerts, Montana’s Missing Persons programs, and to view the current list of missing Montanans, please visit https://dojmt.gov/missing-persons/.

Submit posters and applications to:

Missing Persons Clearinghouse

PO Box 201417 Helena, MT 59620

For questions, please contact Brian Frost, AMBER Alert Coordinator at the Montana Department of Justice, at (406) 444-2483.

Spread the Word is coming! The first Wednesday of March is designated as the Day of Activation—March 6, 2024. For resources and ideas on how to plan an inclusion rally or respect week, visit the SOMT Unified Champion Schools website at https://www.somt.org/schools/.

MHSA Unified Track starts in March! Special Olympics Montana (SOMT) and the Montana High School Association (MHSA) have partnered to include all students in this year’s track season and offer unified events for athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on high school track teams. 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? Contact Maddie Marcellino, UCS Sports Coordinator, at mmarcellino@somt.org for more information.

Special Olympics State Summer Games are headed to Billings this year, May 15-17, 2024! Visit www.somt.org and prepare to sign up to volunteer starting March 13th to be involved in this exciting 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.

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Northwest Chapter would like you to know we have extended the 2024 Student Call for Entries deadline until February 27, 2024.

The Student Award committee is reaching out hoping you will encourage your students to participate in NATAS Northwest chapter's annual recognition of high school student television production. The NATAS NW Student Production awards recognize outstanding student achievements in production by conferring awards of merit in the region. All entries are judged by members of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Those entries that receive a regional award are also automatically entered in the NATAS National Student Production awards. Our region has had several national nominees and award winners over the past few years, a sign of the great work your students are already producing.

We need your help to encourage greater participation from high school programs and students throughout the region, recognizing the excellent and diverse work they have already produced. Membership is NOT required for Student Production Awards. The 2023 award cycle is for work that was produced from January 1, 2023 until the February 16, 2024 deadline, including work of students that graduated in June 2023.  All the details for the competition are in the Rules & Regulations contained in the Call for Entries.

High schools with video and digital arts programs/classes have many student assignments and projects that produce a variety of content that can be entered including content used in a daily school "newscast", to sports events, or other class projects or assignments. Entries are judged against a standard of excellence and do not compete against each other.

Categories include Newscast; Serious & Light News Report; MMJ; Sports Story; Sports/Live Event; Cultural Affairs/Arts & Entertainment; Short & Long Form Non-Fiction; Short-Form Fiction; Music Video; PSA and also “craft” categories for Animation/Graphics, Special Effects; Photography/Editing; Audio/Sound and Writing

A full list of categories and entry information can be found on the 2024 Student Call For Entries

Examples and details of previous recipients can be found on the Student Production Awards Page 

  Again, the entry deadline is a week and a half away -- February 27^th ­­ Please get the word out to your students and encourage them to be recognized for their outstanding work that has been produced for the projects they have already completed for assignments and other education-related endeavors.

The 2024 Yass Prize [yassprize.org] application is live! The $1 million Yass Prize for Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless (STOP) education is considered the Pulitzer of Education Innovation.  This year, 50 organizations will be chosen as Semifinalists for the Yass Prize, each earning a minimum of $200,000, and we will also welcome every applicant and awardee into our bold and entrepreneurial community of members.  To learn more and apply, visit YassPrize.org [yassprize.org].