Standards Revision Updates:
The ELA Standards Revision Update!
The Research and Review phase ELA Standards Revision Team has completed both Orientation and a Research Deep Dive Workshop hosted by the research brief development team at the Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest of the Institute for Educational Sciences, a US Department of Education Task force members to have rich discussions around important considerations for revising our ELA Standards.
The task force will meet again in June for a series of professional learning and collaboration workshops designed to foster collaborative discourse around important factors impacting ELA Standards including:
- Language to support the implementation of IEFA in ELA,
- Consideration of the needs of English language learners, and multilingual students
- CTE college and career readiness considerations.
- The implications of the science of reading.
- The impact of AI and modern communication technologies on our students learn and communicate.
The in-person revision, writing, and standards development workshops are scheduled for July 15-18th. Visit the Standards Revision Webpage for the updates.
Math Standards Revision Update!
The proposed revisions to the Montana Mathematics Content Standards have been submitted to the Board of Public Education for review following the collection of Economic Impact Surveys from the field.
May 6th-8th, High School Task Force members, Cliff Bara, Frederick Peck, Janice Novotny, and Marisa Graybill met in person with OPI’s Math Coordinator, Katrina Engeldrum, and OPI’s Professional Learning Manager, Aimee Konzen to begin work on developing guidance documents for Montana’s High School Math educators.
We thank our valued task force members for their continued dedication and volunteerism toward producing high-quality support materials for Montana’s educators, and we look forward to continued collaboration in this invaluable work.
World Languages Update!
- The Economic Impact Survey for the World Languages Standards has been re-sent to districts for review and comment.
- The superintendent’s recommendation of the new proposed standards to the Board of Public Education is scheduled for the May 2024 board meeting.
- Public comments for the proposed standards can be found on the World Languages Standards Website.
- Planning for Professional Learning and Guidance Documents for new standards is underway!
3 BIG IDEAS
- Save the Date: August 1-3, 2024, Summer Literacy Summit.
- Save the Date: August 5-7, 2024 2024 STEM Conference
- Save the Date: August 8-9, MCubed, Montana Math Meet.
Early Literacy Web page: Here you can find all the work being done to support the implementation of early literacy-targeted interventions made possible through HB352 and Montana Code Annotated (MCA) Title 20, Chapter 7, Part 18.
Waterford has been selected by the OPI and BPE to be the provider of the home-based program. An email was sent out to district representatives informing them that the data collection tool will be sent out on July 1st. Within this data collection, districts will be asked to identify an Early Literacy Home-based program representative for their district. In addition, they will be asked the number of licenses they are requesting for eligible students in their district. Districts will be notified in August of the number of licenses their district was awarded for the home-based program.
If you’re looking for professional learning to support staff in the instruction of ELTI programs, please share with them the free and self-paced Foundational Literacy series found on the Teacher Learning Hub. These include concepts of print, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency. Here are some additional course bundles on the Teacher Learning Hub to help support your early literacy classroom.
Have a question about Early Literacy Targeted Interventions?
Please feel free to contact us!
Kimberly Evans, Early Literacy Research Analyst, 406-594-7053
Jackie Ronning, Early Literacy Coordinator, 406- 438-0522
STEM Splash
The OPI Science webpage offers the following information for educators:
Michelle McCarthy, Science Instructional Coordinator, 406-444-3537
English Language Arts & Literacy
EDReady Innovation Runs Through It Symposium
You are invited to join your colleagues and other education innovators for “Innovation Runs Through It,” an education symposium that brings together the best minds in innovative education practices. Our 2nd annual three-day event will be from July 16-18, 2024, at the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education on the University of Montana campus in Missoula, Montana, is designed to inspire and equip educators with the tools and techniques they need to drive innovation in their schools and classrooms.
Stephanie Swigart, English Language Arts Instructional Coordinator, 406-444-0736
Professional Learning Provider News
The Professional Learning Team continues to transition our language and documents from "Renewal Units" (RUs) to "Professional Development Units" (PDUs) in alignment with the new Administrative Rules of Montana Chapter 57, 10.57.216 APPROVED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RENEWAL ACTIVITY.
The former Renewal Unit Provider System (RUPS) has successfully transitioned to the Professional Development Provider System (PDUPS), and we are in the process of updating documents and systems to reflect the change.
Notably, Renewal Unit Certificates, or RUs, have been transitioned to Professional Development Unit Certificates (PDUs). The certificates remain the same and certificates that bear the term "Renewal Units" will still be valid for educator license renewal.
Please contact the Professional Learning Team at OPIDUPS@mt.gov with any questions.
 
The Montana Office of Public Instruction is happy to announce the release of the improved Teacher Learning HUB (HUB). Our mission is to provide high-quality online professional learning to support Montana’s education professionals. We hope the HUB is the first place Montana’s educators think of for their Professional Development needs. We strive to help education professionals with updated topics applicable to today’s education climate. Our goals are to deliver outstanding customer service, introduce new courses, and ensure seamless integration of the HUB into your school’s Professional Development plan.
When you visit the HUB, you will see it has a new look and feel. Rest assured, you will find the same amazing courses provided by content experts. Your Hub account has remained the same and the completion of your online Professional Development will be automatically uploaded to your Teach MT account. Additionally, the Teacher Learning HUB hosts the mandatory Indian Education for All course, which is required for all educators to obtain their teaching license.
We have recently released new courses, including The Dyslexia Series and the Foundational Skills for Literacy Series, based on Science of Reading research and supporting OPI’s Early Literacy Targeted Intervention programs. Existing courses are being updated for improved content and functionality. Soon, we will launch courses for teachers of multilingual and English language learners, technical assistance for the new Montana Aligned to Standards Through Year (MAST) assessment, and support for districts’ Integrated Strategic Action Plan (ISAP) needs.
Our online courses should enhance your intentional continued learning. There are many ways to use this free online resource to support your professional development goals. Try taking a course simultaneously with other teachers in your building and follow it up with a group discussion. Create a personalized learning plan that suits your objectives using our course catalog. Explore our course bundles, which include options for new teachers, early literacy skills, K-8 math strategies, and Montana science standards. Simply click the “Bundles” button to see our full offerings.
Allyson Fraser, HUB Instructional Coordinator, 406-444-3599
Kate Gammill, HUB Instructional Coordinator, 406-444-0716
Mathematics
Registration is open for the MCTM MCubed Conference!
The Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) invites you to beautiful Butte, Montana for the Montana Math Meet or MCubed on August 8-9. MCubed is an annual gathering of Montana K-12 teachers of mathematics who come together to share powerful teaching and learning strategies. MCubed is a grassroots conference - our keynote speakers are local experts. All participants are also invited presenters who are encouraged to share mini-presentations about tips, tools, resources, or techniques that have made a difference in their classroom.
The conference will take place on the campus of Montana Technological University. On Thursday, August 8 we will gather from 9 AM to 5 PM. On Friday, August 9 we will gather from 9 AM to NOON. A sandwich lunch will be served on both days.
This year we have three invited speakers:
Lee Ellen Harmer is the Partnerships Manager with Data Science 4 Everyone (DS4E), a national initiative and coalition advancing data science education so that every K-12 student is equipped with the data literacy skills needed to succeed in our modern world. Prior to joining DS4E, Lee Ellen worked at SAS, a global data analytics software company. She created and maintained strategic partnerships promoting SAS’s education outreach initiatives, focused on data literacy and coding across K-12 education. Lee Ellen will explain what Data Science is, the different ways it can be implemented in K-12 classrooms, and how educators can integrate it into their existing curriculum. Educators will discover data's applicability across disciplines, explore lesson ideas, and collaboratively discuss ways to engage their students with data.
Jason Neiffer EdD is the Executive Director of the Montana Digital Academy (MTDA) and an Adjunct Education Professor at the University of Montana. The MTDA offers students enrolled in Montana's K-12 public schools additional avenues and opportunities to supplement their local educational offerings through online classes taught by Montana teachers. Jason's work empowering students and educators during the digital age has naturally fostered an interest in Artificial Intelligence and its role in shaping the future of education.
Megan Wickstrom PhD is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at Montana State University. Megan regularly teaches courses to aspiring K-12 teachers. Her research has taken a special interest in Mathematical Modeling. Her work in this area is multifaced: she has developed modeling tasks, explored how teachers develop as modelers, and identified ways mathematics teacher educators can support teachers in enacting modeling tasks.
12 Professional Development Units are offered for participation in the MCubed Conference.
Registration Fees: $30 for MCTM members, $50 for non-members, includes a year membership to MCTM
Registration Link
Questions email Matt Roscoe at matt.roscoe@umontana.edu
June Montana Math Minute
The June edition of the Montana Math Minute is up and ready for viewing! This month’s edition discusses how podcasts can be used to increase your professional learning capacity during the busy (and often overwhelming) school year. Examine the research, gain tips for adding podcast learning to your routine, and peruse the free classroom resources in this issue.
Visit the Math Content Standards and Resources webpage to view this issue and gain access to all the resources available to support your K-12 mathematics instruction!
If a teacher, department, or school deserves to be highlighted for outstanding work in math instruction and you’d like to see them featured in future editions of the MT Math Minute, please submit a feature form. We are always looking to congratulate our educators on their innovative work!
Katrina Engeldrum, Math Instructional Coordinator, 406-444-0706
Standards, Instruction, and Professional Learning
Aimee Konzen, Professional Learning Manager, 406-444-3114
Allyson Fraser, HUB Instructional Coordinator, 406-444-3599
Kate Gammill, HUB Instructional Coordinator, 406-444-0716
Katrina Engeldrum, Math Instructional Coordinator, 406-444-0706
Kimberly Evans, Early Literacy Research Analyst, 406-594-7053
Jackie Ronning, Early Literacy Coordinator, 406- 438-0522
Michelle McCarthy, Science Instructional Coordinator, 406-444-3537
Stephanie Swigart, English Language Arts Instructional Coordinator, 406-444-0736
HUB Instructional Coordinator
Teacher Learning Hub Help Desk
Professional Development Unit Provider
Content Specialists
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.
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