OPI's November 2024 Compass

Check out the Calendar of Events for our Unit's Weekly Office Hours, trainings, important deadlines, and more!

The first scheduled MAST testing window opened on October 14, 2024, and will close on November 22, 2024. This statewide assessment for grades 3-8 in math and ELA during the 2024-2025 school year offers flexibility in test administration, provides timely feedback on student learning to enhance instructional practices and assesses students closer to the time when learning occurs. In addition to its instructional benefits, the MAST assessment meets federal testing requirements.

MAST Student Score Reports:

Educators receive weekly MAST score reports on completed and submitted student testlets, which serve as valuable tools for understanding students' academic strengths and areas for improvement. These reports offer insights into both individual and group performance in math and ELA, enabling teachers to tailor their instruction to address the unique needs of each student. For more information on interpreting or utilizing the MAST Student Score Report, navigate to the Score Report section of the MAST Portal.

ESSER Close-Out Process: In partnership with the district, the ESSER Team is closing out the ESSER Grant.  The aim of this process is to ensure district documentation and processing is in compliance with grant regulations and best accounting/grant management practices.  Thank you to the 154 districts who have already completed their full ESSER Closeout.  We greatly appreciate your working with us to ensure compliances are met. 

Please schedule and view the ESSER Close Out resources (video and pdf) before your meeting. Note this process is different than the E-Grants Final Expenditure Report (FER). It includes a full review of ESSER I, II & III Budget Pages and other relevant documentation. To schedule Close Out please contact Allison Agostino at allison.agostino@mt.gov. Please complete a Return Funds form if you are returning awarded funds for any reason.

• An email on ESSER spending and compliances for each District was sent in July to start the Close-Out Process.
• If you did not receive an email by July 15, 2024, check your spam and contact ESSER Meet the Team.

ESSER III Closeout Deadlines

• Cash Requests(final request for reimbursements) are due by October 25, 2024.
• Final Expenditure Reports(FERs) due by November 10, 2024.

The state-wide ESSER allocation through October 23, 2024, is:

The applications for the Teacher Incentive Program, better known as the TEACH Act, are open through December 1, 2024, per § 20-9-324(3), MCA . The Teach Act was established during the 2021 legislative session to incentivize and enhance competitive base pay for early-career teachers. The 2024-2025 school year will be the fourth year for the TEACH Act. Districts must submit separate applications for each school, or Legal Entity, applying for the program.

Districts must complete the application for the Teacher Incentive Program funding to demonstrate:

• 2nd and 3rd class districts: Base pay equal to 10 times the Quality Educator Component amount for the application year.
• 1st class districts: Base pay requirements above and base pay not less than 70% of average teacher pay. 

A virtual training session for districts was held on October 8, 2024. Click here to view the training.

Important Reminder for Schools

Principals and Superintendents, please follow up with your teachers to ensure their licensing is up to date. All licensing and verifications must be complete by the December 1st deadline. This will impact the Quality Educator Component Payment.

If you have questions, please contact Laci Novark at (406) 444-4401, or Autumn Belmont at (406) 444-9852, or by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

Purple Star School Designation is a recognition for military-friendly schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation's military. Schools that earn the award will receive a special Purple Star recognition plaque to display onsite. Purple Star Champion is a designation for a military-friendly administrator, educator, community supporter, or school staff member that has shown a major commitment to military connected students and/or families. The Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission (MIC3) is accepting Purple Star Champion and Purple Star Designation nominations from September 1st through November 30^th, 2024. 

Link for Purple Star Campion Nomination: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWNumSICglgoJDzJeLe5c72cylbiqOuWfhy4_kBL46QtNAow/viewform?usp=sf_link

Link for Purple Star Designation Nomination : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWGKjxfFnY45NSHW3talpibANV_HqswEsO3XCwEKYyWFr-Fw/viewform?usp=sf_link

For additional information, please contact Ms. Lisa Sapp, School Liaison Specialist for Malmstrom AFB at lisa.sapp.1@us.af.mil  (406-217-1173) or Katie Bloodgood, OPI Legislative Liaison at katie.bloodgood@mt.gov.

Join Our Community of Practice!

In collaboration with Education First, the OPI is partnering with school districts to strengthen and align local assessment systems. This unique opportunity offers districts the chance to collaborate, receive expert coaching, and enhance coherence and improvement in assessment practices. The Community of Practice will meet throughout the winter and spring, providing valuable guidance and support.

To learn more and apply for this exciting opportunity, click here.

Two Montana Schools Selected for Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools National Banner Recognition!

Congratulations to West Elementary School in Butte and Billings West High School for being recognized as Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools National Banner Schools! These schools met 10 standards of excellence set by Special Olympics North America, focusing on Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement. Congratulations West Elementary School and Billings West High School for all you do to support inclusion and acceptance within your schools!

Special Olympics State Basketball Volunteers Needed!

Join the excitement and get involved by volunteering for this action-packed event November 7-9, 2024 in Helena. There are many volunteer opportunities available for students, staff, school groups, parents and community members!

Witness the passion, dedication, and extraordinary talent of our athletes and unified partners as they take the court and inspire us all.

Embracing the theme “Shine Your Light”, we invite the entire state to join in this celebration.

For more information and volunteer opportunities, please visit https://www.somt.org/sports/state-basketball/.

Become A Special Olympics Unified Champion School!

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 Montana Science Olympiad State Tournament will be held at MSU-Bozeman on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, and registration is now open through Jan. 31, 2025. 

Middle and high school teams from across Montana will compete in 30 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) events including Anatomy & Physiology, Fossils, Optics, Wind Power, Tower building, Codebusters, and more. 

In addition to enhancing STEM knowledge, the Science Olympiad is a great opportunity for students to learn resilience, problem-solving, collaboration, and leadership.  For many, the tournament is a lens into campus life, with events held in MSU labs and classrooms, and students engaging with event supervisors and volunteers who are MSU faculty, researchers, and students. A free STEM event for all Science Olympiad teams will be hosted at the Museum of the Rockies on the evening before the tournament (Monday, March 3). 

Teams must be affiliated with a school, and many models for building a team exist, from creating an extracurricular club with support from parents and community volunteers to STEM teachers who build Science Olympiad into a for-credit course. The Montana Science Olympiad website includes several resources for teachers who are new to Science Olympiad and want to learn about starting a team. See Getting Started in Science Olympiad at: https://www.montana.edu/smrc/mtso/news.html [montana.edu] 

An online presentation will be held on Nov. 6 to kick off the new season and will be particularly helpful for new coaches. 

The Montana Science Olympiad team will also offer online office hours for coaches and interactive Webinars for student competitors. They are available to answer any questions you may have. 

Please reach out at mtscioly@montana.edu or (406) 994-7476, or visit the Montana Science Olympiad website [montana.edu]. The deadline to register a team is Jan. 31, 2025, but we encourage coaches (especially those who are new to Science Olympiad) to register early. We hope to see you at MSU-Bozeman this March! 

The Recycle Montana Board has decided to give away the rest of our recycling education trunks. We received a grant a few years ago to build them and sent app. 250 trunks to schools and organizations all across the state. 

The trunks include lesson plans K through 12, fun facts, recycling tips and guides, and items made from recycled materials including t-shirts, non toxic insulation made from clothing and a mini can bale. Could you please send this out to your contacts? We will ship the trunks free of charge or make delivery arrangements available. First come first serve; we have 11 left. Thank you!

Please contact Candi Zion, Executive Director, Recycle Montana, at 406-899-6513.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) is currently seeking applicants for their 2025 class of inductees, and they need your support to spread the word!

Founded in 1989 in Emporia, Kansas, the NTHF recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding career teachers from both public and private schools. Each year, five PreK-12 educators with at least 20 years of teaching experience are inducted into the Hall of Fame, honoring their dedication to the profession and their impact on students and communities.

Nominations can be submitted on their website at https://nthf.org/nominate-a-teacher/ [nthf.org]. The deadline for applications to be completed by the nominee is December 1st, so it’s important to nominate early.

If you need more information, the Hall of Fame office at hallfame@emporia.edu; (620) 341-5660.