University of Montana Leads Effort to Increase School Psychologists Across Montana
UM recently received a $3.75 million Mental Health Demonstration Grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will fund the RAISE Initiative, designed to increase the number and diversity of fully qualified school psychologists across Montana’s vast rural and tribal landscapes. RAISE stands for Rural And Indigenous School-based mental health and Empowerment. Read more about their grant award here. Questions? Please email Anisa Goforth, anisa.goforth@umontana.edu
The OPI also supports a School Psychologist Stipend Program, in partnership with the University of Montana. Click here to learn more about the OPI Special Education School Psychology Stipend Program.
Special Education Endorsement Project
Have you recently hired an educator to teach Special Education as a paid intern in your district (teaching Special Education under a current Montana educator license while attending school to obtain the SPED Endorsement)?
Is your district not yet financially supported through the OPI SPED Endorsement Project?
If you answered yes to these questions, please reach out to Annette Viciedo Young (406-444-0299; ayoung3@mt.gov) for information on how the SPED Endorsement Project may be helpful to your new hire.
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Scholarship Opportunity with SIMS Scholars
Funded by OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs), SIMS (Specialized Interventionists for Montana Schools) Scholars is an opportunity for future special educators and speech-language pathologists to be fully funded through their programs (2 years). In return, they work for Montana schools for four years. View the SIMS Scholars Abstract here.
Open to all students eligible for admission into the University of Montana Teacher Education Program, and those admitted to the speech-language pathology graduate program. These are the specialized course sequences for SIMS Scholars:
Questions, contact Jennifer Schoffer Closson or Morgan Alwell.
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Get Ready for New Digital Accessibility Regulations for States and School Districts
States and school districts are on a tight deadline to meet digital accessibility requirements under the new Title II rule of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Digital educational materials, apps, and other web content are required to meet minimum accessibility standards in April of 2026 or 2027, depending on population size. This means the materials that your state, district, or school chooses in this year’s adoption cycle will need to meet those standards.
The National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction (NCADEMI or “N-cademy”) is hosting a free two-part webinar series to help administrators and educators understand the regulations and how to start preparing.
Webinar Part 1
Date: December 3, 2024, 2:00-2:45 p.m. ET followed by a coaching session on December 5, 2024, 2:00-2:45 p.m. ET
Join this webinar to learn about the new requirements, the timeline for compliance, and actions you can take now. Come to a coaching session later in the week for help with getting started.
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3rd Tuesday of each month, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM October 15th – May 20th
December 17th: Accreditation Information
Featuring Michelle Price and Ellery Bresler
These meetings are one-hour sessions held the third Tuesday of the Month from 3:30-4:30. There will be a short 10-20 minute presentation on a topic followed by a discussion around that topic. The purpose of these meetings is to provide technical assistance and support for Special Education teachers as well as help build a network for teachers throughout Montana.
For more information, go to the Special Education Learning Community website and learn about future monthly topics.
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Explore virtual and in-person training options on our CSPD website.
Tuesday Virtual Series December 3, 2024 - February 25, 2025 | 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Presented by: Katie Kinder & Josh Varner
Participants will explore the brain science behind development, how trauma and toxic stress can impact that development, and learn strategies for helping students navigate these impacts. Participants will leave with a better understanding of emotional regulation and the classroom strategies that work to assist students in navigating their stress response systems. These strategies support all students.
12/3 Be Their Hero: Trauma Informed care Part #1
Two out of every three students in the United States are impacted by a traumatic event. When students experience trauma or an extremely stressful situation, it's normal and natural for them to have a hard time coping afterward. I'm passionate about teaching educators how to support individuals impacted by trauma. I specialize in inspiring teachers so that they can support these students and be the hero in their life journey.
12/10 Be Their Hero: Trauma Informed care Part #2
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Presenter: Carrie Cole
MTSS - Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3
Virtual | Tuesdays January 14, 2025 to February 25, 2025 | 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Academic vocabulary is one of the best predictors of scholastic achievement and overall reading comprehension, yet educators face the challenge of profound differences in vocabulary knowledge among the students they teach. By focusing on vocabulary strategies with the highest effect sizes for increasing student achievement, educators can boost learning for ALL students through simply rethinking how vocabulary is presented in the classroom, without a lot of additional prep time. This training will focus on easy-to-plan, high-impact strategies that can be used to strengthen vocabulary instruction and student learning in any content area or academic discipline. Educators will walk away armed with strategies to increase student vocabulary size and learning of course content—a win-win for students and teachers alike!
Session 1: Academic Language and the Importance of Productive Language Opportunities (Jan. 14, 2025)
Session 2: Word Selection and Explicit Teaching of Specific Words (Jan. 21, 2025)
Session 3: Word Learning Strategies to Prompt Independent Word Learning (Jan. 28, 2025)
Session 4: Using Morphology to Build and Expand Word Networks (Feb. 4, 2025)
Session 5: Fostering Word Consciousness to Deepen Word Learning (Feb. 18, 2025)
Session 6: Effective Lesson Planning for Vocabulary Instruction (Feb. 25, 2025)
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January 15, 2025 | 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Havre Best Western Inn & Suites
Presented by: Stephanie Lester
Join us for a comprehensive 6-hour training designed specifically for PK-2nd grade teachers, focusing on building and reinforcing foundational math skills in young learners. This two-part session, "Making It All Add Up!," will equip educators with the knowledge, strategies, and hands-on resources needed to ensure every child develops a strong mathematical foundation.
Part 1: Developing Children’s Number Sense
Part 2: Math EVERY Day for EVERY Child!
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Presented by: Jessica Minahan
January 23, 2025 | 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Great Falls Hampton Inn
With up to one in four children struggling with anxiety in this country, overwhelmed adults are in need of a new approach as well as an effective and easy-to-implement toolkit of strategies that work. Through the use of case studies, humorous stories, and examples of common challenging situations, participants will learn easy to implement preventive tools, strategies, and interventions for reducing anxiety, increasing self-regulation, accurate thinking, and self-monitoring in students.
IMET SELF-PACED ONLINE COURSES
The Utah State University TASK12 Interpreter, Mentorship, Education, & Training (IMET) Program offers a variety of independent study, self-paced, online training courses produced for sign language interpreters. The courses are designed to be completed independently on various knowledge- & skill-based topics.
Courses are self-paced and fully online using the Canvas platform. Participants can self-enroll for courses here. Questions, contact LeeAnn Lundgreen.
SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 2-3, 2025 | BUTTE, MT
Family Education and Support Providers
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2200 Box Elder Street, Miles City, MT 59301, (406) 243-6034
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11 N 26th St, Billings, MT 59101, (406) 248-2055, Email: info@step-inc.org
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1212 Helena Ave, Helena, MT 59601, (406) 442-1571
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1601 2nd Ave N, Great Falls, MT 59401, (406) 403-0087
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2016 GRAND Ave, Billings, MT 59102, (406) 281-5885
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2200 Box Elder Street, Miles City, MT 59301, (406) 243-6034
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1212 Helena Ave, Helena, MT 59601, (406) 442-1571
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Special Education General Information:
Contact Kelley Brown, 406-444-5661 or check out our webpage.
Danni McCarthy, Montana's State Special Education Director, 406-594-3610
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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