OPI's January 2025 Compass

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

The second scheduled MAST testing window opens on January 13, 2025, and will close on February 21, 2025. 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.

2024-2025 MAST Testing Windows:

ESSER Close-Out Process

In partnership with the district, the ESSER Team is closing out the ESSER Grant.  This process aims to ensure district documentation and processing comply with grant regulations and best accounting/grant management practices. 

Thank you to the districts who have already completed their full ESSER Closeout.  We greatly appreciate your working with us to ensure compliances are met!

ESSER Unspent Funds

If your school or district has any unspent funds in ESSER I, II, or III please complete the ESSER Unspent Funds Authorization Google Form.

The state-wide ESSER allocation through December 24, 2024, is:

The Montana Office of Public Instruction is thrilled to announce the launch of our AI Learning Cohort, beginning January 16.This innovative learning opportunity is designed to empower educators to explore and harness the potential of artificial intelligence in education. Together, we’ll navigate practical applications, ethical considerations, and transformative possibilities to enhance teaching and learning.

If you’re interested in joining this learning journey, email hazel@modernlearners.com to secure your spot. Let’s learn together!

The 69^th legislative session is set to begin in two short weeks on January 6, 2024. My office is tracking education legislation and creating a list of priority legislation.

The top priority is A Promise is a Promise: Base Requirement. The total BASE aid to be distributed to school districts is estimated to be $1,039.444 billion in FY 2026 and $1,097.861 billion in FY 2027. BASE Aid is funded first by the guarantee account and second by the school equalization and property tax reduction account (SEPTR) with the balance funded from the state general fund. Funding increases are predominantly driven by changes to ANB and inflation of 3.00% in FY 2026 and 3.00% in FY 2027 as required by section 20-9-326, MCA.

Other priorities include:

• Apply open meeting laws to public associations
• Special Education Savings Accounts fixes
• Allow schools to facilitate access to chaplains for students
• Paraprofessional pathways
• Clarify notifications for sexual instruction for parents
• Privacy Protection for Investigative Integrity
• Cultural Public Charter Schools
• Textbook content alignment to state standards
• Require teacher licensees and teacher license applicants to keep contact information current and allow service of process via mail
• Economic Impact from the Math Content Standards

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 MSHSA State Track Meets in May! Last year, twenty one schools from across the state competed. Shout out to Big Sandy High School, Box Elder High School, Bozeman High School, Browning High School, Butte High School, Centerville High School, Columbia Falls High School, Darby High School, Florence-Carlton High School, Gallatin High School, Glacier High School, Hamilton High School, Lockwood High School, Manhattan High School, Medicine Lake High School, Park High School, Polson High School, Sentinel High School, Shepherd High School, Sunburst High School, and Thompson Falls High School. Join the Inclusion Revolution - get involved next season! To participate, schools must sign up as a Unified Champion School, register their Unified Track team with SOMT, complete training, and adhere to MHSA and SOMT Guidelines. Details for the2025 season will be released in January!

Not yet a Unified Champion School? Click here to complete the UCS Commitment Form. 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.

Questions? Contact Terri Norman, UCS Senior Director at tnorman@somt.org.

Join me in welcoming Superintendent-Elect Susie Hedalen, who will take office on January 6, 2025. She has served as superintendent for the Townsend School District, Vice Chair of the Board of Public Education, my Deputy Superintendent at OPI, and a Montana teacher.

Best of luck to her and her team!

Exciting Announcement: SkillsUSA Montana Coming to Great Falls, April 3-6, 2025!

We’re thrilled to announce that SkillsUSA Montana will be hosted in Great Falls, MT, on April 3-6, 2025!

This premier event brings together students, educators, and industry leaders from across the state to showcase technical skills, leadership, and career readiness in a variety of competitions. Participants from middle school, high school, and post-secondary levels will compete in hands-on contests that highlight their talents in trades, technical fields, and public speaking.

Event Highlights:

• Dates: April 3-6, 2025
• Location: Great Falls, MT- Pacific Steel & Recycling Arena ( ADF, Chevy Motors, torgersons )
• Opportunities: Engage with the next generation of skilled professionals, participate as judges, volunteers, or supporters, and help shape the workforce of tomorrow!

We’re excited to see Great Falls serve as the backdrop for inspiring competitions and industry collaboration. Stay tuned for more details as we approach this incredible event!

Thank you for supporting SkillsUSA Montana and investing in our future leaders and skilled workers.

The Montana STEM Summit is the largest and longest-running STEM convening of cross-sector partners in the state. The summit brings together educators, institutions, nonprofits, industry leaders, students, and policymakers to expand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning opportunities in Montana.

This no-cost event creates opportunities to connect and align efforts to shape the future of STEM. Together we are building stronger, more accessible learning opportunities for Montana’s youth.

When: April 3, 2025

Where: Great Northern Hotel in Helena, MT

To learn more and to register visit: www.mtafterschoolalliance.org/montana-stem-summit [mtafterschoolalliance.org]

The Montana Shooting Sports Association has finally completed the long-awaited interactive video version of its historic Be Safe, gun safety program for kids. Free access to this program for all is now available at: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://mtbesafe.org/__;!!GaaboA!uH6mLU4mj31jFyH6VFWwva9s-VIqiayz8ir6ukOUTI2YgVTVQm0PG6NelhkyavYSHy3PNvY-wDqYkbo$

This program is designed and intended for kids in First through Third grades, although it may have a bit broader application.

The Softwood Lumber Board and USDA Forest Service are proud to support the 2025 Mass Timber Competition: Building Sustainable Schools [softwoodlumberboard.org], providing $1.8M in total funding to potential projects. The competition is designed to increase the use of mass timber, deepen industry experience with wood construction, strengthen the supply chain, and showcase the benefits of biophilic design.

Eligible projects must be located within the United States and be a K-12 educational project including, but not limited to, classrooms, libraries, athletic facilities, offices, resource centers, portable classrooms, daycare facilities, and vocational centers. 

The entry period is now open and will close on January 13, 2025. Please let me know if you have any questions or if you'd like more information to share with your K-12 school audience in Montana. If you could please share with the appropriate people in your organization, that would be appreciated.

The Governor’s Office of Community Service, Reach Higher Montana, and Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement are pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2025 Youth Serve Montana Scholarship. This year’s scholarship is a $1,250 scholarship for 100 hours of service. The scholarships will be offered to 100 Montana seniors attending Montana Campus Network member institutions next fall.

“We are honored to partner with Reach Higher Montana and Montana Campus Network to provide scholarships to high school seniors” said Sarah R. Sadowski, Director of the Governor’s Office of Community Service.  “This scholarship is an investment in Montana students that connects their local volunteerism across our state to achieving their full potential in life after high school.”

The Youth Serve Montana Scholarship was created to promote volunteerism among high school students. Funds are available through support from Montana Campus Network, a coalition of colleges and universities dedicated to fostering civic engagement, service learning, and volunteerism across Montana; Reach Higher Montana, a nonprofit dedicated to helping students pursue and fund post-secondary education; and the Governor’s Office of Community Service, a state agency tasked with expanding and promoting community volunteerism in Montana. The Governor’s Office of Community Service administers the scholarship funds.

The Youth Serve Montana scholarship application and FAQs can be found online at serve.mt.gov.