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Featured Course
We are excited to share with you one of our new courses! Teaching Elementary Literacy Skills in Science is designed to share with you research regarding the implementation of teaching literacy within science instruction. This course offers example videos of what this looks like in a classroom. It will guide you through key components that will assist in your implementation. At the end of the course, you will have a deeper understanding of current research on using literacy in science, its implications, and methods of implementation. Register today and earn 3 Professional Development Units toward your next licensure renewal!
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Fun Facts
#1: There were 5,898 total course enrollments in The Hub in 2024.
#2: $18,000: The amount of money The Hub can save educators every 5 years.
- For in-state university students the cost of one credit hour, which is equivalent to one professional development unit, is close to $300. With 60 Professional Development Units (PDU) necessary for teacher licensure renewal, The Hub has the potential to free educators of the $18,000 burden to renew their license every 5 years. If a teacher practices for 25 years, with 4 renewals, this would save them $72,000 over their career.
Coming Soon
Braiding Sweetgrass: A Book Study. In this course, administrators and educators will gain knowledge of designing and implementing a book study for their staff or student group. This includes selecting texts, setting professional learning outcomes, organizing meeting sessions, and facilitating engagement activities and discussion. This course highlights Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer, adapted by Monique Gray, and illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt, and related resources; however, it's applicable to any text your book study group chooses.
Introducing PD2
Montana OPI is thrilled to introduce PD2, a new opportunity for educators to assess their professional learning needs in Math and English Language Arts instruction. By completing a brief 12-minute professional learning needs inventory, this innovative tool will assist educators in identifying and prioritizing the professional learning that will have the most significant impact on their students. After completing the inventory, educators will gain valuable insight into their next steps for pursuing aligned professional learning. Educators can then choose to engage with OPI's available resources and offerings, pursue self-directed learning opportunities, or collaborate with their school leadership team to create a tailored professional development plan. This approach ensures that educators have the support and flexibility to address their unique learning needs and align their professional growth with the goals of their students and classrooms.
The OPI is constantly updating the Montana Teacher Learning Hub with new courses and is developing more opportunities for Communities of Practice.
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ELA
The Negotiated Rulemaking Committee met virtually for an orientation meeting on December 18 and began the standards review process on January 6-8, 2025, meeting in person in Helena for Sessions 1, 2, and 3. Meeting minutes will be available soon on the ELA Standards Revisions Webpage.
Sessions 4 and 5 of Negotiated Rulemaking will take place virtually on January 30 and 31st from 8:30 am-12:30 pm.
See the standard task force’s final version of proposed standards.
More information can be found on the OPI’s ELA Standards Revisions Webpage.
Math
The Board of Public Education has determined that more time should be allotted for district implementation of the new math standards. The new implementation date is July 2026!
Professional learning is ongoing! Keep an eye out for opportunities at conferences and on the mathematics revision webpage to learn more about the new standards.
Guidance is being developed as we speak. To stay informed, visit the mathematics revision webpage. All published guidance documents will be visible on this page as they become available.
Professional Development Requests
Fill out the PD Request Form to request specialized professional development from the Standards, Instruction, and Professional Learning Team at OPI (expected time: 10-12 minutes). This request form serves as an opportunity for school districts to communicate their needs for additional professional development opportunities in the area of K-12 Education.
Once a request is submitted, OPI's Standards, Instruction, and Professional Learning Team will review the request and consider next steps. Follow up communication will be had directly with the party submitting this form unless otherwise indicated. If this request is being made less than thirty days from the requested professional development day, please understand that there is a small chance our specialists will be available.
MAST
Summer Institute Sessions
The following sessions are planned for OPI’s Summer Institute from June 16-19 at Montana State University in Bozeman.
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MAST Technical Support: New to MAST: This dynamic and hands-on session will equip school testing coordinators with the technical skills and knowledge to manage MAST processes effectively.
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MAST Curriculum Alignment and Scheduler: This engaging and collaborative session is designed to support teachers, curriculum directors, and School Testing Coordinators in reflecting on and refining their processes for aligning math curriculum.
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MAST Score Reports and Next Steps: This insightful and practical session will guide attendees in accessing, interpreting, and utilizing MAST Score Reports to support student learning.
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MAST 101: This introductory session is designed for educators new to MAST or those looking to deepen their understanding of the assessment system.
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MAST Instruction: Proficiency-Based Learning Models: This in-depth session explores the key elements of Proficiency-Based Learning Models and how they can transform instruction and student outcomes.
Virtual Professional Learning Sessions
Join the Assessment team for 2025 MAST-Aligned Instructional Professional Learning on Mondays from 4:00-5:00 pm. This week’s topic is structuring lessons, and next week’s focuses on explicit teaching.
- January 27
- March 10
- April 7
- April 28
MAST Office Hours take place from 8:00-9:00 am every first Tuesday and 3:00-4:00 pm every third Thursday of the month.
The Last Best Learning Podcast
The Montana Office of Public Instruction is pleased to announce a new approach to professional learning in our state! The Mission of the Last Best Learning Podcast is to deliver digestible and relevant professional learning that honors educators’ capacity in an increasingly busy world.
We believe that our state’s educators empower minds, elevate futures, and inspire self-discovery - and we walk beside them.
We invite you to join us in this innovative approach to professional development, tailored to address the unique challenges faced by educators in Montana's ever-changing educational landscape. On the last Monday of every month, the podcast will be uploaded to the
K-12 Content Standards webpage.
Previous Episodes:
Math
 January’s volume of the MT Math Minute is live and ready to view! Each month, our Math Coordinator compiles relevant features, classroom resources, IEFA implementation ideas, and sometimes, teacher spotlights! This month’s edition covers IEFA integration ideas involving land mapping and spatial reasoning, digging deeper in proposed mathematical practice standard #3, suggested outdoor activities in the snow, upcoming professional learning events and more classroom resources!
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Our Math Coordinator has been developing a series of resources designed for educators to delve into new mathematical practices. Each video will focus on one practice standard, highlighting the key differences between the 2011 and 2026 math practice standards. We will define student behaviors that exemplify each practice and provide clarity on effective learning tasks and teaching strategies that foster engagement with these practices.
Two episodes are now available and each comes with an accompanying facilitator guide to help you explore how to leverage these for professional learning. New episodes of the series will be released monthly on the Mathematics Revision Webpage.
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EPISODE 1: Montana Mathematical Practice #1: Problem Solve and Persevere MP #1 Facilitator Guide
EPISODE 2: Montana Mathematical Practice #2: Abstract and Generalize MP#2 Facilitator Guide
EPISODE 3: Montana Mathematical Practice #3: Justify and Prove MP#3 Facilitator Guide
Math Professional Learning Opportunity!
February 12th - NCTM - Modeling Moments: Connecting Modeling to Practice
Presented by Karen Bryant, Joleigh Honey, and Montana's own Megan H. Wikstrom!
Would you love to incorporate more real-world problems that connect to your students’ lived experiences into your classroom, but you are worried about time? Members of the NCTM-COMAP-SIAM are facilitating this webinar and asking you to join us as we unpack what it means to use modeling in your mathematics class, whether you have five minutes or five days (or five weeks!). We will share tasks and discuss attributes of modeling that resonate with us. Resources and future opportunities to engage in this work will be provided.
Please Note: This is a members-only virtual training hosted by NCTM.
MCTM Annual Math Contest
MCTM will be hosting its annual regional math contests this spring! This contest provides an opportunity for students to showcase their mathematical prowess in individual and team competitions with opportunities to win door prizes, competitive prizes, and even scholarships!
Check out the MCTM Math Contest Website or the Contest Site Page to learn more or to find out how you can register your students!
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ELA
Professional Learning Opportunities
SIM Virtual Professional Learning is available for educators as self-paced PD courses on Canvas with follow-up virtual coaching sessions. The sessions feature learning strategies and content enhancement routines focused on evidence-based literacy practices. This is free to groups of Montana educators of 4 or more through June 2025. Check out the Montana SIM Project website or the Montana SIM Project flyer for more information.
The Yellowstone Writing Project is hosting their annual Fire on the Page conference on March 1, 2025, and their Invitational Summer Institute from June 16-27, 2025. Additional information and registration details will be available in January. Email yellowstonews@gmail.com for more details.
Writing Coaches of Montana, a nonprofit literacy organization, seeks volunteers to assist with the scoring of student writing for a research study. This event will take place at Columbia Falls High School, Saturday, March 8, from 8:30 am-4:00 pm. Volunteers will score anonymous student papers to determine if WCM's coaching services affect student writing outcomes. Educators can earn OPI renewal credits, learn about writing assessment processes and applying holistic rubrics, and network with fellow educators and community members who value education. Fill out the interest form to be contacted by WCM staff.
Arts
 Sign up for the Montana Arts Education Association Spring retreat! Join Rikka Walters as she fully immerses us in an alternative photographic technique called cyanotype geared towards educators, but all are welcome.
The retreat will be April 10-12th 2025 at the Paris Gibson Education Center, 2400 Central Ave, Great Falls, MT 59401.
Register today! Registration is open until April 7th 2025.
Check out our website to learn more about Rikka and cyanotypes, and see additional upcoming events on the Arts Standard’s website.
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