Education Data Collection Team (EDUCATE)
September 2025 Compass
The Education Data Collection Team serves Montana students by assisting education agencies with Infinite Campus data reporting and providing accurate and timely education data to other OPI units for state and federal reporting.
Infinite Campus Data Collections
The Data Collection Schedule contains a complete list of all data collections occurring throughout the year. The 2025-26 Data Collection Calendar is now posted to the website!!
The following collections are due in October:
Graduate, Dropout, Cohort Reporting 2024-25: October 1 - October 10, 2025
Districts must certify Graduates, Dropouts, and Cohort groups for the 2024-25 school year. Dropout reporting is required for students in grades 7-12 and Graduate/Cohort reporting is required for students in grades 9-12. Remove Dropout End Status for students who return to school on or before September 30, 2025 (must have documentation of re-enrollment to remove student from the Cohort). Students who complete graduation requirements over the summer (prior to the first day of school) are 2024-25 graduates. Review the status of students indicated with a Diploma Type "Competed IEP Goals". Ensure that Date Entered 9th Grade is entered for all students.
Fall Student Count for ANB Reporting 2025-26: October 7 - October 22, 2025
This verification has two stages: Fall Student Count for ANB (enrollment as of 10/6/2025) data must first be certified within Infinite Campus and then verified within the MAEFAIRS system. The Fall Student Count for ANB is the first of two collections primarily used for calculating ensuing year school district budgets. Districts must verify Primary and Secondary enrollments for eligible PK special education students, students in grade KG through 12, students aged 19/20 who meet Student Count for ANB eligibility requirements, Job Corps & MT Youth Challenge students, eligible students participating in an Early Targeted Intervention Classroom-Based program, and students participating in the Education Savings Account Program. Districts must also verify participation in Indian Language Immersion programs (including staff assignments) and the identification of students as American Indian. If students have both a Primary and Partial enrollment, verify that Aggregate Hours are not greater than 1.0, review attendance and exclude students absent 11 or more days as of the count date, students participating in private, non-sectarian day treatment programs, or KG students under 5 enrolled without board approval. Review Student Count for ANB eligibility requirements for students participating in fully remote programs
Fall Enrollment Count 2025-26: October 7 - October 30, 2025
The Fall Enrollment Count (enrollment as of 10/6/2025) is used for calculating membership in a school or district. It's a singular count of students with Primary enrollments, in grades PK through 12. Districts should review Service Type for all
enrolled students, as well as Demographic data (gender, date of birth, race/ethnicity).
Fall Program Participation 2025-26: October 7 - October 30, 2025
Program Participation information (enrollment as of 10/6/2025) is combined with Fall Enrollment. All students reported for Fall Enrollment must have accurate Program
Participation Records. Programs to be validated include: FRAM - Free/reduced meal status (individual student entry not required for Community Eligible Provision Schools), English Learners (EL), Immigrant, Homeless/Unaccompanied Youth,
Gifted, Targeted Title I, Military Connected Status, Foreign Exchange, Section 504, 21st Century (verify student enrollments with the OPI AS21 system), District Residency (entered for non-resident students only), and Early Targeted
Interventions. Districts should also ensure that completed ERs and IEPs are locked - and Exit Date/Reason are entered for students no longer receiving Special Education Services.
Fall Personnel Reporting 2025-26: October 7 - October 30, 2025
Verify the following for all personnel employed or contracted from 7/1/2025 through 10/6/2025: District Employment, including SEID (Staff State ID) number, District Assignment (including School, Start Date, End Date, FTE, State Assignment Code, and MT Title(s)), Credentials for SPED Staff, Paraprofessionals, and Professional Licensure are entered and/or updated for the current year; Contractors and Consortium personnel are identified by State Assignment Code and Agency; QEC counts are accurate (employed as of 10/6/2025); Coordinators are identified for Assessment (System Test Coordinator), Foster Care Point of Contact, Homeless Liaison, Title IX, Gifted/Talented, and Indian Education For All; and staff not employed or entered for state reporting purposes are indicated with an MT Title "Not State
Reported".
Fall Teacher Class 2025-26: October 7 - October 30, 2025
Verify the following Course information as of 10/6/2025: Courses and rosters from the first day of school through 10/6/2025, including State Courses Code (SCED Subject Area and Course Identifier), Grade Low/Grade High, Credit (for HS courses), Course Level, Dual Enrollment, Distance Class, Alternative Education, Work-Based Learning, CTE Pathway, Session Type, Session Number, Section Placement, Section Staff History (Primary Teacher and other staff for classroom overload), and student rosters (Start Dates for students who enrolled after the start of school and End Dates for students who have exited). Teacher-Class data is used for compliance with Accreditation rules, state and federal reporting, and CTE funding.
Special Education Child Count (SPED Application Portal): October 7 - October 30, 2025
Verify that all completed Special Education ERs and IEPs are locked and exited students are properly indicated within Infinite Campus. This data is certified in the SPED application portal.
New for 2025-26
New Assignment Code Matrix: Please review the new Assignment Code Matrix published on the EDUCATE website under Data Collection Information>Personnel Reporting. There are both new and revised State Assignment Codes. New codes should have a Start Date of 7/1/2025 or later.
System Test Coordinator: With new testing requirements, districts must identify a System Test Coordinator (STC) as early as possible in the school year. This coordinator role is identified in the District Assignment, under MT Titles. Please review your Personnel Validations to ensure the proper staff member is assigned that role.
New State Assessments: In addition to the MAST assessment, there is a new DLM Assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities (ELA, Math, Science). More information is available on the Assessment webpage.
MAST Rosters: Districts may use tools within Infinite Campus to upload rosters into the Kite Portal. Courses identified on the Course Information Tab, under Course Setup, with Subject Type Core and Core Academic Class "ELA" or "MAT" will generate a roster file. Extract the roster file from Data Validation Reports in Infinite Campus to upload to the Kite Platform (MAST Roster Extract). Use of the roster upload is optional.
MAST Accommodations: Districts may use the Data Validation Reports in Infinite Campus to upload Assessment Accommodations to the Kite Platform. Accommodations may be extracted for IEP students, as well as EL or 504 students. Use of the accommodations upload is optional.
Consortium v. Contractors: For the 25-26 year, districts contracting with Consortiums for the provision of services required for Accreditation (Library, Counseling, Curriculum) should identify the agency member as a Consortium Provider under MT Titles in the District Assignment. Districts may contract with any other State Assignment code for the provision of educational services.
Home-Based Early Literacy: In the Early Targeted Intervention Eligibility Record, enter parent name, email and phone number. This will assist Waterford in creating user accounts for students participating in Home-Based Early Targeted Intervention Programs.
Kindergarten: For the 25-26 year there will be a single state grade for kindergarten. The new kindergarten grade is KG.
Fall Training Opportunities
Fall State Reporting Survival Series: September 5 - October 3, 2025
Come join the EDUCATE Team and School Services of Montana for the Fall State Reporting Survival Series. Grab your compass, pack your gear - let's make it through reporting season together!
The series will meet on Friday mornings from 9-10:30 am. The sessions will start with a recap of the prior week's expedition and end with preparation instructions for the next week's adventure. We set out on September 5th and reach the summit on October 3rd. It's a journey you don't want to miss!
Registration Information may be found here: Fall State Reporting Survival Series
Infinite Campus Fall User Groups: September 22 - September 25, 2025
There will be a new format for fall Infinite Campus user groups. There are two locations, one East (Billings, September 22-23) and one West (Missoula, September 24-25). Each session will be from 9-4 on day 1 and 8-noon on day 2. Watch for registration information on the EDUCATE webpage or under State User Announcements within Infinite Campus.
EDUCATE STAFF NEWS
After 31 years of service in state government, Andy Boehm has officially retired. We appreciate his years of service to OPI and the Educate Unit.
Contact the EDUCATE Unit at (406) 444-3800 or
opiaimhelp@mt.gov for assistance.
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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