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On Thursday, August 25 the OPI staff held a Back-to-School Event in the Rotunda. Retired Carroll College Head Football Coach Mike Van Diest was the keynote speaker. Coach Van Diest spoke about the importance of supporting our Montana students in and out of the classroom.
State Superintendent's Message
The excitement of the new 2022-2023 school year is upon us! The state aggregate assessment scores of 3-8 grade SBAC and 11-grade ACT scores from last year will be embargoed to our schools the week of September 5-9 and will be publicly available on September 12. Reflecting on these scores, going back to basics with the importance of Math and Reading for the success of our students remains a top priority. I am requesting to revise our Math state standards, placing more emphasis on professional development while linking through our new TeachMT state licensing system and piloting a more meaningful teaching and learning assessment system. Together, we will put our Montana students first this year!
Senate Bill 99 - Human Sexuality Instruction
Senate Bill 99 was passed during the 2021 legislative session and went into effect on July 1, 2021. SB 99 resulted in the adoption of a new statute, § 20-7-120, MCA, which states that: "a parent, guardian, or other person who is responsible for the care of a child may refuse to allow the child to attend or withdraw the child from a course of instruction, a class period, an assembly, an organized school function, or instruction provided by the district through its staff or guests invited at the request of the district regarding human sexuality instruction. The withdrawal or refusal to attend is an excused absence pursuant to 20-5-103.
(2) Any school implementing or maintaining a curriculum, providing materials, or holding an event or assembly at which the district provides human sexuality instruction, whether introduced by school educators, administrators, or officials or by guests invited at the request of the school, shall adopt a policy ensuring parental or guardian notification no less than 48 hours prior to holding an event or assembly or introducing materials for instructional use....
(6) For purposes of this section, "human sexuality instruction" means teaching or otherwise providing information about human sexuality, including intimate relationships, human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexually transmitted infections, sexual acts, sexual orientation, gender identity, abstinence, contraception, or reproductive rights and responsibilities."
Chapter 55 – School Quality
On August 24, 2022, the OPI held two Question and Answer sessions on Chapter 55. There were good discussions that centered around the duties and roles of principals and superintendents and the relationship between school boards and superintendents.
Another Question and Answer session will be held on September 20, 2022, 2022 at 4:30 PM for school board trustees and county superintendents.
To view a five-page summary of the rule changes, please click here.
Draft Board of Public Education Timeline: Proposed Chapter 55 Rules:
- BPE approves rulemaking timeline - September 14-15, 2022
- BPE authorization to publish proposal notice, including public hearing date - September 14-15, 2022
- Proposal notice to SOS for publication in MAR - September 27, 2022
- MAR publication of proposal notice - October 7, 2022
- Public hearing date - Oct./Nov. TBD, 2022
- Final public comment deadline - November 4, 2022
- Draft Notice and Economic Impact Statement to Interim Committee Before - Nov. 7, 2022
- Adoption notice to BPE for consideration/respond to comments - Nov 17-18, 2022
- Interim Committee Meeting - December 7, 2022
- BPE authorization to publish adoption notice, including comments and responses - January 12-13, 2022
- Adoption notice to SOS for publication in MAR - January 2023
- MAR publication of adoption notice - January 2023
- Effective date of rules - July 2023
*The Board of Public Education may revise the above-italicized dates, based on the requirements of the Montana Administrative Procedure Act and the Negotiated Rulemaking statutes*
For more information, please contact Julie Murgel, Chief Operating Officer at julie.murgel@mt.gov or (406) 444-3172.
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Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Pilot Program
Montana has received a $3 million Competitive Grant for State Assessments (CGSA) to complete the Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) pilot program. On February 16, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education released a notice inviting applications for the Competitive Grants for State Assessments (CGSA) program. The purpose of this program is to enhance the quality of assessment instruments and assessment systems used by States for measuring the academic achievement of elementary and secondary school students. It is authorized by section 1203(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).
Montana was one of 10 states to receive the grant. Montana applied for the Absolute Priority 2 of the CGSA, which is for evaluating student academic achievement through the development of comprehensive academic assessment instruments (such as performance and technology-based academic assessments, computer adaptive assessments, projects, or extended performance task assessments) that emphasize the mastery of standards and aligned competencies in a competency-based education model.
Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds - ESSER
Reminder: The federal COVID relief ESSER I dollars must be expended by September 30, 2022. The OPI team is available to assist with any questions school districts have on expending these ESSER I dollars. By the 15th of each month OPI will send an updated ESSER report to each Board Chair. These reports will show the allocation, expenditure, and balance for ESSER I, II, and III. An example report can be seen here.
An 80-page August Monthly Status Report for ESSER includes all Montana School Districts.
Reminder: ESSER II ends September 2023 and ESSER III ends September 2024.
The ESSER Funds Management Conference was held on August 9, 2022. This conference had 95 attendees from Montana, Colorado, Oregon, and Texas and included superintendents, trustees, administrators/directors, and clerks.
The top three topics of interest were:
- Broadband
- Audits
- Egrant Amendments
This ESSER Virtual Conference was a kickoff event as the first part of a series of insightful monthly opportunities for school districts and OPI staff to work collaboratively. Please help determine the time and topics for these monthly guidance sessions by filling out THIS SURVEY to let OPI know what to discuss.
For more information on ESSER please click here or contact Wendi Fawns at wendi.fawns@mt.gov.
Opportunities to Fund Extended Bus Arms
Existing school bus stop arm requirements were impacted by the adoption of:
The law now requires school buses to have extended stop arms. Funding opportunities for extended bus arms may include:
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General Fund (01) 20-9-308, MCA where available funds are non-restricted, and consideration of general operations budgetary constraints are met.
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Transportation Fund (10), 20-10-143, MCA (1) The trustees of a district furnishing transportation to pupils who are residents of the district shall provide a transportation fund budget that is adequate to finance the district's transportation contractual obligations and any other transportation expenditures necessary for the conduct of its transportation program. The transportation fund budget must include: …(e) any other amount necessary to finance the administration, operation, or maintenance of the transportation program of the district, as determined by the trustees.
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Bus depreciation reserve fund (11) 20-10-147, MCA (1) The trustees of a district owning a bus used for purposes of transportation, as defined in 20-10-101, or for purposes of conveying pupils to and from school functions or activities may establish a bus depreciation reserve fund to be used for the conversion, remodeling, or rebuilding of a bus or for the replacement of a bus or communication systems and safety devices installed on the bus, including but not limited to global positioning systems, cameras, and two-way radios. The trustees of a district may also use the bus depreciation reserve fund to purchase an additional bus for purposes of transportation, as defined in 20-10-101.
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Impact Aid (26) 20-9-514, MCA expenditure of money from the impact aid fund must be made pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 7701, et seq.
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Miscellaneous Programs Fund (15) 20-9-507, MCA But only where available funds are non-restricted.
For more information please contact Donell Rosenthal at drosenthal@mt.gov or (406) 461-9316.
2022-23 US Senate Youth Program Scholarships
The 2022-23 U.S. Senate Youth Program (USSYP) Scholarship application period opened on August 22, 2022, to Montana Juniors and Seniors who meet the USSYP qualifications!
Two students from Montana will be selected to receive one $10,000 scholarship each, along with a required Washington Week Program, March 4-11, 2023. Attending the entire Washington Week public service and leadership program and the college scholarship are one, inseparable award!
The application is now open on the OPI Student Scholarships & Student Exchange webpage and must be submitted electronically by 11:59 pm, October 3, 2022.
Questions? Contact Kristen Bokovoy, USSYP Coordinator, at Kristen.Bokovoy2@mt.gov or 406-444-2417.
Back to School Message from the State Special Education Director
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To view the letter, please click here.
For more information contact JP Williams, SPED Director, at jp.williams@mt.gov or (406) 444-4426.
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Summer Institute Feedback
We want to ensure the OPI 2023 Summer Institute is even better than this year’s 25th Anniversary event! If you would like to participate in a session to celebrate and reflect on this year’s SI, as well as make suggestions for 2023, please join us in Zoom on Thursday, September 22 @ 4:00 pm. Register here. Be sure to mark your calendar and save the date for next year’s event June 19-23, 2023 at MSU-Bozeman.
The OPI was thrilled to offer outstanding professional development at the 2022 Summer Institute on the campus of MSU-Bozeman this past June. For those presenters and educators who joined us, we appreciate you taking time out of your summer to be with us to grow professionally and share your energy for supporting our students. Comments like: “I loved the passion of the people who attended the Institute” and, “It has been a pleasure and honor to be around so many people that are focused on the best interest of our students and educators” highlight just how wonderful our Montana educators truly are.
Feedback on the institute was overwhelmingly positive and included: “I loved the conference- Your best ever! Diverse topics, excellent speakers, loved that you had strategy workshops for math and ELA!” Another attendee shared they experienced “Many Ah HA moments. I was pumped up because we had a team of 6 teachers and they are pumped up for next year, too. Dr. Liljedahl will change the world of education with his research.” Comments reflected on the high quality and relevance of the presentations. To explore the full conference report and session feedback, please visit www.opi.mt.gov/summer-institute.
Questions, or to provide additional feedback via email, please contact Tammy Lysons, Continuing Education Unit Manager, 406-431-2309.
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2021-2022 Data Certification
Fall is an important time for data collection at the OPI. During this period districts must certify their 2021-22 Graduate, Dropout, and Cohort data, enroll students in the 2022-23 school year for ANB funding, identify students for Free/Reduced Meals (FRAM), Title I, Gifted & Talented, Homeless, Immigrant, English Learners, Foreign Exchange, Military-Connected and Section 504, and review ERs and IEPs for Child Count. Please refer to this AIM September Compass for more information about these collections! Timely and accurate data collection is essential, as these collections drive district-level funding, inform legislative decision-making, and are reported to local, state, and federal governments.
For more information, please contact Nicole Thuotte, AIM Manager, at nthuotte@mt.gov or (406) 444-4524.
Data Taskforce
The OPI Data Taskforce will meet on August 31, 2022, from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM. The meeting link is here. The agenda is:
- Data System Modernization Updates
- DSM Presentation – Chris Sinrud
- Sinrud will update the Task Force on the Data Modernization projects and projected timelines. He will then introduce the project managers for the Licensure (TMT) as well as the Single Sign-on (SSO) Project with presentations provided by both project managers.
- Teach Montana (TMT) Presentation will be provided by our Project Manager Zam Alidina
- Single Sign-on (SSO) Presentation will be provided by our Project Manager Bitsey Draur
Meeting documents can be found here.
The members of the Data Taskforce are:
- Senator Daniel Salomon, Ronan
- Senator Russ Tempel, Chester
- Senator Edie McClafferty, Butte
- Representative Seth Berglee, Joliet
- Representative Fred Anderson, Great Falls
- Representative Moffie Funk, Helena
- Representative David Bedey, Hamilton
- School Board Trustee Ben Meyer, Stevensville
- School Board Trustee Adam Milligan, Reed Point
- Assessment Director Roger Dereszynski, Billings
- Superintendent Scott Kinney, Superior
- Lisa Fant, Kalispell
- Mike Lovato, Colstrip
- Paul Kozlowitz, Missoula
- Melinda Obert, Big Timber
- Todd Lark, Lewistown
- Christy Flora, Roundup
- Eric Miletich, Kalispell
- Alyssa Cliver, Shelby
- School District Clerk Dustin Zuffelato, Columbia Falls
For more information, please contact Chris Sinrud, Chief Information Officer, at christopher.sinrud@mt.gov or (406) 444-4451.
Aviation-Focused STEM Workshop for Montana Teachers
On October 7 and 8, 2022, Montana Aeronautics Division of the Department of Transportation will host its annual Teacher Workshop. The Division has partnered with the Montana Learning Center (MLC) at Canyon Ferry Lake to deliver the program and the curriculum is authorized to provide 20 renewal credits through the Office of Public Instruction. Applications are due September 15, 2022.
Teachers will receive instruction from Dr. Walter Woolbaugh of MSU, Ryan Hannahoe, Executive Director of the Learning Center, Chris Gillette, retired airline pilot and member of the MLC team, and Montana Aeronautics staff. The lessons will consist of aeronautics theory and principle-based demonstrations and experiments they can easily and affordably reproduce in the classroom for students. These ideas and experiments are designed to excite students about aviation while learning STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) principles that apply to everyday life. The goal of the workshop is for teachers to take their newfound passion for aviation and transfer it back to their students in their classrooms.
Introductory flights will kick-off the event along with tours of the Montana Air National Guard, an air ambulance operator, Helena College aircraft mechanic school, and the Helena Air Traffic Control Tower. On the second day, classroom activities and studies will take place at the Montana Learning Center. Best of all, there is no cost to teachers!
For more information, please contact the Montana Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division, at mdtaerosafetyed@mt.gov or (406) 444-2506.
Energy Share 4th Grade Art Contest
Since 1997 Energy Share of Montana, a private nonprofit organization, has been sponsoring a 4th grade art contest. Teachers can use our contest to integrate art with energy conservation/education and social sciences. Energy Share is a nonprofit organization that helps Montana families who are facing energy emergencies. Through this activity students will also become more aware of the value of community and doing what Montanans always do - helping each other during tough times.
November 30 is the deadline for submitting entries! This is a great opportunity for your students:
- We use the winning drawing on the front of thank you cards sent to donors statewide;
- We do our best to get local media at the school to interview first, second and third place winners;
- The prizes for the statewide first, second and third place artists are $75, $50 and $25 respectively;
- Prizes in the same amount are awarded to teachers of the winners in the form of gift cards.
- The winning drawing is displayed on a billboard in or near your community.
To participate, call 1-888-779-7589 for more information. If you visit our website at www.energysharemt.com [energysharemt.com] you can see past winning drawings by clicking the Art Contest link. If you would like, we may be able to arrange for a short presentation on Energy Share in your classroom to help the students understand what we do.
2022 Facts About Montana Education
The brochure can be viewed here.
Weekly Fire Report August 22, 2022
The Ronan Creek Fire Salvage is in the initial stages of planning. These lands were burned in the Elmo 2 Fire and are located approximately 6 miles west of Elmo, Montana. Approximately 1,280 acres of State Trust land burned in the fire.
Weekly updates can be found on the Land Board page of the OPI website.
Click the links below to see updates from OPI's units.
Accreditation & Educator Preparation
Achievement in Montana (AIM)
Assessment
Career, Technical and Adult Education
Coordinated School Health
Educator Licensure
Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER)
Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS)
Indian Education for All
Montana Autism Education Project
School Finance
School Improvement
School Nutrition
Special Education
Standards, Instruction & Professional Learning
Title & Federal Programs
Traffic Education
Transformational Learning & Advanced Opportunities
Tribal Relations & Resiliency
Questions? Contact:
Brian O'Leary, Communications Director, (406) 444-3559
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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