FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2022
Superintendent Arntzen Gives Update on Chapter 55 School Accreditation – School Quality
HELENA—Superintendent Elsie Arntzen is appreciative to the Montana Board of Public Education (BPE) for opening her recommended changes to Chapter 55 of Montana’s Administrative Rules on School Accreditation Standards to the public comment process.
“I am grateful that the Board of Public Education has approved the timeline to begin public comment,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “School quality is not a simple check-the-box process. The new rules emphasize local control through strong programs where every Montana student will have access to pursue college or a career and will have the resources to support their well-being.”
The Chapter 55 revisions began in November 2020 when the BPE agreed to open the process. From January through May 2022, a Task Force held 13 meetings to review Chapter 55 and make recommended changes to Superintendent Arntzen. In February 2022 Superintendent Arntzen convened the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (NRC) which met 18 times through July 2022 to finalize the Superintendent’s recommendations. The negotiated rulemaking process is required by § 20-7-101, MCA, when changes to school accreditation rules occur. The NRC reached unanimous consensus on 49 of the 50 individual negotiated rules. The BPE received the negotiated changes and economic impact statements in July.
The Montana Administrative Procedure Act (MAPA) process for public comment will open on October 7, 2022, and will close on November 4, 2022.
Below are the new changes to 10.55.710, which is the only individual rule that the NRC did not reach consensus:
(1) Each school must have a school counseling program for K-12 students aligned to delivery standards in ARM 10.55.1901 and national counselor and student standards. The school system will assess the need for student supports that result in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions students need to: (a) address mental health, safety, and well-being;
(b) achieve academic success and college and career readiness; and
(c) develop the mindsets and behaviors as identified in the national school counseling standards.
(2) Based on the needs of the district in concert with national and state standards the superintendent must recommend to the local board of trustees the assignment of counseling staff based on the capacity of individual counselors to provide school counseling programming and services by: (a) employing licensed school counselor(s) or Class 6 specialist(s); or
(b) contracting licensed school counselor(s) or Class 6 specialist(s); or
(c) utilizing a consortium, multidistrict agreement, or interlocal cooperative to secure these services; or
(d) utilizing any other cooperative method that is authorized to secure these services.
(3) Based on the student need and school population(s) the district superintendent must recommend to the local board of trustees, the assignment of additional degreed, licensed, or credentialed staff (e.g., school counselors, school psychologists, career advisors, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, behaviorists, other mental health professionals, and/or other resources) that supports the staffing levels based on evidence-based research and national counseling standards.
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Questions? Contact:
Brian.O'Leary, Communications Director
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