OPI's February 2023 Compass

We are starting off the new year with your success stories!

Please send Brian O'Leary, Communications Director, pictures and narratives that shout out the great things your school or district is accomplishing. Let's all join in celebrating how each of our schools puts Montana students first!

The Montana Historical Society produced "Hidden Stories: Montana's Black Past." This video is a great learning opportunity to share in the classroom with your students. The Historical Society has provided a teaching guide to help aid our teachers. Please consider using this documentary and guide in your classrooms during February!

The second testing window is currently open and ends on January 31, 2023. Window extensions are available upon request to maximize participation.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback after the first testing window! This feedback helps guarantee that the MAST program will be a success. 

The next feedback session will be February 17, 2023, click here to join.

Please see our MAST Update for January 2023 and visit our webpage for more information.

If you have any questions, please contact Sam Walsh, Project Manager, at Samantha.Walsh@mt.gov.

Your help is needed!

With approval from the Montana Board of Public Education, Superintendent Arntzen has opened the Montana Mathematics Content Standards for review. The purpose of the standards review process is to assure that Montana public schools are setting high academic standards for all children of our great state. Our goal is to serve our Montana students and educators with the best-possible mathematics standards to guide instruction and to prepare our students well for their lives beyond the classroom.

The Office of Public Instruction is seeking applications/nominations for participation on the Mathematics Standards Review Task Force. The Task Force includes both a Revision/Writing Team, as well as a Review Team.

The Task Force members will be chosen from applicants representing a variety of stakeholders who are involved with K-12 mathematics instruction across Montana. The application review process will involve both internal and external review, because we would like the people of Montana to engage in this process with us.

The Mathematics Standards Review Task Force can expect to meet throughout the Revision Phase which runs from April through August of 2023. Specific dates for the Task Force meetings will be shared with successful applicants upon notification of selection. Participants will also use online tools to collaborate throughout this phase of the standards review process.

Tentative Meetings:

Revision/Writing Team: April (virtual); June (virtual); July (in person) 2023 Review Team: April, July, and August 2023 (virtual)

Please submit the Mathematics Standards Review Task Force Application no later than Friday, February 10, 2023, by 5:00 p.m. If you would like to nominate someone for participation on the Task Force, please forward this application to them to complete. All applicants for the Mathematics Review Task Force will be notified via e-mail by March 31, 2023.

For more information, please contact Sonja Whitford at Sonja.Whitford@mt.gov, or (406) 444-0706.

The Montana Board of Public Education (BPE) finished responding to public comment for the Chapter 55, School Accreditation rules. The board unanimously  supported Superintendent Arntzen’s addition of civics or government and financial literacy or economics to the current graduation requirements for Montana high school students. These graduation requirements are housed in Chapter 55 of Montana’s Administrative Rules. The additions carry the weight of half a unit towards graduation within the existing 20-unit requirement. These flexible requirements are determined at the local level through Math, Social Studies, or Career Technical Education.

The BPE will vote to adopt the revised Chapter 55: School Accreditation rules during the March 9-10, 2023 meeting. Of the 173 Montana high schools, all but 29 currently offer at least one course that integrates financial literacy.

The OPI is taking the decisions by the Board of Public Education and developing the new assessment system that will be used by districts, identifying accreditation cycles, completing the guidance documents that are necessary for implementation, and working with key partners on implementation documents that are steeped in effective and best practices research.  The REL Northwest, the Comprehensive Center 17 are two of the key resource centers being used by the OPI.

The OPI staff, is providing a series of webinars for school district and county superintendents that are responsible for the accreditation work, in their districts.  

Webinar Sessions by the OPI for Districts

February 7, 2023, - 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Integrated Strategic Action Plan

March 8, 2023, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Rules that have been repealed or are not revised.

April 5, 2023, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Q&A Session with Dr. Murgel and team members

May 8, 2023, 4:00 p.m.  New rules and district changes

ZOOM Link

Meeting ID - 840 4339 2761

Passcode – 141012

The OPI team will also be at the Summer Institute at the Montana State University Bozeman campus, June 20-22, 2023, holding information and work sessions for district teams.  The new accreditation data system is anticipated to be available for districts to review.

The implementation timelines of the Chapter 55 revisions can be viewed on the OPI website that will be your number one source for revision updates and guidance document drafts.

For more information contact:  Crystal Andrews, OPI Accreditation and Licensing Director.  Phone number: 406-444-6325

February’s Virtual ESSER Guidance Sessions will take place on February 16^th & 17^th. All sessions will be recorded and posted on the OPI ESSER Webpage. More information and updates will be sent out as we get closer to those sessions.

The Afterschool and Summer Enrichment grants for School Year 2022-23 reopened under the updated name ESSER Consolidated Special ELO. These grants will focus on Math and Reading programming efforts, combined with best practices promoting Social/Emotional Learning. View our site HERE for more information.

Each month school board trustees are sent a monthly allocation report for ESSER funds. These reports can be found here.

The state-wide ESSER allocation through December 31, 2022 is:

Superintendent Elsie Arntzen announced that Montana has been selected to participate in a project to evaluate the impact of using Medicaid eligibility data to directly certify students for free and reduced-price school meals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service included Montana as one of 15 new states that will test the impact of Medicaid Direct Certification, which was first initiated through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Direct certification means that families enrolled in Medicaid will be automatically enrolled in the free and reduced-price school meal program.

Currently families of students that receive free and reduced-price meals are required to apply through the school using an online or paper application. Eligibility for free and reduced-price meals is determined based on:

• Family income
• Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
• Children who meet the definition of homeless, migrant, runaway, and foster

During the 2022-2023 school year, 39.6% of students qualify for free and reduced-price school meals. The new Medicaid direct certification program will begin during the next school year of 2023-2024.

For more information, please contact Chris Emerson, School Nutrition Program Director, at cemerson@mt.gov, or (406) 444-2502.

The OPI AIM Unit has a new process for the AIM Spring Enrollment Collection, which will affect the quality, timeliness, and integrity of the data that imports to MAEFAIRS.

The AIM Unit will host a series of webinars to demonstrate the new Data Validation and Certification process for the Spring ANB collection. The webinars are about an hour in length, and you only need to attend one. Please select a time that works for you!

The webinars will cover:

• Assigning user groups to state created Data Validation Rules
• Assigning appropriate user rights/groups to individuals responsible for validation and certification
• Selecting a primary certifier
• Entering Spring Enrollment information
• Certifying Spring Enrollment data

Monday, January 30th at 1:00 pm
Thursday, February 2nd at 2:00 pm

Join Zoom Meeting
https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/84794172465?pwd=d3hSVGp6L2IvVnBDWlI5UUpMNWpqQT09
Meeting ID: 847 9417 2465
Password: 250480

Dial by Telephone
+1 646 558 8656
Meeting ID: 847 9417 2465
Password: 250480

Spring ANB Collection guidelines can be found here.

For more information, please contact Nicole Thuotte, AIM Unit Manager, at nthuotte@mt.gov or (406) 444-2080.

The Special Education, Coordinated School Health, and Tribal Resiliency and Relationships Units have teamed up to bring back OPI MTSS Youth Days April 16-17, 2023, in Missoula with additional dates and regional Youth Days in the works for the fall.  OPI MTSS Youth Days is an inclusive event focused on youth voice and leadership development, community service and engagement, school safety, and mental health.  With our partner Special Olympics Montana (SOMT), the OPI is excited to host this opportunity once again for Middle School and High School students of all abilities to develop their leadership potential.  Mark your calendars for this upcoming event with additional details and registration coming soon.

Questions, contact Joe Moriarty, joe.moriarty@mt.gov, Michele Henson, michele.henson@mt.gov or Tammy Lysons, tamara.lysons@mt.gov, 406-431-2309.

Celebrate your paraeducators by giving recognition for their hard work! Please download and print this CERTIFICATE  to give to your paraeducators to show your appreciation.  Some have chosen to honor paraprofessionals in the following ways:

• Give a certificate of recognition at the school board meeting.
• Send information to parents and students acknowledging the role of paraprofessionals via school newsletter.
• Advertise in the school or district newsletter about Montana Paraprofessional Week.
• Recognize one or two paraprofessionals each day, announcing their names and roles over the loudspeaker during the daily announcements.
• Recognize paraprofessionals on school reader board.
• Organize an appreciation lunch, an after-school tea, before school brunch, and have the paraprofessionals served by teachers and administrators.

For more information, please contact Anne Carpenter, Special Education Program Support Specialist, at anne.carpenter2@mt.gov or (406) 465-0922.

The Great Falls Early Learning Family Center has been recognized by Special Olympics North America for its work towards inclusive programming for students with and without intellectual disabilities.

The Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools (UCS) program is aimed at promoting social inclusion through intentionally planned and implemented activities affecting systems-wide change. This is accomplished by implementing inclusive sports, inclusive youth leadership opportunities, and whole school engagement.

The Early Learning Family Center has achieved, and exceeded, these 3 components to be recognized at an even higher level: National Banner Unified Champion School.  Achieving the title of a UCS Banner school demonstrates commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 standards of excellence. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community.

The primary activities within these standards include Special Olympics Unified Sports® (where students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates), inclusive youth leadership and whole school engagement. Banner Unified Champion Schools should also be able to demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future.

Center staff completed a lengthy application and verification process. It was reviewed at the state level and finally by a national board of reviewers.

Jeannette Gray, UCS Senior Director for Special Olympics Montana, says this recognition shows the level of commitment and dedication our schools have shown to promoting social inclusion, “Only 166 schools in the entire country were chosen this year for National Banner School recognition. This is only the second year for schools in Montana to be chosen. This shows the level of commitment and dedication our schools have shown to promoting social inclusion where all students are welcome and included.”

Additionally, Helena’s Capital High School and Carroll College were also recognized by Special Olympics North America for their work towards inclusive programming for students with and without intellectual disabilities.

The schools will hold this title for four years and will continue to lead the way for inclusion in their schools as well as their communities. After that time, they will have the opportunity to reapply for National Banner School status.

Any school in Montana can become a Unified Champion School which builds on Special Olympics’ values, principles, practices, experiences and impacts to shape a generation that welcomes everyone. 

Participants in the UCS program report that they learned:

• about working with others 64%
• about helping others becoming more patient 68%
• 64% standing up for something 66%
• that they have things in common with students of different abilities 59%

To learn more about becoming a Unified Champion School, contact Jeannette Gray at jgray@somt.org.

The top four priority bills for the OPI are:

1. HB 15 - A Promise is a Promise: Base Aid requirements to fund Public Schools-this is in the Governor’s budget
   • This bill passed through the House and is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee on January 30, 2023
2. HB 22 - Teacher Dollars Working for Teachers: Teacher Licensing fees supporting the teacher licensing system
   • This bill unanimously passed the House and the Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee. The bill will be moving to the Senate floor for Second Reading
3. HB 2 - A one-time-only present law adjustment in the Governor's Budget to fund audiology equipment
   • This bill will be finalized at the end of session
4. HB 171 - Mental Health: Tuition for any residential mental health treatment
   • This bill unanimously passed the House Education Committee and Second Reading on the House Floor. The bill has been rereferred to the House Appropriations Committee for a hearing on January 30, 2023