OPI's June 2023 Compass

This year 41 Montana teachers were nominated to be the 2024 Montana Teacher of the Year. 

The 2024 Montana Teacher of the Year timeline is:

• June 23, 2023 Applications due to MTTOY@mt.gov
• July-August 2023 Applications reviewed by committees
• Mid-September 2023 Finalists selected
• Mid-September 2023 Finalists interviewed by state committee, MT TOY selected
• October 2023 National Teacher of the Year Application Due to CCSSO
• February 2024 MT TOY begins duties and NTOY activities

During the May 11-12 Board of Public Education (BPE) meeting the Montana Board of Public Education unanimously supported the new school accreditation process for the 2023-2024 school year. This new accreditation process is a result of the BPE approving changes to Chapter 55 of Montana’s Administrative Rules on School Accreditation Standards. School accreditation standards include rules on curriculum, class sizes, teacher and staff qualifications, Indian Education for All, and student learning assessment to ensure all students receive a quality education. The new school accreditation rules take effect on July 1, 2023.

The new accreditation process has three steps:

1. Assurance Standards

• The assurance standards include School Leadership, Educational Opportunity, Academic Requirements, and Program Area Standards. To determine the assurance standards levels a 4-point rubric will be utilize Rubrics are tools that have a list of criteria for an effective learner-centered system based on assurance standards. The rubrics also contain descriptors in a performance scale that inform the school what they need to do or improve within a standard to obtain a regular status. The scores for the rubrics will be totaled for an overall score for assurance standards. Included in the total for assurance standards will be two scores for the Integrated Strategic Action Plan (ISAP). The ISAP ensures a learner-centered system and establishes a plan for continuous education improvement. It will be based on a comprehensive needs assessment with meaningful stakeholder input and feedback. The plan must clarify 2-3 action steps that will be taken to achieve the district graduate profile and reflect a continuous improvement process.
  • The 4-point rubric includes:
    1. Family and Community Engagement
    2. Professional Development
    3. Academic Programming including how the education program enables students to recognize the district and unique cultural heritages of American Indians
    4. Assurance checklist for required accreditation policies

2. Student Performance Standards

• Elementary and K-8 schools will submit evidence for student learning outcomes in Math and Reading/English Language Arts (ELA)
• High Schools will submit evidence for postsecondary (college and career readiness) outcomes

3. Final Accreditation Status

• This will be determined by combining the assurance and performance standards

Schools will receive one of five accreditation statuses:

• Regular
• Regular with Minor Deviations
• Advice
• Deficiency
• Intensive Assistance

The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) will offer work sessions on the ISAP during the OPI Summer Institute, June 19-23, 2023. OPI will offer continued help sessions for the Annual Data Collection for the new accreditation process in the fall.

For more information, please contact Crystal Andrews, Accreditation & Licensure Director, at crystal.andrews@mt.gov. 

Montana school districts concluded the second federally required data collection for the July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022 reporting period. The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) submitted the data collection to the federal government at the beginning of May. The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) data collection is mandated in order for districts to receive their share of the total allocation of $593,413,931 education federal COVID dollars. The federal COVID dollars are from three federal funding sources: ESSER I, ESSER II, and  ESSER III.

A review committee composed of school clerks and superintendents from across the state, along with OPI staff designed a data collection process to ensure that the US Department of Education (DOE) received efficient information for the data collection - thank you to all for completing the federally required data collection!

As a reminder, ESSER II must be expended by September 30, 2023, and ESSER III must be expended by September 30, 2024.

The state-wide ESSER allocation through April 30, 2023, is:

On May 3, 2023, Superintendent Arntzen submitted the Field-Testing Flexibility Waiver for the Montana Assessment System to the US Department of Education (DOE). This waiver request ensures that students, teachers, and district leaders participating in the Montana Alternative Student Testing Pilot Program (MAST) are not overburdened with double testing during the 2023-2024 school year.

Public comment was gathered from school administrators, curriculum specialists, parents, system test coordinators, and teachers from around Montana. The summary of public comment showed that:

• 93% of respondents support OPI pursuing the field-testing waiver
  • Of these 68% support the waiver because of the detrimental effects of double testing on students and teachers
• 95% of respondents support the waiver to gather data to establish the validity and reliability of MAST without publicly publishing student test scores
• 97% of respondents support the maintaining of federal school identification for districts participating in MAST

The deadline for districts to commit to participating in the 2023-24 MAST pilot is fast approaching. Please be aware that the final day for districts to communicate their commitment is Thursday, June 8th at noon. For more information please click here.

For more information. please contact Krystal Smith at Krystal.Smith@mt.gov.

Join the OPI for the opportunity to learn about dyslexia from the experts at the Summer Institute in June. This year Dr. Tim Odegard and Dr. Danielle Thompson will be presenting three sessions on dyslexia. Monday morning’s keynote will provide an overview of what dyslexia is and the research base that supports it. Monday afternoon they will present a workshop on how to use common assessments to identify the characteristics of dyslexia and Tuesday morning, they will share how to intervene for these students so they can be successful. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity! 

To register for the Summer Institute, please click here.

SPORTS ARE A POWERFUL FORCE. THEY WORK TOWARDS SHIFTING THE FOCUS FROM DISABILITY TO ABILITY, AND FROM ISOLATION TO INVOLVEMENT.

Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools is education and sports-based programming led through student engagement. With the assistance of funding from Special Olympics North America and the Office of Special Education Programs, Special Olympics Montana and partner schools serve as a force for social inclusion across the state. Our vision is to create a world where people with intellectual disabilities are welcomed in their communities and join with others to learn, work, compete and play, having the same rights and opportunities as others.

If your school would like to become a Unified Champion School, contact Jeannette Gray Special Olympics Montana Unified Champion Schools Senior Director (406) 396-8082 jgray@somt.org

Please watch What is a Special Olympics Unified Champion School?

Do you have a staff member, a colleague, or are you an underprepared teacher who is… 

• Teaching outside their grade level or subject area?
• Teaching under emergency authorization?
• Teaching on a provisional license while working toward full licensure?
• Teaching in a rural school during their first or second year of teaching?

The MentorMT program offers FREE precision support by providing teachers with… 

• One-to-one mentoring that addresses teachers’ needs and respects their time
• Experienced mentors assigned by similar grade level and subject area
• A focus on content, curriculum, and instructional support that is non-evaluative
• No cost to schools and a $500 stipend each year for participating teachers

For more information and the application link, go to:  

MentorMT 2023 – Mentee Information

Questions? Email anne.keith@montana.edu, MentorMT Outreach Specialist

  MentorMT is offered through the MSU Center for Research on Rural Education and funded by Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies and the U.S. Department of Education 

Opportunity 1:

Recycle Montana and a beloved sponsor are teaming up to establish a grant program that awards $2000 in funding for the implementation of waste reduction and composting programs in public and private K-12 schools.  We are pleased to announce the availability of these new grants in 2023 for projects implemented during the 2023-2024 school year. The Composting GRANT is currently OPEN until Sept 15- apply at: recyclemontana.org [recyclemontana.org].

The maximum per award, $500, will be awarded  to four schools that submit the best applications as decided by the Recycle Montana Board of Directors.  

All public and private K-12 schools in Montana are eligible to apply for funding. The school may choose any type of program they desire as long as it will implement a waste reduction and composting program. There are several existing school program templates available on the internet. 

Opportunity 2:

In 2023, Recycle Montana will award $10,000 to one high school, high school group or high school organization that can build or purchase a recycling trailer or trailer to be used for recycling. 

The funding recipient must apply at Recycle Montana [recyclemontana.org] include a budget and demonstrate how the trailer is to be utilized for the regular collection of recyclable materials and/or for recycling events and how the program can be sustained. The applications will be competitive; detailed and creative proposals are encouraged.

The trailer must have a means to collect or store at least two types of recyclable materials. Bins or containers are acceptable add-ons for the trailer. Refurbishing a used trailer or building one from reused materials is preferred.

The online funding application process is open and closes December 15th, 2023. Recycle Montana will award the funding January 1st, 2024. A progress report must be emailed to recycle406@gmail.com [recyclemontana.org] with attached pictures by May 15, 2024. The deadline for the completion of this project is December 31st, 2024.

For more information, please contact Candi Zion, Executive Director at recycle406@gmail.com or (406) 899-6513.