OPI's November 2023 Compass

East Middle School in Butte was highlighted for Special Olympics Unified Champion Honor Roll by ESPN. Congratulations, we are Montana Proud! Watch the segment here.

The first testing window for the second year of the Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) pilot program has opened. The first testing window for the MAST Through-Year Pilot runs from October 23 - November 10, 2023, for grades 3 through 8 in Math and English Language Arts (ELA). The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) has partnered with 54 Montana school districts and over 20,600 students for the MAST pilot program this school year.

The participating districts are fully committed to the innovative through-year design. As part of the pilot program, districts will administer the MAST assessments during all five testing windows throughout the 2023-2024 school year. By participating in the MAST Through-Year Pilot, districts will no longer be obligated to administer the federally mandated end-of-the-year Smarter Balanced Assessment, and their accountability measures will remain unaffected. Districts participating in the MAST Pilot are still required to administer the Montana Science Assessment (MSA) to students in grades 5 and 8. Districts with students enrolled in the Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) for Grades 3-8 and 11, and the Alternate Montana Science Assessment (AMSA) for Grades 5, 8, and 11, are required to administer these alternative assessments as there is not an alternate version of MAST.

This pilot program revolutionizes the assessment experience for districts and provides valuable insights into student progress throughout the academic year. The next testing windows are:

• Testing Window #2: November 27 - December 15, 2023
• Testing Window #3: January 29 - February 16, 2024
• Testing Window #4: March 11 - April 5, 2024
• Testing Window #5: April 15 - May 10, 2024

Live listening and feedback sessions will be scheduled throughout the school year to ensure continuous improvement of the MAST pilot program. These sessions will serve as an opportunity for districts to share feedback, suggestions, and experiences to help enhance the usability of MAST. The first live session is scheduled for November 14th from 3:30-4:30 pm via Zoom.

For more information, see the MAST Bulletin or contact Tressa Graveley, Assessment Specialist.

ESSER II is coming to a close. All cash requests were due by close of business October 25 with Final Expenditures due by November 10. To date there have been no extensions requested and schools are working hard to process cash requests.

The ESSER Team has been working with schools to help them process and meet all ESSER compliances as we enter into the final year of ESSER grant funding with ESSER III. ESSER III funds must be expended by September 30, 2024.

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

Superintendent Arntzen will host four virtual work sessions on the Integrated Strategic Action Plan (ISAP) and other components of the 2023-24 School Accreditation Process, which are due on March 29, 2024. There were two opportunities in October and there will be two more in November. These sessions are open to school district administrators and will focus on the ISAP scoring example evidence using the rubrics presented in the Criterion Reference Guide. According to ARM 10.55.602, an Integrated strategic action plan means a district plan adopted by the board of trustees that:

(a)  is aligned with the peoples' goal in Article X, section 1 of the Montana Constitution of developing the full educational potential of each person;

(b) ensures a learner centered system and continuous improvement that reflects local context and needs;

(c)  is based on school level comprehensive needs assessment;

(d)  has engaged stakeholders and addresses stakeholder input and feedback; and

(e) aligns with requirements of applicable state and federal programs.

The virtual work sessions will take place via Zoom on:

• Wednesday, November 1, 2023, from 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
  • Topics: Assurance Rubrics A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I
• Friday, November 3, 2023, from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
  • Topics: Assurance Rubrics H, J, K and Student Performance A, B, C

No RSVP is needed. All sessions will be recorded and made available here.

Indian Education For All (IEFA) is a landmark provision in the Montana Constitution that “recognizes the distinct and unique cultural heritage of the American Indians and is committed in its educational goals to the preservation of their cultural integrity.” The Montana Legislature provides IEFA funding to school districts and requires school districts to report IEFA expenditures to the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI).

In 2023 the Legislature passed HB 338, which included several new reporting requirements and provided a reduction of future funding for school districts that fail to report expenditures of all IEFA revenue. This frequently asked questions (FAQ) document provides OPI guidance to help school districts navigate the legal and financial landscape for IEFA finance reporting.

What new IEFA provisions for school districts are in HB 338 (2023)?

Although HB 338 must be read in its entirety, the new reporting provisions are in Section 4(4) of the bill and address reporting of instruction and instruction development. Section 4(5) of the bill provides a reduction of, or ineligibility for, future funding for a school district’s failure to report expenditures of all IEFA revenue in the Trustee Financial Summary (TFS).

When do the new IEFA reporting provisions apply to school districts?

Section 6 of the bill provides an effective date of July 1, 2023. Section 7 of the bill provides that the new requirement for reporting of instruction and instruction development applies to IEFA funds for FY 2024 and later. The reporting of annual expenditures is not a new requirement. The requirement for reduction in funding does not have a later applicability date and, thus, applies to the FY 2024 reporting of the FY 2023 expenditures, which impacts the FY 2025 IEFA funding.

How might IEFA finance reporting impact future IEFA funding?

If a school district fails to report IEFA expenditures in its TFS, the district “is ineligible
for the funding under this section for subsequent school fiscal years until the report is filed.” If a school district fails to report expenditures in its TFS for all IEFA revenue, the “district's BASE budget and funding under this section for the subsequent fiscal year must be reduced by the amount of funding received that was not spent” on IEFA.

How and when can a school district correct an inaccurate TFS it filed with OPI?

A school district may file a corrected TFS (per ARM 10.10.504) with OPI as soon as the inaccuracy is discovered, but no later than December 10, by submitting a School Data Error Correction Request Form to opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

Superintendent Arntzen appointed Marietta Croft from Colstrip to the Montana 250^th Commission. The Commission was established through House Bill 377 during the 2023 legislative session to “promote civic engagement and increase public awareness of United States and Montana government and history, including the history of tribal nations, leading up to the United States semiquincentennial”.

The Commission is made up of 11 members:

• The Montana Historical Society director or the director's designee;
• Two members of the legislature, one from the minority party and one from the majority party appointed as follows:
  • first, a member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate; and
  • second, a member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
• A high school social studies teacher who teaches a course in United States government appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction;
• A college-level United States history or political science professor appointed by the Commissioner of Higher Education;
• A tribal representative appointed by the State Director of Indian Affairs; and
• Five members appointed by the governor representing various civic, veteran, military, tourism, history, museum, library, arts, or local and tribal government organizations

Marietta Croft is a 6th-year social science teacher in Colstrip Montana. She graduated from Chadron State College in May of 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and started working in Colstrip in August of 2017. In 2020 she received a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the American College of Education. She teaches a variety of Social Science classes in Colstrip; the two core classes are US History and American Government. She also teaches one section of US History and one section of American Government as Honors classes in collaboration with Chief Dull Knife College. Other courses taught are Native American Studies, World Issues, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and, a Cheyenne Language class with a professor at Chief Dull Knife College in Lame Deer. In July 2022 she started a Masters of Arts with a Specialization in Teaching American History and Government through Ashland University. She was awarded the James Madison Memorial Fellowship for the state of Montana.

Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools has an exciting resource available to Pre-K and elementary schools across Montana. Consisting of curated picture books and correlated teacher guides, this resource is a useful tool for librarians, counselors, and teachers to use with students as they explore differences and similarities in a safe and structured way.

Each book has a theme that relates to multiple state academic standards and aligns with the concepts of promoting a positive school climate and social and emotional learning. The books and engagement activities address topics on inclusion, respect, awareness, friendship, anti-bullying and the acceptance of children with and without intellectual disabilities. Each is a wonderful resource to help students work on ways to make and keep friends, identify feelings, and experience many “Aha” moments.

A book selection is mailed out to participating Unified Champion Schools four times during the school year, at roughly 6-8 week intervals. The first cycle of books arrives in a drawstring Special Olympics Montana backpack, which is retained throughout the school year. Subsequent books are mailed to the school liaison who inserts the new titles into the backpack. The enhancement guides, mounted inside of each book, offer enrichment and extension ideas as well as discussion starters. Participation in the program aligns to the “Whole School Engagement” component of the Unified Champion Schools initiative. Upon completion of each book cycle, schools get to keep the books and can add them to their library collection!

For more information: Contact Teresa Rainforth, UCS District Coordinator at trainforth@somt.org.

Not yet a Unified Champion School? Click here to complete the UCS Commitment Form and start the inclusion revolution in your school, district, and community! Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® is a program for schools Pre-K through university that intentionally promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments utilizing three interconnected components: Special Olympics Unified Sports®, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement.

For questions, contact Terri Norman, UCS Senior Director at tnorman@somt.org.

The Governor’s Office of Community Service, Reach Higher Montana, and Montana Campus Compact are pleased to offer $125,000 in scholarships for 2024 graduating seniors!

Up to 100 seniors will receive scholarships for completing volunteer service hours in the 12 months prior to submitting their application. Students who have completed 50 hours are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship, and students who have completed 100 hours are eligible for a $1,500 scholarship.

Applications will open November 2023 and close January 31st, 2024. We are delighted to offer this scholarship opportunity to provide financial assistance for Montana Students who will be attending a Montana Campus Compact Institution fall 2024.

Please read the Frequently Asked Questions and view the scholarship poster for more information.

About the Scholarship

Due to the freezing weather the race will postponed from October 28 to November 4.

The location is the same and raffles and everything else is the same, we just do not wish to risk the well being of our racers.

Last month's message:

The Billings Young Marines are holding the “Running with the Wolf Pack” Drug Demand Reduction 5K Race on Saturday October 28th, 2023 with the event starting at 9 am and race starting at 10, in the KIA Parking Lot.   

DDR stands for Drug Demand Reduction, a vital part of the Youngs Marines program.  One of the pillars of the Young Marines program is to lead positive, drug-free lifestyles...and to educate and encourage others to do the same.  

One of the primary nationwide events that Young Marines participate in is Red Ribbon Week, this represents a national anti-drug effort and awareness campaign observed annually during the month of October through the United States.  

Red Ribbon Week began after the kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985. Camarena, a Marine whose work was pilotable against traffickers bringing illegal drugs into the United States. In his memory, citizens of his hometown of Calexico, California donned red ribbons in his honor; the red ribbon became a symbol for prevention to reduce the demand for illegal drugs.  

In commemoration of Kiki’s sacrifice, and in acknowledgment of the thousands of agents and officers just like him that strive to make our world a safer place, the Young Marines run the Drug Demand Reduction (DDR Dash) 5K as part of our national Red Ribbon Week efforts. “  

As our program continues to grow, we need your help more than ever as we build tomorrow’s leaders today.  We are raising funds for recruitment, education, equipment, training, activities, and general operating expenses.  We are also able to send them to National S.P.A.C.E.S. and leadership schools at no cost to them so they can further themselves in rank and in life. For the past two years we have lost our federal funding, so it is imperative that we raise funds for our kids to have all these opportunities. 

Sign up for the race at: https://runsignup.com/Race/MT/Billings/RunningwiththeWolfPack [runsignup.com] 

We also have a Facebook page under “Running with the Wolf Pack” 

If you have any questions, please contact Nikole Van Nice at 406-545-9992 (text or call), or the race email runningwiththewolfpackbym@outlook.com.  

We encourage you to join the fun this year. We thank you for your time and your service