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The OPI is providing this newsletter every month for an update on current events and ongoing education-related issues in Montana. The next Navigator will be sent to you in
August 2024
For previous editions of the Navigator click here.
Superintendent's Message
 Blessings to you, your family, and your school family and I hope you had an amazing Independence Day. Enjoy a fun and safe summer!
Legislative Updates
Legislative Implementation
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HB 377 - 250th Commission for Montana
By Rep Linda Reksten
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Montana 250th 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 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America will be July 4, 2026. Superintendent Arntzen appointed Marietta Croft, a 6th-year social science teacher in Colstrip Montana, to the commission.
When appointed to the commission Marrietta Croft said “I look forward to working with the semiquincentennial commission to improve civic and history education throughout the state of Montana. I believe that it is important for students to know the history of the United States, as well as the history and cultures of those who reside here, to fully understand how far our nation has come since its founding.”
“Civics and government instruction create educated and engaged citizens,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “When revising our Montana social studies content standards, our high school course offerings, and our graduation requirements I championed civics and government course offerings for all our Montana students. OPI appreciates the work the commission is doing to recognize the history of our great nation"
The Commission has met 4 times, with the latest meeting being held on June 14, 2024. Information regarding previous meetings can be found and the commission can be found here.
For more information, please contact Katie Bloodgood, Legislative Liaison.
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HB 393 - Students with Special Needs Equal Opportunity Act
By Rep. Sue Vinton
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HB 393 established a students with special needs education savings account (ESA). Qualified students, those identified as a "child with a disability" under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C 1400, may be eligible for reimbursement of allowable education expenses.
On June 1, 2024 OPI closed the first application window for the ESA program. There are two application windows, May 1, 2024 – June 1, 2024, and November 2024 to December 2024. 45 applications were submitted to OPI. 23 applicants were eligible. Parent's have been notified of their child's eligibility, and eligible child's parents have received contracts to review and sign. 16 contracts have been completed by parents and signed by Superintendent Arntzen.
On June 19, 2024 schools were notified via email that families within their district have applied and been found eligible. In August schools will be notified of the students in the district that will be participating in the ESA program.
Legal timeline of the Education Savings Account:
- On January 23, 2024, MQEC and Disability Rights Montana filed a lawsuit against HB 393, the Education Savings Account (ESA).
- On April 22, 2024, a motion for a preliminary injunction was filed by MQEC to stop the implementation of HB 393.
- On June 27, 2024 a hearing was held for the motion for a preliminary injunction, but no judgement has been determined as of July 8, 2024.
For more information, please contact Whitney Williams, Education Savings Account Specialist.
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HB 143 - TEACH Act : Provide incentives for increasing starting teacher pay (2021 Session)
By Rep Lew Jones
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The "TEACH Act" created an incentive for districts to increase starting teacher salaries by establishing a "legislative goal" of 10 times the Quality Educator (QE) payment as the benchmark for "competitive base pay". The incentive is an additional QE payment added to the district's general fund budget for teachers in the first three years of their teaching career.
School districts are required by statute to submit data by December 1st for the OPI to assess the school district’s eligibility in a timely manner. OPI held virtual office hours, went on road shows across the state, and were available to provide school districts with every opportunity to report their data. Notices were provided through the AIM Compass, on the front webpage of the AIM Unit, as well as a banner notification when the districts entered the Infinite Campus application for the Teach Act. Infinite Campus users received an inbox notification and/or an email notifying them. Additionally, when the certification for Teacher Incentive was published within Infinite Campus users again receive notification.
Fifty schools successfully completed their data form by the December 1st deadline, as required in statute, and were eligible for the incentives offered under the TEACH Act.
Nineteen school districts initiated the data submission form for the quality teacher incentives under the TEACH Act but did not complete the process. OPI contacted these school districts via email and phone to notify them of the incomplete data and allowed them to complete their initiated data form. With assistance from OPI, seven of these school districts were determined eligible for quality teacher incentives and will be receiving the payment.
A total of 57 schools applied for and are eligible for quality teacher incentives under the TEACH Act for FY 2025.
To increase eligibility and ease or process, legislative amendment could be made to the TEACH Act.
- The current December 1st application deadline is in statute. Legislators could amend the deadline to align with other data collection deadlines, or make other adjustments to the deadline with consideration to the creation of preliminary budget sheets.
- Broaden the eligibility for teachers. Some schools who were previously eligible no longer had eligible teachers. Legislators could make contracted or remote teachers eligible which would increase the number of schools who are eligible for TEACH Act payments.
If you have question regarding the TEACH Act, please contact Paul Taylor, Financial Manager.
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HB 619 - Assessment Laws for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children
By Rep Connie Keogh
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HB 619 standardizes how Montana tracks language acquisition among deaf and hard of hearing children through age 9, and enhance the state’s ability to collect data on how individual children are progressing. The bill established a temporary advisory committee organized by the Office of Public Instruction and Department of Public Health and Human Services.
The Language Development Advisory Committee advised the Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Office of Public Instruction
- on the selection of language developmental milestones for children who are deaf or hard of hearing that are equivalent to milestones for children who are not deaf or hard of hearing;
- made recommendations on the selection and administration of provider or educator tools or assessments;
- and advised on content and administration of the existing instruments used to assess the language development of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.
- OPI will continue to collaborate with DPHHS throughout implementation of the HB 619.
For more information, please contact Christy Mock-Stutz, Assistant Superintendent.
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HB 549 - Public Charter Schools Act
By Rep. Fred Anderson
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The Board of Public Education (BPE) is now developing a timeline for contract components such as quarterly financial statements. BPE is also working with members of the approved public charter schools and OPI to develop performance framework in innovative ways. The group has held two meetings thus far.
The request to open a BPE-approved charter school can be found on the OPI’s charter school webpage. Applications are due November 1, 2024. If you have any questions, reach out to our School Finance Unit at OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov.
Previously, the Board of Public Education approved 19 Public Charter Schools applications in January, 2024. Two of these schools are planning to open in the fall of 2025: Bozeman Charter School and Boulder Jefferson Academy.
These Seventeen Public Charter Schools will open for the 2024-2025 school year:
For more information, please contact Barb Quinn, Financial Manager.
Capitol Activity
Constitutional Players Convening
On July 17th the Education Interim Committee and the Education Interim Budget Committee jointly convened meetings of the "Constitutional Players" – those entities with authority to govern education under the Montana Constitution. Superintendent Arntzen, Assistant Superintendent Christy Mock-Stutz, and Chief Operations Officer Julie Murgel participated in the conveying. Innovative OPI initiatives such as testing and accreditations updates were just some of the policy areas discussed.
OPI provided the below documents to aid the discussion and update fellow committee members on the work OPI has accomplished.
Recording of the meeting can be found here. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Bloodgood, Legislative Liaison.
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Leg Days
 On June 18 & 19th Legislators were in town for Leg Days. Our ESSER team, Wendi Fawns and Rebecca Brown, were at the Capitol to discuss the use of the federal COVID relief funds in Montana schools. Legislators were able to stop by and get their ESSER questions answered in between policy workshops.
Find more information about ESSER here, or if you have questions contact Wendi Fawns.
Agency Reports
The OPI, along with other state agencies, are required by statute to provide certain reports to the legislature in writing by September 1, 2024. OPI is currently preparing these reports and they will be made available here as they are submitted to the legislature. A list of Education Committee required reports can be found here.
If you have any questions please contact Katie Bloodgood, Legislative Liaison.
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2025 Session Legislation Outlook
During the Interim Education Committee Hearing on June 18th, the committee and OPI discussed clean-up legislation for school funding. You can find the recording of the committee hearing HERE. You can find the draft school funding clean-up bills below:
If you have question, please contact Paul Taylor, Financial Manager.
Calendar
The Gavel provides updates on the implementation of new laws, in-depth research, links to interesting topics, and timely items about the Legislature.
Legislative Calendar Updates
July
7/9 - Broadband IIJA Communications Advisory Commission - Room 152
7/10 - Transportation Interim Committee - Room 137
7/15 - Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform - Room 137
7/15 - Transition Review Committee - Room 102
7/16 - CPS Work Group - Room 137
7/16 - Energy and Telecommunications Committee - Room 172
7/17 - Children, Families, Health and Human Services Committee - Room 102
7/17 - Energy and Telecommunications Committee - Room 172
7/17 - Local Government Committee - Room 137
7/17 - Board of Public Education - Room 152
7/18 - Board of Public Education - Room 152
7/19 - Board of Public Education - Room 152
7/19 - Court System for Dependency and Neglect Task Force - Room 137
7/23 - Law and Justice Committee - Room 137
7/23 - Behavioral Health Commission (HB 872) - Room 303
7/24 - Criminal Justice Oversight Council - Room 102
7/24 - Financial Modernization and Risk Analysis Study MARA - Room 152
7/25 - Financial Modernization and Risk Analysis Study MARA - Room 152
7/31 - State Administration and Veterans Affairs Committee - Room 137
Join us in Celebrating
2024 Facts About Montana Education
The 2024 Facts About Montana Education brochure is now available! If you would like hard copies of the brochure, please contact Brian O'Leary. The electronic version can be found here.
 
Montana Aligned to Standards Through-Year (MAST) Program
Montana is leading the nation in reimagining student assessments. MAST is a through-year model comprised of multiple testlets taken closest to the learning of the skill. This testing model guides teaching and learning while providing immediate feedback.
Professional learning opportunities are planned to support Montana’s districts in implementing the new MAST statewide assessment for grades 3-8 in math and ELA. These opportunities will encompass in-person sessions, live virtual events, and asynchronous learning modules.
- On August 7, 2024, members of the Assessment Team will be at the Annual Hutterite Educator Conference where there will be devoted sessions focusing on preparing for the 2024-2025 statewide MAST Assessment, ELL Identification & Support, and ACCESS for ELLs Testing. Navigate to the RSVP Link: https://forms.gle/6hQYznHaDgKHLEXj6 [forms.gle]. All are welcome to attend sessions that pertain to their districts.
- From August 8-16, 2024, a second in-person MAST Roadshow will take place at multiple locations throughout Montana. Dates, times, locations, and the registration link can be found here. Please register by August 1.
- On September 5, 2024, a second live virtual MAST Summit will take place. Once all details are confirmed, information will be shared and made accessible on the OPI MAST webpage and MAST Portal.
- On October 3rd, 10th, and 24th, the Assessment Unit’s fall STC Workshop Series will provide details and support regarding the MAST. Once this information becomes available, it can be found on the Assessment Unit’s Stay Informed (mt.gov) webpage under the STC Workshop Series tab.
- This fall, the OPI Assessment Unit will be offering weekly office hours at various times to best support STCs and the field with statewide assessment-related questions. Details and information can be found on the Statewide Assessments Stay Informed (mt.gov) webpage once finalized.
- Additional live virtual and asynchronous learning opportunities will be available. More details and information will be shared on the MAST Portal, OPI MAST webpage, and OPI MAST Monthly Compass once finalized.
For more information, please contact Tressa Graveley, Assessment Specialist.
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ARM Chapter 55 Implementation Accreditation
Superintendent Arntzen opened the new platform for school accreditation on January 31, 2024, as planned. This platform incorporates the changes to the school quality rules in Chapter 55 of the Administrative Rules of Montana. District superintendents, superintendent designees, and county superintendents have access to the platform through the TeachMT teacher licensing platform.
The new Chapter 55 rules went into effect on July 1, 2023. The standards were updated to:
- Ensure coherence and a focus on student outcomes.
- Include essential elements of quality schools;
- Emphasize a proficiency-based learning model;
- Establish a meaningful accreditation process that goes beyond “check the box” compliance and balances indicators of inputs (program standards) and outcomes (student performance standards) without overburdening district and school resources;
- Increase the transparency, accountability, and responsibility for both OPI and districts and schools in how they respond to accreditation findings and outcomes;
- Use the accreditation process to support continuous school improvement and innovation more effectively.
Currently schools have received their preliminary accreditation reports. The reports will be presented at the next Board of Public Education meeting on July 17-19, 2024.
See the update on ARM Chapter 55 implementation that was presented to the Interim Education Budget Committee in June HERE .
For more information, please contact Crystal Andrews, Director of Accreditation.
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Implementation Timeline
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER)
ESSER Close-Out Process begins July 2024, contact Kimberly Kelly at kimberly.kelly@mt.gov or (406) 594-9295 to schedule an appointment. Note this process is different than the E-Grants Final Expenditure Report (FER). It includes a full review of ESSER I, II & III Budget Pages and other relevant documentation. Please complete a Return Funds form if you are returning awarded funds for any reason.
- A report of ESSER spending and compliances for each District will be sent in July to start the Close-Out Process.
- If you do not receive one by July 15, 2024, check spam and contact ESSER Meet the Team.
The ESSER team holds open office hours 6 days a week via Zoom, phone, email, text, and in-person to offer support to school districts.
Remember ESSER III deadline is on September 30, 2024.
Expended ESSER Dollars by Schools (State wide total)
The state-wide ESSER allocation through June 26, 2024, is:
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Montana Ready
Montana Ready is an initiative driven by Superintendent Elsie Arntzen to promote Community, College, and Career preparedness with K-12 and adult education students. Focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), Career and Technical Adult Education (CTAE), and Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs), Montana Ready partners with the public and private sector, the military, and post-secondary entities to promote career ready students as the quality, high-skilled workforce of tomorrow. This program was funded by ESSER dollars.
As of July 1, 2024 the career coaches program was transferred to the Department of Labor & Industry. Superintendent Arntzen hopes that this successful program will receive the sustainability and continuity to further the gains already made in career readiness.
Prior to this transfer, nine Montana Ready Regional Career Coaches (RCCs) were fully hired by September 2023. These coaches:
- Work with public and private sector, non-profit organizations, and other stakeholders to help all students be ready for college, career, community, and life.
- Educate and connect business and industry to resources with the OPI and Montana schools, teachers, and students.
- Help with events hosted by various organizations to build a connection for career pathway learning and future workforce development in Montana.
- Collaboratively implement Work Based Learning (WBL) to help teachers, parents, business, and industry guide students for quality world of work experiences.
- Utilize the Career and Technical Student Organizations to:
- Connect business and industry to schools, teachers, and students.
- Build leadership quality in students.
- Teach employability skills (aka "soft skills") to students and give students opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials.
- Oversee and work with licensed, education professionals to ensure WBL experiences can be used for student-earned transcript credits and school-earned accreditation.
For more information, please contact Mary Heller, Montana Ready Coordinator.
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Data Modernization
The Office of Public Instruction is working with PowerSchool on the Data Modernization project. For current updates on the project, visit our website, look at project FAQs, and join the weekly Virtual Office Hours for Superintendents.
Superintendent Arntzen submitted a request into IBARS for subscriptions services for the ongoing PowerSchool contract for FY 2027.
PowerSchool is an annual contracted subscription that is currently being paid for with ESSER Database Modernization funds. The ESSER funds will cover years 1-3. This request is for year four of the contract, which is due July 1, 2026 (FY 2027). It is recommended to fund this subscription for the following PowerSchool Products: Connected Intelligence the Data Lake product, Analytics and Insights the School look at data, and Community Engagement the publics look at data. These products work together to provide the data connectivity from the schools to the public, legislators, schools, and OPI staff. The project also provides for more timely data to OPI for federal reporting purposes and the stakeholders interested in public school data. The subscription cost is $2,841,626 and is requested for FY 2027.
You can also review a report presented at the Education Interim Budget Committee on June 20, 2024 which includes further budgetary information.
The OPI continues to participate in the Education and Workforce Date Governance Board and its working groups: Data Governance and Policy, Data Research, and Project Design and Implementation.
Additionally, we are looking for feedback on the GEMS system to improve future data visualizations. Please take the survey here. If you have any questions about data modernization or the GEMS survey, please reach out to Anna Hoerner or Chris Bushnell.
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Budget & Education Working Group
The second round of the Budget and Education Working Group (BEWG) meetings were held on May 20-23, 2024, the third round of meetings were held from June 24-27, 2024, and the next round will be held July 22- 25, 2024. The meetings are held in seven small virtual group sessions via Zoom. The purpose is to gather information from the community and offer feedback that will serve as a resource for the legislature when considering education funding for the 2025 Biennium Budget and 2025 Legislative Session. OPI staff will provide a white paper and summary from the working group for the legislature.
On the Budget & Education Working Group webpage you can find more information including: meeting agendas, recordings of the meetings, summary pages, and more.
Small Group July Meeting Information
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Group A: Special needs students and programs
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Group B: Teacher pay, retention, & recruitment
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Group C: Rural, population, & culture
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Group D: Sustainability & tax burden
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Group E: Programs & curriculum
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Group F: Funding formula
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Group G: School budgeting
For more information, please contact Katie Bloodgood, Legislative Liaison.
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Youth Survey Serves Montana
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) has been utilized since 1991 to assist educators and health professionals in determining the prevalence of health-risk behaviors as self-reported by Montana youth. This year, The Office of Public Instruction is using the data from the 2023 survey to focus on 10 counties across the state that showed a greater struggle with either mental health or alcohol use amongst teens. To do this, OPI is sponsoring a second school tour (first was in 2018) for Jason DeShaw to put on a concert in each of these 10 Montana counties.
Born and raised in Montana, Jason DeShaw is a national award-winning mental health speaker and musical performer. He has recorded six albums, toured seven countries, and sang at just about every county fair. Behind the scenes, Jason nearly lost his life to mental illness and addiction, and is living proof that hope is worth believing in.
Jason DeShaw received the Champions Award in Washington D.C. from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for “exhibiting courage, leadership and service on behalf of all people living with mental illness.”
As we prepare for the next school year, OPI is looking to hear from the community about the YRBS survey and Montana's use of the survey. If you would like more information or would like to give feedback on the survey, please contact Kiera Moog, Family Engagement Specialist.
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School Finance Corner
With the 2025 session quickly approaching and the decennial study of school funding around the corner, OPI is here to help!
If you have questions regarding school finance and the school funding formula please contact Paul Taylor, Financial Manager. Paul is a mainstay at the OPI and should be a familiar face to legislators.
Email: ptaylor2@mt.gov
Phone: 406-444-1257
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Also, please welcome April Grady who joined OPI in May 2024 and has been with the State of Montana since 2001. The majority of that time was spent in various financial roles at the Montana Department of Corrections and most recently as the CFO at the Montana Department of Administration SITSD.
If you have any questions regarding the general fund or federal education dollars, please contact April Grady.
Email: april.grady2@mt.gov
Phone:406-444-4523
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Land Board Updates
The last Land Board meeting was held on June 17, 2014. You can listen to the meeting HERE.
Following the June Land Board meeting, Superintendent Arntzen met with Aislinn Brown, Bureau Chief, Agency Legal Services Bureau to further asses the water right cases being reviews by the Attorney General's Office. The OPI is continuing to monitor the water cases as well as receive updates regarding fire season from the DNRC.
During the July meeting the Land Board expects to consider a timber sale in Flathead County, land sale in Valley County, five Standard Grant Easements, and an information item presented from the Real Estate/ Grazing Bureau.
Upcoming Meetings:
- 7/15 - Supreme Court Chambers, Mazurek Justice Building, Helena, MT - VIEW
- 8/19 - Supreme Court Chambers, Mazurek Justice Building, Helena, MT - VIEW
- 9/16 - Supreme Court Chambers, Mazurek Justice Building, Helena, MT - VIEW
- 10/21 - Supreme Court Chambers, Mazurek Justice Building, Helena, MT - VIEW
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OPI Press Releases
Questions? Contact:
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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