OPI's August 2024 Compass

Check out the Calendar of Events for our Unit's Weekly Office Hours, trainings, important deadlines, and more!

During the July 2024 Board of Public Education meeting, the board approved the accreditation status for all schools for the 2023-24 school year with the opportunity for districts to seek an addendum for qualified errors.

Next week, OPI will upload all comments from the accreditation scoring process into the Teach Montana platform. Once district leaders review comments alongside final scores, please reach out to the OPI accreditation Team at opiaccred@mt.gov if you believe that an error has occurred. Please reach out no later than August 12^th. 

OPI will host a virtual workshop via Zoom for new school superintendents on August 12, 2024, from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM. During this workshop, new school superintendents will have the opportunity to meet with the OPI staff and gain insight about each department. There will be time to ask questions and gain access to the OPI databases.

The meeting information is:

https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/89915101700?pwd=fQCg3JhFEEXvasqJoCNLkDqB80HDAt.1

Meeting ID: 899 1510 1700

Password: 446203

Dial by Telephone

+1 646 558 8656

Meeting ID: 899 1510 1700

Password: 446203

Find your local number: https://mt-gov.zoom.us/u/kczuhnDZUi

Reminders:

Schedule MAST Math Testlets: Districts and schools will have the flexibility to align their MAST math testlets with the district’s unique scope and sequence. The order of ELA testlets will remain consistent across all districts, as determined by the ELA testlet design, with complexity increasing throughout the school year. The MAST Math Scheduler tool opened July 22, 2024 and will close September 20, 2024. Resources are available in the Scheduler Tool section of the MAST Portal. Schedule a 1:1 Scheduler Tool Support Session with our testing vendor, New Meridian here.

Prepare student testing devices. Install guides will be available early August and can be found on the MAST Portal.

User Management: District ARs and STCs have access to the Kite Educator Portal with the District Test Coordinator (DTC) role. If you cannot find the activation email in your primary inbox, please check your junk/spam folders. Districts/Schools create and maintain user accounts within the Kite Platform. When adding teacher roles, ensure the Educator Identifier Number is unique. Use a distinct and recognizable value, such as the educator’s SEID number or district email address for this field.

Roster Students: After the OPI performs an initial student enrollment, districts can begin rostering students to teachers August 5, 2024 in the Kite Educator Portal.

Entering Student PNPs: Districts can begin entering student PNPs (accommodations) August 5, 2024 in the Kite Educator Portal.

MAST Roadshow

Please join our MAST team for the second in-person MAST Roadshow! To register by August 1, click here. The dates, locations, and times are:

• Havre: August 8, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.     
• Wolf Point: August 9, 8:00-10:00 a.m.
• Miles City: August 9, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
• Lewistown: August 12, 8:00-10:00 a.m.
• Lockwood: August 12, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
• Great Falls: August 14, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
• Belgrade: August 15, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
• Missoula: August 16, 8:00-10:00 a.m.
• Kalispell: August 16, 2:00-4:00 p.m. 

MAST Summit

Join the OPI Assessment Team and partners for the 2024 Fall MAST Virtual Summit on September 5, 2024, from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. This virtual learning opportunity will provide district leaders, system test coordinators, teachers, and school support staff the technical and instructional support required to successfully administer the MAST assessment starting in October 2024. To register, please click here.

For more information, please contact Tressa Graveley, Assessment Specialist.

Attention Superintendents and District Leaders!

OPI will be launching a grant initiative in mid-August that will allow teachers to create projects that focus on strengthening math and reading for Montana students. More information will flow to county and district superintendents, principals, clerks and business officials in the next few weeks. Mark your calendars for the August 14 Superintendent Office Hours, at 10:00 AM, for an additional opportunity to ask questions and learn more about this initiative!

ESSER Close Out Process began in 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.

• An email on ESSER spending and compliances for each District was sent in July to start the Close-Out Process.
• If you did not receive an email by July 15, 2024 check spam and contact ESSER Meet the Team.

ESSER III Closeout Deadlines

• Amendments due by September 30, 2024.
• Cash Requests (final request for reimbursements) due by October 25, 2024.
  • ESSER III FERs do not permit embedded expenditures.
• Final Expenditure Reports(FERs) due by November 10, 2024.

ESSER System of Support includes 6 days/week via Zoom, phone, email, text, and in person.

• ESSER Team regularly sends out reminder/status district reports. On the OPI website is posted a Monthly District Status Report on allocation and remaining balance.

The state-wide ESSER allocation through July 26, 2024, is:

Attention:

The US Department of Education is allowing for a consolidation and liquidation extension request under
the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES), Coronavirus Response and Relief
Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Acts, and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) for
administrative funds available. Due to the closing and reporting requirements for the funding, the Montana Office of Public Instruction intends to apply for the extension waiver as a Consolidated Administrative Funds Tydings Waiver.

Click here for the Montana Consolidated Administrative Funds Tydings Waiver.

In this waiver, Montana is requesting to consolidate allowable unspent administrative funds for the purpose of closeout activities including contract closeouts, financial closing, and reporting.

Any written comments should be submitted to: opipubliccomment@mt.gov. Written comments will be accepted through August 25, 2024.

Below is a timeline outlining the process with stakeholder involvement:

• July 26, 2024: Initiate public comment, by sending email to stakeholders and posting information on the OPI webpage with links to Montana Consolidated Administrative Funds Tydings Waiver.
• August 5, 2024: Webinar for public input 4:00 – 5:00 pm. To join, click here.
• August 20, 2024: Discussion with Education Advocates
• August 25, 2024: Public comment deadline
• August 30, 2024 Response to public input
• September 6, 2024: Final Draft prepared and submitted to DOE

English Language Arts and Literacy Content Standards

The agency is seeking applications from interested parties to serve on the ELA and Literacy Content Standards Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (NRC)  The agency will seek individuals likely to be significantly affected by the proposed rule amendment, including individuals from the following groups:  

• School District Trustees

•  K-12 Administrators
•  K-12 Teachers
•  Higher Education Faculty
•  School Business Officials
•  Parents
•  Taxpayers
•  Montana Indian Tribe Representative

Members of the committee will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Cultural Diversity

• Geography/Location
• Relevant Content Experience
• District and School Size
• Grade Levels Served

The members selected by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to serve on the committee must be able to adequately represent the interests of the persons that will be significantly affected by the proposed rule amendment. To apply to serve on the NRC for English Language Arts, please complete this form by August 15, 2024.

Should you have any questions, please reach out to Marie Judisch, Teaching and Learning Senior Manager.

On July 29, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) will hold an in-person public hearing at the OPI building at 1300 11th Avenue, Helena, Montana, to consider the proposed adoption and amendment of the rules pertaining to school finance.  Remote participation via the ZOOM meeting platform will be available during the hearing.

 Join the Zoom Meeting at https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/85815515987?pwd= R1OMbiR6bXNd2WvUzzW12W2De9RVE9.1

Meeting ID: 858 1551 5987   Password: 721612

OR

Dial by Telephone  +1 646 558 8656  Mtg ID: 858 1551 5987  Password: 721612
Find your local number: https://mt-gov.zoom.us/u/kbgF4uz53a

The 2024-25 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) Scholarship will open August 12, 2024, to Montana Juniors and Seniors who meet the USSYP qualifications!

Two students from Montana will be selected to receive one $10,000 scholarship each, along with a trip to Washington, D.C., March 1-8, 2025. Attending the entire Washington Week public service and leadership program and the college scholarship are one, inseparable award!

The application will be available beginning August 12, 2024, on the OPI Student Scholarships & Student Exchange webpage and must be submitted electronically by 11:59 pm, October 7, 2024.

Questions? Contact Kristen Bokovoy, USSYP Coordinator, at Kristen.Bokovoy2@mt.gov or 406-444-2417.

Reminder! All public K-12 schools have access to Discovery Education Experience and DreamBox Math and Reading Programs. Want to learn more? Check out our new website here. Click the Professional Development tab to sign up for in-person PD sessions and virtual sessions (you will earn OPI credits for these sessions). We can’t wait to help you launch these award-winning programs with your students and staff!

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks provides valuable trainings for Montana teachers. Montana WILD aims to support teachers in getting quality conservation education into classrooms. Together we can encourage students to learn about Montana’s fish and wildlife and become inspired to enjoy, value and conserve those natural resources. Check out our resources here for upcoming professional development opportunities, in-person and virtual field trips and to sign up for educator resource emails.

Upcoming Project WILD Workshops -

All of these trainings include: 

• Overview of curriculum guides and how to use them.
• OPI Renewal credits
• Hands on learning and fun 

August 6 | 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Havre Middle School, 1441 11th St., Havre MT. More details here

August 7 | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Culbertson School, 423 1st Ave W, Culbertson MT. More details here

August 19 | 4  - 11 p.m. | Montana WILD, 2668 Broadwater Ave., Helena, MT. More details here

Form more information, please contact Ryan Schmaltz.