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Early Targeted Interventions

The Early Learning Series*

February 11, 2026
4:00-5:00 (Teams Link)
IEFA in the Early Learning Classroom (1 PDU)

February 25, 2026
4:00-5:00 (Teams Link)
Community of Practice- Action discussion on IEFA in the Early Learning Classroom (2 PDUs)

*These events are designed for the learner to attend both sessions

Early Numeracy Guidance which includes the early numeracy skills and approved early numeracy evaluation methodology tools (proposed to be officially adopted on Feb 7).

Montana Early Learning

Visit our Google Site to find resources and links for professional learning opportunities. The site is growing every day and we are excited to share it with you!

Early Learning Home-based program

At this time, all available Waterford licenses have been claimed for the 2025-26 school year. We will, however, be compiling a waitlist if licenses become available.  If a currently assigned license is not being actively utilized, it will be turned off and reallocated to another eligible student on the waitlist.

Call for ELTI Program Highlight Videos

Memorandum – Let us highlight your Early Targeted Intervention programs.

Professional Development Opportunities

Check out these links for upcoming events and courses:

• The Learning HUB
  
• Early Math Counts!
  
• Cox Campus

Waterford

Click here for more information on Waterford, Montana OPI’s partner in Home-based Early Learning. For more information, contact Becky Eberhardt, School Relations Director, at BeckyEberhardt@waterford.org  or (701)261-8888.

Visit the Early Literacy website, call or email us anytime.

Contact Information

Jackie Ronning, Early Learning Specialist
(406) 438-0522 
jackie.ronning@mt.gov 

Kimberly Evans, Early Learning Research Analyst
(406) 594-7053 
kimberly.evans@mt.gov 

Professional Development News

Professional Development Requests

Fill out the PD Request Form to request specialized professional development from the Standards, Instruction, and Professional Learning Team at OPI (expected time: 10-12 minutes). This request form serves as an opportunity for school districts to communicate their needs for additional professional development opportunities in the area of K-12 Education. 

Once a request is submitted, OPI's Standards, Instruction, and Professional Learning Team will review the request and consider the next steps. Follow-up communication will be had directly with the party submitting this form unless otherwise indicated. If this request is being made less than thirty days from the requested professional development day, please understand that there is a small chance our specialists will be available.

Call for Session Proposals

• Montana Environmental Education Association, invites you to the 2026 Conference Stick by Stick: Building Resilience Through Environmental Education
• March 20-22, Missoula: Submit your proposal by Feb 16. Selections will be announced in February.
• Submit your proposal
• Indian Education for All (IEFA) Unit, OPI, invites you to the 2026 IEFA Best Practices Conference.
• March 23-24, East Helena High School, "We Are All Related: Planting the Seeds of Knowledge, Growing Our Montana Story."
• Submit your proposal
• MT STEM Summer Institute
• August 3-5, Bozeman: The 8th Annual STEM Summer Institute, "STEM Across the Curriculum," is coming up on the MSU-Bozeman campus, and we're now accepting proposals from presenters!
• Submit your proposal

Professional Learning Calendar and Catalog

We are excited to share that the OPI Professional Learning Portal has officially been retired, and all professional learning opportunities are now being hosted directly on the OPI website. This update improves accessibility for educators and ensures that all events and catalog entries are easier to search and navigate.

Important Updates for Providers

All new submissions must use the updated forms:

• Calendar Event Submission and Approval Form: Calendar Event Submission and Approval Form
• Catalog Event Submission and Approval Form: Catalog Event Submission and Approval Form
• Submit events occurring between now and September 1, 2026.
• Please do not submit events beyond September 1, 2026, as the system will not display them.

Calendar vs. Catalog:

• The Calendar is for synchronous, date-specific events (workshops, conferences, webinars).
• The Catalog is for asynchronous or ongoing professional learning that can be accessed on-demand or through direct contact with the provider.

Why this matters:

• The old portal is closed, and any links to the portal will no longer function.
• All events submitted via the new forms will appear on the OPI website, making it easier for educators to find and register for your opportunities.
• Educators can search and filter events by category, provider, grade level, educator type, and cost.
• Any events occurring past December 15, 2025, will not be displayed and will require a new submission using the updated form.

Reminder regarding PDU credit:

• Per ARM 10.57.215 requirements, one clock hour equals one Professional Development Unit (1 hour = 1 PDU). When planning sessions, please ensure instructional time is scheduled in full hour increments so educators are able to receive full credit for participation.

If you have questions about which form to use for your event or about PDU calculations, please contact us at OPIPDUPS@mt.gov.

We encourage you to begin submitting your events now, so they are visible to Montana educators. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting high-quality professional learning. 

Educators can search the calendar and catalog here.

Content Area Updates

The Last Best Learning Podcast

The mission of the Last Best Learning Podcast is to deliver digestible and relevant professional learning that honors educators’ capacity in an increasingly busy world.

Our state’s educators empower minds, elevate futures, and inspire self-discovery--and we walk beside them.

We invite you to join us in this innovative approach to professional development, tailored to address the unique challenges faced by educators in Montana's ever-changing educational landscape. At the end of each month, the podcast will be uploaded to the 

K-12 Content Standards webpage as well as the Podcast YouTube channel. 

Check out our most recent episodes

• January - Ep. 18 - Teacher Burnout, What Can we Do? with John Sommers-Flanagan, Ph.D., UM professor and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Positive Education
• December - Ep. 17 - Colleague Conflict, with John Sommers-Flanagan, Ph.D., UM Professor and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Positive Education
• November - Ep. 16 - IEFA - You Don’t Have to Be an Expert, But You Do Have to Begin

Coming Soon

February - Ep. 19 - AI as an Assessment Tool, with Miguel Sarigumba Jr., Math Educator at Lame Deer High School

Math

Math Standards Webinar Series

Register for the Montana Math Monthly Implementation webinar now! 

We hope to see you at our next session, February 19th, at 4pm

You may register at any point in the series, so if you missed previous sessions, don’t worry! Recordings are available. 

• Session #1: August 21st - Why the Change? Understanding the Math Standards
• Session #2: September 18th - Exploring the Changes & Structure: Navigating the Standards 
• Session #3: October 16th - Math Practices: What They Are & Why They Matter 
• Session #4: November 20th -  From Fluency to Flexibility: Understanding Mathematical Proficiency 
• Session #5: December 18th -  Aligning Your Curriculum: Where Do We Stand?
• Session #6: January 15th - Assessment & Standards: What Needs to Change? 

1 PDU is available for each live session engagement. 

New Math Resources

New Resources have been added to the math standards revision website including: 

• Kindergarten Expanded Guidance 
• PK-12 Guidance Document
• One-pagers to support district communications with stakeholder groups
• Tools to support alignment work 
• Recommended pathways, course alignment, financial literacy guidance, and more! 

Math Minute

January’s volume of the MT Math Minute is live and ready to view! Each month, our Math Coordinator compiles relevant features, classroom resources, IEFA implementation ideas, and sometimes, teacher spotlights! This month's edition features resources for integrating mathematics learning concepts with the context of preserving the native trout species, new math standards resources, professional learning opportunities, and helpful classroom resources. Future editions will include district and school spotlights when available. Districts, schools, or teachers interested in being featured in future Math Minute editions can fill out this form. 

Want to receive these in your mailbox each month? Subscribe now! 

Instructional Strategy Spotlight

Looking for a new classroom instructional strategy to get students excited about math and engaging in discourse? Check out this quick, 5-minute video on What’s Going on in This Graph?

STEM

Elementary Research Experience for Teachers

Apply for a six-week paid research experience at MSU this summer. Montana State University will host a six-week Research Experience for Teachers (RET) for elementary teachers in Summer 2026. The experience includes a stipend plus

housing and travel expenses.  In the energy-themed program, teachers gain hands-on experience in state-of-the-art engineering research labs and will visit energy facilities such as hydroelectric dam as well as nearby American Indian cultural sites. We will explore Indigenous perspectives in engineering, with a focus on integrating STEM with Montana's Indian Education For All curriculum. The application deadline is Feb. 6, 2026.

Visit www.montana.edu/ret for more information and a link to the application. No STEM degree or prior experience is required, and all Montana elementary teachers and pre-service teachers are encouraged to apply. 

Community of Science Teacher Leaders

The Montana Office of Public Instruction's Science Instructional Coordinator invites K–8 science/STEM educators to join the Community of Science Teacher Leaders. This statewide community will collaborate to strengthen 3D science/STEM instruction, proficiency-based learning and assessment (MAST), and meaningful IEFA integration. Participants will engage every month in virtual meetings.  The first meeting is scheduled for January 27, 2026 at 4 pm.

The purpose of the Community of Science Teacher Leaders is for Montana students to receive meaningful and rigorous STEM/science instruction that allows them to develop critical thinking skills that will assist them in their personal lives and in their careers, as well as lay a foundation of understanding of science content.  

Members may assist in MAST item review, statewide professional development, (e.g. conferences, the Teacher Learning hub, etc.).  Members may also create and referee lessons/units for the science repository, collect student feedback, and eventually connect them to the standards in the Satchel Website. 

Reminder: Montana Earth Science Pictures

“Montana Earth Science Pictures” website, has moved from the old website formontana.net to the new site Earthscienceguy.com.

Find out about more opportunities on OPI’s science website!

Keep updated on: Science Professional Development Grant or Paid Teacher Opportunities  Challenges and Competitions  Student and Classroom Opportunities  Montana STEM Community Find many other resources and opportunities on the Montana OPI Science Page.

ELA

Upcoming Hub Course: Preparing Students for the MAST Performance Task

Be on the lookout this month for a new course on the Learning Hub: Preparing Students for the MAST Performance Task. This course is designed for 3-8 teachers and will guide participants through a review of the rubrics and ELA content standards relevant to the writing assessment, writing strategies to use all year long with your students, and instructional resources and approaches to practice the Performance Task–including exemplars, prompts, and more. 

Monthly Instructional Strategy Spotlight

January’s MAST Memo video focuses on writing summary sentences and paragraphs to prepare students for longer writing assignments. It also shares a couple resources you can access with your students to get them summarizing. Watch the short video here. 

Montana's ELA Standards: Monthly Implementation Webinars beginning in August!

Join OPI’s free, statewide webinar series designed to support educators in implementing the 2027 Montana English Language Arts and Literacy Content Standards. Sessions will include

• practical guidance
• job-embedded strategies and resources
• tips for alignment with your curriculum
• a community of professionals engaging in shared learning

See the PDF of the flier here, which includes a link to the webinar calendar and topics and the registration form.

OPI ELA Updates

Check out the Montana OPI ELA page to learn about additional professional learning opportunities, instructional resources, standards revisions, and more!

• ELA Announcements
• Professional Learning Opportunities
• Standards and Standards Revision Updates

Computer Science

IEFA Opportunity Using Physical Computing

The Storytelling Project is offering a week-long workshop that will support teachers in delivering existing computer science curriculum rooted in Indian education. This curriculum introduces students in Grades 4-6 to computer programming using design-based physical projects and basic circuitry, leveraging past and contemporary ledger art by tribal members of Montana. 

In this workshop, you will: 

• Learn how to program LEDs and sensors on circuits you design, 
• Make connections between tribes in Montana and computer science, 
• Practice inclusive pedagogy to support all learners, 
• Connect to other teachers with similar interests.  

If you are interested in learning more about ledger art and computer science and how to incorporate it into your classroom, please join us for a professional development workshop. MSU Storytelling is offering a one-week course that will leave you prepared to successfully implement this Ledger Art curriculum in your classroom. 

Virtual training February 16 – 20 from 5-7 pm. Deadline is February 6 (to allow time to ship training materials to you). 

Have questions? Not sure if this opportunity is for you? Join us for an optional preview and information session on Thursday, January 29 from 5-6 pm.  LEDs! Music! More! This is an incredible opportunity to fulfill IEFA standards and get paid doing it! $2,000 stipend, in addition to 10 renewal units, for each current teacher who attends the entire training. No experience necessary! We also provide supplies for your classroom so you can implement (while supplies last)!

Learn more at: https://www.montana.edu/storytelling/teachers.html

Art

CMR HS Hosts MAI

Charles M Russell High School is excited to host MAI on March 6th and 7th. We are changing it up a little with all the sectionals being taught on Sat. in the morning. We are looking for people to teach two, 2 hour sectionals and we anticipate we can pay $50/hour. This is the tentative schedule:

Friday

• 4:00 - 5:30 registration and hang student art work.
• 5:30 - 6:30 Dinner (taco bar) Welcome
• 6:30- 7:30  Critique groups
• 7:30- 9:30  Sculpture group collaboration (Burning Man Theme)
• 9:30 - 11:00 Sculpture parade and dance

Saturday

• 7:00 - 8:00 Breakfast
• 8:00-10:00 Sectional 1
• 10:00-12:00 Sectional 2

Pack up lunch on own. Downtown Great Falls has a multitude of beautiful murals and two excellent museums for students to explore.

$50.00 registration fee and limited to the first 150 registrants.

If you would like to share your skills with these amazing students please fill out this form.

Standard Revisions Updates

ELA Standards

Montana’s new English Language Arts and Literacy Content Standards have been formally adopted by the Montana Board of Public Education! The implementation date is July 2027, selected to allow school districts adequate time to prepare between the implementation of new math and ELA standards. More information about the standards revision process can be found on the OPI’s ELA Standards Revisions Webpage.

Check out the Montana ELA & Literacy Standards Revision Overview one-pager for a brief overview of the revisions, or see the 2027 MT ELA Standards and Coding.  

Math Standards

Montana’s updated standards have an implementation date of July 2026! 

Q: What does this mean?

A: All instruction in Montana schools is expected to be aligned with the state curriculum standards beginning July 2026. 

Q: Will my textbook cover all the standards? 

A: Your textbook likely covers the majority of the curriculum standards; however, educators should review the revised standards and conduct a curriculum audit to assess for gaps. For example, an existing gap that every educator will notice is the lack of IEFA alignment in “off the rack” textbooks. Montana’s standards have required mathematics instruction to embed contexts relevant to Indigenous Peoples of Montana for over 15 years, a need that textbooks rarely meet. 

Q: Can I just keep teaching what I have always taught? The standards haven’t changed that much, have they?

A: Continuing practices without reviewing the revised standards could lead to a misalignment with state assessments, limited time in the classroom to cover all content, or gaps in instruction. Additionally, state law mandates that teaching and learning adhere to state curriculum standards. Therefore, educators are strongly encouraged to conduct an audit. 

Q: What resources are available to help me with this change?

A: OPI offers tons of resources on our Math Revisions Website. Additionally, OPI is offering two professional learning webinars that occur monthly. You can watch recordings of past webinars, or register for future sessions on the website, or by clicking on the links provided later in this compass. 

Additional guidance is being developed as we speak. To stay informed, visit the mathematics revision webpage. All published guidance documents will be visible on this page as they become available. 

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