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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13th, 2026
Contact: McKenna Gregg, Montana Office of Public Instruction
Superintendent Hedalen Announces New Statewide Math Skill Map, Giving Montana Teachers a Clear Roadmap for Student Progress
HELENA, Mont.—Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen today announced the release of a new, Montana-specific math skill map, giving teachers across the state a detailed roadmap of how math learning builds from elementary school through Algebra 1.
The skill map was developed in partnership with New Classrooms Innovation Partners, a national nonprofit focused on math instruction, to complement the state's adoption of new academic math standards. The map breaks down Montana's standards into individual skills–specific pieces of math learning, whether procedural, conceptual, or applied, that can be taught and assessed in a single class period. This shows how each skill connects to the ones before and after it. Helping teachers to see exactly how learning builds from one grade to the next.
For example, one of Montana's eighth-grade math standards requires students to use the Pythagorean theorem. If a student is struggling with that standard, the gap may not be in eighth-grade content at all, it could be an earlier skill, like exponents. The skill map shows teachers exactly which skills the Pythagorean theorem depends on, so instead of re-teaching an entire unit, they can target instruction to the specific skills a struggling student is likely missing . The same logic works in reverse: once a student has mastered a skill, the map shows what it unlocks next, whether that's deeper work within the same grade or more advanced content.
Every skill in the map comes with its own teaching resources. That means a middle school teacher who identifies a student's gap in an earlier grade's material can immediately access resources to teach that skill, rather than building something from scratch or searching for materials designed for a different classroom.
"Adopting Montana's new math standards was a major step for our students, and this skill map will help make those standards actionable for teachers," said Superintendent Hedalen. "Improving math and reading achievement is a top priority, and this is exactly the kind of instructional infrastructure our classrooms need to help every student be successful."
The skill map covers grades 4 through Algebra 1, with additional coverage of foundational elementary skills to help teachers identify and address gaps wherever they occur. It is designed to support core instruction, targeted intervention, and Montana's broader push toward competency-based learning, in which students progress based on demonstrated mastery rather than seat time.
"Montana is giving educators an incredible gift with this skill map," said Joel Rose, CEO and co-founder of New Classrooms. "When paired with the state’s outstanding new math standards, this skill map gives teachers a concrete, class-by-class way to help every student reach proficiency. We're excited for what this means for Montana's teachers and, ultimately, for Montana's students."
The skill map is now publicly available to educators, families, and the public at Montana Mathematics Content Standards (2026). A set of videos and support materials to help teachers get started using the skill map is also available at VIDEOS/RESOURCES.
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