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I'm wondering how schools are held accountable for guidance strategies for children without disabilities. Are there any specific guidelines to follow? To what extent are schools required, if at all, to individualize for non disabled students? Also, how are training dollars dispersed to schools and what requirements are there for how those training dollars are spent. Are there specific trainings or a specific number of training hours required for teachers, administrators and para-professionals? How do I access training schedules and requirements for my school district? Do parents have any say in what kind of training they would like for their educators? I know this is a lot of questions. I would like to advocate for positive guidance training and individualizing for every child regardless of disability and need a starting point. Any information you can give me on these issues would be greatly appreciated.

All schools are held accountable to the accreditation standards adopted by the Board of Public Education and are found at Title 10, Chapter 55 of the Administrative Rules of Montana. You can access this entire document by using the following link: http://www.opi.mt.gov/ARM/index.html

ARM 10.55.901 specifically details School Counseling Program Delivery Standards and is set forth at the end of this response. With regard to training hours for teachers, 20-1-304 MCA (reproduced below) provides for up to seven pupil instruction related (PIR) days. The training content is determined by the local school district in accordance with the requirements of ARM 10.55.714(reproduced below). You can contact your local school district regarding the PIR training that your school offers to/requires of its teachers.

10.55.1901 SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM DELIVERY STANDARDS (1) In general, school counseling shall: (a) meet the following conditions: (i) provide a comprehensive developmentally planned program; (ii) advocate for all students and encourage students to develop to their full potential; (iii) respect the worth and dignity of all individuals by building trust and respecting confidentiality; and (iv) contribute as an integral part of the education process that is delivered through a variety of systems by school staff, students, parents, business, and industry. (b) include the following practices: (i) maximize students' potential in the areas of academics, career, and personal/social development; (ii) develop a guidance curriculum presented through structured groups and classroom presentations; (iii) conduct individual planning using assessment, advisement, placement, and follow-up; (iv) deliver responsive services through individual and group counseling, consultation, and referral; and (v) provide system support through management, consultation with staff, community outreach, and public relations. (History: Sec. 20-2-114, MCA; IMP, Sec. 20-2-121, 20-3-106, 20-7-101, MCA; NEW, 1989 MAR p. 342, Eff. 7/1/89; AMD, 2001 MAR p. 953, Eff. 6/8/01.)

20-1-304. Pupil-instruction-related day. A pupil-instruction-related day is a day of teacher activities devoted to improving the quality of instruction. The activities may include but are not limited to inservice training, attending state meetings of teacher organizations, and conducting parent conferences. A maximum of 7 pupil-instruction-related days may be conducted during a school year, with a minimum of 3 of the days for instructional and professional development meetings or other appropriate inservice training, if the days are planned in accordance with the policy adopted by the board of public education. The days may not be included as a part of the required minimum aggregate hours of pupil instruction. 1

0.55.714 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (1) By definition, professional development: (a) focuses on teachers as central to student learning, yet includes all other members of the school community; (b) focuses on individual, collegial, and organizational improvement; (c) respects and nurtures the intellectual and leadership capacity of teachers, principals, and others in the school community; (d) reflects proven research and practice in teaching, learning, and leadership; (e) enables teachers to develop further experience in subject content, teaching strategies, uses of technologies, and other essential elements in teaching to high standards; (f) promotes continuous inquiry and improvement embedded in the daily life of schools; (g) is ongoing and sustained; (h) is planned collaboratively by those who will participate in and facilitate that development; (i) requires substantial time and other resources; (j) is driven by a coherent long-term plan; and (k) is evaluated ultimately on the basis of its impact on teacher effectiveness and student learning, and this assessment guides subsequent professional development efforts. (2) Teachers and specialists shall annually complete a minimum of three pupil instruction related (PIR) days dedicated exclusively to professional development. (a) A professional development PIR day shall constitute six hours of contact time. (b) A school district may divide a professional development PIR day into no fewer than two-hour blocks of contact time. (c) A professional development block may be held on the same day as a pupil instruction day, but a school district shall not schedule a professional development PIR day to convene simultaneously with a pupil instruction day. (3) School district trustees shall establish an advisory committee to evaluate the school district’s current school year professional development plan and develop and recommend a plan for the subsequent school year. (a) The advisory committee shall include, but not be limited to, trustees, administrators, and teachers. A majority of the committee shall be teachers. (b) Each school year, school district trustees shall adopt a professional development plan for the subsequent school year based on the recommendation of the advisory committee. (c) The plan recommended by the advisory committee and adopted by the school district trustees shall outline how, when, and from whom teachers and specialists shall meet their professional development PIR day expectations. (d) Although the advisory committee’s recommendation is advisory, the plan adopted by the school district trustees must include two professional development PIR days in October during which schools must close in order to permit teachers and specialists to attend the annual professional development meetings of state professional associations. (e) The adopted plan may include alternatives but shall not interfere with or prohibit teacher and specialist attendance at the annual October professional development meetings of state professional associations. (f) Teachers and specialists who do not attend the annual professional development October meetings of state professional associations or school district plan approved alternative professional development PIR days shall not be paid for the days they are absent. (g) Teachers, specialists, administrators, and school districts shall not substitute for professional development PIR day purposes professional development opportunities not specifically outlined in the school district’s adopted professional development plan. (h) School district trustees shall file their adopted professional development plan with the office of public instruction and make their plan available to employees and the public.

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