Montana Comprehensive Assessment System

►Ensure you enter any testing incidents that occur in your district in the MontCAS Application. 

• The MontCAS Application User Guide has step-by-step instructions for entering testing incidents starting on page 9. 

► STCs remember to collect evidence to support your district testing plans throughout the school year. 

• Watch Sessions 5 and 6 from the STC Workshop Series for examples and "how-tos" for writing plans.
• Base plans on the updated plan checklists found on the Test Security page of the OPI Statewide Testing webpages. 

MAST Window #3 is now open and runs through May 2, 2025. 

► Ensure all students in Grades 3 through 8 are testing within this window. Prior to administering the assessment, in the Kite Educator Portal, perform these tasks: 

• Update Rostering to reflect any student mobility in the district. Leave students who have transferred out of your district, but sill appearing in the Kite Portal as un-rostered.

• Update PNPs as needed to reflect changes to student educational plans. 

► MAST Training Opportunity (Optional): 4:00-5:00 p.m. - April 7, April 28

• The OPI is providing additional professional learning sessions supporting the MAST Assessment and information provided through score reports. The sessions are centered around using evidence based high-impact instructional strategies to support MAST and building a community of practice where educators can rely on each other for the support they need related to MAST and learning in general. Use the Zoom Link to join. 

The Montana Science Assessment Testing Window is Open. Ensure all Grade 5 and 8 students test between now and Friday, May 23, 2025. 

► STC's log into the Montana Testing Portal and review user accounts 

• STCs should add users who need to be added, delete users who are no longer in the district or who should no longer have access to student data, and make any needed updates to user roles for current users. 

► Send Parent Notification Letters home to parents/guardians about 2 weeks prior to planned testing. 

• Use the OPI's MSA Parent Notification Letter template to notify parents/guardians about upcoming Montana Science Assessment administration in your school. 

► STCs ensure Test Administrators complete the required Test Administration Certification Course. 

• All certified staff who will be administering the Montana Science Assessment must complete the Test Administrator Certification Course prior to administering the statewide assessment. 

► Ensure secure browsers have been downloaded on testing devices. 

• Use the Installing the Secure Browser document to ensure all student testing devices are prepared for testing. 

► CHROME USERS: Update Devices for Spring 2025 testing!

• With the upcoming release of ChromeOS Version 133 on the Stable channel in early 2025, a required setting for the secure browser will no longer be enabled by default. Districts/schools MUST utilize one or both of the options shared in the Chrome OS Update Instructions. 

The Alternate Montana Science Assessment Testing Window Opening is Open. Ensure all Grade 5, 8, and 11 alternate students test between now and Friday, April 25, 2025.

► STCs log into the Montana Testing Portal and review user accounts.

• STCs should add users who need to be added, delete uses no longer in the district or who should no longer have access to student assessment data, and make any needed updates to user roles for current users. 

► CHROME USERS: Update Devices for Spring 2025 testing!

With the upcoming release of ChromeOS Version 133 on the Stable channel in early 2025, a required setting for the secure browser will no longer be enabled by default. Districts/schools MUST utilize one or both of the options shared in the Chrome OS Update Instructions. 

► Ensure students are appropriately marked in AIM/Infinite Campus. 

• Students eligible for the Alternate Montana Science Assessment must be marked as alternate in AIM/Infinite Campus to ensure they are uploaded to the Montana Testing Portal appropriately. 

Multi State Alternate Assessment Testing Window is now Open. Ensure all Grade 5, 8, and 11 alternate students test between now and Friday, April 25, 2025. 

► STC's log into the MSAA System and review user accounts 

• STCs should add users who need to be added, delete users who are no longer in the district or who should no longer have access to student data, and make any needed updates to user roles for current users. 

► Send Parent Notification Letters home to parents/guardians about 2 weeks prior to planned testing. 

• Use the OPI's MSAA Parent Notification Letter template to notify parents/guardians about upcoming Montana Science Assessment administration in your school. 

► STCs ensure Test Administrators complete the required training modules.

• All certified staff who will be administering the Multi State Alternate Assessment must complete required training modules prior to administering the statewide assessment. Training modules are located in the MSAA System under the "Test Administration Training" tab.

► Ensure students are appropriately marked in AIM/Infinite Campus.

• If students are missing from the MSAA System, to have the students manually added, call the OPI Assessment Help Desk at 1.844.867.2569, or send the student's information to the OPI Assessment Help Desk via Secure File Transfer System. DO NOT send student information such as name, birthdate, or SSID in a regular email or leave it on a voicemail. 

► Verify enrollment in Pearson Accessnext (PANext).

• If you have students who need added to the portal, reach out to the OPI Assessment Help Desk at 1.844.867.2569 to have students added or removed. Remember not to leave student information such as name, SSID, birthdate, initials, etc. on a voicemail or in an email. 

For Schools Testing in Window 1 (March 25-April 4)

• Resources for completing these tasks can be found under Step 2: Configuration of the ACT Montana State and District website. 

• Instructions for completing this task are found in the ACT Technical Guide for Online Testing. 

• Find information on MyACT accounts under "Step 4: Preparation" of the Montana ACT State Testing website. 

For Schools Testing in Window 2 (April 8-18)

The ACCESS for ELLs testing window is now closed!

► Return ACCESS for ELLs materials as soon as possible.

• Use the guidance in the Returning Materials Knowledge Article to ensure materials are returned timely and correctly. 

► Continue screening potential English Learners as they enroll in your district throughout the school year. 

► LTT School Coordinator: Complete Preassessment Tasks 

• The LTT School Coordinator must schedule the Assessment Planning Meeting (APM) (Task 4) and complete the Preassessment Tasks before the Assessment Planning Meeting
• Task 5: Provide Student Information
• Task 6: Assessment Logistics
• Task 8: Notify Parents/Guardians
• Task 10: Support Assessment Activities