Summary of OPI Activities for June 2013
Office of the Superintendent
Summer Six Reading Challenge
Superintendent Juneau has launched the 2013 Summer Six Reading Challenge. Her goal is to have 2,000 students to sign up for the Challenge to read six books this summer! Students in K-12 are encouraged to participate and when they sign up, they are eligible for a monthly prize drawing of store gift cards and other items. Montana’s First Lady, Lisa Bullock and Superintendent Juneau recorded videos so that your students can read along with Lisa Bullock as she reads The Giving Tree and with Denise Juneau while she reads Red Parka Mary.
If you would like your students to participate in the Summer Six Reading Challenge, here’s what you can do:
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Go to the OPI Homepage www.opi.mt.gov or you can click directly on the link http://opi.mt.gov/Streamer/Challenge6/_Deploy to show your students the videos in the classroom or during library time.
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Encourage students to sign-up for the Challenge. You can help students sign up online or send in a registration form. The OPI has a page on its website with information for students, parents and educators. Click here for information and to register: http://opi.mt.gov/read6books.
For more information, contact Terry Kendrick, 444-3449
Graduation Matters Montana Summit
The Graduation Matters Montana Summer Summit is June 18, 2013, in Bozeman on the Montana State University campus. The day-long gathering will feature discussions of effective strategies to increase the number of students who graduate from high school prepared for college and careers. The topics covered will include: strategies for improving student engagement and increasing student-centered learning, creating peer-to-peer tutoring programs, and bringing business and community leaders to the table. The GMM Summit is open to school staff, students, and community and business leaders. There is no fee for attending the Summit.
Click here to register.
For more information, contact Deb Halliday, 444-3559
Civics Education Institute August 5th and 6th in Helena
Superintendent Juneau is sponsoring a civics education institute at the Capitol building, in Helena on August 5 and 6, 2013. The Institute is open to middle school and high school educators in Social Studies, History, and Government. National speakers and Montana experts will provide professional development training on:
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iCivics, the web-based interactive program supported by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, This program has received national attention and has ignited a renewed interest in civics education,
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Incorporating the role of Montana tribal governments in civics education,
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Aligning civic engagement with the Montana Common Core Standards and Indian Education for All and,
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Additional resources including Project Vote Smart, Mission US, and We the People.
You can register now at http://www.keysurvey.com/f/511327/2cf9/. There is no fee for the institute.
For more information, contact Terry Kendrick, 444-3449
New Members of the Student Advisory Board
Superintendent Juneau announced the addition of 23 new members to her statewide Student Advisory Board. The board is comprised of 40 high school students from 34 Montana schools. The Office of Public Instruction received 84 nominations from communities across the state. The board members, in grades 9–12, come from rural communities such as Absarokee and Cut Bank and from larger communities such as Billings and Kalispell. They represent the diverse range of experiences and backgrounds of Montana students.
The first meeting of the 2013-2014 Student Advisory Board will be October 27 and 28 in Helena. More information about the Student Advisory Board, including the full list of 2013-2014 Student Advisory Board members, is available on OPI's Graduation Matters Montana website: http://gmm.mt.gov/sab
For more information, contact Deb Halliday, 444-3559
Assessment
Assessment June Summary
CRT & CRT-Alternate
Spring 2013 CRT & CRT-Alternate scores will be available on MARS on June 4. There have been reports that the MARS website is not compatible with Internet Explorer 10. If you experience problems, try accessing the site with Internet Explorer 8 or 9. For information on accessing MARS, please see the May 2013 JUMP newsletter, pages 2-3.
E-Grants
May 22 was the last day for schools to apply for the ACT Plus Writing Administration E-Grant. Schools have until June 1 to submit amendments. Questions regarding these funds should be directed to Ashley Makowski at (406)-444-3511 or amakowski@mt.gov.
ACT Plus Writing
Students should receive their ACT Score Reports in the mail within the next couple of weeks, if they haven’t already. Schools will also receive student score reports. More information is in the May 2013 JUMP newsletter, page 6. More detailed information about the results will be posted by June 1.
ELP– Webinar: ACCESS for ELLs score interpretation 2013
We recently presented a live webinar: ACCESS for ELLs Score Interpretation 2013. The Webinar was created in collaboration with WIDA. It is intended to help you to utilize and understand the data that you have received in the results reports. The webinar is now available in recorded form on the WIDA website. The webinar is password protected. Questions about accessing the webinar can be directed to Yvonne Field, assessment specialist 406-444-0748 or yfield@mt.gov or to your local System Test Coordinator.
MontCAS Presents
Summer online courses will begin June 10. Registration is now available on the OPI website. Please visit the MontCAS Presents page for more information on the following courses:
The ACT Plus Writing for Teachers – Kris Gardner
Formative Assessment (FAME) I & II – Stevie Schmitz
MCCS: Standards for Mathematical Practices – Lisa Scott
Teaching the Writing Strand of MCCS – Dana Haring
Standards-Based IEPs—Gail McGregor
*Teaching Limited English Proficient Students—Yvonne Field, Lynn Hinch (begins June 24)
Questions about MontCAS Presents can be directed to Ashley Makowski at 406-444-3511 or amakowski@mt.gov.
Smarter
The Smarter Large Scale volunteer pilot schedule for Spring 2013 has been replaced by a practice test that will be available May 29, 2013 and will remain open through the summer and across the next school year. Click here for more information. Smarter updates will be posted during the summer at the following links:
OPI: http://opi.mt.gov/Curriculum/montCAS/MCCS/index.php#gpm1_6
For more information, contact Judy Snow, 406-444-3656
Accreditation and Educator Preparation
Montana Educator Performance Appraisal System - A State Model
The attached memorandum is to introduce you to a model evaluation system for the state of Montana. The model was born from changes in Chapter 55 Standards of Accreditation, and is intended to be an opportunity for enhancing school and student performance through a common evaluation framework for Montana. A “first look” at sections of the state model, the Montana Educator Performance Appraisal System (Montana-EPAS), will be available soon on the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) website. Click here for more information. http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/Accred/13EdPerformanceAppraisalSystem.pdf
The Montana–EPAS will launch this summer during the Montana Educators’ Institute (MEI), at the Great Northern Hotel in Helena, MT, June 11, 12, and 13, 2013. The 2013 MEI, Leading in Teaching: Fostering Professional Growth for Successful Student Learning is sponsored by Montana ASCD, SAM, MEA-MFT, MSSA, MTSBA, MREA, MCDE and the OPI. Plan to bring a team of administrators, teachers, and board members to learn about the new system. To register individually or as a team for the 2013 MEI, click here http://www.mtascd.org/.
For more information, contact Linda Vrooman Peterson, (406) 444-5726
Content Standards and Instruction
Professional Learning Opportunities
MBI 2013 Summer Institute - Learn with the CSI Team about Montana Content Standards
Early Bird Registration ends June 3rd at midnight. https://tofu.msu.montana.edu/cs/mbi2013
We have another great line up! Click on the links below to see what is being offered in all the different topics of interest:
Administrators
http://www.montana.edu/cs/conferences/mbi
Smarter Balanced Practice Test Information.
The fact sheet is posted on the OPI website. The direct link is:
http://opi.mt.gov/PDF/Assessment/GetReady/13_05-29Smarter-Practice-Test-Fact-Sheet.pdf
OR you can go to the following link and click on Assessment, Smarter, and Key Dates
http://opi.mt.gov/Curriculum/montCAS/MCCS/index.php?gpm=1_6&apm=1_2
The direct link to the materials is:
http://www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-assessments/
NOTE: For Best Results, type your links and content directly into this form. This will ensure a consistent look on the OPI website. Copying and pasting from Word or any other application will drag unwanted code with it.
For more information, contact Colet Bartow, 4064443583
Health Enhancement and Safety
Teens and Teachers - Register now for a Montana DRIVE Workshop
Teens with six months driving experience are invited to apply for a $200 State Farm scholarship to attend a one-day workshop on July 16 or 17. Gaining experience behind the wheel is the best way to drive with skill and confidence on Montana's roads and highways. Spread the word at your school about this training opportunity for Montana's teen drivers. A State Farm scholarship application and $75 deposit is all that's required to confirm registration.
Montana teachers are also encouraged to take the driving workshop for one college credit from MSU-Northern or renewal units from OPI. This requires an additional day participating as a student teacher, submission of a short paper, and payment to MSU-Northern for the college credit. Adult workshops cost $299.
To download the 2013 workshop schedule with available dates, registration form, Teen Scholarship application/registration form, and learn about registration options, visit Montana DRIVE.
On track in Lewistown, Montana, since 1979, these popular advanced driving one-day workshops operated by the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) run June 10 to August 8. Each one-day workshop provides quality one-on-one instruction limited to 12 participants with 4 professional instructors. Completion of this workshop can also reduce auto insurance premiums (ask your agent for details).
For more information, contact Patti Borneman, 406.444.4432
Traffic Ed Year-End reports due before July 10 - Estimated reimbursement $90
To receive your traffic education reimbursement, you must submit a TE06 Year-End Report to OPI before July 10. Traffic Education reimbursement for 2012–2013 Traffic Education (TE) Programs will be made in August. We estimate payment will be approximately $90 per TE student.
TE06 Year-End Reports can be submitted online via the Traffic Education Data and Reporting System (TEDRS). Please check your student count in TEDRS under Reports, Traffic Education Student Count to verify that all student lists have been completed and reported to OPI for all traffic education classes completed between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013.
Districts submitting TE03/TE04 forms via TEDRS DO NOT need to mail a printed hardcopy of these forms to the OPI.
These required TE forms can be completed and submitted via TEDRS:
TE01 Program Application -- Due August 1 or BEFORE TE program begins. Please make sure to notify the Traffic Ed Office if you have changes to your program (new instructor, program dates, etc.).
TE03/04 -- Due upon completion of each TE class or prior to July 10. Submit to OPI electronically through TEDRS.
TE06 Year-End Report -- Due before July 10 with program and budget information for annual August TE reimbursement estimated at $90 per student.
Submit the TE06 Year-End Report via the Traffic Education Data and Reporting System (TEDRS). If you need a username to access the system, send your name, phone number, email address, and school district name to pborneman@mt.gov. A sample of the required forms can be downloaded on the Traffic Education Forms page. MAEFAIRS and Pupil Transportation users can use their OPI common login names, but need to request access to TEDRS.
For more information, contact Fran Penner-Ray, 406.444.4396
USDA Food orders - Summer Food Service Sponsors
The USDA Foods order form is now available online at https://data.opi.mt.gov/USDAFoods/Frmlogin.aspx for placing your summer food order. The order form will be available through June 7, 2013. To place your order, click on Enter/Modify Food Order and then click on Generate a New Order Number. Once the number appears, click the Select button beside it and begin placing your order.
For more information, contact Judy Wilson, 406-444-4415
National School Lunch and Breakfast Program
School Nutrition Programs will post new free and reduced price meal applications materials on the Office of Public Instruction website July 1, 2013. Please be certain to check the website before sending out applications for the 2013-14 school year.
For more information, contact School Nutrition Programs, 406-444-2501
Montana School Nutrition Association
This year’s Montana School Nutrition Association (MSNA) conference will be held June 18-20, 2013 in Billings. Check out conference offerings at http://www.mtsna.org/state-conference.html .
For more information, contact School Nutrition Programs, 406-444-2501
Meet us at MASBO - Bozeman, MT
Child Nutrition Reauthorization has created changes for schools and how business needs to be conducted. Join OPI School Nutrition staff for sessions on June 20 as they discuss changes in USDA regulations and qualification of students through new direct certification processes.
For more information, contact School Nutrition Programs, 406-444-2501
Free HealthSmart Curriculum
HealthSmart, a nationally recognized health curriculum published by ETR Associates is free to teachers of health enhancement in Montana schools. The three high school sets include a teacher's guide and six student workbooks in the following titles: Violence and Injury Prevention, Abstinence & Sexual Health, HIV/STD and Pregnancy Prevention. The two middle school set titles are: Violence and Injury Prevention and Abstinence and Puberty. Health Enhancement teachers should contact Susan by email or phone to reserve their set of materials. Materials can then be picked up by the teacher or their appointee at the OPI's building located at 1201 Eleventh Ave. Due to funding reductions, materials will only be mailed to those districts that are 300 miles or more from Helena. Please share this offer with your health enhancement teacher as soon as possible as there are only 50 sets of each title. Requests must be made by the health enhancement teacher.
For more information, contact Susan Court, 406-444-3178
Build a Rainbow on My Tray workshop
The Build a Rainbow on My Tray workshops focus on food preparation techniques and menu planning tips for serving meals and snacks that meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA regulations. Participants will learn “cooking smart” tips to reduce fat, sugar, and sodium while increasing fiber, flavor and overall eye appeal.
The target audience is food service managers, head cooks, and cook's assistants. The four hour training will include a lunch meal, time to share ideas, recipes and helpful handouts. This training is free, pre-registration is required.
Please encourage new food service staff to attend a regional workshop this summer:
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August 6, 2013 in Havre
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August 8, 2013 in Lolo
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August 13, 2013 in Glendive
Registration materials available: http://www.opi.mt.gov/Programs/SchoolPrograms/School_Nutrition/index.html#gpm1_2
For more information, contact Montana Team Nutrition, 406-994-5641
Belgrade Schools Receive National HealthierUS School Challenge Awards
Earlier this month, three schools from Belgrade School District received prestigious healthy school awards through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) program. This voluntary, national award recognizes schools which create healthy school environments by improving the quality of meals and increasing physical activity and nutrition education.
Congratulations to Belgrade Intermediate School, Heck Quaw Elementary School and Ridgeview Elementary School! Each school receives $500.00 to support the school wellness. These award-winning schools make nutrition and physical activity a priority every day. Healthy students perform well in school.
A complete list of Montana’s Award Winning Schools is available here: http://www.opi.mt.gov/Programs/SchoolPrograms/School_Nutrition/index.html#gpm1_6
For more information, contact Montana Team Nutrition, 406-994-5641
2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results
Results from the recently completed 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) are now available at www.opi.mt.gov/yrbs. School-specific and district-wide data results are available using the YRBS User name and password emailed to district superintendents and the YRBS Coordinator at each school in December. The 2013 Montana YRBS High School results should be available in June from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Six additional reports are available for grades 7-8, Native American students on reservations, Native American students in urban schools, non-public accredited schools, alternative schools, and students with disabilities in the formats of frequency distributions and trend data. County data that meets anonymity criteria is available upon request. The YRBS is a self-reporting student survey which, since 1991, has been used to monitor health risk behaviors that can result in morbidity or mortality. The six areas of questioning are unintentional injuries and violence, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behaviors, nutrition and dietary behaviors and physical inactivity.
For more information, contact Susan Court, 406-444-3178
Information Technology Services
GEMS
Montana’s Statewide Longitudinal Data System
Iteration 5 of GEMS is now complete and will be in production soon! This is the final iteration of this project. This means that all planned data domains have been populated into the data warehouse with relevant reports and dashboards for accessing the data. GEMS will continue to be populated with data, reports and dashboards on a regular basis, but the work will now be done completely in-house without our contractor.
New reports available in GEMS for iteration 5 include the following data:
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State & Federal Grant Programs
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State & Federal Grant Funding Comparison by School System
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Detailed State & Federal Grant Funding Report
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Adult and Basic Educational Goals
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Adult and Basic Education Students Served
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Adult and Basic Education Educational Goals
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Child Nutrition Program
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Graduation Dashboard for the Completion Rate up to 2011
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ACT
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Classes in Core Academic Subjects Taught By Highly Qualified Teachers
Link to GEMS: http://gems.opi.mt.gov
For more information, contact Jamey Ereth, 444-4409
K20 Data Project
In 2012, the OPI received an additional Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) grant from the US Department of Education to continue the work of the K12 data warehouse (GEMS), by expanding it to include data required to assess the college and career readiness of Montana students.
The OPI has recently released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to acquire a vendor to implement a Data Transport and Transcript Management System. The specific goals of this project involve collecting all information required for the Montana standard transcript from schools and districts across Montana in a manner that is as easy for schools and districts as possible, delivering that information to the OPI, ensuring that data is correct and accurate, formatting it in the state approved transcript format, and then providing a transcript management service that will deliver the transcript in a variety of industry-standard formats to institutions of higher education, businesses, and other qualified recipients.
The OPI plans to provide three methods of transport for high school data. These methods will include a manual entry web interface for direct submission, submitting batch or flat files, and an automated transfer system for districts. Once the successful vendor is selected, the OPI and this vendor will begin setting up meetings with each school district to determine which their preferred method of submission is. These meetings are planned to begin in late 2013 and grant funding will cover any costs associated with working with the school district’s student information system vendor. Although this process will be voluntary for all school districts, the OPI hopes that providing transcripts for free for all interested Montana students (either seniors in high school or other adults interested in a higher education) to the Montana University System will be incentive to provide this information while enhancing the State’s ability to assess college and career readiness.
For more information, contact Jamey Ereth, 444-4409
School Finance
State-Paid Tuition
The deadline to file state-paid tuition claims with the state is June 30th. Please send forms to the OPI prior to June 15th to ensure payment in fiscal year 2013. Prior to the release of payment, the OPI will contact all districts with pending claims to request entry of days enrolled.
For more information, contact Nicole Thuotte, (406) 444-4524
School Finance 2013 Summer Workshops
It’s the dog days of summer and time to “Play Ball”! Come and learn how you can “Swing for the Fences” at the annual 2013 School Budgeting and Accounting workshops. The games have been scheduled at the following parks:
Tuesday, July 9th Sidney, MT – Sidney HS, 201 3rd Avenue SE
Wednesday, July 10th Miles City, MT – Custer Co HS, 1604 Main Street
Thursday, July 11th Billings, MT – Lincoln Center, 415 N. 30th Street
Friday, July 12th Bozeman, MT – Wilson School, 404 W. Main Street
Monday, July 15th Great Falls, MT – Paris Gibson, 2nd Floor Library, 2400 Central Avenue
Tuesday, July 16th Havre, MT – Robins Administration Building, 425 6th Street
Wednesday, July 17th Kalispell, MT – Glacier HS, 375 Wolf Pack Way
Thursday, July 18th Missoula, MT – Administration Building, Room 24, 215 South 6th Street W
The School Finance Division, in cooperation with School Nutrition Division, will present a series of free regional workshops. These workshops will focus on legislative updates, tuition programs, school nutrition certification, and other topics related to school finance.
You can register online at: CLICK HERE
For more information, contact Debbie Casey, (406) 444-3096
Pupil Transportation Information Roll Over into FY2013-14
School districts may roll over their School Bus Routes (TR-1), and Individual Contracts (TR-4) for the ensuing FY 2013-14 semesters electronically in the Pupil Transportation Program.
For calculating and estimating the transportation budget for FY2013-14, please download the Transportation Budgeting Spreadsheet, which is located in the Pupil Transportation Program under the Transportation Budgeting Spreadsheet tab. Click on File, “Save As”, to download the spreadsheet. It can also be downloaded from the Pupil Transportation website at the following location: http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/schoolfinance/Budget/TransBudgetWrkSht.xls
For more information, contact Donell Rosenthal, (406) 444-3024
Post Legislative FY2013-2014 Preliminary General Fund Budget Data Sheets
The OPI School Finance Division has completed updating the Post Legislative FY2013-14 General Fund Budget Data Sheets and Excel spreadsheet to reflect recent funding changes in House Bill 2 (HB2) and Senate Bill 175 (SB175).
The FY2013-14 General Fund Budget Data Sheets can be accessed at this link: CLICK HERE
The FY2013-14 General Fund Excel spreadsheet can be accessed at this link: CLICK HERE
NOTE: Please download this current version of the spreadsheet to your computer. Previous versions are no longer applicable for preliminary budget purposes.
If you need assistance accessing files, please contact: Debbie Casey at (406) 444-3096.
SB175 and HB2 provide for an increase in the Basic entitlement; inflationary increases for the Per-ANB entitlements, the At-Risk Student entitlement, and the State appropriation for Special Education; and the addition of the new Data For Achievement payment. There are no increases in the Quality Educator, Indian Education for All, and American Indian Achievement Gap payments.
For more information, contact Dennis Clague, (406) 444-1960
MASBO 2013 Summer Conference and New Clerks Academy
The Montana Association of School Business Officials (MASBO) will hold its 2013 Summer Conference and New Clerks Academy in Bozeman at the GranTree Inn, 1325 N. 7th Avenue, June 17th-21st. The New Clerks Academy will be held June 17th and 18th. The Summer Conference will be held June 19th, 20th and 21st. The New Clerks Academy offers two days of valuable information for staff new to the school business office. The Summer Conference is an opportunity to attend quality training focused on school business operations, including payroll, accounting and budgeting. Both events are excellent ways to network with district clerks and business managers from across the state.
Online registration is available at this link: Click Here
For more information, contact Denise Ulberg, (406) 442-5599
2013 MAPT Conference
The Montana Association of Pupil Transportation (MAPT) Conference Registration and Agenda have been posted to the OPI Pupil Transportation website at the following link: http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/PupilTransport/13MAPT_RegAgenda.pdf
The registration form has been made into a form-fillable PDF. To download the form, click on the link, go to File, and "Save As".
The conference will be in Helena June 19th-21st, 2013 at the Red Lion Colonial Inn, 2301 Colonial Drive, Helena, MT.
For more information, contact Donell Rosenthal, (406) 444-3024
Special Education
Co-Teach and Collaborate: Boosting the Outcomes for Students and Educators
This year's Summer Mentor Institute takes place August 5-9, in Bozeman. Mentoring is all about increasing student achievement! This year’s institute features a refresher section on the introduction to co-teaching, takes you through basic implementation strategies, highlights practical strategies that increase student engagement and motivation, as well as a train-the-trainers section. We are also featuring a day-long session introducing school teams to Standards-Based IEPs in relation to the Common Core Standards. This training would benefit all stakeholders in a school/district—administrators, teachers, specialists, paraprofessionals, and parent volunteers.
The institute features both local and national trainers. National co-teaching expert and author, Susan Hentz, will be joined by the training team from the University of Montana’s Education Department, Nancy Marra (Director of Field Experiences), Maygan Lenz (Program Coordinator in the Office of Field Experiences), and Echo Ryan (Administrative Associate in the Office of Field Experiences). Dale Kimmet and Patty Muir from the Special Education Division at the OPI will provide the day-long training on Standards-Based IEP’s in relation to the Common Core Standards.
You can find the information on the OPI website at: http://opi.mt.gov/Programs/SpecialEd/Mentor.html or go directly to the registration link at: http://www.keysurvey.com/f/434616/1100/
For more information, contact Annette Young, 444-0299
