Summary of OPI Activities for May 2012
Office of the Superintendent
Student Advisory Board Spring Summit held at MSU Bozeman
The final summit of the 2011-2012 Student Advisory Board met on April 10th and 11th on the MSU campus in Bozeman. The board members attend two annual board meetings, network with state leaders and experience professional and leadership development, as well as advising Superintendent Denise Juneau on critical matters of bullying in school, student voice and being college and career ready.
The Spring Summit was led by discussion on how the student's schools incorporate student voice in decisions and policies that directly effect all students. "When we listen to student voices and empower students to lead, they will create positive change in their schools and community," said Juneau.
To learn more about the Student Advisory Board, visit
http://graduationmatters.mt.gov/studentadvisoryboard.
For more information, contact Thea Whalen, 444-5643
Anti-Bullying Website Launched
Superintendent Juneau launched a new website to provide tools and support for schools, students and families on bullying prevention. As part of her Graduation Matters Montana initiative, Juneau has taken on the challenge of bullying prevention to ensure Montana students experience a positive school climate in order to reach their full potential in the classroom.
"I want parents and students to feel secure in knowing that no matter what school students attend or what town they grow up in, practical guidelines and protections that offer clear definitions and transparent procedures for investigations will be in place," said Juneau. "The Bully Free Montana website will be a resource for schools, students and families who are trying to address and prevent bullying."
The 2011 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed nearly 40% of junior high students reported being bullied, and eighteen percent of junior high and high school students reported being cyber-bullied. Last year, 14, 500 Montana students in grades six through 12 took the My Voice surveys about school climate. Forty-one percent of those students said bullying is a problem in their school.
Resources included on the
Bully Free Montana website include: model policies and procedures for schools, what students can do if they are being bullied or cyber-bullied, tips for parents and ways to assess your school's effectiveness regarding bullying prevention and intervention.
For more information, contact Allyson Hagen, 444-3160
3,100 Juniors take the ACT Plus Writing for free
Approximately 3,100 Montana students from fifty-one schools took the ACT Plus Writing test at no cost to their families thanks to a partnership between the Office of Public Instruction and the Office of Commissioner of Higher Educations' Montana GEAR UP. In 2011, OCHE was awarded a seven year, $28 million GEAR UP grant, a portion of which will cover the cost of every public high school junior in Montana having access to the ACT Plus Writing test.
"Providing the ACT to every junior will give us a complete picture of how well our K-12 public education system is preparing all students for life after high school and allow every Montana junior the opportunity to assess their college-readiness," said Superintendent Denise Juneau. "Access to higher education is critical not only for individuals, but for the future economic success of Montana."
Thank you to OCHE for providing this opportunity to Montana's students.
For more information, contact Judy Snow, 444-3656
Indian Education
Professional Development
The Indian Education Division is providing a free institute explicitly modeling strategies to develop 21st Century skills through robust implementation of Indian Education for All. You will not want to miss this transformative institute employing place-based and inquiry-driven strategies to fulfill your goals of developing college and career ready skills while learning about Montana Tribes.
Your instructors are Julie Cajune and Tammy Elser, the authors of Montana Tribal Histories: Educators Resource Guide and Companion DVD and The Framework: A Practical Guide for Montana Teachers and Administrators Implementing Indian Education for All.
The institute will be held June 18 – 19, 2012 at the Holiday Inn Parkside in Missoula, MT beginning at 8:30 am on Monday, ending Tuesday at 3:00 pm. There is no fee but pre-registration is necessary. Register with Joan Franke at jfranke@mt.gov or call 444-3694 by May 25th.
There is a block of rooms reserved at $87 until June 3rd 2012 under MT OPI; call 406-721-8550 to reserve your room. Questions/comments regarding the training – please contact Mike Jetty, Indian Education Specialist at 444-0720 or mjetty@mt.gov .
For more information, contact Mike Jetty, 444-0720
Grant Opportunity for School Districts
The Indian Education Division will announce a new round of competition for Indian Education for All grants in May. Eligible applicants will be school districts with projects beginning in August. Please look for full details on the Indian Education website at: http://www.opi.mt.gov/Programs/IndianEd/.
For more information, contact Justine Jam, 444-7490
School Finance
FY2011-12 Second Semester Transportation Claims
FY2011-12 second semester claims for transportation reimbursement (TR-5 and TR-6) are due to the County Superintendent by May 24. Remember to submit the claim electronically to OPI on May 24. The payment will be made to school districts and counties on June 22, 2012.
Payment will be generated only on those routes for which all documents are current and up-to-date in the transportation system. Please be sure to update all driver certificates (TR-35) that might expire during the period. Bus inspections (TR-13) for the second semester must have been completed by January 31, 2012 and entered into the transportation system.
For more information, contact Donell Rosenthal, 406-444-3024
Pupil Transportation Information Roll Over into FY2012-13
School districts that are interested in planning their transportation budget for FY2012-13 can roll forward the bus routes and individual contracts to the next year in the Pupil Transportation program. Instructions are posted on the OPI website at the following link:
http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/PupilTransport/RollOver_Instructions.pdf
For more information, contact Donell Rosenthal, 406-444-3024
June 2012 MAPT Bus Driver Conference
The Montana Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) will hold its annual conference in Great Falls at the Heritage Inn, 1700 Fox Farms Road, on June 27 - 29, 2012. Registration materials, a preliminary agenda and lodging information are available on the Pupil Transportation web page at:
http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/PupilTransport/12Draft_Reg_Agenda.pdf
For more information, contact Donell Rosenthal, 406-444-3024
Incentive Funds for Districts Participating in Multidistrict Cooperatives
Senate Bill 329 and House Bill 2 appropriated $2 million for the biennium for one-time payments to school districts participating in multidistrict cooperatives as of December 31, 2012. Payments will be allocated to districts based on the proration of each district’s FY2013 general fund BASE budget to the total BASE budgets for all districts participating in multidistrict cooperatives.
A district must be participating in a multidistrict cooperative in FY2013 in order to be eligible for a portion of the $2 million appropriation. The prime applicant (prime agency) of the cooperative must send a copy of the finalized multidistrict agreement and the name of each participating district to the Office of Public Instruction (OPI). Please send this information to Debbie Casey, OPI School Finance Division, P.O. Box 202501, Helena, MT 59620-2501. School districts have until December 31, 2012 to submit the required paperwork.
The OPI will make a partial preliminary payment to school districts in mid to late August 2012 based on the written agreements it receives as of July 31, 2012. After the December 31, 2012 deadline, OPI will recalculate the final distribution and send final payments to all school districts eligible for the incentive funding.
OPI has posted a document containing answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about multidistrict cooperatives, including guidance for the accounting treatment and reporting of activity related to multidistrict cooperatives on the annual Trustees Financial Summary. The document is located at this link: http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/SchoolFinance/Acct/MultidistrictAgreementsFAQ.pdf
For more information, contact Janelle Mickelson, 406-444-3249
Important June 1 Deadlines
All public elementary, high school and K-12 districts which request approval of additional ANB for funding purposes must submit form PAA-3 by June 1. Refer to 20-9-313, Montana Code Annotated for a list of the conditions when a district is eligible to apply for additional ANB funding.
· Anticipated Enrollment Increase
School districts may submit applications for an increase in ANB for FY2012-13 through June 1, 2012. Districts may be eligible for an increase if anticipated enrollments for FY2012-13 exceed average current year enrollment counts by more than 6%. OPI must review actual enrollment as of October 1, 2012 to verify approved increases actually materialized.
· Reopening an Elementary or High School
The County Superintendent of Schools must provide an estimate of enrollment for the reopened school for the ensuing year, including a clear explanation or documentation showing the basis for the estimate.
· Transition from Half-Time to Full-Time Kindergarten Program
School districts that intend to transition from half-time to full-time kindergarten program in FY2012-13 must indicate the anticipated percentage of kindergarten students to be offered a full-time program for FY2012-13 for each elementary budget unit.
Form PAA-3 is available on the OPI website at this link: http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/schoolfinance/forms/PAA3AddANB.pdf
For more information, contact Nica Merala, 406-444-4401
FY2011-12 Direct State Aid Supported by Education Jobs Fund
The U.S. Department of Education awarded supplemental funds to the State of Montana under the Education Jobs Fund Program (CFDA No 84.410). The award ($454,107.00) is a supplement to the Education Jobs Fund monies the state received in FY2011 and must be treated in the same manner as the original award. Governor Schweitzer directed the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) to distribute the Education Jobs Fund monies to schools to fund K-12 Base Aid. The FY2012 April Direct State Aid (DSA) payment may be supported by two revenue sources. A spreadsheet pertaining to the April 2012 Education Jobs Payment has been posted on the OPI website at the following link: Click Here. The report shows the amount of Education Jobs Fund monies for each school district and contains accounting guidance for these funds.
For more information, contact Janelle Mickelson, 406-444-3249
New School Finance Specialist
The OPI School Finance Division is pleased to announce that Nicole Thuotte is the new Finance Specialist responsible for training, impact aid, elections, tuition and out-of-district attendance reporting. Nicole is a familiar face at OPI. She started work at OPI nearly 8 years ago, first as an Administrative Assistant with Licensure, then a Licensure Specialist. She has been the Student Records Manager with AIM for the past 5 1/2 years. She is excited about the new challenges she will experience in her new role. Nicole will begin working in the School Finance Division on May 7, 2012. Welcome Nicole!
For more information, contact Nicole Thuotte, 406-444-4524
Measurement and Accountability
AIM Collection of Average Daily Attendance (ADA)
Starting in May the OPI will begin collecting Average Daily Attendance (ADA) information for all students as required under Senate Bill 329. The number of days enrolled and number of days present will be collected for each student enrolled in the 2011-2012 school year. Student absences will be determined per local district policy. This ADA data will be collected during May and June. Districts will also have the opportunity to report this information through September 2012.
Detailed instructions for submitting the ADA data can be found at this link: Quick Reference Guide for ADA.
Questions regarding ADA should be directed to the AIM Help desk at 1-877-424-6681, 406-444-3800, or opiaimhelp@mt.gov.
For more information, contact Sara Loewen, 406-444-3494
AIM End of Year Collection Begins May 14
The AIM End of Year Collection begins May 14, 2012 and ends June 15, 2012. This collection includes multiple components: configuring calendars for the 2012-13 year, rolling enrollment records into the 2012-13 year, finalizing student enrollment data for the current year, and entering graduation information.
Detailed instructions for completing the End of Year Collection can be found at this link: Quick Reference Guide for End of Year Collection
Questions regarding this collection should be directed to the AIM Help desk at 1-877-4AIMMT1 (1-877-424-6681) or opiaimhelp@mt.gov.
For more information, contact Sara Loewen, 406-444-3494
Information Technology Services
GEMS Data Warehouse
The 2nd iteration of GEMS, 'Student Characteristics' is currently in the build phase. This data domain includes information about student characteristics such as Enrollment, Homeless, Migrant, and Limited English Proficient. It also displays Programs and Course Offerings by school including General, Career and Technical, Gifted and Talented and Special Education. These new data areas will be added to the warehouse this summer and will provide the ability to analyze and query data with the completed 'Student Achievement' domain data.
Additionally, the GEMS Project Team is happy to announce dates and locations for our summer regional training sessions! The training will be presented by our contractors, Aspect Software, an OPI Data Analyst, and a member of the GEMS Project Team. The training sessions will consist of an in-depth presentation of GEMS with time for Q&A.
The training will cover a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:
- The data contained within GEMS
- The primary audience for GEMS
- How to access GEMS
- How to print/export data from GEMS
- How to drill into dashboards for further analysis
- The security in place to protect student data
Please plan to attend these exciting and informative training sessions!
Each session will be from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. on the dates and locations listed below. Click here to register: http://www.keysurvey.com/votingmodule/s180/survey/429592/3f59/
Week One
Monday, July 16th – Sidney
Tuesday, July 17th – Miles City
Wednesday, July 18th – Billings (Lockwood)
Thursday, July 19th – Lewistown
Week Two
Monday, July 23rd – Havre
Tuesday, July 24th – Great Falls
Wednesday, July 25th – Helena
Week Three
Monday, July 30th – Kalispell
Tuesday, July 31h – Missoula
Wednesday, August 1st – Butte
Thursday, August 2nd- Bozeman
For more information, contact Jamey Ereth, 444-4409
Assessment
Summary of Assessment Activities
Congratulations! Thanks to test coordinators, test administrators, and all school personnel for a successful 2012 CRT and CRT-Alt administration. The results will be posted on MARS by the end of the day on Friday, May 25.
The May 2012 JUMP will be posted the week of May 14.
Six online classes are planned for the summer. Information about them is on the MontCAS Presents page: http://www.opi.mt.gov/Curriculum/MontCAS/MontCAS_Presents.html
The following classes will start in June
- Teaching and Assessing Limited English Proficient Students—New this year
- FAME-CI: Formative Assessment for Montana Educators—Back by popular demand
- Standards-Based IEPs—Back by popular demand
- The following new classes will start in July
- Math and Montana Common Core Standards
- ELA and Montana Common Core Standards
- Writing and Montana Common Core Standards
For more information, contact Alisia Landis, 406-444-3511
Other Education News
Title IX
The Office of Public Instruction has recently expanded its Civil Rights webpage including an extensive section on Title IX. The Civil Rights webpage is located under the Resources tab of the OPI official website. The direct link is http://www.opi.mt.gov/Resources/civilrights/. After navigating to the Title IX webpage, the Technical Assistance section is a great place to start; it includes a checklist and other essential materials required by this federal law. There is also an extensive list of links to notices, pamphlets, and "Dear Colleague" letters that have been promulgated by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), the federal enforcement agency for Title IX. Each of these links has a brief summary of the contents found in the document. The related links section provides additional resources regarding Title IX. If you have any questions or desire additional information please contact Tom Antonick Title IX Coordinator, Montana Office of Public Instruction at 444-3161 or tantonick@mt.gov
For more information, contact Tom Antonick, 444-3161
Getting Ready for Smarter Balanced Assessment: Technology Readiness Tool
Technology Readiness Tool Pilot
The move to online assessments gives rise to a distinctive set of opportunities for school technology. The Technology Readiness online tool (TRT) will give Montana schools a convenient way to capture and report on indicators of their technology readiness for the Smarter Balanced Assessments. All of the information captured through the TRT will help inform plans and priorities to have the technology in place for students to take the Smarter Balanced assessments when they are fully implemented in 2015.
The Technology Readiness Tool (TRT) assesses current capacity and compares that to the technology that will be needed to administer the new online assessments in four areas:
1. Computers and other devices
2. Ratio of devices to test-takers
3. Network and infrastructure
4. Personnel (staffing and training)
Five districts will be piloting the use of the TRT to help determine the time commitment and any technical support issues that districts may encounter. The pilot districts are Bozeman, Cascade, Ekalaka, Lewistown and Montana City.
Please visit the Getting Ready page on the OPI website for more information about the
TRT and the Smarter Balanced assessments.
For more information, contact Colet Bartow, 444-3583
Health Enhancement and Safety
Just Revised for 2012! Traffic Education Standards for HS Driver Ed Programs
If you are new to traffic education in Montana or want to refresh your memory, the updated Traffic Education Standards booklet is posted on the OPI's website. The new booklet has a summary of the recently revised Montana Administrative Rules guiding the state-approved Traffic Education Programs across Montana. Parent meetings are discussed along with program operations within the school; teachers, vehicles, scheduling, designing lessons for classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction; and expanded resources instrumental to teachers and coordinators of traffic education programs. View or download the booklet here: http://www.opi.mt.gov/Programs/DriverEd/. Scroll down and below the navigation bar on the left side of the page, click on Standards and Requirements.
For more information, contact Patricia Borneman, 406-444-4432
Traffic Education Year-End Reports (TE06) Due July 10 - File Online!
The Traffic Education Year-End Report (TE06) is due July 10 and can be filed online via the Traffic Education Data and Reporting System (TEDRS). Throughout the year, you should have been sending (or submitting online via TEDRS) copies of both the TE03 Certification with the TE04 Student List for all your traffic education classes completed between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012. Student counts are tallied in TEDRS and you can go online to view your district's student count for the year.
TE01 Program Applications are due August 10 for the 2012-2013 school year and the 2013 summer programs. This form can be submitted throughout the year, but must be approved before your traffic education class begins. Submit your TE01 online via TEDRS. If you need a TEDRS login, send an e-mail to pborneman@mt.gov with your name, phone number, e-mail address, and school name(s). TE forms are also available for download on the OPI Driver Education Programs web page: http://www.opi.mt.gov/Programs/DriverEd/.
For more information, contact Patricia Borneman, 406-444-4432
Montana DRIVE One-Day Summer Workshops in Lewistown - Register Now!
Drivers of school and transit buses, cars, trucks, and ambulances can register for a Montana DRIVE summer workshop. College credit is available for teachers who attend a one-day workshop and student-teach the next day. The one-day workshops include two hours of classroom instruction and seven hours in vehicles. Professional driving instructors take drivers through off-road recovery, skid control and evasive maneuvers. The behind-the-wheel training increases risk awareness and teaches skills to respond safely to driving risks. The fleet includes sedans, a Suburban, an ambulance, a dump truck, several school buses and a fire truck. Summer workshops are limited to 12 participants each day. Registration costs $299 and auto insurance discounts may be available. Workshops are filling fast! Call (406) 444-4432 or e-mail registration requests to montanadrive@mt.gov. Visit http://www.montanadrive.mt.gov for updated workshop schedule, registration form, and additional information.
For more information, contact Patricia Borneman, 406-444-4432
Montana DRIVE Teen Workshops in Lewistown - July 16, 17, and 18, 2012
Space is still available on Tuesday, July 17 and Wednesday, July 18 for the popular Montana DRIVE One-Day Teen Driver Workshop. State Farm Insurance scholarships are available for teen drivers who fill out the application and write a paragraph explaining why they want to participate and what they expect to gain from the workshop. The scholarship covers $200 of the $275 fee. The application is available for download here: http://www.opi.mt.gov/Programs/DRIVE/and should be faxed or mailed to OPI soon for approval and registration. A payment of $75 is required to confirm the workshop reservation. For details, e-mail: montanadrive@mt.gov or call: (406) 444-4432.
For more information, contact Patricia Borneman, 406-444-4432
Farm to School Conference
Mark your calendar to attend the Taking Root: Montana Farm to School Conference on August 16-17, 2012. This conference is geared to educators, school foodservice managers, school wellness coordinators, community members, farmers and ranchers interested in learning how to teach children about food and nutrition through classroom, cafeteria and community connections. Registration is open.
For more information go to this web site: http://www.montana.edu/cs/conferences/farmtoschool/ or
For more information, contact Katie Bark, 406-994-5641
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Training
The School Nutrition Program's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Training is for school food service employees or administrative staff who administer the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable "Snack" Program (FFVP). This two-hour training on June 18, 2012 will include information needed to successfully implement the program, including instruction on submitting online agreements and claims for reimbursement. We’re offering this workshop to any new FFVP sponsors or staff as well as experienced sponsors that want a refresher course. June 10, 2012 is the deadline to register. Go to http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/SchoolFood/CurrentNews/12JuneFFVPTrainingReg.pdf and complete your registration.
For more information, contact School Nutrition Programs, 406-444-2501
Montana School Nutrition Association Conference
This year’s Montana School Nutrition Association (MSNA) conference will be held June 19-21, 2012 in Great Falls. Check out conference offerings at http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/SchoolFood/CurrentNews/12ConfGlance.pdf and get registered today by going to http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/SchoolFood/CurrentNews/12JuneMSNAConfReg.pdf.
For more information, contact School Nutrition Programs, 406-444-2501
Montana Summer Food Summit
The Montana Summer Food Summit is for administrators of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Join us for networking, resources and technical support during this two day conference which is being held May 14-15, 2012 in Helena, MT. Go to http://www.keysurvey.com/survey/424453/158d/ for registration materials.
For more information, contact School Nutrition Programs, 406-444-2501
Summer Food Service Program
School Food Authorities are required to inform families of the availability and locations of free meals for students when the regular school year ends. Watch a video for more information about this requirement and then go to the OPI School Nutrition website for outreach materials.
Are you interested in being Summer Food Service Program Sponsor?
The Summer Food Program reimburses schools and organizations that prepare and serve meals to eligible children during the summer.
For more information, contact School Nutrition Programs, 406-444-2521
Educational Opportunity and Equity Division
Certification of Homeless Student Data
The OPI's Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program is currently developing a web application for the certification and submission of data regarding homeless students. The application will allow the OPI to accurately collect and verify student level data for submission to the U.S. Department of Education as required by Title X of the ESEA. Each LEA will be required to verify and submit data at the end of each school year. Districts which have not identified any homeless students during the school year will be required to verify and submit a count of zero.
For more information, contact Heather Denny, (406) 444-2036
2012 OPI State Title I Conference
The Title I Division held its 2012 conference in Missoula, MT, April 25-26. Over 275 teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, board members, parents, and other education specialists attended the meetings. The keynote speaker was Manuel Scott, one of the original Freedom Writers. Attendees were able to go to sessions about GEMS, using the Montana Common Core to aid in instruction, reading and math interventions, and much, much more.
The Title I Unit would like to thank the Holiday Inn staff and members of the Small Business Development Council for assisting us in getting over 25,000 books unloaded and moved to the distribution room. Without your help we would still be unloading books!
For more information, contact Jack O'Connor, 406-444-3083
Career Technical and Adult Education
