Montana’s new English Language Arts and Literacy Standards have been adopted by the Board of Public Education and are set to be implemented July 2027! This new implementation date was selected to allow school districts more time between implementation of math and ELA standards.
Check out the Montana ELA & Literacy Standards Revision Overview one-pager for an overview of the revisions.
More information can be found on the OPI’s ELA Standards Revisions Webpage.
October 20 is National Day on Writing
To highlight the variety of writing Americans engage in and to help writers from all walks of life recognize and celebrate their craft, the National Council of Teachers of English designated October 20 as the National Day on Writing.
This day encourages individuals to share their knowledge about writing, schools and communities to organize participating groups, and the public to deepen its understanding of writing and its vital role in society.
Check out NCTE’s National Day on Writing webpage for more information and to download the National Day on Writing Toolkit.
Upcoming Hub Course: Preparing Students for the MAST Performance Task
Be on the lookout for a new course on the Learning Hub: Preparing Students for the MAST Performance Task. This course is designed for 3-8 teachers and will guide participants through a review of the rubrics and ELA content standards relevant to the writing assessment, writing strategies to use all year long with your students, and instructional resources and approaches to practice the Performance Task–including exemplars, prompts, and more.
MFPE Annual Conference
The MFPE Educator Conference will take place October 16–17, 2025, at Big Sky High School in Missoula. Attendees can choose from a wide variety of sessions, which are offered both in-person and virtually. Participants will also have opportunities to earn renewal units, explore educational resources in the exhibit hall, and connect with colleagues during the “Celebration of Teaching” event. Registration is open now.
MATELA Nominations
MATELA is seeking nominations for board and officer positions for the upcoming year–the group especially needs a Webmaster/Tech Chairperson. Passionate educators, literacy advocates, and current members are invited to consider serving in a leadership role to help guide MATELA’s mission of advancing English Language Arts education across Montana. Self-nominations are welcome. Please contact the MATELA editor at kyndra.campbell@montana.edu.
Literacy Month Toolkit
The International Literacy Association has a new Literacy Month Toolkit for 2025! The toolkit includes links to additional resources for families and teachers, including tips for family read-alouds, family engagement, and guides for teaching and using student-led book talks.
Report: The State of Literature Use in Secondary Classrooms
NCTE recently published a report examining the literature most commonly taught in secondary English classrooms and the factors shaping those choices. The findings shed light on both long-standing patterns and current challenges teachers face in bringing diverse texts to students. You can read
NCTE’s article or
download the full report to learn more about the report and its implications for English instruction.