The OPI Assessment Unit supports teaching and learning in Montana’s accredited schools through the Montana Comprehensive Assessment System (MontCAS), which includes a suite of required statewide assessments aligned to Montana’s academic content standards. Administering the annual statewide standardized assessments is required under federal and state law. The purpose of Montana’s statewide assessments is to provide valid, reliable, consistent, and relevant measures of student academic achievement for the varied uses required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015.

  • State testing is intended to measure attainment of student proficiency and progress on state content standards over time and help Montana monitor and address these educational needs.
  • Accountability is intended to help the public understand individual school performances on these achievement indicators and to measure inequities across schools, so all students have equitable opportunities to access high-quality education.
  • Reporting is intended to provide timely and transparent information to the public and families on these achievement indicators and to support education information processes at the local and state levels.

All Montana public and non-public accredited schools are required to test all students in the following content areas of reading/English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and the English language proficiency of identified English Learners (ELs).


Mathematics and Reading/Language arts required testing programs.

For mathematics and reading/language arts, all students in Grades 3–8, and Grade 11 are assessed using these three testing programs. For Grade 11, the OPI administers the ACT with Writing test to fulfill the requirements for math, reading/language arts, and science.

Montana Aligned to Standards Through-Year is the general math and reading/language arts assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grades 3–8.

ACT with Writing is the general math, reading/language arts, and science assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grade 11. 

Multi-State Alternate Assessment is the alternate math and reading/language arts assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grades 3–8 and 11 for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Science required testing programs.

For science, all students in Grades 5, 8, and 11 are assessed using these three testing programs. For Grade 11 general science, the OPI administers the ACT with Writing test to fulfill the science requirement.

Montana Science Assessment is the general science assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grades 5 and 8. 

Alternate Montana Science Assessment is the alternate science assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grades 5, 8, and 11 for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

ACT with Writing is the general math, reading/language arts, and science assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grade 11. 

English Language Proficiency required testing program.

For English language proficiency (ELP), all students in Grades K–12 are assessed using the ACCESS for ELLs testing program.

ACCESS for ELLs is the English Language Proficiency assessment for academic achievement reporting for English Learners (EL) in Grades K–12.

 

State Performance Levels 

Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) *This chart to be retired November 1, 2024.

Montana Science Assessment (MSA)

Alternate Montana Science Assessment (AMSA)

ACT with Writing

 

 

 

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