The OPI has prepared these student eligibility and participation guidelines to support education stakeholders and school partners with the requirements for participation in statewide assessments. These resources will assist System Test Coordinators (STCs), Authorized Representatives/Building Coordinators, and Test Administrators, Parents, and Students with the expectations for statewide assessments. The primary goal of participation is to ensure these data are representative so results are accurate and meaningful.

Administering the Montana Comprehensive Assessment System (MontCAS) statewide assessments is required under federal and state law. In Montana, the Board of Public Education adopts rules for state-level assessment in all public schools and accredited non-public schools.

 

Policies

ESSA State Plan - The purpose of the consolidated state plan is to provide parents with quality, transparent information about how Montana will meet all requirements for each federal program including statewide assessments.

MontCAS Test Security Collection Schedule - This document is the MontCAS data collection schedule and timeline.

MontCAS Policies and Procedures for Participation in Statewide Assessments - This guide explains the participation policies and procedures to register and include students in each of the statewide assessments.

English Learner Guidance for School Districts - Information to assist educators and STCs with identifying, serving, and assessing English learner (EL) students.

Alternate Assessment Eligibility Guidelines These eligibility guidelines explain the OPI’s policies and procedures for assessing students with significant cognitive disabilities (SwSCDs) using Montana's Alternate Assessments and are designed to assist IEP Teams in decision-making around participation needs for the alternate statewide assessments.

  • Appendix A - Participation Form. The four questions are the same in the EDUCATE (IC) Statewide IEP Editor. The requirement for these data is to have school districts electronically complete these steps in EDUCATE (IC). The PDF form is used by the IEP team to document the conversations, evidence, and decisions when determining whether a student should participate in alternate assessments and can assist conversations locally. Districts/schools are not required to submit it to the OPI.
  • Appendix B - Decision Flowchart. The Decision Flowchart is designed to guide the sequence of decisions to be made by IEP teams when determining whether a student should participate in Montana’s Alternate Assessments.

Special Circumstances for Test Registration and Participation  - This document provides information on special circumstances and educational situations that do not fall under the typical accredited school and primary enrollment criteria for student registration and guidance on these unique special circumstances.

Resources

Six Things Stakeholders Should Know About Participation and Testing in Montana - This document is to ensure that readers are aware of the significant value to stakeholders (e.g., students, parents/guardians, teachers, school leaders, and others) of the information derived from participating in state-level tests.

OPI Guidance for MontCAS Application User Guide - step-by-step instructions for completing the tasks required of STCs in the MontCAS Application.

For sample parent notice and score report letters, visit the Parent Corner page.

Student Upload Schedule - This document can be used by school personnel to know when the OPI will sync the EDUCATE (IC) data to the statewide testing portals.

English Learner Page - Visit this page for more information on ELs and Title III.

​Below are three documents to assist STCs with reporting non-participation as a result of medical reasons to the OPI:

References to state and federal participation laws:

The restricted-use MontCAS Application allows school officials to report non-participation for proper identification within Montana's state accountability system and federal reporting.