Participation & Eligibility

Student Participation & Eligibility

The OPI has prepared these student eligibility and participation guidelines to support education stakeholders and school partners with the requirements for participation in state assessments. These resources will assist System Test Coordinators (STCs), Authorized Representatives/Building Coordinators, and Test Administrators, Parents, and Students with the expectations for state 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) state summative 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

Resources

Training Supports

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 state assessments.
MontCAS Test Security Collection Schedule 2020-21 - This document is the MontCAS data collection schedule and timeline.
NEW MontCAS Policies and Procedures for Participation in State Assessments - This guide explains the participation policies and procedures to register and include students in each of the state assessments.
English Learner Guidance for School Districts - Information to assist educators and STCs with identifying, serving, and assessing English learner (EL) students.
Eligibility Criteria Worksheet for Alternate Assessments & Learner Characteristic Inventory (LCI) for Alternate Assessments - Guidelines to assist IEP teams in determining whether a student should participate in the alternate MontCAS state summative 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.

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.
FY2022 TIDE Student Upload Schedule - This document can be used by school personnel to know when the OPI will sync the AIM/Infinite Campus data to the Montana Testing Portal.
For more information on ELs and Title III, visit the English Learner Page.

Below are three documents to assist STCs and School Principals 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.

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