At the request of Montana State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen, the Board of Public Education (BPE) gave its approval for the 2022-2023 Accreditation process:
- Restart
the number of consecutive years for deviations for the
assurance
standards
, such that, each deviation will be consider year
1 on the accreditation status reference criteria guide
- Continue
to use the ARP-ESSER district plan in place of the
Continuous
School Improvement Plan
(CSIP). Approve the Federal LEA
plan required by all public-school districts accepted ARP-ESSER funds as
the continuous school improvement plan for the 2022-2023 school year (ARM
10.55.601(3). This will allow school districts to have a single plan to meet
the demands of continuous improvement of learning for Montana students
while providing relief from multiple plans with the same intended outcome.
For public school districts declining these funds and private schools that
are accredited, the continuous school improvement plans as outlined in ARM
10.55.601(3), would still be required.
- Utilize
the Student Performance Assessment Results from 2022 for the
student
performance standards
• 3rd-8th
grade Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) Math and English Language
Arts proficiency rates
• 11th
grade ACT Math and English Language Arts proficiency rates
• 4-year graduation
cohort rate from 2022
By approving the Federal School District ARP-ESSER Plan as the CSIP for the 2022-2023 school year (ARM 10.55.601(3)), this will allow school districts to have a single plan to meet the demands of continuous improvement of learning for Montana students while providing relief from multiple plans with the same intended outcome. Districts would not be required to submit corrective plans to deviations, as the federal School District ARP-ESSER Plan requires 6-month updates. As such, where workforce challenges, serving subgroups, and other requirements by the federal government are not met, the updates would appear in the LEA plan. For public school districts declining these funds and private schools that are accredited, the continuous school improvement plans as outlined in ARM 10.55.601(3) is still required.
To access the LEA Plan, log into your TEAMS account. You will see ARP ESSER LEA PLAN on the homepage.
The state board of public education establishes and maintains standards for all public schools in Montana to guarantee that all students receive the benefit of attending accredited schools under the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) Chapter 55. ARM Chapter 55 also requires school districts to develop, implement, and evaluate continuous school improvement plans, make the plans available to the public, and review them on an annual basis.