School Accreditation
Cycle Grouping List
| Title | Cycle 1 | Cycle 2 | Cycle 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| School Year | 2026-2027 | 2027-2028 | 2028-2029 |
| MASS Regions |
Group A North Central, Hi-Line, North East, South East |
Group C North West, Western, Central |
Group B 4 Rivers, South Central
|
| Due Date |
Friday, February 26, 2027 |
Friday, February 25, 2028 |
Friday, February 23, 2029 |
New Superintendent Training
-
SY25–26 Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA)
- Schools identified as Comprehensive or in Rigorous Action are required to complete the OPI CNA every year. If you have questions, please contact your School Improvement Specialist.
- Request district CNA access
- SY25–26 CNA directions (PDF)
- SY25–26 CNA frequently asked questions (PDF)
Announcements
The OPI Comprehensive Needs Assessment survey is now open.
Please reach out if you have any questions.
District and County Superintendents
Follow the quick steps below to set up your account. Once you are in the system, please let us know if you need assistance. Look for tutorials and help features in the Help section of the platform as well. Thank you.
Accreditation Standards & Guidance
| Resource category | Links and descriptions |
|---|---|
| Determining the accreditation status of schools | |
| Infinite Campus resources | |
| Course code resources |
Montana work-based learning courses are a subset of NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) standard codes. Each course includes a course code and content description. |
| Intensive Assistance process |
Intensive Assistance process – coming soon. |
| Variance to standards | |
| Montana educator evaluation | |
| Academic calendar rules | |
| Student record information | |
| Related administrative rules |
School Accreditation Negotiated Rulemaking Information
Accreditation Think Tank
The Stakeholder Think Tank on Accreditation implementation is a group of individuals chosen for their expertise and influence in the field. This group will work collaboratively to analyze and provide recommendations for the updated accreditation process after ARM Chapter 55 went into effect on July 1, 2023. The think tank will focus on key areas found in the new rules such as educator effectiveness, academic programming, proficiency- based learning model, and school climate in Montana's K-12 education systems. The goal of this group is to provide guidance on the Accreditation Status Criteria Reference Guide which is used to determine the accreditation status for public schools in Montana.
- Purpose and Goals
- Draft Criteria Reference Guide
- April 18, 2024
- May 3, 2024
- May 22, 2024
- July 25, 2024
- July 31, 2024
- August 13, 2024
- August 21, 2024
- Educator Effectiveness
- Academic Programming
- Proficiency-Based Learning Model
- School Climate
Accreditation Think Tank Members
| Name | District |
|---|---|
| Laurie Barron | Evergreen School District |
| Heather Jarrett | Reed Point School District |
| Darin Hannum | Bainville Public Schools |
| Les Meyer | Frenchtown Public Schools |
| Nichole Pieper | Power Public Schools |
| Molly Blakely | Hellgate Elementary School District |
| Amanda Cyr | Clinton School District |
| Tanya Funk | Saco School |
| Paul Furthmyre | MT School for the Deaf and the Blind |
| Sarah Shannon | Ashland School District |
| McCall Flynn | Board of Public Education |
| Luke Haggerty | Chester-Joplin-Inverness School District |
| Wade O. Sundby | Cut Bank School District |
| Rob Watson | School Administrators of Montana |
| Teri Harris | Winnett K-12 School |
| Elliott Crump | Shelby Public School District |
| Lindsay Siroky | Roy School District |
| Christina Vierra McGill | Diocese of Great Falls-Billings/Diocese of Helena |
Educator Evaluation
The Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) 10.55.724: Evaluation provides the framework for the evaluation process used in Montana schools. The standards outline the minimum guidelines and requirements of the evaluation system used by a school district. A school district adopting and using one of the model instruments shall be construed to have complied with this rule, though use of one of the models shall not be required provided that the district's evaluation instrument and process substantially conform to the requirements set forth in this rule.
The state-approved evaluation systems are copyrighted and owned by private companies. Vendors provide support to districts about the specific content of each evaluation tool.
Variances to Standards
Standards of accreditation are outlined in the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) 20-7-101: (1) Standards of accreditation for all schools must be adopted by the board of public education upon the recommendations of the superintendent of public instruction. The Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) contain the standards that guarantee students the benefits of attendance in accredited schools in Title 10, Chapter 55.
The revised ARM 10.55.604 Variances to Standards rule allows a local board of trustees to apply for a variance to a standard or a section of standards, excluding standards stating statutory criteria, standards pertaining to educator licensure and endorsement, and content standards. The intent of the revised Variances to Standards is to: (1) provide options and innovation to school districts to help ensure educational quality and accountability, and (2) create a pre-appointed review board that will make recommendations to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for approval, modification, or rejection of all variance to standard applications.
Approved Applications & Meeting Materials
Variances to Standards Review Board (VSRB) Meeting Date: October 30th, 2025.
Zoom Meeting
- Agenda
- Unofficial VSRB Minutes
- BPE November 19-21, 2025 Board Meeting Minutes
Zoom meeting
- VSRB meeting agenda (PDF)
- Official VSRB minutes (PDF)
- BPE November 20–22, 2024 board meeting minutes (PDF)
Zoom meeting
- VSRB meeting agenda (PDF)
- Official VSRB minutes (PDF)
- State Superintendent recommendation to the Board of Public Education (BPE) (PDF)
- BPE November 15–17, 2023 board meeting minutes (PDF)
| Rule | Applications |
|---|---|
| ARM 10.55.709 |
Initial applications
Renewal applications |
| ARM 10.55.604, ARM 10.55.710 |
Initial applications |
Zoom meeting
- VSRB meeting agenda (PDF)
- Official VSRB minutes (PDF)
- State Superintendent recommendation to the Board of Public Education (BPE) (PDF)
- BPE May 11–12, 2023 board meeting minutes
| Rule | Applications |
|---|---|
| ARM 10.55.709 |
Initial applicationsRenewal applications |
| ARM 10.55.604(11)(c) |
Renewal charter applications |
Zoom meeting
- VSRB meeting agenda (PDF)
- Official VSRB minutes (Word)
- VSRB recommendation to the State Superintendent (PDF)
- State Superintendent recommendation to the Board of Public Education (BPE) (PDF)
- BPE May 12–13, 2022 board meeting minutes (PDF)
| Rule | Applications |
|---|---|
| ARM 10.55.709 |
Initial applications
Renewal applications
|
| ARM 10.55.704 and ARM 10.55.705 |
Renewal applications |
Zoom meeting
- VSRB meeting agenda (Word)
- Official VSRB minutes (Word)
- VSRB recommendation to the State Superintendent (Word)
- State Superintendent recommendation to the Board of Public Education (BPE) (PDF)
- BPE May 13–14, 2021 board meeting minutes (PDF)
| Rule | Applications |
|---|---|
| ARM 10.55.709 |
Initial applications
Renewal applications
|
| ARM 10.55.604(11)(c) |
Initial charter applicationsRenewal charter applications |
Zoom meeting
- VSRB meeting agenda (PDF)
- Official VSRB minutes (Word)
- VSRB recommendation to the State Superintendent (PDF)
- State Superintendent recommendation to the Board of Public Education (BPE) (PDF)
- BPE May 7, 2020 board meeting minutes (PDF)
| Rule | Applications |
|---|---|
| ARM 10.55.709 |
Initial applications
Renewal applications |
Office of Public Instruction, 1300 11th Avenue, second-floor conference room, Helena, Montana
- VSRB meeting agenda (PDF)
- Official VSRB minutes (PDF)
- VSRB recommendation to the State Superintendent (PDF)
- State Superintendent recommendation to the Board of Public Education (BPE) (PDF)
- BPE May 9–10, 2019 board meeting minutes (PDF)
| Rule | Applications |
|---|---|
| ARM 10.55.704 ARM 10.55.705 |
Applications |
| ARM 10.55.709 |
Applications
|
Office of Public Instruction, 1300 11th Avenue, second-floor conference room, Helena, Montana
| Rule | Applications |
|---|---|
| ARM 10.55.601(3) |
Applications |
| ARM 10.55.604(11)(c) |
Applications |
| ARM 10.55.709 |
Applications
|
Variance Application Materials
Variances to Standards Application Materials
Variances to Standards Application Materials for Charter School/ Program
Board Members
Variances to Standards Review Board Membership
ARM 10.55.604(1)(d)(iii) The review board members shall serve five year terms with no limit to the number of terms any one person may serve. Terms shall be staggered where half of all positions shall be filled every three years prior to the first meeting of the review board in the third year.
| Name | Term expiration | Position | Title | School/District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Anderson | 2026 | Chairperson | Middle school principal (retired) | Great Falls |
| Kelly Haverlandt | 2026 | Vice‑chairperson | High school teacher | Whitefish School District 44 |
| Cammie Knapp | 2028 | Board member | High school principal | Corvallis School District 1 |
| Jay Phalen | 2028 | Board member | Board of trustee member | Glendive Public Schools |
| Eric Myers | 2026 | Board member | High school teacher | Broadus Public Schools |
| Jennifer Mosley | 2028 | Board member | Elementary school teacher | Shelby School District 14 |
| Jim Howard | 2028 | Board member | District superintendent | Bonner School District 14 |
| Eric Matthews | 2026 | Board member | Elementary school teacher | Bozeman School District 7 |
| Nancy Stiffarm | 2028 | Board member | Tribal council representative | Fort Belknap |
| Abby Moscatel | 2028 | Board member | Family and community representative | Lakeside |