State of Montana Newsroom
Federally Mandated Assessment Windows are Open
HELENA – Superintendent Elsie Arntzen is reminding Montana school districts that the federally mandated statewide assessment windows are open and are closing soon. The federally mandated tests are required through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The federal Department of Education has not issued any waivers this school year as in the previous two school years. Districts will be able to access their test data 10 days after testing. In the spring of 2021 state-wide test scores for 3rd through 8th graders resulted in 34% proficiency in math and 46% proficiency in reading.
The statewide assessments for 3rd -8th grade close on:
- May 27 - Smarter Balanced general math and reading/language arts assessment in grades 3–8
- May 27 - Montana Science Assessment (MSA) for general science in grades 5 and 8
- April 29 - Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) an alternate math and reading/language arts assessment in grades 3–8 and 11 for students with significant cognitive disabilities
- April 29 - Alternate Montana Science Assessment (AMSA) an alternate science assessment for academic achievement in grades 5, 8, and 11 for students with significant cognitive disabilities
The 11th grade ACT for general math, reading/language arts, and science assessment test date is on April 26 with an online option through May 5.
“As a teacher and now in my role as State Superintendent, I understand that federally mandated one-size-fits-all testing is not an accurate representation of student learning over the course of the school year,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “Our Montana students and teachers deserve testing that measures true growth and academic success. My office is working to ensure that assessments reflect the knowledge students gain during the learning and teaching of the skill.”
Currently, the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is developing the Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) program. The MAST program will innovate statewide assessments by issuing smaller tests closest to the learning of the skill throughout the course of the school year. This provides immediate feedback to parents, students, and teachers.
###