State of Montana Newsroom
Federally Mandated School Report Cards Now Available
March 9, 2021
HELENA— The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) announces an individual school release of the federally mandated school report card, with a formal state release scheduled for March 16th. Under the federally Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Montana’s 824 public schools must report state, district, and school-level data to be displayed in an accessible digital report card. This is the third year of issuing school report cards under ESSA. These school report cards hold data from the previous school year of 2019-2020.
The 2019-2020 school report cards can be viewed along with additional information on the OPI report card webpage.
“The amended data on this year’s report card is a reflection of these uncertain times. More flexibility and local control is needed rather than a federal mandate,” stated Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “Montana schools are held accountable for the continuation of learning through their local trustees and communities. I am hopeful that this report card drives conversations that will put Montana students first as we move forward.”
Due to COVID-19, the previous state accreditation status was maintained, and the federal accountability designation on the report card of Comprehensive, Targeted, or Universal schools were also carried forward. Assessment waivers were requested by Superintendent Arntzen and granted by the United States Department of Education and the Montana Board of Public Education. Spring 2020 assessment data is not represented on this report card. The federal COVID-19 relief dollars are also not included in the per pupil expenditure data. Nutrition and Transportation expenditures are recognized for the first time. The Office of Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is updated to the most recent available data. Additional information about the differences from the previous year report card can be found here.
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