State of Montana Newsroom
Superintendent Arntzen Announces First Testing Window for Statewide MAST Administration
HELENA – Superintendent Arntzen is excited to announce that the first statewide testing window for the Montana Aligned to Standards Through-Year (MAST) assessment begins on October 14, 2024. The MAST assessment has replaced the traditional end-of-year state summative assessments for grades 3-8 in Math and English Language Arts (ELA), or Reading. This transformation aligns with federal testing requirements while providing a more accurate and responsive measure of student learning throughout the academic year.
“MAST is more than just a different way of measuring academic achievement,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “It is an innovative tool to help guide teaching and learning in the classroom and offers support to grow teacher confidence in math and reading instruction. OPI’s assessment team is standing by to ensure that all Montana schools have a successful first year of MAST.”
There are three key Features of MAST:
- Through-Year Assessment Design: MAST delivers actionable data throughout the school year, which allows educators to adjust their teaching strategies in real-time, fostering a more responsive and effective learning environment. There are four windows for administration of the assessment.
- Alignment with Local Curriculum: MAST is aligned with local curricula and Montana content standards, to ensure that assessments are relevant and consistent with what is being taught in the classroom while promoting coherence and relevance in student instruction and learning. There are 12 math and 7 ELA testlets spread throughout the course of the first three assessment windows.
- Empowering Educational Professionals: Developed with input from a unique array of Montana stakeholders, including educators from across the different geographic regions, districts, and cultural backgrounds, MAST enhances educational assessment and offers educator support. Throughout the two-year pilot, the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) sought feedback on personalized score reports and testing platform capabilities.
OPI has offered professional development opportunities to guarantee a successful implementation of MAST. The 2024 Fall MAST Summit was held on September 5, 2024, with 250 Montana educators. The Summit brought together national expert presenters, a panel of Montana educators, and agency staff to share both technical training as well as professional learning. Sessions included leadership strategies for using MAST and other district tools to promote ongoing improvement. Participants learned how to use score reports to personalize instruction for individual students and focused on scheduling math testlets to help districts manage assessment timelines smoothly.
To support schools throughout the year, OPI created a suite of professional learning opportunities. Three Teacher Learning HUB Courses have been created to support Site Testing Coordinators (STC), school leadership, and classroom teachers. The OPI assessment team has created a series of focused support videos for MAST, along with other state summative assessments. Live training and listening sessions are being held up to the first administration window and throughout the first statewide operational school year.
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