State of Montana Newsroom
Superintendent Arntzen Announces Opening of Statewide Assessment Window
HELENA – Superintendent Arntzen is announcing that the federally mandated statewide summative assessment windows are opening. These federally mandated tests are required through the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In the spring of 2022 statewide test scores for grades 3-8 resulted in 36% proficiency in Math and 46% proficiency in Reading.
The testing windows are:
- March 6 – May 26, 2023, for the Smarter Balanced (SBAC) Math and Reading/Language Arts in grades 3-8
- March 6 – May 26, 2023, for the Montana Science Assessment (MSA) for general science in grades 5 and 8
- March 13 – April 28, 2023, for the alternate assessments in Math and Reading/Language Arts assessment in grades 3–8 and 11 and Science for grades 5, 8, and 11 for students with significant cognitive disabilities
“I continually hear from Montana teachers, parents, and students who realize that federally mandated end-of-the-year testing does not accurately reflect academic success,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “This is why I began the MAST pilot program, which tests student knowledge close to the teaching and learning of the skill. I have also opened our Math state content standards for revision so that our teachers gain more confidence in teaching math and our schools focus on individualized learning for our students.”
The federally recognized innovative Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Pilot Program opened to grades 5 and 7 in the fall of 2022 and will expand to grades 3 through 8 in the fall of 2023. The third testing window for the 2022-2023 MAST Pilot Program will be opened from March 6 – 24, 2023. The MAST program is made up of multiple smaller testlets throughout the year that happens when the skill is learned. The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is currently recruiting more school districts to join the expanded pilot program. The OPI is also seeking Math and English Language Art teachers in grades 3-8 to participate in the following paid opportunities:
- A review of testlet items during a virtual meeting on March 28-29, 2023
- An item writing workshop on June 12-16, 2023. This workshop will be in person and will focus on developing testlet questions for the MAST pilot program. The location is TBD in Montana.
To participate in the expanded pilot program or the paid workshop opportunities, please contact Samantha Walsh at samantha.walsh@mt.gov.