Superintendent Arntzen Expands MAST Pilot Program and Seeks Public Comment for Assessment Waiver

• Brian O'Leary
• March 30 2023

HELENA – Superintendent Elsie Arntzen is expanding the Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Pilot Program to grades 3-8 in Math and Reading for the 2023-2024 school year. Due to this expansion, the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is seeking a Field Test Flexibility waiver to eliminate an undue burden on students, teachers, and district leaders by preventing double testing. Currently, the districts participating in the through-year MAST program for grades 5 and 7 are also required to complete the federally mandated end-of-the-year summative assessment. The Field Test Flexibility waiver is for one year and is granted to states that are changing their assessment system by the US Department of Education (DOE).

“Montana is leading the way in creating an innovative and flexible system to measure student proficiency in Math and Reading,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “The MAST Pilot Program delivers valid, reliable, transparent, and immediate feedback on student achievement to parents and teachers. I encourage all Montanans to provide public comment on the Field Test waiver to help relieve the burden of one-size-fits-all testing for our students and teachers participating in MAST.”

The MAST Pilot Program tests 5^th and 7^th-grade students in Math and Reading with a through-year model that aligns student testing closest to the learning of the skill. Currently, districts have administered three of four testing windows. More than 30 districts and nearly 5,000 students have participated in the MAST Pilot Program to date. The final spring testing window will be from April 17-28, 2023.

The Field Test Flexibility waiver will only affect districts and schools that are participating in the MAST Pilot Program. All other districts and schools will still be required to take the federally mandated end-of-the-year summative assessment. OPI is seeking public comment from parents, teachers, test coordinators, school leaders, and community members on the Field Test Flexibility waiver from March 30 – April 28, 2023. Public comment can be provided by:

• Completing Field Testing Flexibility for Montana Assessment System Waiver Survey
• Submitting written comment to essainput@mt.gov
• Participating in one of three public comment webinars
  • Webinar 1 on April 12 from 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
  • Webinar 2 on April 19 from 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
  • Webinar 3 on April 25 from 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

The Field Test Flexibility waiver and a summary of public comment will be submitted to the DOE on May 2, 2023.

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