Superintendent Arntzen Offers Updates on the Implementation of the Early Literacy Targeted Interventions Program

• Brian O'Leary
• February 06 2024

HELENA - Superintendent Arntzen is actively implementing HB 352, Early Literacy Targeted Intervention Program, 20-7-1803, MCA. This program enhances early literacy learning in Montana schools by offering optional classroom-based, home-based, and jumpstart programs for eligible students. The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is working with the Board of Public Education's Early Literacy Advisory Council to ensure successful program implementation, aiming to improve reading proficiency by the end of third grade. The Early Literacy Collaborative provides guidance to engage stakeholders and offers clear directives for local districts.

“The foundation of education is reading,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “Parents have a choice in these three opportunities to support their children’s reading readiness. This program will help parents and educators prepare our children for academic success.”

There are three optional programs for parents and schools to participate in the program:

• Classroom-Based Interventions:
  • The classroom-based program is specifically tailored for children who are not yet entering or have not completed kindergarten. To be eligible for this program, a child must be 4 years of age or older on or before September 10. Programming options include both half-time (360 instructional hours) and full-time (720 instructional hours), providing flexibility to meet the diverse needs of students. The instruction within the classroom-based program must align with the Montana Early Learning Standards, which are currently undergoing revision to ensure the most up-to-date and effective educational practices.
• Home-Based Interventions:
  • The home-based learning program is designed for eligible children who are 4 years of age or older on or before September 10 of the year in which the child is to participate and who have not yet completed 2nd grade. This program, which will be established through a Request for Proposal (RFP) must be research-based, proven effective at developing early literacy skills in populations at risk of not being reading proficient by the end of 3rd grade, and foster parental engagement. The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) will provide access to school districts on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the RFP process has been completed, the agency will notify districts of how to apply for these resources.
• Jumpstart Programs:
  • The jumpstart program targets eligible children who are 5 years of age or older, on or before September 10, and have not yet completed 3rd grade. Taking place during the summer between school calendars (except for 2024, where the effective date is July 1, 2024), the program requires 120 hours of instruction in a minimum of 4 weeks. All program hours/weeks for the summer of 2024 must begin on or after July 1, 2024. The jumpstart program must align with both the Montana Early Learning Standards and Montana Content Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy. Additionally, an eligible child participating in a jumpstart program may be counted as quarter-time enrollment for Average Number Belonging (ANB) calculations.

Parental consent is required for a child to undergo screening for participation in any of the established early literacy intervention programs. Eligibility is determined through the evaluation methodology established by the Board of Public Education through the work of the Early Literacy Advisory Council. The evaluation methodology, a guidance document, and a District Implementation Interest Survey are available on the OPI’s Early Literacy Targeted Interventions page