Superintendent Arntzen to Amend Montana’s Rigorous Action Plan in Every Student Succeeds Act

• Brian O'Leary
• January 11 2024

HELENA – Superintendent Elsie Arntzen is amending Montana’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Plan for Rigorous Action to provide a differentiated approach for schools previously identified as Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and that do not make adequate progress within three years. The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) will hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM to respond to public comment on the proposed plan.

“This process reflects a transparent partnership between the federal government, state government, parents, teachers, and school administrators,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “The purpose of this change is to strengthen student success through supporting teaching and learning in our schools.”

OPI received 23 responses during the public comment period. Of those responses, 82.6% agreed if a school were to find itself in Rigorous Action, the approach taken at the state level still gives voice to the district's next steps that are right for their community and 17.4% disagreed. The suggestions provided by the respondents include:

• Support for schools moving to the Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Program for standardized testing will be crucial.
• Exempt all schools from achievement data while on Rigorous Action.
• Throw it out the window and allow reservation schools to come up with their own system of improvement, a system that is less threatening than the current system of improvement. Bring all reservation schools together and let us determine our own system of improvement.
• Look harder at schools to really see if there is an issue. Small schools with low numbers will not always represent an accurate portrayal of the school.
• Rigorous Action Feedback continued.
• More support is needed.
• If increased coaching is expected, the school districts should be able to nominate and voice which consultant they would like to see added to the list.
• Talk to the teachers and support teachers.
• Be sure that “team” includes all stakeholders in action, not just in name only.
• Rather than using a “focus group” engage in brainstorming and a discussion with all stakeholders, especially families and students to determine their perspective and to elicit their suggestions, regardless of how hard that may be or how long it may take.

The final draft of the amended ESSA Plan will be submitted to the US Department of Education by February 1, 2024.

For more information, please contact Carrie Kouba, Improvement and Engagement Senior Manager, at Carrie.Kouba@mt.gov.