Montana
Montana student assessment scores remain below pre-pandemic levels
HELENA — On Monday, the Montana Workplace of Public Instruction launched pupil evaluation knowledge from the 2021-22 faculty 12 months – outcomes that confirmed statewide check scores remained roughly on par with the earlier 12 months, however nonetheless beneath what the state noticed earlier than the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
MTN Information
On this spring’s Smarter Balanced assessments, given to 3rd by way of eighth graders throughout Montana, 36.5% of scholars statewide scored “proficient” or above in math in 2022. That’s up barely from 35.6% in 2021. College students didn’t take the standardized checks in 2020 due to a federal waiver through the pandemic. In 2019, 41.9% of scholars have been a minimum of proficient in math.
MTN Information
In English, 46.1% of Montana college students scored proficient or higher in 2022, in comparison with 46.4% the 12 months earlier than and 50% in 2019.
Throughout a gathering of the Montana Legislature’s Schooling Interim Committee Monday, a number of hours earlier than the outcomes have been made public, Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen spoke briefly about what they have been going to point out.
“I can share with you we now have loads of work to do, and I wish to give loads of grace to our colleges nonetheless,” she stated.
The Workplace of Public Instruction stated Monday that Arntzen is engaged on a number of initiatives to deal with college students’ studying wants, significantly in math. They embrace updating the state math requirements and creating “math innovation zones” to help lecturers. As well as, the state is launching a pilot program this 12 months, to check a brand new standardized testing mannequin that features a number of checks all through the varsity 12 months.
![Helena Math Scores](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5889803/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0f%2F19%2Fa991a7d1438e91f2ca778b67fe35%2Fmicrosoftteams-image-1.png)
MTN Information
This 12 months’s Smarter Balanced check outcomes present related patterns on the native degree in addition to the state degree. In Helena Public Colleges, evaluation scores improved in 2022, with 38.1% of scholars proficient or higher in math and 52.1% proficient or higher in English – in comparison with 34% and 50.8% respectively in 2021. Nonetheless, each numbers remained decrease than in 2019, when 47.5% of scholars have been a minimum of proficient in math and 56% in English.
MTN Information
In 2022, 36.9% of Nice Falls Public Colleges scored a minimum of proficient in math and 47.4% have been proficient in English, in comparison with 37.4% and 47.2% in 2021. In 2019, 43.6% of Nice Falls college students reached proficiency in math, and 52.1% in English.
MTN Information MTN Information
Within the years for the reason that begin of the pandemic, Montana tutoring companies say they’ve undoubtedly seen a rising want for college students to make amends for instructional gaps.
“Dad and mom are realizing that their children did miss one thing being at dwelling typically and attempting to take action a lot on their very own,” stated Charlene Kautzman, director and proprietor of Sylvan Studying of Helena. She and her husband Ron have operated the middle for practically 30 years.
Jonathon Ambarian
Kautzman stated most of the center and highschool college students they’re seeing are in want of math assist, whereas for youthful children, most of the challenges are in English.
“Working with appropriate formation of letters – in the event that they have been at dwelling and the trainer was within the classroom, the trainer wasn’t in a position to see if the scholars have been appropriately forming letters, and that’s crucial for improvement,” she stated.
Kevin Leatherbarrow is co-director of Go and Develop Schooling Companies in Nice Falls, alongside along with his spouse Annie. He says the scholars they work with additionally want assist in studying comprehension.
“They’ve missed these phonics, these phonemes, these issues that basically make these connections to start out readers the place they have to be,” he stated.
Leatherbarrow says particular schooling college students have been particularly impacted through the pandemic.
Go and Develop has seen a spike in demand every of the final two years. Kautzman says Sylvan is serving about the identical variety of college students in Helena that they usually would, however they often have deeper wants.
Leatherbarrow says for the households he talks to, adjustments in how children react to their schoolwork have been an indication they could want additional help.
“That’s one of many greatest complaints we’ve seen from the mother and father after they are available in: Now they’re simply not concerned with doing it as a result of they really feel ill-confident sufficient to get again into these norms,” he stated.
Kautzman says studying at dwelling and listening to your children learn can present you numerous.
“In the event that they’re simply hurrying and guessing, then the phrase assault expertise aren’t what they have to be,” she stated.
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Montana
Mineral County Vietnam veteran honored with Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation
![Mineral County Vietnam veteran honored with Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation Mineral County Vietnam veteran honored with Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/467b3fe/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x672+0+0/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F13%2F39%2F620607614f759cc9ad51ce45b60e%2Fmason.jpg)
ALBERTON — A Mineral County Vietnam veteran was honored with the Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation on Tuesday.
Paul Manson’s commitment to his country and community was commemorated during a ceremony attended by Gov. Greg Gianforte.
“I’m surprised, I never thought the governor would come to visit me,” said Mason who received the honor in recognition of his service both overseas and in his community here at home.
In addition to the award, the Gov. Gianforte also gave Manson a Montana flag that flew over the Capitol.
Always humble, Manson was surprised and appreciative of all those who gathered to celebrate him.
“I try to fly under the radar. I know it doesn’t sound that but with the crowd, but I tried to do that.”
Milo McLeod — a friend of Manson’s from their time in the Montana Army National Guard — says Manson has definitely earned the spotlight.
“Oh, it means a lot to me. I was very pleased to hear that Paul was getting the award and wouldn’t want to miss it for the world.”
McLeod remembers his service with Manson fondly as well as the impact that Mason had on others.
“He knew his people. He knew their strengths, he knew their shortcomings and was a top notch leader.”
Manson says his years with the U.S. Army taught him leadership — a passion he does not plan to give up on anytime soon.
“We’re still here to serve other people. We’re, I’ve lived this long, as long as I keep on kicking, I’ll keep on working,” Manson said.
More local news from KPAX
Montana
Writing Coaches of Montana seeks volunteers
![Writing Coaches of Montana seeks volunteers Writing Coaches of Montana seeks volunteers](https://hagadone.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/static-4/whitefishpilot/images/default-social.jpg)
Writing Coaches of Montana seeks community members in Flathead County to participate in its coaching program with the mission of helping local public school students in Columbia Falls, Evergreen, Kalispell and Whitefish improve their writing skills.
Specifically, the program seeks to help students think critically about their writing assignments so they can become confident and competent writers across disciplines. Flexibility is built into the Writing Coaches of Montana volunteer experience. Once trained, there is no minimum hour requirement or coaching schedule. Instead, volunteers are informed by staff as teachers make requests and then volunteers choose which assignments, schools and grade levels, 4-12, they coach. No experience is necessary.
To become a volunteer, community members can attend an upcoming training session on Thursday, Sept. 19, 5:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For individuals who cannot attend on Sept.19, WCM will offer in–person workshops regularly for the remainder of the school year. WCM staff will be available for follow-up questions at any time.
“I love the writing coaches’ organization and all they’ve done for my students,” said Kristi Sanders, Kalispell Middle School teacher. “It is wonderful to watch my teenage students light up as they share their writing with someone who really listens to them and hears their intent with respect and enthusiasm.”
Community members interested in learning more about the program and to volunteer can contact Jeanne Wdowin at jeanne@writingcoachesofmontana.org or visit www.writingcoachesofmontana.org.
Montana
Montana reports student test scores improve in math, fall in English
HELENA — The Montana Office of Public Instruction has released the latest rounds of student assessment data – the last round of data before a big change in the state’s testing model.
The 2023-24 assessment scores for students from third grade to eighth grade are based on the year-end Smarter Balanced test. Only a little over half of Montana students in that age group took the test last school year, as a number of school districts piloted the new MAST program – four or five short “testlets” given throughout the year, instead of a large final assessment. All districts are implementing MAST for the 2024-25 school year.
Last year, 38.7% of students who took the Smarter Balanced assessment rated “proficient” or “advanced” in math. That number has increased each of the last three years – 35.6% in 2020-21, 36.5% in 2021-22 and 37.5% in 2022-23 – but it’s still lower than the 41.9% in 2018-19, the last year of data before the COVID pandemic disrupted assessments.
For English and language arts, 44.2% of students were at least proficient last year, down from 45% in 2022-23, 46.2% in 2021-22 and 46.4% in 2020-21. In 2018-19, 50% of students were proficient or advanced.
MTN News
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen says the aggregate numbers may not be giving the full picture.
“There are multiple stories with just a single number, let’s put it that way,” she said.
Arntzen said her office is more focused on “cohort numbers” – tracking how proficient the same group of students has been each consecutive year. For example, students who completed eighth grade last year were third graders in 2018-19. OPI’s data shows the number of students rated proficient or above in reading fell from 48.4% when they were in third grade to 42.9% when they were in eighth grade. In math, those numbers fell even further, from 48.6% to 33.7%.
“We’ve got a trend of data that has come since we’ve had the disruption of learning – the disruption of learning was COVID,” said Arntzen. “We all remember that something was lost during that period of time.”
Arntzen has long argued that year-end tests aren’t the best way to measure students’ proficiency, and her office has touted MAST as a way to get a better view of their learning, while allowing teachers to make adjustments sooner.
“If the federal government demands that we have an assessment tool, should it not also be one that Montana teachers can also use as a way of enhancing their teaching?” she asked?
For now, MAST covers only math and English, but the U.S. Department of Education has awarded the state a grant of nearly $4 million to develop science assessments for sixth grade through eighth grade.
“One more time, I’m grateful for the federal government to allow Montana to be innovative,” Arntzen said.
Arntzen says there are more positive signs in the assessment results for older students. Among 11th grade students taking the ACT, 52.5% were proficient in English – down slightly from 53.4% in 2022-23 but up significantly compared to 42.1% in 2021-22. In math, 30.7% of students were proficient – up from 30.6% in 2022-23 and 25.3% in 2021-22.
Arntzen says that could be a sign that students who were older when COVID happened are having an easier time rebounding.
“Normally you have a learning curve that goes uphill, but that’s not what has happened in our earlier grades,” she said.
Assessment results for individual schools and districts are now available on OPI’s website, through the GEMS tool.
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