Cathy Kincheloe

The board meeting agenda includes reports from the Chairperson, Executive Director, State Superintendent, Commissioner of Higher Education, and student representative. Additional discussions focus on the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, educator preparation programs, accreditation status of public schools, and modifications to the statewide assessment system. The agenda also covers charter school updates, educator licensure standards, various committee actions, and strategic planning session goals.

The Commission addressed various policy and administrative matters, including the approval to utilize grant funds for legal retainer services to ensure policy compliance. Several key policies were adopted, specifically the Renewal Policy, Corrective Action Intervention Policy, Revocation Policy, and Closure Policy. A presentation was held regarding student assessment options, including NWEA MAP, iReady, MAST, and ACT. Additionally, the commission reviewed financial reports, subcommittee updates regarding fundraising and special education programs, and a report from the Executive Director of the Board of Public Education.

The Board of Public Education held a meeting covering various educational reports, including updates on Public Charter Schools, the Indian Education for All initiative, content standards, and assessment data. Key actions included the approval of an Artificial Intelligence in Education Resolution, updates to Public Charter School contracts, and the funding of Transformational Learning Phase II and Montana Advanced Opportunity grants. The Board also reviewed the Annual Educator Licensure Report, discussed the creation of a Seal of Civics Literacy, and addressed Montana School for the Deaf and Blind (MSDB) personnel and contract matters. Additionally, the Board moved forward with rulemaking for the Special Education Technician License and held a strategic planning session.

The presentation from Solomon Group focused on their report regarding performance-based accountability frameworks for charter schools. Key discussion points included the objectives and deliverables of their work, an overview of relevant policy sections emphasizing rigorous, valid, and reliable indicators for performance evaluation, and assessment foundations, distinguishing between criterion-referenced and norm-referenced assessments. The presenters detailed the importance of validity and reliability, alignment with academic proficiency, growth, achievement gaps, and post-secondary readiness. They also discussed considerations and implications related to data stewardship and application review processes for proposed assessments.

The meeting agenda covers multiple sessions scheduled for March 19 and March 20, 2026. Key discussion items include reports from the Chairperson, Executive Director, State Superintendent, Commissioner of Higher Education, and Student Representative. The agenda details actions and updates from various committees. The Charter School Committee will address the execution of new and revised public charter school contracts. The Licensure Committee is scheduled to take action on initial reviews of cases, rulemaking notices for Special Education Technician licenses, and reports on program approvals for ABCTE and Montana State University Billings. The Accreditation Committee will address provisional accreditation status and the intensive assistance process. The Executive Committee has an action item regarding the Montana Advanced Opportunity Grant application for Lame Deer. Additionally, there are tours and activities planned, including a meeting with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Tribal Council, and a strategic planning session focused on the mission and vision. The agenda also lists financial reports for review.