Staged OPI Roadmap

On March 10, 2022 [see Page 235], the OPI shared the tentative timeline below with the Montana Board of Public Education (the Board). Since this presentation, the OPI submitted its state application under Absolute Priority 2 for the Competitive Grants for State Assessments to the U.S. Department of Education (the Department).

Per the materials presented in the May 4, 2022 Task Force meeting, the OPI has partnered with New Meridian for the pilot testing in SY2023, and pending a decision from the Department on the $3.0 million federal grant, the OPI intends to follow the pilot schedule of adding two grades each school year until operational testing in the SY2026.

This means the OPI intends to use Smarter Balanced through the SY2023 school year and most likely in SY2024 which is the total length of renewals permitted under the multi-state joint solicitation for this contract award. However, an end-of-year summative assessment that meets federal requirements will be necessary for the OPI to maintain until the “through-year” model can be operationalized for demonstration with the US Department of Education.