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Every child, regardless of income, race, background, or disability can learn and must learn. And, our system of education—spread across 50 states, 15,000 school districts, and 95,000 schools—must embrace this core belief every day in every possible way. If our children are not learning, then we, as adults, have failed. That is why educators, advocates, parents, and policymakers need to make sure that students with disabilities have access to the general curriculum and are held to the same, high standards as their non-disabled peers. We can work toward this by: creating a culture of high expectations; ensuring students with disabilities have full access to college- and career-ready learning opportunities and assessments; and supporting students with disabilities so that they may excel in the general curriculum for college and career success.

The 2011 OPI Assessment Conference "On the Horizon" is scheduled for January 20-21, 2011 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center.  The keynote speaker on Thursday morning will be Paul Andersen. Paul is a science teacher and technology specialist at Bozeman High School and the 2011 Montana Teacher of the Year. Presentations on assessment and data topics as well as training for the 2011 MontCAS CRT test administration will be available.  For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.opi.mt.gov/curriculum/MontCAS/#p7GPc1_5 For more information, contact Judy Snow, 406-444-3656

The news is that a new, voluntary industry standard has been created for test-writing for all types of students. If widely adopted, it would essentially mean that tests would be written with a shared set of codes, or "tags," that create a common language describing their content. This would allow states, for instance, to switch test vendors without having to undertake a laborious translation process from one test-maker's digital "language" to another's.

Today, the Obama Administration outlined how states can get relief from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – or No Child Left Behind (NCLB) – in exchange for serious state-led efforts to close achievement gaps, promote rigorous accountability, and ensure that all students are on track to graduate college- and career-ready. “To help states, districts and schools that are ready to move forward with education reform, our administration will provide flexibility from the law in exchange for a real commitment to undertake change. The purpose is not to give states and districts a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level,” President Obama said. What this means for you:   For Teachers: A collaborative learning culture where teachers can target instruction towards the needs of students and offer a well-rounded curriculum. Fair and responsible evaluations that are based on multiple measures including peer review, principal observation, and classroom work.  For Principals: Greater flexibility to tailor solutions to the unique educational challenges of their students and recognition for progress and performance.  For Parents: Accurate and descriptive information about their children’s progress and honest accountability that recognizes and rewards success – where schools fall short – targeted and focused strategies for the students most at risk.  For Students: A system that measures student growth and critical thinking to inspire better teaching and greater student engagement across a well-rounded curriculum. For more information on how this flexibility package may affect you, read our blog post: What NCLB Flexibility Means for You

What: The fourth Friday of September was designated by the 1997 Legislature as American Indian Heritage Day, in recognition of Montana’s constitutional commitment to preserve the cultural integrity of American Indians. The definition of a quality education in Montana includes specific language for the integration of Indian Education for All throughout the curriculum. MCA 20-9-309. Activities that celebrate American Indian Heritage Day can create sustained interest in learning about the distinct and unique cultural heritage of American Indians, setting the tone and creating connections for a year of integrating Indian Education for All. Spark interest with these activities… Display information about Montana tribes – tribal specific posters, maps, and books. Learn the names of all Montana reservations, tribes that live on them and languages spoken there. Research how names of the tribes are spoken in their own languages. Explore nearby Montana Indian cultural and historical sites and community museums. Invite cultural resource experts from Montana’s tribal nations to visit. Display OPI Indian Education for All curriculum materials. Through the study of Montana Indian cultures and peoples, all students become more self-aware of their own cultures and develop a reference point to support greater understanding of others. Explore the OPI Indian Education website for links to DVDs, websites, publications and lessons for most content areas and grade levels: http://opi.mt.gov/Programs/IndianEd/Index.html When: Friday, September 23, 2011

Cheryl Jorgensen of the National Inclusive Education Initiative at the University of New Hampshire presented on core principles and practices of inclusion for students with autism. Original webinar date: March 24, 2011: View the Archived Webinar  Download the PowerPoint

Click here to register for this event What: Please join HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau for an informative webinar showcasing: “Autism Case Training (ACT) – A Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Curriculum.”  This curriculum is designed to educate future pediatricians on fundamental components of identifying, diagnosing, and managing autism spectrum disorders.  It was developed in a partnership between HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship Training Program and CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early” team. When: 9am-11pm Mountain Registration: Available at http://mchcom.com/

Things were so simple before. If a student was struggling in your classroom…there obviously was something wrong with them. Not your teaching methods (or curriculum for that matter). Things are not so simple anymore…nor were they ever…really. The prevailing attitude of “my way or the highway” in education is dying…albeit a slow death. There are those who cling to it because that is what they know. So…I can’t really fault them for it. As with any “practice,” one that involves a community, methods change and evolve…so the educational system of my days will look different 20 years from now.