Office of Public Instruction

State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen announced that Montana is initiating a new student growth assessment pilot.

The U.S. Department of Education offered positive feedback to Montana education officials regarding their efforts to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act.

The holidays should be a happy time of friends, families and togetherness, but for many the holidays can be deeply depressing, so much so that some contemplate suicide.

The annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey results were released this week by the Montana Office of Public Instruction, and high school students are improving in most areas, while falling behind in others.

The Montana Office of Public Instruction has announced that 46 Montana communities will share in a $200,000 Graduation Matters Montana grant.

Montana's public school science content standards haven't been updated since 2006, so Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau has selected 17 people to serve on a negotiated rule making committee to begin the process.

Montana’s public school districts are doing a better job of identifying homeless students which has improved connecting students with school, community, and local outreach organizations to provide important services.

Since the law for four-day school weeks passed about 10 years ago, 100 small, rural schools with some 5,000 students now use a four-day school week.

The Office of Public Instruction Superintendent Denise Juneau says she plans to make next year's student assessments in math and English mandatory after a technical glitch in April kept 18 percent of the students from completing the test.

The DeSmet School District's middle school has been named a National Title I Distinguished School for continuing to meet federal academic standards. This honor is awarded to just two schools per states each year. [AUDIO]