Office of Public Instruction receives $3.5M
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
News from OPI
MONTANA — The Montana Office of Public Instruction received a five-year, $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to provide professional development to general and special educators in serving special needs students.
The grant is authorized by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to assist states in improving their systems for personnel preparation and professional development in early intervention, educational and transition services to improve results for children with disabilities.
“Montana’s special needs students deserve every opportunity to achieve academic success,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen said. “This grant will allow OPI to expand our resources to special education families and educators. In addition, OPI will continue advocating for special needs students at the Legislature.”
This grant will increase local capacity to support and sustain the implementation of the Montana Tiered System of Supports through distance learning and web-based formats for professional development and coaching support focused on data-analytic problem-solving. It will utilize teams at the state and local levels to create an efficient infrastructure for professional development, technical assistance, coaching and communication. This project will prioritize rural and indigenous communities. In addition, the project will increase opportunities for school personnel who work with students with disabilities to exercise choice in professional development.
Sheila Lovato is the State Project Director for this grant. Interested school personnel can contact Sheila at Sheila.Lovato@mt.gov or 406-444-5889.
