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Montana

As of the 2007-2008 school year, Montana's schools were home to more than 6,700 English language learners (ELLs), which marks a 24% decrease from the 1997-1998 school year (NCELA, 2010). The top five languages or language groups spoken by ELLs in Montana are Navajo, Pacific Island languages, Asian languages, North American Indian languages, and African languages (EPE, 2009).

Montana is a member of WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment), joining in 2011. WIDA is a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English language learners which offers states programming for identifying and annually assessing the English language development of its English learners.

State ELL Resources

State Agency: Montana Office of Public Instruction

ELL Website: Title III Part A English Acquisition & Enhancement Bilingual/World Languages/Language Acquisition

ELL Identification

Montana offers Criteria for LEP Identification on its state website.

Placement Exam: WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT)

ELP Standards & Assessment

ELP Standards: WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards

ELP Assessment: WIDA-ACCESS for ELLs

See also: 2011-12 Montana English Language Proficiency Standards and Abbreviations

Statewide Standards-Based Assessment

Assessment: Montana Comprehensive Assessment System (MontCAS)

Additional Information

NCELA: Title III Information

WIDA: Montana Contact Information

Common Core State Standards: Yes

MEA-MFT

MEA-MFT, the statewide affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association in Montana, advances the interests of our members and the educational institutions in which they work.

Montana State Parent Information Resource Centers

The overall aim of the Montana Parent Information and Resource Center (PLEIDES) is to support and provide resources to parents and schools throughout Montana, particularly in the state's Native American and disadvantaged communities, to implement effective polices, programs and activities that ensure the active involvement of parents in the improvement of their children's academic achievement.

References

Editorial Projects in Education (EPE). "Most Common Non-English Languages Spoken by ELL Youths, by State." Perspectives on a Population: English-Language Learners in American Schools (Education Week's Quality Counts 2009 Report). Pg. 13. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2009/01/08/index.html. January 2009.

Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students. Montana Rate of EL Growth (1997/98-2007/08). Compiled July 2010 and retrieved from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/t3sis/state/montana/data.