Montana: ELL Resources

Map of Montana

As of the 2016-2017 school year, Montana’s schools were home to 3,000 English language learners. As of the 2014-2015 school year, the most common five languages spoken by ELLs in Montana were German, Spanish, North American Indian languages, Russian, and Chinese. (U.S. Dept. of Education, National Center for Education Statistics)

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 Website

ELP Standards & Assessment

ELP Standards: WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards

ELP Assessment: WIDA-ACCESS for ELLs

Statewide Standards-Based Assessment

Assessment: Montana Comprehensive Assessment System (MontCAS)

Additional Information

Montana Indian Education

NCELA: Title III Information

WIDA: Montana Contact Information

Common Core State Standards: Yes

ESSA: Montana ESSA State Plan

Statewide Organizations

MFPE

MFPE is Montana’s largest union, created in 2018 when MEA-MFT (the union for educators) and the Montana Public Employees Association merged. The 25,000 members are dedicated public employees who work all across the state, and include teachers and staff in Head Start, K-12 schools, and higher education.

Montana Association of Language Teachers

Founded in 1954, the association provides its members with pedagogical assistance and linguistic resources for language instruction at elementary, secondary, and university levels. The member organization has an annual conference in the spring, workshops in conjunction with the MEA/MFT Conference in October, and provides a website and dynamic community full of resources. MALT is a constituent of the Pacific Northwest Council on Foreign Languages (PNCFL) and the American council on the Teaching of Foreign​Languages (ACTFL).

Parents, Let's United for Kids

Parents, Let's Unite for Kids Parent Center unites parents, professionals, families and friends of children and young adults, especially kids with special needs to support one another, and share information for the benefit of children in Montana.

Seal of Biliteracy Update: Montana

Montana does not yet have a Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, district, or state in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. If you are aware of schools or districts that have adopted the Seal of Biliteracy in the state, send an update to the official Seal of Biliteracy site!

Research and Reports

Note: Regulations change with time. These guidelines were compiled in January of 2012 and updated in January 2020. If you see something that needs updating, please send an e-mail to Colorín Colorado. For more detailed information regarding ELL guidelines and policies at the state and federal levels, please see the following:

References

National Center for Education Statistics. (2018.) English language learner (ELL) students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, by state: Selected years, fall 2000 through fall 2016. 

U.S. Department of Education. Our Nation’s English Learners. Most Common Non-English Languages Spoken by English Learners.