2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 20. Education › Chapter 7. School Instruction and Special Programs › Part 18. Early Literacy Targeted Interventions › 20-7-1803. Early literacy targeted interventions

20-7-1803. Early literacy targeted interventions.
(1) The trustees of a school district may provide eligible children with any of the interventions described in this section. This part may not be construed to limit the duty or authority of trustees to provide educational opportunities described elsewhere in this title.
(2) The board of public education shall determine an evaluation methodology to determine, based on a child's age or grade level, whether the child is above, at, or below a developmental trajectory leading to reading proficiency on completion of 3rd grade. The evaluation must be:
(a) developmentally appropriate;
(b) research-based;
(c) cost-effective; and
(d) if possible, aligned with formative assessments that inform instruction in the classroom-based program and the jumpstart program.
(3) The superintendent of public instruction shall provide school districts with access to and technical support for the evaluation methodology, instrument, or assessment determined by the board of public education.
(4) A child may not be evaluated for the purposes of this part unless requested by the child's parent or guardian. The trustees may administer the evaluation methodology in April, May, or June to a child who will be 4 years of age or older on or before the following September 10 and who has not yet entered 3rd grade. A child who is evaluated to be below trajectory for 3rd-grade reading proficiency for the child's age or grade level is an eligible child for the subsequent school year.
(5) (a) For an eligible child who is 4 years of age or older on or before September 10 of the year in which the child is to participate in the program and who is not entering and who has not completed kindergarten, the trustees may offer a classroom-based program, which may be a half-time or full-time program. A full-time program must allow a parent or guardian to enroll the child half-time.
(b) The classroom-based program must align with developmentally appropriate early education learning standards as determined by the board of public education. The standards must include a requirement for ongoing evaluation of student progress used to tailor instruction to specific student needs.
(6) (a) For an eligible child who is 4 years of age or older on or before September 10 of the year in which the child is to participate in the program and who has not yet completed 2nd grade, the trustees may offer a home-based program.
(b) The home-based program must be selected by the board of public education and must:
(i) be operated by a nonprofit entity;
(ii) be research-based and proven effective at developing early literacy skills in populations at risk of not being reading proficient at the end of 3rd grade;
(iii) foster parental engagement; and
(iv) have a cost of no more than $1,000 a year for each child.
(c) The superintendent of public instruction shall provide school districts with access to and technical support for the home-based early literacy program.
(7) (a) For an eligible child who is 5 years of age or older on or before September 10 of the year in which the child is to participate in the program and who has not yet completed 3rd grade, the trustees may offer a jumpstart program.
(b) The jumpstart program must:
(i) take place during the time between the end of one school calendar year and the start of the next school calendar year, as determined by the trustees, preceding a child's entry into kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, or 3rd grade;
(ii) be at least 4 weeks in duration and provide at least 120 instructional hours;
(iii) be aligned to a framework determined by the board of public education;
(iv) be designed in a manner to increase the likelihood of a child being evaluated at the end of the ensuing school year to be at or above a trajectory leading to reading proficiency at the end of 3rd grade.
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 608, L. 2023.