Montana counties reported significant improvements in language arts and math proficiency among students in grades 3 to 8. The data come from the second year of the statewide standardized assessment protocol, implemented in the 2024 school year. These scores, released by the Office of Public Instruction, show increased proficiency since the introduction of the Montana Aligned to Standards Through-Year Assessment (MAST).
In language arts, 45.6% of students achieved grade-level proficiency, up from 43% the previous year. Math scores rose from 36.8% to 40.8%, nearing pre-pandemic levels. State Superintendent Susie Hedalen expressed excitement over these advancements, emphasizing the new assessment’s value in helping educators and parents understand and address student needs.
MAST, introduced by Hedalen after a pilot under former Superintendent Elsie Arntzen, features “testlets,” smaller assessments throughout the year. This approach offers real-time feedback to educators, allowing for timely adjustments in teaching strategies and curriculum.
Hedalen noted improvements after addressing initial challenges, such as time-intensive protocols and insufficient professional development. “We have professional development going on in many different forms across the state,” she said.
Among Montana’s 56 counties, 41 showed gains in English and 52 in math. The largest year-over-year math improvement in years was noted. Specific demographic data highlighted a 3.2% increase in math proficiency among economically disadvantaged students and a 2.6% improvement for Native American students. Hedalen stressed the importance of providing high-quality core curriculum and additional support for students needing interventions in reading or math.
The Office of Public Instruction is also piloting MAST testing for science-based instruction, though challenges remain due to varying district-level science curricula.
Despite MAST scores not reaching pre-COVID levels, Montana students have had one of the highest recovery rates nationally. In 2024, the National Assessment of Educational Progress ranked Montana 9th graders 10th in math and 4th in reading nationwide. Full datasets from the 2025-2026 MAST testing are available online and can be sorted by county, grade, district, school, and demographics.
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