Montana's latest school report card presents a complicated picture of the state's education system. While Montana is outperforming much of the nation in several key categories, a closer look at data from the Office of Public Instruction reveals deep and persistent gaps that state leaders say they are working urgently to close.
WATCH WHAT STATE LEADERS SAY NEEDS TO CHANGE:
One of the biggest challenges, according to OPI Superintendent Susan Hedalen, starts before a single lesson is taught.
"In order to teach them how to read, we need them there. So, we are definitely focusing on attendance," Hedalen said.
That attendance problem is showing up in the scores. According to OPI's 2024-25 state report card, Montana's reading proficiency has fallen nearly six percentage points since 2017. Unlike math, which partially recovered after the pandemic, reading scores have dropped every single year with no sign of recovery.
Hedalen says the solution partially lies in preparing the teachers already in Montana's classrooms. This past summer, OPI held a training institute where more than 700 educators gathered to prepare for the new school year.
"We did have a lot of breakout sessions on literacy. We had a full day for the schools participating in the Montana Reading Program to get together and work on professional development for literacy," Hedalen said.
Central to that professional development is a focus on early intervention — and a critical window that OPI says cannot be missed.
"We really need to make sure that students learn how to read by third grade, because then things kind of shift from learning to read to reading to learn," Hedalen said.
For students already falling behind, Hedalen says new targeted programs are being designed to catch them before it is too late.
OPI's full data release for the most recent academic year is expected this November. State leaders say they are anticipating signs of progress — but acknowledge that Montana's most vulnerable students cannot afford to wait.
