We want to convey to all of the schools and students we serve that we have been able to efficiently manage MTDA resources so that we are in a position to meet your enrollment needs for the upcoming spring semester. We continue to ask that you assist us in making the best use of MTDA resources by thoughtfully and deliberately enrolling students that you feel will be successful in online classes. While there still may be some uncertainty in what the long-term future will bring, concerning funding levels, we can say with confidence that we will be able to fulfill your enrollment needs for the Spring 2018 semester.

The MTDA Team

After careful analysis of our budget and enrollment data, we are able to add additional enrollments for the Spring 2018 MLS program, across all language options. On Wednesday, December 13, 2017, at 8:00 am, MTDA will open up five additional slots per section, for a total of 55 new enrollment slots between the two course sessions.

If you have any questions, please contact the support desk!

On November 13, 2017, we will open student enrollment for the Spring 2018 semester classes. We realize that this has been a rather confusing year with all of the budget uncertainty. How that will be resolved remains to be seen, as the legislature heads into a special session. MTDA remains a candidate for an additional cut, per the budget rules passed by the 2017 Legislature.

What we want to convey to all of the schools and students we serve is that in spite of the budget challenges we have been able to efficiently manage MTDA resources so that we are in a position to meet the needs of your students this spring. We continue to ask you to assist us in making the best use of MTDA resources by thoughtfully and deliberately enrolling students that you feel will be successful in online classes. While there still is uncertainty in what the near and/or long-term future will bring, with respect to budget cuts and funding levels, we do know that we will be able to manage the 2018 spring term to allow us to fulfill your enrollment needs.

For more information on specific programs, please see the “Spring 2018 Information” menu on the left-hand side of this school portal page.

From Jason Neiffer, MTDA Assistant Director/Curriculum Director:

NOTE: This information was also sent to the primary contact for each school with an AP™ enrollment in our Fall 2017 program.

Attention: All schools with a Fall 2017 AP™ enrollment with MTDA.  Please review this notice and let me know if you have any questions.

First and foremost, thank you for entrusting your student with MTDA for an Advanced Placement™ course. We are very proud of our AP™ program, which has experienced growth in the past three years that has outpaced growth in the rest of our program. We have had positive and constructive feedback from our students and look forward to continuing to enhance and polish the student experience in the program. We, of course, also welcome your feedback!

As a distance learning program, AP™ classes work differently than they do if they are offered directly in your school. It is important that you plan now for students taking the Advanced Placement™ tests, May 2018.

AP™ Bulletin

This week, our AP™ teachers will be sharing this document:

https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-student-bulletin-2017-18.pdf

…the AP™ Bulletin for Parents and Students, with our students. Please review this document yourself and assist MTDA by forwarding either the document itself or the link to your AP™-enrolled students and their parents. It contains important information about the Advanced Placement™ program, the AP™ test in the spring, and preparation tips for the exam.

Course Audits

As you may be aware, all schools and outside course providers must pass a rigorous “Course Audit” to qualify for exams to appear on the College Board’s Advanced Placement™ Ledger. For the 2017-2018 school year, MTDA has submitted and passed the course audit for all of the AP™ courses in our catalog.

This year, the College Board has asked all providers like MTDA to inform you in writing that you must take an additional step locally to have MTDA’s courses appear in the ledger associated with your school. With your local course audit account, you must specifically choose the course and associated it with MTDA as an external provider. It is our understanding that this process must be complete by January. However, we would advise doing so as soon as possible.

Test Administration

As a distance learning provider, MTDA has no role in the administration of Advanced Placement™ exams. In the past, partner schools have registered themselves as a member school with the College Board or found a nearby district that is already offering AP™ examinations to assist in this process.

The best resource to get started is provided by the College Board’s “Start AP™” page, located here:

https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/start-grow-ap/start-ap

The page contains an excellent set of resources on how to get started, including a timeline and contact information for assistance at the College Board itself.

In addition to the College Board, Julie Cruse at OPI can also be a resource for getting started. She works on projects related to Advanced Placement™ and access and works with folks at the College Board in case you get stuck and need assistance. She is JCruse@mt.gov or 406.444.0769.

We sincerely appreciate working with you to help serve students across the state to deliver programs like Advanced Placement™ courses. Do let our staff know if we can be of any assistance!