 I
am delighted to present the second edition of the Montana
Statewide Education Profile. Our purpose is to encourage
a comprehensive look at Montana’s public school
system through a broad range of quality indicators.
This document is designed to help Montanans evaluate
the state of education in Montana. It is also a model
for individual schools and districts.
This second edition builds on our previous
work creating the first Profile. We have added to the
baseline data by including observations about the trends
in the indicators of quality education. I believe an
awareness of trends is of particular value as we determine
the focus of our efforts.
The topics presented in this Profile
were chosen based on public input at town meetings across
the state. I direct your attention to the list of questions
in Appendix A. These questions were identified in town
meetings as most important in assessing school systems.
In Appendix B, we offer a set of questions that might
help educators and community members open a dialogue
about their local schools.
We are proud of the commitment and
talent of our teachers, and proud of the high quality
education our children receive. Our schools can only
maintain that quality through active partnership of
community members, parents, educators, and school board
trustees. In Montana, we know that partnership works.
Information that is accurate and relevant can assist
the schools and communities with decisions about education.
This Profile can be an important tool
to help us do a better job for Montana’s children.
Linda McCulloch
State Superintendent |
