Superintendent's Corner

The core purpose of Ekalaka Public Schools is to develop the full potential of each student so they possess the knowledge and skills to thrive in a competitive world. Our core values are communication, leadership, respect, pride, passion, a safe and positive environment, excellence, accountability and achievement. We are excited to build on these values as we develop an effective staff of highly qualified individuals. Being able to offer staff housing allows us to be competitive with nearby districts such as Plevna, Baker and Broadus in attracting skillful applicants. Ballots for the district staff housing bond were mailed on October 18. You can find more information on the bond and ask questions on http://www.ekalaka.net under bond information.

The Montana Office of Public Instruction has implemented a new Accreditation Process. The new Accreditation Process will include: Assurance Standards, Student Performance Standards, a Integrated Strategic Action Plan (ISAP), Indian Education for All, and a Graduate Profile.

The first step in developing an ISAP is to conduct a Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA).

The purpose of a CNA is that it helps a district identify, understand, and better address educational challenges. It is a systemic examination of the gap that exists between the current state and the desired state of the district. The CNA is the first step in planning and improving the effectiveness of educational investments that lead to better outcomes for students.

The length of the survey itself is determined by your stakeholder role. There are 8 separate stakeholder groups. In preparation for taking the survey, it is helpful to see the number of questions there are for each stakeholder group. School Board Member: 59 questions, District Administrator/Principal: 157 questions, Certified Staff/Teacher: 139 questions, Non-Certified Staff/Support Staff: 75 questions, Parent/Guardian: 55 questions, Student Grades 9-12: 20 questions, Student Grades 5-8: 15 questions, Business Partner: 22 questions.

Each question will be rated from 1-4 with the following description for each question:

1 = I don't know or not being implemented

2 = Basic Implementation

3 = Proficient Implementation

4 = Effective or Sustained Practice

It is important to know that once you begin, you will need to complete it, as the survey only allows you to complete it once. Please note that each person completing the survey will need their own device as the program will only allow the survey to be completed once per computer, iPad, phone, etc. Please be sure to select the school that most aligns with you, as you will be able to select between the High School, Junior High, and Elementary schools.

You can take the survey by going to our webpage and following the instructions or go to: https://montanaopi.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ppbDFMo98Q3aMm to take the survey.

The survey will be closed on November 9, 2023. Please take the time to complete the survey to accurately compile results from our community.