[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6325833,"mediaKeyId","2331063-65710b09d2884d0053875a1c8b76246b","parentId",2331063,"title","Committee hears bill encouraging cursive instruction in Montana schools","audioSeconds",1161,"startMs",203000,"endMs",1364000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2331063-65710b09d2884d0053875a1c8b76246b&start=203&end=1364","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2331063-65710b09d2884d0053875a1c8b76246b/thumbnail_203000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6325833/Montana/Committee-hears-bill-encouraging-cursive-instruction-in-Montana-schools","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325833-beeadfa8e13dc6783b488ddaafd163fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199830&Signature=MeuG1NBSeGHe1zmO~gwVjepUwupbYhkaQI44QDwqAIbEEx2XSFK-70OuJX7NIoXjp5H1Pl1xlVQIhCzK59aTS138yLY-obIaOoxXgdfGAC7jSxq8iHdJjH2FpEueIA5jhRlmwJDxaY~qxtEXkiaE4Z0MlLtECaichyhJn4XwT9ErVirtqawhzuUA~9O4knx6i7nd84B-~oHt62JaNrUp-IJlUaelzcOKoN7sLYEmV5JrbGC~CNw-4OZm4Eaa~L2eUU0PR5eIxdpzrVRLvtimAFL1EoC47V8L20lBOuj2yQFsF1~C2TuKstz9SOpUQFbpYjs692DBf1-YtQNdvAVG0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","article","House Bill 445, introduced by Representative Zach Wirth, drew testimony urging Montana schools to restore or emphasize cursive handwriting instruction in elementary grades.

Supporters told the House Education Committee that teaching cursive contributes to fine motor skills, classroom focus and the ability to read historical documents. \"When children write in cursive, they activate different parts of their brain reinforcing the ability to learn and process information effectively,\" said Susie Hedalen, superintendent of the Office of Public Instruction. Teacher Pamela Raney told the committee cursive instruction provides \"a quiet moment or moments in the classroom\" and supports kinesthetic, visual and auditory learning.

The bill would encourage including cursive under the state handwriting content standards. Wirth said the measure is \"a very simple bill\" and described it as a way to remind schools of a practice that advocates say was deemphasized after the common-core-era shift to keyboarding and online assessments. Hedalen told the committee that, where appropriate, cursive could be incorporated into existing handwriting instruction rather than made a costly separate program. \"I see it as being incorporated during writing and handwriting that's already in our standards,\" Hedalen said.

Board of Public Education Executive Director McCall Flynn said some districts already teach cursive and that the board and OPI could address placement of cursive instruction during the negotiated rulemaking for content standards. Committee members pressed on implementation details: Representative Thane and others asked what grade levels would be expected to cover cursive, with Hedalen and Flynn advising the third-through-fifth-grade window is common and that emphasis could be on students' ability to sign and read cursive rather than full mastery.

Committee members also asked whether the Office of Public Instruction could provide direction without new law; Flynn said it could, and Hedalen said the bill would provide an explicit encouragement the office could carry forward. No appropriation or specific mandate for classroom minutes was specified during the hearing.

The committee closed the public hearing on House Bill 445 with no committee action recorded at the session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Education Feb 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 445, introduced by Representative Zach Wirth, drew testimony urging Montana schools to restore or emphasize cursive handwriting instruction in elementary grades.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325823,"Bill to fund student‑led school mental‑health pilots draws broad testimony as lawmakers consider grant details",3740,2995000,6735000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2331063-65710b09d2884d0053875a1c8b76246b&start=2995&end=6735","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2331063-65710b09d2884d0053875a1c8b76246b/thumbnail_2995000.jpg","/articles/6325823/Montana/Bill-to-fund-studentled-school-mentalhealth-pilots-draws-broad-testimony-as-lawmakers-consider-grant-details","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325823-5d3883a8bd1dfb9f7d8d7e389388acbc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199830&Signature=RKhmjrBegDI7C72NN-4WVFYp~unsecGx1vvAgPZhqAAB~RY66gDkPujEfMu-ThtnctHjflr~6qs1elxsQZ44ZXhp6GUsMIWg568JVkQXJo09285H-LoDYAP1t9bqUjnKuSuBfAhCjuFLZEJjuCyLN5hmZeUx9RpJ6KLAbOsTIEVHaFObV3RBbuXRM879LFJhl7SknNq4LSwps-NWBcgZ-LJL6IRleaQVaewYotvUgRm~GTRA57ANMalB-lj9Zsnjqtal~QvvgJCQFiiILmA~xpI0jsPfLzr-7axB9MvoUR0c2qiwv0hHEsgdp876DEqTPF2gsGaiDyJadYHjwkJEVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Melissa Romano opened the hearing on House Bill 385 by describing a student‑created proposal to pilot locally determined, student‑led mental‑health promotion initiatives in Montana schools. The bill would allow school teams that include students to apply for competitive grants and would require evaluation and a minimum two‑year commitment for funded projects.

The committee heard robust testimony from students, educators and health professionals. \"This legislation will profoundly affect every student in Montana by expanding access to critical mental health resources,\" said Gavin Mow, student representative on the Board of Public Education, recounting survey results he collected from 2,945 students across 30 high schools that rated local access and quality of mental‑health resources as low. Student speakers from Helena and Great Falls described peer‑led programs that run classroom lessons, awareness weeks and mentoring groups.

Andrea Savage, mental‑health coordinator for Great Falls Public Schools, told the committee that the district's peer mentoring effort — expanded since 2021 — trains students in evidence‑based practices, connects peers to school resources and has been used to reduce stigma and identify students in crisis. Savage said the district has seen fewer sixth‑grade emergency‑department visits after universal screening and attributed a 25 percent decline in students presenting with active suicidal ideation to expanded interventions; she also said the district's peer program grew from seven participants to 200.

Health organizations and state medical groups supported the bill. Jean Branscum of the Montana Medical Association and pediatricians noted that school‑based, upstream programs can reduce crisis care needs. Rob Watson of the Coalition of Advocates for Montana's Public Schools highlighted a coalition survey showing lack of funding and limited counseling options as top barriers across districts.

Committee members asked how grant awards would be sized and whether small rural schools could realistically apply. Representative Romano said she planned an amendment to lower the proposed minimum grant size to $5,000 to make small‑school participation more feasible; she also described the program as locally designed so that teams could propose a range of activities — from schedule modifications to peer support groups, family engagement nights or artist‑led activities.

An intervening witness from a psychiatric‑watchdog group urged that programs emphasize individual rights and a noncoercive, drug‑free approach and suggested including language about differential medical evaluation for students with behavioral symptoms.

Representative Romano closed by saying student voice and local tailoring were central to the design and urged a due‑pass recommendation. The committee took no final vote during the hearing.","House Bill 385 would create a competitive grant program for school districts to implement student‑led, locally tailored mental‑health initiatives. Testimony included students, educators, health professionals and advocates who urged passage; questions centered on funding amounts, rural school access and alignment with existing programs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325829,"Lawmakers consider process, funding to identify and bulk-purchase high-quality instructional materials",4129,1380000,5509000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2331063-65710b09d2884d0053875a1c8b76246b&start=1380&end=5509","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2331063-65710b09d2884d0053875a1c8b76246b/thumbnail_1380000.jpg","/articles/6325829/Montana/Lawmakers-consider-process-funding-to-identify-and-bulk-purchase-high-quality-instructional-materials","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325829-65ceb450fbf5c09a9d2f8978f58f9846/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199830&Signature=Js1h6dXyw97Xtvn~edn~ZVhpaBhCNkF41umLy~BUOXGtrCnVn4lhlPjkf3oGDzvOC~okE8KFTY3NmBSv6ZIYQd585zDf9W7OCRs9~SdfEHCktEVtjeImxA4qXbZRVhCPhJyt09lt6jjvuf0qeUpJj3xtFgX~6irMnaCnIha7MtsS1jtFaYDC04r9jreANTuw5bZiWyrsibkukFUxniiIkSowR78gukt2VjiK44-PoF5xOJAebmBeEcXt8lOtRAxwSJ4HPVV9uHAhH6XrU1sSfPq~bHLHwptrLnsx1tpcJ-Hnxun3AqZZFPf20G3uLig7aLErCIZlwDYGonB~eLoERQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative David Beatty told the House Education Committee that House Bill 462 would embed identification of high-quality instructional materials into the state's negotiated rulemaking process so districts could access vetted curriculum options and associated professional development.

\"Adopting high quality instructional materials is essential to advancing proficiency based learning and improving education outcomes in our state,\" sponsor Representative David Beatty said in his opening. The bill would define HQIM, ask the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) to evaluate and recommend materials to the Board of Public Education, and include a one-time appropriation intended to reduce the cost to districts that choose to adopt vetted materials.

Supporters — including classroom teachers, the Coalition of Advocates for Montana's Public Schools, the Montana Federation of Public Employees, and researchers — testified that HQIM paired with curriculum-aligned professional development improves instruction, accelerates learning, and can narrow achievement gaps. \"Teachers deserve to have access to and specific training for the professional tools of their trade,\" testified Trish Schreiber, a professional educator. Ashley Berner of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy highlighted research linking HQIM to improved outcomes and urged including principals in curriculum-focused professional development.

Several witnesses, including the Coalition, recommended clarifying how any external nonprofit partner would be selected and suggested language to allow materials that could reasonably be adapted to align with Montana standards. Committee members pressed the sponsor on the bill's fiscal details. Representative Thane asked whether the proposed appropriation would help pay for districts' purchases or would instead support local curriculum development; Beatty said the appropriation is intended to offset acquisition costs and associated professional development. The bill text referenced a $3,000,000 appropriation during committee discussion.

Members also asked why the math subject was singled out in the appropriation; Beatty said math was chosen because recent math standards were scheduled for implementation and because improving math proficiency is a state priority. No committee vote was recorded at the hearing.

The committee heard technical questions about defining \"align\" and about who would serve as the external partner; the sponsor said the OPI would recommend a nonprofit or subject-matter expert and the Board of Public Education would approve such a partner, with procurement details subject to a competitive process.

The committee closed the hearing on House Bill 462 after proponent and informational testimony.","House Bill 462 would require the Office of Public Instruction and the Board of Public Education to identify high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) during the standards-adoption process, and provides an appropriation intended to reduce districts' purchase costs and support professional development tied to curriculum implementation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears bill encouraging cursive instruction in Montana schools

Bill to fund student‑led school mental‑health pilots draws broad testimony as lawmakers consider grant details

Lawmakers consider process, funding to identify and bulk-purchase high-quality instructional materials