OCHE: Grow Your Own grants aim to add rural teachers; agencies stress local coordinators and scholarships

The Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education updated the committee on Grow Your Own teacher pipeline grants funded in the 2025 session (HB499). Angela McLean, director for American Indian and minority achievements at OCHE, described a multi-campus effort to place and sustain teacher-preparation cohorts in rural and tribal communities.

McLean summarized the grant-funded partnerships: Montana State University working with Blackfeet Community College to build a community-centered teacher prep model with expanded course modalities and UM Western partnering with Great Falls and Lewistown to expand rural cohorts. "Combined, the programs will deliver through cohort models 52 completers by 2028," she said. Grantees reported early cohort sizes (e.g., UM Western had 11 students, MSU/Blackfeet nine) and predicted growth next year.

Presenters and committee members emphasized two sustainability levers: scholarship models that reduce student debt and local, site-based coordinators who maintain community relationships. McLean said coordinators are critical for sustaining dual-enrollment pipelines and cohort tracking. In Q&A, members pressed for outcome data (how many completers remain teaching locally) and OPI/OCHE noted some disruptions when funding lapsed in earlier biennia.

Ending: OCHE will continue tracking cohort completion and placement data and return with progress reports; the committee signaled interest in metrics showing the share of completers who teach in their home communities.