Montana Digital Academy

Mission

Montana Digital Academy (MTDA) is a fully virtual program that is “specifically designed to provide unique online educational opportunities to Montana students and schools. MTDA puts no limits on learning. Students can access coursework whenever and wherever they want, eliminating course conflicts while helping many students to graduate on time.”

Demographics

MTDA serves 2,987 unique students across 142 school districts in Montana. This includes 3,564 enrollments in their original credit program, 236 in Advanced Placement courses, 172 in dual enrollment courses, and 1,776 in flex courses.

Experience Overview

MTDA is a supplemental online course provider that supports flexible learning with certified Montana teachers while students attend local brick-and-mortar schools. Created in 2009 by the Montana legislature, MTDA has five core programs that offer 24/7 asynchronous learning:

• Original Credit: Students have the opportunity to virtually continue the learning they would receive in their traditional brick-and-mortar school. This option allows for students to access a large library of courses beyond what their home school may be able to offer.

• FlexCAP: This proficiency-based program allows students to access learning via an online platform. As an asynchronous option, students have greater flexibility in how they complete their assignments.

• Dual Credit: Students complete and receive original and college credits from a Montana college while still enrolled in their high school.

• Advanced Placement (AP): Students have access to AP courses, such as statistics, microeconomics, and environmental sciences for both original and college credit.

• Middle School: Students in seventh and eighth grades can expand their learning in the arts, language, and core subjects.

MTDA and the MTDA Clearinghouse allow for expanded access to courses, particularly for students from rural areas where schools may not be able to offer the same diversity of courses in person. To ensure that students are ready to learn successfully in a virtual environment, they are assessed using the Online Readiness Matrix by site facilitators, counselors, and administrators, which helps determine enrollment in appropriate coursework.

Learning In Action

MTDA utilizes a variety of learning models, providing students choice over how they approach their course requirements, as well as flexibility and agency in pacing their coursework. In their original credit format, students receive flexible deadlines and have the opportunity to engage with content as many times as they need prior to completing assignments or assessments, allowing for greater processing time than in a traditional classroom setting. Students have the opportunity to earn original credit for core subjects, college credit for AP and dual enrollment courses, and engage in non-credit-bearing courses which allow students to pursue courses aligned to their specific interests.

Students can choose from 80 MTDA original credit and AP virtual courses that align with state standards, including Montana’s Indian Education for All. MTDA also offers career and technical education (CTE), as well as Scratch coding courses that center on relevant real-world learning experiences. One of these courses, Jobs for Montana Graduates, allows students to explore careers, employability skills, and connect with employers by engaging in individualized project-based learning.

MTDA also offers two additional programs: Indigenous language and short courses. Indigenous language courses allow any student to learn Cree and Crow, with additional language offerings currently in development. Short courses are asynchronous, self-paced, non-credit-bearing options that last for less than a quarter or semester. Students can select from a range of topics including vaping prevention, enrichment, or CTE courses to prepare for certification in their chosen field. Students who enroll in short courses may receive a certificate of completion, proficiency-based completion, or a takeaway project for personal enrichment.

Learning experiences in MTDA courses include the use of text, videos, diagrams, infographics, and audio housed in a centralized learning management system (LMS). Students actively engage in discussions, assignments, and assessments, and they have ongoing opportunities to receive immediate feedback to evaluate their own learning.

Teaching In Action

MTDA hires licensed Montana teachers who are actively teaching at local schools to work part-time, outside of contract hours. As experienced educators, they are adept at daily communication via email and phone, and they are committed to providing robust, individualized feedback for students on all assignments.

MTDA teachers are trained in distance learning pedagogy and are regularly coached to refine their practice in feedback, proactive communication, and student mentoring and support. Teachers keep a close eye on communication channels to answer student questions and help connect students to resources.

MTDA has also built a robust student support system guided by the multi-tiered systems of support framework. MTDA staff regularly monitor student performance and lead a team of professionals, including the MTDA teacher and local site facilitators, to identify and act alongside students who require additional support.

Conditions for Success

• Learning Materials and Tools: The MTDA team thoroughly vets learning platforms and courses, allowing schools from across the state to choose digital content that aligns with their curricula.

• Time: MTDA courses are designed for students to be able to access learning 24/7, providing needed flexibility to be successful in earning original or college credit.

• Policies: This state-operated program has the buy-in and support to partner with public schools across Montana. MTDA’s FlexCAP courses also serve as a state model for proficiency-based learning.

• Finance and Resources: Schools with participating students engage in cost-sharing of $123 for each original credit and middle school course enrollment. Schools have a $61.50 cost-share per quarter enrollment for FlexCap courses.

Other Key Highlights

MTDA developed the Planning Guide for AI: A Framework for School Districts in partnership with Michigan Virtual to assist schools with integrating generative artificial intelligence technologies into learning experiences for students and educators. As a facet of this work, MTDA hosts AI Education Labs, which are structured as “drop-in” meetings for educators from across the country, to discuss and share resources.

MTDA also launched EdReady Montana, which supports the creation of personalized learning pathways for students. This free offering for Montana students engages them in a self-assessment in math and English to identify opportunities for intervention, acceleration, and placement opportunities for supplemental and college courses.