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Fewer than half of Montana students in grades 3 through 8 are at or above grade-level proficiency standards in language arts and math.

That’s according to the first statewide results of a new standardized assessment implemented during the last school year.

The Office of Public Instruction released the statewide scores of the Montana Aligned to Standards Through-Year Assessment, or MAST, before the Thanksgiving holidays. State superintendent Susie Hedalen said while OPI has work to do training teachers on administering the test and early data shows a need to improve student outcomes, the format has been well received by students and offers usable data for educators.

Montana’s average of students who tested at or above proficiency levels for their grade was

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