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Montana State Board of Education records, 1971-2005

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Montana. State Board of Education
Title
Montana State Board of Education records
Dates
1971-2005 (inclusive)
Quantity
11.2 linear ft
Collection Number
RS 503 (Formerly RS 68)
Summary
This collection is a subgroup (years 1971-2005) of the Montana State Board of Education records. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana State Board of Education records. Records consist of Board minutes that document the activities of the Montana Board of Public Education, and the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education. The minutes include resolutions, proposed legislations, correspondence, and financial reports. The collection also contains the minutes of the Joint Ad Hoc Curriculum Committee and the Joint Vocational Education Committee.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

The Montana State Board of Education is the board composed of the Board of Public Education and the Board of Regents as specified by article X, section 9, subsection (1) of the 1972 Montana Constitution. The Board of Public Education and the Board of Regents meeting together as the State Board of Education are responsible for long-range planning, and for coordinating and evaluating policies and programs for the state’s educational systems.

The Montana Board of Public Education was created by the Montana Constitution of 1972 to exercise general supervision over the elementary and secondary schools of the state. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate to oversee all educational programs not within the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents of Higher Education. The State Board of Public Education is assigned specific responsibilities by the Montana Legislature. The Board is required to adopt standards of accreditation for Montana schools and establish the accreditation status of each school; effect a system of teacher certification, including the accreditation of the teacher and administrator training programs; consider the suspension or revocation of teacher certificates and hear appeals from the denial of teacher certificates; administer and order the distribution of state equalization aid; adopt policies for the special education of handicapped and gifted and talented students; and act as the governing agency for the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind.

The Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education was created by the Montana Constitution of 1972 to supervise, coordinate, manage, and control the Montana University System. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the governor, and confirmed by the Senate to seven year overlapping terms. The Governor and Superintendent of Public Instruction are ex-officio members of the Board.

The Ad Hoc Curriculum Committee was formed in 1974 in response to legislative proposals calling for consumer education, environment education, American Indian culture education, ethnic studies, and Mexican-American studies in Montana schools and Colleges. With a focus on Indian Education the committee presented their findings in December of 1975 in the report, Indian Culture Master Plan, to the State Board of Education.

Joint Vocational Education Committee, composed of members of the Board of Public Education Vocational Education Committee and the Board of Regents, was created in 1976 to determine the role and scope of vocational education in Montana. In December of 1977 the committee presented two new policies, “New Programs in Vocational/Technical Education” and “Vocational/Technical Programs Offered off Campus through Continuing Education.”

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Content Description

The State Board of Education Records consist of the financial and administrative records of the State Board of Education, the two boards which comprise the State Board, and committees formed by the State Board.

The State Board of Education records consist of minutes (1971-1980), which include resolutions, financial and other reports of the Board, proposed legislation, and correspondences.

The Board of Public Education records consist of minutes (1973-1986), including the final meetings of the State Board of Education, prior to the 1972 Constitution; resolutions, proposed legislation, correspondence, and financial and other reports of the Board regarding vocational schools, special education, and the budget. These records also include transcripts of hearings (1971-1978), which include the hearings on accreditation standards, competency testing, library standards, and Native American studies.

The Board of Regents of Higher Education records consists of minutes (1975-2002, 2005), agendas, and exhibits.

The Joint Ad Hoc Curriculum Committee and the Joint Vocational Committee records consist of minutes (1974-1977), agendas, correspondence, and the committee’s final reports and recommendations.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Library & Archives, Helena, Montana.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

These records are organized into five (sub)groups: Montana State Board of Education, Montana Board of Public Education, Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education, Joint Ad Hoc Curriculum Committee and the Joint Vocational Committee. These groups are then arranged by series.

Location of Collection

18:8-6

Processing Note

In 2025, the various collections of the Montana State Board of Education were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 503, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the Montana Historical Society catalog, and to follow best archival practices.

Collections from the Montana State Board of Education that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 503. Rather than reprocessing over 18 linear feet of State Board of Education materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those collections/finding aids, and provide access to them via links through the central finding aid. This decision has allowed the MTHS archival staff to maintain intellectual control over the collection, while removing the need to reprocess it. It also keeps State Agency finding aids at manageable sizes. Please read the scope and content note carefully to determine if this subgroup/sub-subgroup pertains to your research needs.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information is available upon request.

Related Materials

Please see RS 503 Subgroup 1 for State Board of Education records, 1893-1971.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Competency based educational tests--Montana.
  • Native American studies--Montana.
  • School management and organization--Montana.
  • Teachers--Certification--Montana.
  • Vocational Education--Montana

Corporate Names

  • Montana. Board of Public Education
  • Montana. Board of Regents of Higher Education
  • Montana. State Board of Education

Finding aid prepared by Karen Bjork; Updated by Lindsey Mick
2006; 2025

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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