Montana Historical Society
Library & Archives
RS 68_RS 503
Montana. State Board of
Education
Montana State Board of Education records
1971-2021
11.2 linear feet
16.2 Megabytes (136 computer files)
This collection is a subgroup (years
1971-2021) 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
(including digital 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.
18:8-6
English
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.”
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
(1973-2021), 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. Minutes from 2006 to 2021 are digital.
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.
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.
Collection open for research. To access digital materials, please speak with an archivist.
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.
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.
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers.
Montana Historical Society Library & Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information is available upon request.
Please see RS 503
Subgroup 1 for State Board of Education records, 1893-1971.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should
search under these terms.
Montana. State Board of
Education
Montana. Board of Public
Education
Montana. Board of Regents of
Higher Education
Competency based educational
tests
Native American studies
School management and
organization
Teachers--Certification
Vocational Education
Montana
Montana
Elementary and
Secondary Education
Colleges and
Universities
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Series I
State Board of Education
1971-1980
1.5 linear feet (2 boxes)
1 / 1-2
Board Minutes
1971 October-December
1 / 3-10
Board Minutes
1972 February-December
1 / 11-16
Board Minutes
1973 March-December
1 / 17-19
Board Minutes
1974 April-December
2 / 1-2
Board Minutes
1975 September-December
2 / 3-4
Board Minutes
1976 September-December
2 / 5-6
Board Minutes
1977 July-September
2 / 7-8
Board Minutes
1978 April-September
2 / 9-10
Board Minutes
1979 April-September
2 / 11-12
Board Minutes
1980 September-December
Series II
Board of Public Education
1973-2021
8.5 linear feet (9 boxes)
16.2 Megabytes (136 computer files)
2 / 13-15
Board Minutes
1973 July-December
2 / 16-24
Board Minutes
1974 January-October
3 / 1-2
Board Minutes
1974 December
3 / 3-10
Board Minutes
1975 January-December
3 / 11-15
Board Minutes
1976 March-July
4 / 1-4
Board Minutes
1976 September-December
4 / 5-17
Board Minutes
1977 January- September
5 / 1-3
Board Minutes
1977 October-December
5 / 4-14
Board Minutes
1978 January-October
6 / 1-4
Board Minutes
1978 November-December
6 / 5-16
Board Minutes
1979 January-December
6 / 17-22
Board Minutes
1980 January-June
7 / 1-5
Board Minutes
1980 July-December
7 / 6-17
Board Minutes
1981 January-December
7 / 18-19
Board Minutes
1982 February-March
8 / 1-9
Board Minutes
1982 April-December
8 / 10-16
Board Minutes
1983 January-June
9 / 1-7
Board Minutes
1983 July-December
9 / 8-15
Board Minutes
1984 Janusry-May
10 / 1-5
Board Minutes
1984 June-October
10 / 6
Board Minutes
1985 January
10 / 7-12
Board Minutes
2003 March-November
10 / 13-16
Board Minutes
2005 January-July
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2006 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2007 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2008 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2009 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2010 January-December
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2011 February-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2012 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2013 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2014 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2015 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2016 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2017 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2018 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2019 January-November
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2020 January-December
Digital Items
Board Minutes
2021 January-November
11 / 3
Hearings, Competency Testing
1978
11 / 4
Hearings, Library Standards
1977-1978
11 / 5
Hearings, Native American Studies
1978
11 / 6
Reports, Automotive Survey
1975
11 / 7
Reports, Special Education Program Review
1976
11 / 8
Reports, State Plan
1984-1986
Series III
Board of Regents of Higher Education
1975-2005
1 linear foot (1 box)
11 / 9
Board Minutes
1975 June-July
11 / 10
Board Minutes
1976 December
11 / 11
Board Minutes
1978 December
11 / 12
Board Minutes
1979 March-November
11 / 13
Board Minutes
1980 January-December
11 / 14
Board Minutes
1981 January-December
11 / 15
Board Minutes
1982 March-December
11 / 16
Board Minutes
1983 January-November
11 / 17
Board Minutes
1984 January-December
11 / 18
Board Minutes
1985 April-December
11 / 19
Board Minutes
1986 January-December
11 / 20
Board Minutes
1987 June-July
11 / 21
Board Minutes
1989 January
11 / 22
Board Minutes
1990 August
11 / 23
Board Minutes
1991 January-November
11 / 24
Board Minutes
1992 February-November
11 / 25
Board Minutes
1993 January-November
11 / 26
Board Minutes
1994 January-November
11 / 27
Board Minutes
1995 January-December
11 / 28
Board Minutes
2002 January-December
11 / 29
Board Minutes, Certificate Advisory
Council
2003 January-July
11 / 30
Board Minutes
2005 May-June
Series IV
Joint Ad Hoc Curriculum Committee
1974-1975
0.1 linear foot (1 box)
12 / 1-2
Committee Minutes
1974-1975
Series V
Joint Vocational Education Committee
1976-1977
0.1 linear foot (1 box)
12 / 3
Committee Minutes
1976-1977