MT ·
4
Must provide at least the minimum aggregate hours of pupil instruction per 20-1-301/20-1-302 MCA: 360 hours half-day kindergarten; 720 hours full-day kindergarten and grades 1-3; 1,080 hours grades 4-12.
Montana is a low-regulation homeschool state. Under 20-5-109 MCA, a home school qualifies its students for exemption from compulsory enrollment (compulsory ages 7 to 16, or completion of 8th grade) by: (1) annually notifying the county superintendent; (2) maintaining attendance records available on request; (3) providing the minimum aggregate instruction hours; and (4) providing an organized course of study covering the subjects required of public schools (communication arts, math, science, social studies). No standardized testing, evaluation, teacher-qualification, or approval requirement exists. Parents retain sole authority over educational philosophy, curriculum, materials, methods, and evaluation per 20-5-111 MCA.
Parents must notify the county superintendent of schools (of the county where the home school is located) of intent to home school in each school fiscal year. Notification should occur prior to the first day of public school in the district. This is the only recurring annual obligation. Per 20-5-109(2) MCA.
Must maintain pupil attendance records and make them available to the county superintendent on request (20-5-109 MCA). Note: 2025 H.B. 778 amended 20-5-109 to remove the prior immunization-record and building health/safety-compliance requirements for home schools. No state-mandated curriculum portfolio or test records are required.
- communication arts (English language arts)
- mathematics
- science
- social studies
· Montana Content Standards for Mathematics (2026), adopted Jan 2025, implementation July 1, 2026; Common Core-aligned structure (CCSS-M) with Montana Indian Education for All integration · 117
| K | MT.K.CC.1 | Flexibly count to 100 by ones and by tens. |
| K | MT.K.CC.3 | Write numbers from 0-20 and represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20. |
| K | MT.K.CC.6 | Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to another group. |
| K | MT.K.G.2 | Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size. |
| K | MT.K.G.6 | Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes. |
| K | MT.K.MD.2 | Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common using comparative language. |
| K | MT.K.NBT.1 | Compose and decompose numbers from 11-19 into ten ones and further ones; record by drawing or equation. |
| K | MT.K.OA.1 | Represent addition and subtraction in multiple ways. |
| K | MT.K.OA.4 | For any number from 1 to 9, find the number that makes 10 when added to the given number. |
| 1 | MT.1.G.1 | Distinguish defining vs non-defining attributes of shapes. |
| 1 | MT.1.G.3 | Partition shapes into halves and fourths. |
| 1 | MT.1.MD.1 | Order and compare lengths of objects. |
| 1 | MT.1.NBT.1 | Count and represent numbers to 120 in base ten. |
| 1 | MT.1.NBT.4 | Add within 100 using place value understanding and strategies. |
| 1 | MT.1.OA.1 | Solve addition and subtraction problems within 20 in context. |
| 1 | MT.1.OA.6 | Add and subtract within 20 using strategies. |
| 2 | MT.2.G.1 | Recognize and draw shapes with specified attributes. |
| 2 | MT.2.MD.1 | Measure length using appropriate tools. |
| 2 | MT.2.MD.10 | Represent and interpret data in picture and bar graphs. |
| 2 | MT.2.NBT.1 | Understand three-digit place value (hundreds, tens, ones). |
| 2 | MT.2.NBT.5 | Add and subtract within 100 fluently using place value strategies. |
| 2 | MT.2.OA.1 | Solve one- and two-step addition/subtraction word problems within 100. |
| 3 | MT.3.G.1 | Understand shapes in different categories may share attributes. |
| 3 | MT.3.MD.3 | Draw and interpret scaled picture and bar graphs. |
| 3 | MT.3.NBT.1 | Use place value to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100. |
| 3 | MT.3.NF.1 | Understand a fraction 1/b as one part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts. |
| 3 | MT.3.OA.1 | Understand products of whole numbers as groups times objects per group. |
| 3 | MT.3.OA.7 | Flexibly, accurately, and efficiently multiply and divide within 100. |
| 3 | MT.3.OA.8 | Solve two-step problems in context using the four operations; assess reasonableness. |
| 4 | MT.4.G.1 | Draw and identify points, lines, segments, rays, angles, and parallel/perpendicular lines. |
| 4 | MT.4.MD.2 | Solve measurement problems involving distance, time, volume, mass, and money. |
| 4 | MT.4.NBT.4 | Add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm. |
| 4 | MT.4.NBT.5 | Multiply up to four-digit by one-digit and two two-digit numbers using place value strategies. |
| 4 | MT.4.NF.1 | Explain and generate equivalent fractions using visual fraction models. |
| 4 | MT.4.NF.2 | Compare two fractions with different numerators/denominators; record with >, =, <. |
| 4 | MT.4.OA.1 | Interpret a multiplication equation as a multiplicative comparison. |
| 4 | MT.4.OA.3 | Solve multistep whole-number word problems using the four operations; assess reasonableness. |
| 5 | MT.5.G.1 | Use the coordinate plane and ordered pairs to graph points. |
| 5 | MT.5.G.3 | Classify two-dimensional figures by properties in a hierarchy. |
| 5 | MT.5.MD.1 | Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a system. |
| 5 | MT.5.NBT.1 | Understand place value: each place is 10 times the place to its right and 1/10 to its left. |
| 5 | MT.5.NBT.5 | Multiply multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm. |
| 5 | MT.5.NBT.7 | Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths. |
| 5 | MT.5.OA.2 | Write and interpret numerical expressions. |
| 6 | MT.6.EE.2 | Write, read, and evaluate expressions with variables. |
| 6 | MT.6.NS.1 | Compute quotients of fractions and solve division-of-fractions problems in context. |
| 6 | MT.6.NS.5 | Use positive and negative numbers to represent opposite quantities; explain 0 in context. |
| 6 | MT.6.NS.8 | Graph points in all four quadrants; use coordinates/absolute value to find distances. |
| 6 | MT.6.RP.1 | Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language. |
| 6 | MT.6.RP.3 | Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve proportional problems (unit rates, percentages). |
| 6 | MT.6.SP.4 | Display numerical data in plots (dot plots, histograms, box plots). |
| 6 | MT.6.SP.5 | Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context. |
| 7 | MT.7.EE.3 | Solve multi-step real-life problems with rational numbers in any form. |
| 7 | MT.7.EE.4 | Use variables to represent quantities and construct equations/inequalities to solve problems. |
| 7 | MT.7.NS.2 | Multiply and divide rational numbers; apply properties of operations. |
| 7 | MT.7.RP.2 | Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities. |
| 7 | MT.7.RP.3 | Use proportional relationships to solve multistep ratio and percent problems. |
| 7 | MT.7.SP.1 | Understand statistics; use random sampling to draw inferences about a population. |
| 7 | MT.7.SP.4 | Use measures of center and variability to compare two populations. |
| 8 | MT.8.EE.1 | Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent expressions. |
| 8 | MT.8.EE.5 | Graph proportional relationships and interpret unit rate as slope; compare relationships. |
| 8 | MT.8.EE.7 | Solve linear equations in one variable (one, infinite, or no solutions). |
| 8 | MT.8.F.1 | Understand that a function assigns to each input exactly one output. |
| 8 | MT.8.F.3 | Interpret y = mx + b as defining a linear function whose graph is a straight line. |
| 8 | MT.8.G.1 | Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations (rigid motions). |
| 8 | MT.8.G.6 | Explain a proof of the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse. |
| 8 | MT.8.G.7 | Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find unknown side lengths in right triangles in context. |
| 8 | MT.8.G.9 | Apply formulas for volumes of cones, cylinders, and spheres to solve problems. |
| 8 | MT.8.NS.1 | Know real numbers are rational and irrational; convert repeating decimals to fractions. |
| 8 | MT.8.SP.1 | Construct and interpret scatter plots for bivariate measurement data. |
| 8 | MT.8.SP.3 | Use a linear model's equation to solve bivariate problems; interpret slope and intercept. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.EXP.1 | Understand that exponential functions have a constant common ratio over equal intervals. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.EXP.5 | Solve exponential equations graphically, using technology strategically. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.FUN.1 | Interpret parts of an expression, such as terms, factors, and coefficients. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.FUN.2 | Understand the definition of a function and distinguish between functions and relations. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.FUN.4 | Use function notation, evaluate functions, and interpret statements using function notation in context. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.FUN.5 | Identify the domain and range of a function, including constraints imposed by context. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.LIN.1 | Understand that linear functions have a constant rate of change. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.LIN.3 | Represent linear functions using tables, graphs, equations, and verbal situations. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.LIN.6 | Solve systems of linear equations by graphing, substitution, and elimination. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.MOD.1 | Model situations in context with linear, quadratic, and exponential functions. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.QUAD.2 | Represent quadratic functions using tables, graphs, equations, and verbal situations. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.ALG.QUAD.4 | Solve quadratic equations by factoring, graphing, completing the square, and the quadratic formula. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.DATA.INT.3 | Understand standard deviation measures variability; calculate it using technology. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.DATA.INT.6 | Analyze the relationship between two quantitative distributions with a linear association (regression, correlation). |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.DATA.LIT.1 | Distinguish between quantitative and categorical data; use appropriate representations/analysis. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.DATA.LIT.3 | Distinguish between association and causation. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.DATA.PROB.1 | Understand the concept of a sample space and describe events as subsets of a sample space. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.DATA.PROB.2 | Understand conditional probability and independence in context (two-way tables, tree/Venn diagrams). |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.GEOM.ARG.1 | Investigate, conjecture, and prove theorems about lines, angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, and circles. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.GEOM.MEAS.1 | Use the Pythagorean Theorem to calculate distance in the coordinate plane. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.GEOM.MEAS.2 | Derive the equation of a circle of a given center and radius using the Pythagorean Theorem. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.GEOM.MEAS.3 | Use similarity to define sine, cosine, and tangent ratios in right triangles. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.GEOM.MEAS.4 | Use geometric shapes, measures, and properties to model objects and solve problems in context. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.GEOM.TRANS.1 | Represent transformations in the plane using a variety of methods. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.GEOM.TRANS.2 | Define congruence via rigid motions; show two figures congruent (ASA, SAS, SSS). |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.GEOM.TRANS.3 | Define similarity via similarity transformations; establish the AA criterion. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.NUM.REAL.1 | Use reasoning to establish properties of integer exponents, including scientific notation. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.NUM.REAL.2 | Represent and perform operations with very large/small numbers using scientific notation. |
| High School (Core) | MT.CORE.NUM.REAL.3 | Define, manipulate, interpret, and compare real numbers across representations; apply in context. |
| PK | MT.PK.CC.1 | Counting and cardinality foundations for pre-kindergarten. |
| PK | MT.PK.G.1 | Early geometry/shape concepts. |
| PK | MT.PK.MD.1 | Early measurement and data concepts. |
| PK | MT.PK.OA.1 | Early operations and algebraic thinking. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.ALG.EXP.1 | Understand logarithmic functions as the inverse of exponential functions. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.ALG.EXP.5 | Solve exponential and logarithmic equations using inverse operations, with/without technology. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.ALG.FUN.2 | Understand the relationship between a function and its inverse. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.ALG.MOD.3 | Use and interpret units correctly in modeling situations. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.ALG.POLY.1 | Understand polynomials are created by multiplying linear factors. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.ALG.POLY.4 | Solve quadratic equations with complex solutions; understand why they form a conjugate pair. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.ALG.TRIG.2 | Understand and use radian measure; convert between degree and radian measures. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.ALG.TRIG.5 | Apply the Law of Sines and the Law of Cosines to find measurements in non-right triangles. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.DATA.DES.1 | Understand types of statistical studies and the inferences appropriate to each. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.DATA.INF.1 | Use data from a random sample to estimate a population parameter. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.DATA.NORM.1 | Determine if a data set is normally distributed. |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.NUM.REAS.1 | Reason about complex numbers (extends the real number system). |
| High School (Core Plus) | MT.PLUS.NUM.REAS.2 | Operate with complex numbers, including finding the conjugate of a complex number. |
· Montana Science Content Standards (2016, effective July 1, 2017); modeled closely on Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) but a distinct state set with Indian Education for All integration and its own code structure · 124
| K | K.ESS.1 | Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals, including humans, can change the environment to meet their needs. |
| K | K.ESS.2 | Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals and the places they live. |
| K | K.ESS.3 | Communicate ideas about the impact of humans on the land, water, air, or other living things in the local environment. |
| K | K.ESS.4 | Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time. |
| K | K.ESS.5 | Ask questions to obtain information about the purpose of weather forecasting to predict, prepare for, and respond to weather. |
| K | K.LS.1 | Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals, including humans, need to survive. |
| K | K.PS.1 | Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object. |
| K | K.PS.2 | Analyze data to determine whether a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull. |
| K | K.PS.3 | Construct an explanation based on observations of the effect of sunlight on earth's surface. |
| K | K.PS.4 | Use tools and materials to design and build a structure to reduce the warming effect of sunlight on an area. |
| 1 | 1.ESS.1 | Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted. |
| 1 | 1.ESS.2 | Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year. |
| 1 | 1.LS.1 | Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking plant and animal structures and functions that help them survive, grow, and meet their needs. |
| 1 | 1.LS.2 | Use information from print and other media to identify patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive. |
| 1 | 1.LS.3 | Make an evidence-based explanation of how young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents. |
| 1 | 1.PS.1 | Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can cause materials to vibrate. |
| 1 | 1.PS.2 | Make observations to construct an evidence-based explanation that objects can be seen only when illuminated. |
| 1 | 1.PS.3 | Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light. |
| 1 | 1.PS.4 | Design a solution or build a device that facilitates communication over distance using light or sound. |
| 2 | 2.ESS.1 | Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly. |
| 2 | 2.ESS.2 | Construct explanations to compare multiple physical and naturally built designs which impact wind or water's effect on the shape of the land. |
| 2 | 2.ESS.3 | Develop models to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area. |
| 2 | 2.ESS.4 | Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that water can be solid, liquid, or gas. |
| 2 | 2.LS.1 | Plan and conduct a cause and effect investigation to determine whether plants need sunlight and water to grow. |
| 2 | 2.LS.2 | Develop a simple model that mimics the structure and function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants. |
| 2 | 2.LS.3 | Make observations of plants and animals to compare and contrast the diversity of life in different habitats. |
| 2 | 2.PS.1 | Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify various materials by their observable properties. |
| 2 | 2.PS.2 | Conduct an investigation and analyze data to determine which materials have the properties best suited for an intended purpose. |
| 2 | 2.PS.3 | Make observations to construct an evidence-based claim of how an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object. |
| 2 | 2.PS.4 | Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot. |
| 3 | 3.ESS.1 | Obtain and represent data using tables and graphical displays to describe observed and predicted weather conditions during a particular season. |
| 3 | 3.ESS.2 | Obtain and combine information to describe climate patterns in different regions of the world. |
| 3 | 3.ESS.3 | Make a claim based on information about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard. |
| 3 | 3.LS.1 | Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. |
| 3 | 3.LS.2 | Make a claim about the effectiveness of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change. |
| 3 | 3.LS.3 | Construct a cause and effect argument communicating some animals, including humans, form groups and communities that help members survive. |
| 3 | 3.LS.4 | Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago. |
| 3 | 3.LS.5 | Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death. |
| 3 | 3.LS.6 | Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms. |
| 3 | 3.LS.7 | Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment. |
| 3 | 3.LS.8 | Use evidence to construct an explanation for how variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. |
| 3 | 3.PS.1 | Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. |
| 3 | 3.PS.2 | Observe and record qualitative and quantitative data about an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. |
| 3 | 3.PS.3 | Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other. |
| 3 | 3.PS.4 | Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets. |
| 4 | 4.ESS.1 | Obtain and combine information from a variety of sources to communicate that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment. |
| 4 | 4.ESS.2 | Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time. |
| 4 | 4.ESS.3 | Make observations or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation. |
| 4 | 4.ESS.4 | Analyze and interpret data from maps as evidence to make a claim about patterns of Earth's features. |
| 4 | 4.ESS.5 | Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans. |
| 4 | 4.LS.1 | Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. |
| 4 | 4.LS.2 | Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process it in their brain, and respond in different ways. |
| 4 | 4.PS.1 | Use evidence to describe the relationship between the speed of an object and the energy of that object. |
| 4 | 4.PS.2 | Make observations to provide evidence of transfer of energy from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. |
| 4 | 4.PS.3 | Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide. |
| 4 | 4.PS.4 | Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another. |
| 4 | 4.PS.5 | Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move. |
| 4 | 4.PS.6 | Develop a model communicating that light reflected from objects into the eye allows objects to be seen. |
| 4 | 4.PS.7 | Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information. |
| 5 | 5.ESS.1 | Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, or atmosphere interact. |
| 5 | 5.ESS.2 | Graph and explain proportions and quantities of water and fresh water in natural and human-made reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth. |
| 5 | 5.ESS.3 | Obtain and combine information about ways communities use science ideas to protect Earth's resources and describe how American Indians use scientific knowledge and practices to maintain relationships with the natural world. |
| 5 | 5.ESS.4 | Use evidence or models to support the claim that differences in apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from Earth. |
| 5 | 5.ESS.5 | Graph daily changes in shadows, lengths of day and night, and seasonal appearance of stars to communicate patterns of Earth's movement and describe how astronomical knowledge is used by American Indians. |
| 5 | 5.LS.1 | Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water. |
| 5 | 5.LS.2 | Develop and critique a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. |
| 5 | 5.PS.1 | Develop a model to communicate that matter is made of particles too small to be seen. |
| 5 | 5.PS.2 | Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that total mass of matter is conserved regardless of the type of change when heating, cooling, or mixing substances. |
| 5 | 5.PS.3 | Observe and record qualitative and quantitative evidence to support identification of materials based on their properties. |
| 5 | 5.PS.4 | Conduct an investigation producing quantitative and qualitative data to analyze whether mixing two or more substances results in new substances. |
| 5 | 5.PS.5 | Use models to describe that energy in animals' food was once energy from the sun. |
| 5 | 5.PS.6 | Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed toward the center of the Earth. |
| 6-8 | MS.ESS.1 | Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses, and seasons. |
| 6-8 | MS.ESS.11 | Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates. |
| 6-8 | MS.ESS.12 | Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century. |
| 6-8 | MS.ESS.15 | Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems including indigenous populations. |
| 6-8 | MS.ESS.2 | Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system. |
| 6-8 | MS.ESS.4 | Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth's 4.6 billion-year-old history. |
| 6-8 | MS.ESS.6 | Analyze and interpret data on distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of past plate motions. |
| 6-8 | MS.ESS.8 | Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity. |
| 6-8 | MS.LS.1 | Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells, either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells. |
| 6-8 | MS.LS.12 | Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) may affect proteins and result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the organism. |
| 6-8 | MS.LS.13 | Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in genetic variation. |
| 6-8 | MS.LS.15 | Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record documenting existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth. |
| 6-8 | MS.LS.18 | Construct an explanation based on evidence describing how genetic variations of traits increase some individuals' probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment. |
| 6-8 | MS.LS.2 | Develop and use a model to describe the structure and function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells contribute to the function. |
| 6-8 | MS.LS.4 | Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms. |
| 6-8 | MS.LS.6 | Analyze and interpret data for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations and analyze scientific concepts used by American Indians to maintain healthy relationships with environmental sources. |
| 6-8 | MS.LS.7 | Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. |
| 6-8 | MS.LS.9 | Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. |
| 6-8 | MS.PS.1 | Develop and critique models that describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures. |
| 6-8 | MS.PS.10 | Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the mass of interacting objects. |
| 6-8 | MS.PS.12 | Construct and interpret graphic displays of data to describe relationships of kinetic energy to the mass and speed of an object. |
| 6-8 | MS.PS.17 | Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves including how amplitude and wavelength relate to the energy in a wave. |
| 6-8 | MS.PS.18 | Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials. |
| 6-8 | MS.PS.2 | Analyze and interpret data on properties of substances before and after they interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred. |
| 6-8 | MS.PS.3 | Gather information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society. |
| 6-8 | MS.PS.4 | Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed. |
| 6-8 | MS.PS.5 | Develop, use, and critique a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved. |
| 6-8 | MS.PS.7 | Apply Newton's Third Law of Motion to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects. |
| 6-8 | MS.PS.8 | Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object's motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object. |
| 9-12 | HS.ESS.1 | Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life span of the sun and the role of nuclear fusion in the sun's core to release energy that reaches Earth as radiation. |
| 9-12 | HS.ESS.11 | Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. |
| 9-12 | HS.ESS.14 | Analyze geoscience data and results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and future impacts to Earth systems. |
| 9-12 | HS.ESS.17 | Create a computational simulation to illustrate relationships among management of natural resources, sustainability of human populations, biodiversity, and explain how some American Indian tribes use scientific knowledge and practices in managing natural resources. |
| 9-12 | HS.ESS.2 | Construct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, and composition of matter in the universe. |
| 9-12 | HS.ESS.5 | Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. |
| 9-12 | HS.LS.1 | Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins which carry out essential functions through systems of specialized cells. |
| 9-12 | HS.LS.11 | Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity and analyze scientific concepts used by American Indians to maintain healthy relationships with environmental resources. |
| 9-12 | HS.LS.15 | Evaluate and communicate scientific information about how common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence. |
| 9-12 | HS.LS.16 | Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution by natural selection results from four factors (potential to increase in number, heritable variation, competition for resources, differential survival/reproduction). |
| 9-12 | HS.LS.19 | Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations over time. |
| 9-12 | HS.LS.3 | Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis. |
| 9-12 | HS.LS.4 | Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy. |
| 9-12 | HS.LS.9 | Use mathematical or computational representations to support arguments about environmental factors that affect carrying capacity, biodiversity, and populations in ecosystems. |
| 9-12 | HS.PS.1 | Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms. |
| 9-12 | HS.PS.10 | Analyze data to support the claim that Newton's Second Law of Motion describes the mathematical relationship among net force, mass, and acceleration. |
| 9-12 | HS.PS.13 | Use a mathematical representation of Newton's Law of Gravitation and Coulomb's Law to explain gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects. |
| 9-12 | HS.PS.14 | Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that electric currents can produce magnetic fields and changing magnetic fields can produce electric currents. |
| 9-12 | HS.PS.20 | Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among frequency, amplitude, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media. |
| 9-12 | HS.PS.21 | Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that electromagnetic radiation can be described by a wave model or a particle model, and that for some situations one is more useful. |
| 9-12 | HS.PS.3 | Develop models to illustrate changes in the composition of the nucleus and the energy released during fission, fusion, and radioactive decay. |
| 9-12 | HS.PS.5 | Construct and revise an explanation for outcomes of simple chemical reactions based on outer electron states, periodic trends, and patterns of chemical properties. |
| 9-12 | HS.PS.9 | Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction. |
· Montana Content Standards for Social Studies (adopted April 2021, effective July 1, 2021), codified in ARM 10.53.901 et seq.; influenced by the C3 Framework but a distinct state set with strong Indian Education for All emphasis · 144
| K | 10.53.902(1)(a) | recognize the people who create and carry out rules for the school and classroom |
| K | 10.53.902(1)(b) | define that being a citizen of the classroom and school community means following established rules and expectations |
| K | 10.53.902(1)(c) | demonstrate citizenship through their interactions in the classroom and school community |
| K | 10.53.902(2)(a) | explain and identify examples of goods and services |
| K | 10.53.902(2)(b) | describe goods and products that are produced in local regions |
| K | 10.53.902(3)(a) | use maps, and other representations, to describe place characteristics |
| K | 10.53.902(4)(a) | distinguish between past, present, and future time |
| 1 | 10.53.903(1)(a) | demonstrate being a citizen of a classroom and school community through interactions and by following established rules and expectations |
| 1 | 10.53.903(1)(b) | recognize the people, and their roles, who create and carry out rules for the school and classroom |
| 1 | 10.53.903(2)(a) | explain the difference between needs and wants |
| 1 | 10.53.903(2)(b) | describe goods and products that are produced in local regions |
| 1 | 10.53.903(3)(a) | identify and describe human and physical local landmarks |
| 1 | 10.53.903(3)(b) | construct maps and other representations of familiar places |
| 1 | 10.53.903(4)(a) | distinguish between past, present, and future time |
| 1 | 10.53.903(4)(b) | understand how events might be described differently depending on historical contexts and perspectives, including those of tribes in Montana |
| 2 | 10.53.904(1)(a) | explain the roles of people who help govern different communities including tribal communities |
| 2 | 10.53.904(1)(b) | demonstrate ways to show good citizenship in the classroom, school, and community |
| 2 | 10.53.904(2)(a) | describe the goods and services that people in the local, state, and national community produce |
| 2 | 10.53.904(2)(b) | describe examples of the goods and services that governments provide |
| 2 | 10.53.904(2)(c) | identify resources people use to access the goods and services they want and need |
| 2 | 10.53.904(3)(a) | use the basic components of a map to identify physical and political features, including American Indian reservations |
| 2 | 10.53.904(3)(b) | describe how geography and human activities impact each other |
| 2 | 10.53.904(4)(a) | identify how people lived differently in the past than they do today |
| 2 | 10.53.904(4)(b) | understand that there are twelve distinct and unique tribes within Montana whose people contribute to modern life |
| 2 | 10.53.904(4)(c) | identify different kinds of historical sources, including oral histories of American Indians |
| 3 | 10.53.905(1)(a) | describe and identify the basic functions of local government, including tribal governments |
| 3 | 10.53.905(1)(b) | recognize that civic participation involves remaining accurately informed about public issues, taking action, and voting in elections |
| 3 | 10.53.905(1)(c) | identify key symbols of nations |
| 3 | 10.53.905(2)(a) | compare the benefits and costs of individual choices |
| 3 | 10.53.905(2)(b) | identify examples of human and natural resources that are used to produce goods and services |
| 3 | 10.53.905(2)(c) | explain economic interdependence within historical and contemporary contexts |
| 3 | 10.53.905(3)(a) | examine maps and other representations to identify historical and contemporary political and cultural patterns in the Americas |
| 3 | 10.53.905(3)(b) | identify environmental and technological events and conditions and how humans and the environment impact each other |
| 3 | 10.53.905(3)(c) | identify landforms and other physical characteristics of the Americas |
| 3 | 10.53.905(4)(a) | identify tribes in Montana by their original and current names |
| 3 | 10.53.905(4)(b) | explain how perspective impacts the telling of historical events |
| 4 | 10.53.906(1)(a) | demonstrate civic participation within the classroom or school |
| 4 | 10.53.906(1)(b) | practice deliberative processes when making decisions as a group |
| 4 | 10.53.906(1)(c) | describe how rules, laws, and policies are implemented by local, state, national, and tribal governments |
| 4 | 10.53.906(1)(d) | define sovereignty for tribes in Montana |
| 4 | 10.53.906(1)(e) | identify key foundational documents in Montana's government |
| 4 | 10.53.906(2)(a) | identify the various pressures and incentives that influence the decisions people make in short term and long term situations |
| 4 | 10.53.906(2)(b) | identify basic elements of Montana's state economic system including agriculture, business, natural resources, and labor |
| 4 | 10.53.906(2)(c) | identify various resources and labor that are used to provide goods and services in Montana |
| 4 | 10.53.906(2)(d) | explain how trade leads to increasing economic interdependence among groups in Montana |
| 4 | 10.53.906(3)(a) | examine maps and other representations to explain the movement of people |
| 4 | 10.53.906(3)(b) | identify and label the tribes in Montana and their indigenous territories, and current locations |
| 4 | 10.53.906(3)(c) | investigate the physical, political, and cultural characteristics of places, regions, and people in Montana |
| 4 | 10.53.906(3)(d) | analyze environmental and technological events and conditions and how humans and the environment impact each other with relation to settlements and migration in Montana |
| 4 | 10.53.906(4)(a) | understand tribes in Montana have their own unique histories |
| 4 | 10.53.906(4)(b) | identify events and policies that have impacted and been influenced by tribes in Montana |
| 4 | 10.53.906(4)(c) | explain how Montana has changed over time given its cultural diversity and how this history impacts the present |
| 4 | 10.53.906(4)(d) | describe how historical accounts are impacted by individual perspectives |
| 5 | 10.53.907(1)(a) | examine the diverse origins, ideals, and purposes of rules, laws, and key United States constitutional provisions and other foundational documents |
| 5 | 10.53.907(1)(b) | use deliberative processes when engaging in civic participation within the classroom or school |
| 5 | 10.53.907(1)(c) | distinguish between the responsibilities of local, state, tribal, and national governments |
| 5 | 10.53.907(1)(d) | explain how democracy relies upon active and responsible participation of citizens |
| 5 | 10.53.907(1)(e) | describe the basic duties of the three branches of government |
| 5 | 10.53.907(2)(a) | explain how people have to make choices between wants and needs and evaluate the outcomes or consequences of those choices |
| 5 | 10.53.907(2)(b) | identify positive and negative incentives that influence the decisions people make |
| 5 | 10.53.907(2)(c) | identify resources and labor that are used to produce goods and services |
| 5 | 10.53.907(2)(d) | explain the role of money in the exchange of goods and services |
| 5 | 10.53.907(2)(e) | describe the role of manufacturing and agriculture in the economy of the United States |
| 5 | 10.53.907(2)(f) | describe how interest rates impact economic decision making |
| 5 | 10.53.907(3)(a) | identify and label US regions, territories, states and their capitals/major cities |
| 5 | 10.53.907(3)(b) | create, organize, and present geographic information to show settlement patterns in the United States, including impacts on tribal lands |
| 5 | 10.53.907(3)(c) | analyze environmental and technological events and conditions and how humans and the environment impact each other with relation to settlements and migration |
| 5 | 10.53.907(4)(a) | interpret data presented in timelines |
| 5 | 10.53.907(4)(b) | understand the inter-relationship of chronological historical events |
| 5 | 10.53.907(4)(c) | identify roles of individuals and groups and their impact on United States and tribal historical events |
| 5 | 10.53.907(4)(d) | understand the unique historical perspectives of American Indians |
| 5 | 10.53.907(4)(e) | analyze historical documents and their impact on tribes in Montana and their sovereignty |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(1)(a) | explain a variety of forms of government from the past or present |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(1)(b) | explain the structure of and key principles in foundational documents, including the Montana Constitution |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(1)(c) | explain how global and American Indian civilizations and governments have contributed to foundational documents of the United States |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(1)(d) | distinguish the structure, organization, powers, and limits of government at the local, state, national, and tribal levels |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(1)(e) | identify events and leaders that ensure that key United States principles of equality and civil rights are applied to various groups, including American Indians |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(1)(f) | demonstrate that the United States government includes concepts of both a democracy and a republic |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(1)(g) | employ strategies for civic involvement that address a state or local, or national issues |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(2)(a) | explain how economic decisions impact individuals, businesses, and society, including Indigenous societies |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(2)(b) | analyze examples of how groups and individuals have considered profit and personal values in making economic choices in the past and/or present |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(2)(c) | explain the roles of producers and consumers in market systems |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(2)(d) | describe the role of competition in the determination of prices and wages in a market economy |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(2)(e) | explain ways in which money facilitates exchange and impacts transactional costs |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(2)(f) | explain how changes in supply, demand, and labor standards cause changes in prices and quantities of goods, services, and other capital |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(3)(a) | construct and analyze maps using scale, direction, symbols, legends, and projections to gather information about regions across the world |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(3)(b) | identify the location of places and regions in the world and understand their physical, political, and cultural characteristics |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(3)(c) | analyze maps and charts from a specific time period to understand an issue or event |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(3)(d) | explain how the environment and geographic features have affected people and how people have affected the environment throughout Montana, the United States, and the world |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(3)(e) | explain the role and impact of spatial patterns of settlement and movement in shaping societies and cultures, including Indigenous cultures |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(3)(f) | identify how the historical and contemporary movement of people, goods, and ideas from one area can impact change, conflict, and cooperation in other areas |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(3)(g) | identify the cultural roots of major world regions |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(4)(a) | explore complex civilizations, and identify elements of change and continuity across historical eras in Montana, the Americas, and world history |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(4)(b) | analyze how the historical events relate to one another and are shaped by historical context, including societies in the Americas |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(4)(c) | analyze how, since European contact, historical events and policies have mutually impacted American Indian and European societies |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(4)(d) | identify how new archaeological and scientific information shapes historical understanding |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(4)(e) | explain how Montana has changed over time and how this history impacts the present |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(4)(f) | understand that there are multiple perspectives and interpretations of historical events |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(4)(g) | analyze how people's perspectives shaped the historical narratives they created |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(4)(h) | identify limitations and biases in primary and secondary sources, specifically regarding misinformation and stereotypes |
| 6-8 | 10.53.908(4)(i) | understand that the questions people ask shape the conclusions they reach |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(a) | analyze and evaluate the ideas and principles contained in the foundational documents of the United States, and explain how they establish a system of government |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(b) | analyze the impact of constitutions, laws, treaties and international agreements on the maintenance of domestic and international relationships |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(c) | evaluate the impact of international agreements on contemporary world issues |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(d) | apply civic virtues and democratic principles when working with others |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(e) | evaluate how citizens and institutions address social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international levels |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(f) | evaluate the American governmental system compared to international governmental systems |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(g) | explain the foundations and complexity of sovereignty for federally recognized tribes in Montana |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(h) | evaluate appropriate deliberative processes in multiple settings |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(i) | evaluate government procedures for making decisions at the local, state, national, tribal, and international levels |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(j) | analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(k) | analyze the impact and roles of personal interests and perspectives, market, media and group influences on the application of civic virtues |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(1)(l) | evaluate citizens' and institutions' effectiveness in ensuring civil rights at the local, state, tribal, national, and international levels |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(2)(a) | analyze how pressures and incentives impact economic choices and their costs and benefits for different groups, including American Indians |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(2)(b) | explain how economic cycles affect personal financial decisions |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(2)(c) | analyze the ways in which pressures and incentives influence what is produced and distributed in a market system |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(2)(d) | evaluate the extent to which competition among producers, among consumers, and among laborers exists in specific markets |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(2)(e) | describe the consequences of competition in specific markets |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(2)(f) | evaluate benefits, costs, and possible outcomes of government policies to influence market outcomes |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(2)(g) | use current data to explain the influence of changes in spending, production, and the money supply on various economic conditions |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(2)(h) | use economic indicators to analyze the current and future state of the economy |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(2)(i) | evaluate the selection of monetary and fiscal policies in a variety of economic conditions |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(3)(a) | use geospatial reasoning to create maps to display and explain the spatial patterns of cultural and environmental characteristics |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(3)(b) | use geographic data to analyze variations in the spatial patterns of cultural and environmental characteristics at multiple scales |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(3)(c) | use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(3)(d) | analyze relationships and interactions within and between human and physical systems to explain reciprocal influences that occur among them, including American Indians |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(3)(e) | evaluate the impact of human settlement activities on the environmental, political, and cultural characteristics of specific places and regions |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(3)(f) | analyze the role of geography on interactions and conflicts between various cultures in Montana, the United States, and the world |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(3)(g) | evaluate the influence of long-term climate variability on human migration and settlement patterns, resource use, and land uses |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(3)(h) | evaluate the consequences of human-driven and natural catastrophes on global trade, politics, and human migration |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(a) | analyze how unique circumstances of time, place, and historical contexts shape individuals' lives |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(b) | analyze change and continuity in historical eras in US and world history |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(c) | identify ways in which people and groups exercise agency in difficult historical, contemporary, and tribal contexts |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(d) | analyze multiple, and complex causal factors that have shaped major events in US and world history, including American Indian history |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(e) | explain events in relation to both their intended and unintended consequences, including governmental policies impacting American Indians |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(f) | distinguish between long-term causes and triggering events in developing a historical argument |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(g) | analyze how historical, cultural, social, political, ideological, and economic contexts shape people's perspectives |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(h) | analyze the ways in which the perspectives of those writing history shaped the history they produced |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(i) | evaluate how historiography is influenced by perspective and available historical sources |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(j) | analyze perspectives of American Indians in US history |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(k) | evaluate the limitations, biases, and credibility of various sources, especially regarding misinformation and stereotypes |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(l) | analyze multiple historical sources to pursue further inquiry and investigate additional sources |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(m) | integrate evidence from multiple relevant historical sources and interpretations into a reasoned argument |
| 9-12 | 10.53.909(4)(n) | construct arguments which reflect understanding and analysis of multiple historical sources, perspectives, and contexts |
Is homeschooling legal in Montana?
Yes. Montana is a low-regulation homeschool state.
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Montana?
Parents must notify the county superintendent of schools (of the county where the home school is located) of intent to home school in each school fiscal year. Notification should occur prior to the first day of public school in the district. This is the only recurring annual obligation. Per 20-5-109(2) MCA.
Is standardized testing required for homeschoolers in Montana?
No annual test is mandated for homeschoolers in Montana. The state test (MontCAS - Montana Aligned to Standards Through-Year (MAST) for math and ELA grades 3-8; Montana Science Assessment (MSA) grades 5 and 8; ACT with Writing in grade 11) is not required for home-educated students.
What subjects are required for homeschooling in Montana?
Montana requires instruction in: communication arts (English language arts); mathematics; science; social studies.
Does Montana have its own learning standards?
Math: Montana Content Standards for Mathematics (2026), adopted Jan 2025, implementation July 1, 2026; Common Core-aligned structure (CCSS-M) with Montana Indian Education for All integration. ELA: Montana Content Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy (2011), Common Core-aligned (CCSS-ELA). Revised standards adopted Sept 2025 but implementation is July 1, 2027 (not yet in effect as of June 2026).. Science: Montana Science Content Standards (2016, effective July 1, 2017); modeled closely on Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) but a distinct state set with Indian Education for All integration and its own code structure. Social studies: Montana Content Standards for Social Studies (adopted April 2021, effective July 1, 2021), codified in ARM 10.53.901 et seq.; influenced by the C3 Framework but a distinct state set with strong Indian Education for All emphasis.