The Montana Board of Public Education updated its standards in two subjects for the first time in 17 years. With Superintendent Denise Juneau’s recommendation, the Board decided to raise the standards in Health and Arts on Thursday.

"These new standards are a little more grade level specific so the conversations they can have with their teachers become much more comprehensive and robust  and really  much more specific for teachers to be able to follow a path," Juneau said. "It was a great day for education, these standards have not been revised since 1999."

The new academic standards were reviewed before being passed by the board.

 

"This has been through a robust public process of teams of experts that came together to really look at updating the standards in these areas," Juneau said. "Then it went through a negotiated rule making process and the vocational local government. The interim legislative committee took a look at them and now the Board of Public Education has passed [the standards]."

New standards will not go into effect until  the start of the 2017 school year.

More From Newstalk KGVO 1290 AM & 98.3 FM