Maine is required by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to conduct a second “Highly Qualified” Teacher (HQT) data collection for the 2013-14 school year.
The FY 2013 Continuing Resolution directs USDE to submit a report to Congress on the extent to which students with disabilities, English Learners, students in rural areas and students from low-income families are taught by teachers who are deemed to be highly qualified while currently enrolled in an alternative route to certification program. A new data collection is necessary to respond to this statutory requirement. Please note this is in addition to the annual reporting through Maine’s Educational Data Management System (MEDMS), by school, of classes taught by HQTs. This data collection will be by school district and will ask for teacher data, not classroom data.
It is imperative that district HQT officials respond to this request in a timely manner as the Maine DOE must report its findings to USDE by June 30.
Anyone currently registered in MEDMS as a HQT contact person will receive an email from mdoe-neo-account-do-not-reply@maine.gov inviting them to create an account on Maine DOE’s NEO Dashboard. Those who already have a NEO Dashboard account will see access to the HQT form added to their home page. Instructions for completing the data collection will be available after log in.
If you have questions about NEO Dashboard or to request an account, please contact the Department’s MEDMS Help Desk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-624-6896.
For more information about this second HQT data collection or for assistance completing the form, please contact Maine DOE’s Margaret (Meghan) Southworth at margaret.southworth@maine.gov or 207-624-6723.