Month: January 2018

Maine DOE Update – January 25, 2018

From the Maine Department of Education

Priority Notices:

Reporting Items

SAT 3rd year high school student enrollment confirmation

As previously announced, the 3rd year high school student enrollment (bulk registration) file for spring 2018 SAT assessment will be sent to Measured Progress/College Board on Friday, February 2, 2018. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Free training, technical assistance, equipment and materials for public preschool programs

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has received a grant from the US Education Department to support public preschool teachers, special educators, principals and special education directors on providing high quality classroom environments and inclusion practices for 4 year-olds. | More

Organizations needed to feed hungry children this summer

With the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine public schools have long offered a nutritious breakfast and lunch meal program to thousands of income eligible children in Maine during the school year. To extend this program, the Child Nutrition team at the Maine Department of Education (Maine DOE) is seeking organizations who would like to participate in the federally funded Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which provides children healthy meals when school is not in session. | More

New protocol for requesting a change in English Learner identification

If a student has been identified by a school in Maine as an English learner (EL) but a teacher, school administrator, parent/guardian, or the student himself/herself (over the age of 18) believes this identification to be incorrect, a request for change in identification may be made. | More

February is African American History Month

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society as part of African American History Month. | More

More Dispatches | Press Releases | Priority Notices

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Annual English Teacher’s Conference at Point Lookout

The Maine Council of English Language Arts and Maine DOE announce the annual spring conference on Friday, March 23. | More

Maine Mathematics Coaching Project: Grant funded tuition support for cohort 4 applicants

The Maine Mathematics Coaching Project at the University of Maine at Farmington is offering a special opportunity to new math coaching candidates who apply and are accepted to Cohort 4 by March 15, 2018. | More

Professional learning program for teaching Code.org computer science courses

Educate Maine and the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance have announced that applications are now open for Code.org’s computer science Professional Learning Program. | More

Reach Higher Maine webinar: The New CTE Pathway to Maine’s Proficiency Diploma

Reach Higher Maine has developed a series of free webinars designed to provide school counselors & those working with student’s tools to use in their college and career readiness programs. | More

Powered By Maine Teach to Lead Summit

Maine Teach to Lead is pleased to announce Powered By Maine Teach to Lead Summit, Monday, April 9th, 8:30-3:30pm at Husson University, in Bangor. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Powered By Maine Teach to Lead Summit

Maine Teach to Lead is pleased to announce Powered By Maine Teach to Lead Summit, Monday, April 9th, 8:30-3:30pm at Husson University, in Bangor.

Do you have a vision for your school or district? Do you need time and support to make your vision a reality? Then the Powered By Maine Teach to Lead Summit is for YOU!

This is a FREE event for teachers where you will be able to network with other teachers from across Maine, collaborate with teaching peers to cultivate an idea, and develop an action plan to accomplish your goals.

Join us and make your idea a reality!

Apply today (Applications are due by February 8th at 5pm.)

 

PRIORITY NOTICE: Preliminary Guidance for release of ED 279s

The FY 2018/2019 education subsidy printouts (ED279s) are projected to be distributed to SAUs by the February 1 statutory deadline. With the many changes that went into effect in the 2018/2019 biennial budget and because of the uncertainty and regular questioning that often arises prior to and during this process, the Department is releasing guidance so that SAUs, school boards and local taxpayers can review their own unique circumstances as a unit and the factors with the largest impact on 2018/2019 education funding subsidy levels.

The following is a list of key factors that are greatly impacting calculations for state allocation and required local share for FY 2018/2019 education funding:

  • Student enrollment – A dramatic increase or decrease in student enrollment. Whether it is because of a change in population or because of a withdrawal from or formation to a unit, the EPS funding formula’s major driver is student population.
  • Changes in debt service payments – SAUs that have either paid off or begun to pay principal or interest payments for equipment (new school, new bus, etc.), that the State has allocated funds to pay those payments could see dramatic changes in calculations if either payments no longer need to be made or if payments have begun.
  • Town valuation –Each town’s valuation is provided by the Maine Revenue Service each year and determines the town’s ability to pay local share. Previously the amounts used were determined based on the average valuation of the previous 3 years for each town. This coming FY they will be based on an average of the previous 2 years, per changes created in the biennial budget. As property values tend to increase year after year, this change has created an increased “ability to pay” for some towns resulting in a higher required local share.

Valuation change, Pupil change, and Per Pupil Valuation calculation and change for each SAU

A full list of detailed changes to the EPS funding formula will be provided with the ED279s.

For more information about the EPS formula and state funding for education visit the School Funding webpage on the Maine DOE webpage or contact Tyler Backus at tyler.backus@maine.gov.

SAT 3rd Year High School Student Enrollment Confirmation

As previously announced, the 3rd year high school student enrollment (bulk registration) file for spring 2018 SAT assessment will be sent to Measured Progress/College Board on Friday, February 2, 2018. Any students changing enrollment after 2/2/18 will need to complete paper registrations on the day of SAT testing (4/10/18 or the makeup date on 4/24/18). SAT enrollments can now be checked in NEO.

Confirm your enrollment in NEO/Student Data (for SAT bulk registration) Dashboard https://neo.maine.gov login:

1.) Click “Student Data” module

student data

2.) Click “Student Reports” module

student reports

3.) Choose Reporting Area “Assessment” – SAT Report
assessment

4.) Click View Report

If there are discrepancies in your 3rd year high school enrollment, please recheck your enrollment system and/or contact the DOE Data HelpDesk at MEDMS.helpdesk@maine.gov or 624-6896.

Reach Higher Maine Webinar: The New CTE Pathway to Maine’s Proficiency Diploma

Reach Higher Maine has developed a series of free webinars designed to provide school counselors & those working with student’s tools to use in their college and career readiness programs.

Live Webinar Date:  January 31st 2018, 1:30 PM

The webinar will be recorded and available on the Reach Higher Maine Google Classroom

Description: Presenters will dispel the myths surrounding the CTE Pathway by showcasing the talent, ambition and resilience of CTE students. Through video, we will share the stories of students who have walked the CTE pathway and turned struggle and uncertainty in to self-confidence and future promise.  We will take the time to clarify the new CTE diploma pathway and discuss how CTE schools statewide can act as a resource and academic partner for students working toward achieving proficiency in an evidence based system

The webinar is free and will provide a certificate of completion upon request as well as access to the Discussion Board where you can ask questions of the presenters or the rest of the attendees.  We are hoping this will encourage attendees to share best practices.

Register for this course 

Presenters:

  • Danielle Despins, MOA/CSR Coordinator – Special Populations and Gender Equity Coordinator from the Maine Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education team
  • Dave Boardman, Ed.D. Mass Media Communications instructor at the Mid-Maine Technical Center

Handouts include:

  • Maine Proficiency Diploma Pathway Requirements
  • Maine Proficiency Diploma Requirements

Resources:

  • Reach Higher Maine Google Classroom A Google email (@Gmail.com) account is needed to access to the Google Classroom

  • To access this webinar after January 31st or to access past webinars, log into the Reach Higher Maine Google Classroom. Once you are logged into your email, click the + in the upper right hand corner to “Create or join your first class!,” then select “Join class.” The class code is 1bs991n.
  • Welcome and Orientation to Education Series – Short video to help you access and navigate the Google Classroom so that you can get the most out of this experience 

 

For more information please contact Reach Higher Maine at ReachHigherMaine@gmail.com

Reach Higher Maine is a coalition of Maine education & workforce professionals with the goal of helping to expose Maine students to education and career opportunities by helping to support school counselors in their work.

Professional Learning Program for teaching Code.org computer science courses

Educate Maine and the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance have announced that applications are now open for Code.org’s computer science Professional Learning Program.

Code.org’s Professional Learning Program is an intensive, year-long professional learning program for middle and high school educators who are interested in teaching Code.org’s CS Discoveries (middle school) or CS Principles (high school) courses. These programs are designed to prepare educators to provide high quality computer science instruction based on the curriculum, tools and approach to students in their classrooms.

Applications opened on January 16 and close on March 30, and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. For more information and to apply, visit the Professional Learning page for CS Discoveries or CS Principles.

For more information about this opportunity visit the MMSA website or Code.org. Send specific questions to Angela Oechslie at Educate Maine angela@educatemaine.org or Renee Charette at MMSA rcharette@mmsa.org.

February is African American History Month

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society as part of African American History Month.

African American History month is a wonderful celebration of the contributions that African Americans have made to American history and culture. Below are some resources to help educators integrate African American history into the curriculum not only in the month of February but on a regular basis. Check out thoughts by UNC School of Education and Teaching Tolerance.

Other resources related to African American History Month:

For more information contact Joe Schmidt, Social Studies Specialist, Maine Department of Education at (207) 624-6828 or joe.schmidt@maine.gov.

 

Maine Mathematics Coaching Project: Grant funded tuition support for cohort 4 applicants

The Maine Mathematics Coaching Project at the University of Maine at Farmington is offering a special opportunity to new math coaching candidates who apply and are accepted to Cohort 4 by March 15, 2018.

These students will receive $2500 of their first year membership paid for through the DOE Mathematics Science Partnership Grant.

In order to qualify for these one-time, limited funds, interested parties must complete the Maine Mathematics Coaching Project assurances and application by March 15th. Applications and assurances received after March 15, 2018 will be responsible for the full $6000 first year membership.

For more information please contact Sandra MacArthur at sandra.macarthur@maine.edu

 

New Protocol for Requesting a Change in English Learner Identification

If a student has been identified by a school in Maine as an English learner (EL) but a teacher, school administrator, parent/guardian, or the student himself/herself (over the age of 18) believes this identification to be incorrect, a request for change in identification may be made.

To initiate this request, a letter or email (in any language) must be submitted to the student’s district superintendent. If the superintendent approves the request, the superintendent will complete a Request for Change in EL Identification.

A request for change in identification form must be submitted within 90 days of enrollment*. The final decision will be made by the EL identification review committee at the Maine Department of Education within two weeks of receipt of the request. The superintendent is responsible for informing the student’s parent/guardian of the Department’s final decision in the parent’s/guardian’s preferred language and format, written or oral. Oral notifications must be followed by written notice. The Department’s decision may be appealed in light of additional evidence.

Please note that students who were properly identified as ELs and have not yet reached the Maine DOE’s definition of English language proficiency (a composite proficiency level of 5.0 on ACCESS for ELLs) are not eligible for a change in EL identification.

*Note: All English learners are required to be identified within 30 days of enrollment from the beginning of the school year or within two weeks of enrollment during the school year. Requests made after the 90-day window has passed due to extenuating circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis. For SY 2017-18 only, requests for change in EL identification may be submitted regardless of time since enrollment.

If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact April Perkins, ESOL Specialist, at april.perkins@maine.gov or (207)624-6627.

Annual English Teacher’s Conference at Point Lookout

The Maine Council of English Language Arts and Maine DOE announce the annual spring conference on Friday, March 23. Maria Padian, a three-time winner of both the Maine Literary Award for young people’s literature, and the Maine Library Association’s Lupine Award honor, is the keynote speaker. Padian’s works include Out of Nowhere, a story which follows soccer captain Tom Bouchard as he develops an understanding of the Somali refugee students who join his team in the fictional but recognizable town of Enniston, Maine. 

The conference will feature three opportunities for attendees to choose from a variety of timely topics for professional learning. Effective use of data, developing pre-assessments, enhancing writing skills through authentic tasks, and teaching through dialogue are just a few of the choices available.

Space is limited so early registration is recommended. Visit the Maine Council of English Language Arts 2018 Conference website to learn more and view the full conference agenda. Online registration is available and encouraged.