Month: October 2018

PRIORITY NOTICE: Proposed Revisions to Rule Chapter 132 (Social Studies and Science and Technology Standards); Public Hearing on November 15, 2018

This notice is one of four priority notices being sent to district and school administrators on 10/24/18 regarding proposed major substantive rules that have been filed with the Secretary of the State of Maine on this day (Rule Chapters: 101, 115, 122 and 132). Please share this notice with all interested parties.

As part of the scheduled periodic review of the Maine Learning Results, the Maine Department of Education is seeking public comments regarding proposed revisions to the social studies and science and technology standards found in Rule Chapter 132 Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction. Please note that the Department of Education is only seeking comments on the Science and Technology Standards and Social Studies Standards sections of Rule Chapter 132 at this time.

The standards review process for the science and technology and social studies standards began in 2017 with a public comment period and a public hearing on the current science and technology and social studies standards. After the public comment period, steering committees were convened who were charged with reviewing all submitted comments and with developing blueprints for the revision of the state standards in their assigned content area. Once the blueprints were created, writing teams, consisting of pk-12 teachers who represent Maine’s cultural and geographical diversity, assembled to draft the standards revisions. Now, as part of this review process, the Maine Department of Education has submitted the revisions as part of a proposed rule change to Chapter 132.

Find the details for proposed changes for Rule Chapter 132 on the Maine DOE Proposed Rule & Rule Changes webpage (proposed rules are listed in order by rule number).

Public Hearing Information for Rule Chapter 132:
November 15th from 1-4pm
room 103 at the Cross Building, 111 Sewell Street, Augusta
Anyone may speak at the public hearing which will be live-streamed (A link to the livestream will be available prior to the public hearing). People wishing to speak will be the asked to sign in and, preferably, provide two written copies of comments, as well as an electronic copy. Anyone unable to attend the public hearing may send written comments

Comment Period Deadline: 5 pm on December 3rd, 2018

Written comments may be sent to Standards Review at sis.doe@maine.gov, or mailed to Beth Lambert, 23 SHS Station, Augusta, ME 04333.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Proposed Revisions to Rule Chapter 122 (Grant Application and Award Procedure: Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services); Public Hearing on November 14, 2018

This notice is one of four priority notices being sent to district and school administrators on 10/24/18 regarding proposed major substantive rules that have been filed with the secretary of the State of Maine on this day (Rule Chapters: 101, 115, 122 and 132). Please share this notice with all interested parties.

The Maine Department of Education is seeking public comment regarding proposed revisions to Rule Chapter 122, Grant Application and Award Procedure: Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services.

The proposed revisions will:

  • Provide clarification by connecting language in rule to Title 20-A M.R.S. §2651
  • Correct statutory citations throughout
  • Provide clarification on project design, objectives, and sustainability
  • Revise programmatic criteria for evaluating grant applications
  • Add budget criteria for evaluating grant applications
  • Include clarification regarding consensus scoring
  • Refine the method of scoring proposals
  • Provide clarification regarding the eligibility for subsequent grants
  • Rename the Division of Purchases the Division of Procurement Services

Find the details for proposed changes for Rule Chapter 122 on the Maine DOE Proposed Rule & Rule Changes webpage (proposed rules are listed in order by rule number).

Public Hearing Information for Rule Chapter 122:
November 14, 2018 from 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Cross State Office Building, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta, room 501.
People wishing to speak will be asked to sign in and, preferably, provide two written copies of their comments. Anyone unable to attend the public hearing may send written comments.

Comment Period Deadline: 5 pm on November 26th, 2018.

Comments can be submitted to jennifer.g.pooler@maine.gov and deborah.j.lajoie@maine.gov with the subject “Chapter 122 – Comments” or mailed to Maine Department of Education, Attn: Jennifer Pooler/Deb Lajoie, 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.

For more information on proposed changes to Rule 122, contact Regionalization Project Manager Jennifer Pooler at Jennifer.g.pooler@maine.gov or Regionalization Coordinator Deb Lajoie at Deborah.j.lajoie@maine.gov.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Proposed Revisions for Rule Chapter 115 (Certification Rules); Hearing on November 15, 2018

Rule Chapter 115 has been withdrawn at this time. Click here for more information.

As part of the Maine Department of Education’s efforts to streamline and clarify certification processes for Maine educators, the Department is proposing revisions to Rule Chapter 115: Credentialing of Educational Personnel, Parts I and II. The revisions:

  • Align rule with recent statutory changes;
  • Integrate Part I Part II for better articulation, clarity, and usability;
  • Remove redundant and unnecessary language;
  • Refine grade spans to allow for flexibility in hiring and mobility of credentialed teachers;
  • Remove 029 (K-3) endorsement as the requirements closely parallel those of the 020 (K-8) endorsement; the 029 is rarely sought; and those denied a 029 endorsement often apply and qualify for the 020 endorsement;
  • Remove additional endorsements that are no longer applicable; and
  • Define a pathway that qualifies an eligible candidate to teach based on a combination of a four-year degree, work experience, and education coursework.

Find the details for proposed changes for Rule Chapter 115 on the Maine DOE Proposed Rule & Rule Changes webpage (proposed rules are listed in order by rule number).

Public Hearing Information for Rule Chapter 115:
November 15, 2018 from 9:00 – 11:00 AM.
Room 103 A and B in the Cross State Office Building, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta, Maine
People wishing to speak will be asked to sign in and, preferably, provide two written copies of their comments. Anyone unable to attend the public hearing may send written comments.

Comment Period Deadline: December 3, 2018

Comments can be submitted to Stephanie Fyfe at Stephanie.Fyfe@maine.gov

PRIORITY NOTICE: Proposed Revisions to Rule Chapter 101 (Maine Unified Special Education Regulation Birth to Age Twenty); Public Hearing on November 13, 2018

This notice is one of four priority notices being sent to district and school administrators, including special education directors, on 10/24/18 regarding proposed major substantive rules that have been filed with the Secretary of the State of Maine on this day (Rule Chapters: 101, 115, 122 and 132). Please share this notice with all interested parties.

The Maine Department of Education is proposing amendments to Rule Chapter 101 Maine Unified Special Education Regulations, Birth to Twenty. The proposed substantive changes are as follows:

  • Transfers responsibility for state agency clients from the SAU where the residential placement is located to the school administrative unit (SAU) where the parents reside;
  • Clarifies that when Education in Unorganized Territory (EUT) tuitions a student with disabilities to an SAU, in the absence of written authorization from the Superintendent of EUT, the receiving SAU shall have authority to commit resources;
  • Provides that parents who have obtained independent evaluations should provide those assessments to the SAU at least 3 days in advance of the IEP Team meeting;
  • Provides that SAUs are responsible for evaluating kindergarten-eligible children who are referred to Child Development Services (CDS) after April 1 of each year;
  • Provides that when a child has an abbreviated school day because of the child’s educational needs, the IEP Team must convene every 45 calendar days (currently every 20 school days);
  • Removes Asperger’s Syndrome from the definition of Autism in order to match current medical definitions;
  • Removes Section VIII, FAPE for Five-Year-Olds by IEP Team, which currently allows kindergarten-eligible children with disabilities to remain the responsibility of CDS instead of transitioning to public kindergarten;
  • Changes the requirements for highly qualified teachers to be consistent with federal requirements that have reverted to IDEA. The proposal retains the previous definition of highly qualified in 34 CFR 300.18 and addresses alternate routes to special education teacher certification;
  • Makes clear that vision services and definitions provided for 3- 20-year-olds are the same as those provided for 0- 2-year-olds;
  • Clarifies and revises various aspects of due process procedures; and
  • Provides that each SAU must singly or in collaboration with other SAUs contract for the services of a certified special education administrator for a minimum of three hours per month.

Non-substantive changes are proposed as follows;

  • Corrects typographical/spelling errors throughout the document;
  • Clarifies that a school year begins on July 1 and ends June 30 of every year;
  • Removes the reference to the date for implementation of general education interventions;
  • Removes references to specific magnet schools;
  • Removes the specific names of Maine Department of Education forms;
  • Replaces the term ‘native language” with “primary language”;
  • Requires documentation of age of majority notification in the written notice;
  • Clarifies that consultation services are a special education service when provided by a special education teacher, or by a speech language pathologist when speech language is the primary disability. Consultation is a related service only when provided by other providers, such as occupational therapists or physical therapists, or by a speech/language clinician or pathologist to a child whose disability category is not speech or language impairment;
  • Requires that invoices to the Department for special education for state wards and state agency clients must be timely;
  • Refines the definition of family training and counseling for infants and toddlers
  • Excludes children awaiting foster care from the definition of homeless;
  • Replaces the term English proficient with “English learner”;
  • Removes the term scientifically-based interventions; and
  • Clarifies the definition of parent to include the definition in IDEA Part C.

Find the details for proposed changes for Rule Chapter 101 on the Maine DOE Proposed Rule & Rule Changes webpage (proposed rules are listed in order by rule number).

Public Hearing Information for Rule Chapter 101
November 13, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Room 103A of the Burton Cross Office Building, 111 Sewall Street Augusta, ME. People wishing to speak will be asked to sign in and, preferably, provide two written copies of their comments. Anyone unable to attend the public hearing may send written comments.

Comment Period Deadline: December 3, 2018

Comments can be sent to the Department’s Director of Special Services, Janice Breton, at janice.breton@maine.gov.

Maine DOE and Thomas College to Host Learning Lab

Maine DOE and Thomas College will host a learning lab focused on teaching and learning with technology on Wednesday, November 14th from 9am – 1pm. Two local educators will model a technology-enhanced learning experience with students that other educators can observe. These educators can choose to either join a group of fourth graders engaged in an inquiry-based learning process about circuits or join a group of middle school students who are engaged in a design thinking and 3D printing activity. Educators will then talk with presenters about the design of the learning experience, and will wrap up the day by creating a learning activity to use with their own students.

All Maine Educators are welcome to register and are encouraged to come as a school team. We just ask that participants are part of a district in Maine and have completed the Maine DOE fingerprinting process as part of their employment in that district. Registration is free, lunch will be provided, and educators will earn four contact hours.

Register here (space is limited)

Sample Agenda:

  • 8:30am: Welcome and Introductions
  • 9am: Model Lesson – experience a technology enhanced learning activity
    • Option 1: 4th grade lesson – inquiry-based learning with circuits
    • Option 2: 7th or 8th grade lesson – design thinking and 3D printing
  • 10:15am: Break
  • 10:30am: Lesson deconstruction – learn how the activity was designed
  • 11am: Lunch
  • 11:30am:  Design/Planning Time – design your own activity
  • 12:45pm: Closing / Wrap
  • 1:00pm: End

For more information or answers to questions, please contact Amanda Nguyen, Digital Learning Specialist for the Maine Department of Education at Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov.

Alternate Assessment Workshops – December 2018 Registration Now Open

Teachers administering alternate assessments may register for Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio (PAAP – MEA Alternate Science) and Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA- MEA Alternate Mathematics and ELA/Literacy) assessment administration training. All registrations must be received by November 27th.

Teachers administering the MSSA & PAAP assessments should register here.

Training locations include:

Location Date Meeting Venue Address
Presque Isle 12/4/18 Hampton Inn 768 Main Street  Presque Isle, ME 04769
Orono 12/5/18 Black Bear Inn 4 Godfrey Drive  Orono, ME 04473
Augusta 12/6/18 Governor Hill Mansion 136 State Street   Augusta, ME  04330
Saco 12/7/18 Ramada Inn 352 North Street   Saco, ME  04072

For more information please contact Gina Troisi at Troisi.Gina@measuredprogress.org, or contact Sue Nay, Alternate Assessment Coordinator at sue.nay@maine.gov / 624-6774.

Students, Parents, and Schools Celebrate School Bus Driver Appreciation Week Oct. 22-26

A school bus driver’s career is about safely delivering the world’s most precious cargo – our students. Making a positive difference in the life of a child is what motivates school bus drivers.

Locally, parents, teachers, and superintendents celebrate National School Bus Driver Appreciation Week by making special cards, delivering special snacks, talking with drivers about how much their commitment to student safety means to families, schools, and the community, and learning about a day in the life of a school bus driver. School district transportation directors celebrate National School Bus Driver Appreciation Week by providing driver safety training at the district. It’s all about safety first.

Historically, Maine schools celebrate National School Bus Driver Appreciation Week during National School Bus Safety Week which occurs annually during the third week in October. It is a time for Mainers to reflect upon the outstanding job performance of our school bus drivers who transport students to and from school and school related events throughout the year traveling over 30 million miles of urban and rural roads. In Maine about 80 percent of students ride the school bus which is much higher than the national average of 50 percent.

School bus drivers provide an essential service. They are responsible for conserving the comfort, safety, and welfare of students they transport. Should a critical incident occur that requires student relocation, school bus drivers will be called on to deliver students to a safe haven.

A typical day in the life of a school bus driver means arriving early, performing daily pre-trip bus inspections, knowing what students ride the bus, where each student lives, and what school each student attends. During the day drivers may deliver students to field trips or education events and they may work at the school as a bus technician, safety officer, software technician, or custodian. At the end of each day the driver performs a post-trip bus clear and inspection to secure the bus in preparation for the next day.

School bus drivers like to drive, enjoy working with students, care about children’s safety, have great people skills, remain calm under pressure, and have flexible or full-time work schedules. School bus drivers must receive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) commercial driver’s license (CDL) with school bus S and passenger P endorsement. This requires additional driving and skills tests that are administered by a certified examiner. School bus drivers must pass federally regulated skills and knowledge evaluations which are conducted with a written and driving exam. Federal regulations require random drug testing. Maine regulations require a background check and physical exam to determine driver fitness for duty. Important qualities for school bus drivers are good customer services skills, normal hand-eye coordination, good hearing and visual ability, patience, and good physical health. School bus drivers are the first school employee students see at the beginning of each school day and the last one they see at the end of the school day.

For information about how to become a school bus driver contact the Maine Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) http://www.maptme.org/.

Maine Schools Join Others Around The Nation to Recognize National School Bus Safety Week October 22-26

National School Bus Safety Week, scheduled October 22-26 this year, is a public education program that promotes school bus safety.

Nationally, each day about 480,000 school buses travel the nation’s roads transporting about 25,000,000 students to and from schools and school-related activities. This makes school buses the largest mass transportation program in the nation.

studentPoster

2018 National School Bus Safety Week theme: My Driver – My Safety Hero.  The theme is derived from the Poster contest the year before.  The 2017 winning poster, depicted above, was drawn by Aumkar Patel, a 5th Grader at Henry County Schools in McDonough, GA.

In Maine, there are about 3,000 school buses traveling about 30,000,000 miles per year and delivering about 140,000 students. While national ridership of school buses is at 50 percent, about 80 percent of Maine students ride the school bus. Local school transportation teams throughout Maine will educate the public about school bus safety and local transportation safety training during National School Bus Safety Week.

Transportation is a great equalizer in education, providing students from all economic backgrounds with the opportunity to learn and succeed. Additionally, as pointed out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration U.S. Department of Transportation, “School buses are by far the safest way for children to get to and from school.”

School buses are specifically designed and engineered for safety in order to protect occupants against crashes and incidents on the road. Nearly every part of a school bus has higher standards of safety when compared to ordinary cars. The following school bus safety features are not found on any other passenger vehicle:

  • School bus seats are above the crash line so that the impact of a vehicle colliding with a school bus hits beneath the seated passengers
  • Passenger seating and crash protection are required for school bus seating systems
  • A steel cage around the fuel tank that provides bus fuel system integrity
  • Emergency exits are provided by way of doors, windows and roof hatches
  • Bus body joint strength that specifies the minimum strength of the joints between panels of the bus body and the body structure
  • Rollover protection that specifies the minimum structural strength of buses in rollover-type crashes

In addition to school bus safety design, State-level school bus safety laws support good driving behavior. In Maine, these laws include:

  • Passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing is a criminal violation punishable by a $311 minimum fine for the first offense and a mandatory license suspension for the second offense.
  • A vehicle may not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or until signaled by the bus operator that it is okay to proceed.
  • A school bus operator who observes someone illegally passing a stopped school bus can report violations to a law enforcement officer.
  • School buses are required to stop at railroad crossings.
  • Unless otherwise posted, the school zone speed limit is 15 miles per hour during school opening or closing hours, as well as recess.

More information about National School Bus Safety Week can be found here: https://www.napt.org/nsbsw

For information about school transportation policy contact Transportation and Facilities Administrator Pat Hinckley at pat.hinckley@maine.gov

The National School Bus Safety Week public education program is sponsored by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), National School Transportation Association (NSTA), National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), Pupil Transportation Safety Institute (PTSI) and school bus manufacturers and suppliers.

Maine DOE Update – October 18, 2018

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

PRIORITY NOTICE: 2017-18 MEA Confidential Assessment Results Now Available to Districts

The 2017-18 Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) Confidential Results are now available in the Maine Assessment and Accountability Reporting System (MAARS). The confidential portal is now open to district personnel with “DRAFT” district/school/student reports containing 2017-18 Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) data. Updated content: Three quick reminders that will assist you when logging into MAARS to review confidential data.  | More

October EPS Data Team Open Question and Answer Webinar

If you have questions about October EPS processing and how to finish up (or start…), please join the data team for a webinar on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Piscataquis Community High School Teacher Named Maine 2019 Teacher of the Year

Guilford, Maine – In an all-school assembly today at Piscataquis Community High School, Maine Department of Education Commissioner Robert G. Hasson, Jr. named English teacher Joseph Hennessey Maine’s 2019 Teacher of the Year. | More

PRIORITY NOTICE: Seeking Public Comment for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Career and Education Development Education Standards

As part of the scheduled periodic review of the Maine Learning Results, the Maine Department of Education is seeking public comments regarding the current English language arts, mathematics, and career and education development standards. | More

What is Chronic Absenteeism? #success4ME

Maine’s student success indicator, chronic absenteeism is one of four (4) indicators utilized in Maine’s Model of School Supports and is used for all grades, K-12. Chronic absenteeism in Maine is defined as missing ten percent (10%) of enrolled school days where the student has been enrolled in the school for at least ten (10) days. | More

Seeking Districts to Participate in Free Pilot of NBC Learn K-12 Product

NBC Learn is collaborating with the Maine Department of Education to offer all districts in Maine the opportunity to participate in a free pilot of their K-12 product. | More

October is National Farm to School Month

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DACF) and the Maine Department of Education (DOE) join thousands of schools, farms, communities, and organizations across the country in celebrating National Farm to School Month. Maine is home to more than 8000 farmers and 185,000 students, making the partnership between schools and farmers an important part of the state’s agricultural landscape.| More

More Dispatches | Press Releases | Priority Notices

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Upcoming Maine Assessment Literacy Professional Development Opportunities

As part of the Maine DOE Assessment Literacy Professional Development series, a MAARS webinar and three in-person sessions focused on the eMPowerME assessment (grades 3-8) and science assessment (K-12) have been scheduled.| More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

October EPS Data Team Open Question and Answer Webinar

If you have questions about October EPS processing and how to finish up (or start…), please join the data team for a webinar on Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Data Team – October EPS Open Question and Answer Session

Wed, Oct 24, 2018 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EDT

For additional information or questions contact Maine DOE Education Data Manager, Charlotte M. Ellis at 207-624-6696–desk or Charlotte.Ellis@maine.gov.