Month: October 2018

Certification Updates and Reminders

The certification team is happy to report out that more than 15,000 applications have been processed since mid-June. Processing time is currently 10 weeks – an impressive national statistic for this time of year and a significant change from recent years in Maine.  The MEIS system continues to create efficiencies and the Department looks forward to being able to release initial applications into the new online system shortly.

Reminders:

  • Renewal applicants that have not yet been processed still maintain their current credentials throughout the duration of the renewal process.
  • Please ensure applicants are using the most recent applications found on the certification website. Older applications do need to be mailed back.

Please note that applications are processed in the order in which they are received; however, there are many items an applicant can do in order to be processed as quickly as possible:

  • Send complete applications with everything needed in one package.
  • Be sure to sign the applications, answer all questions, remember the expiration date if paying with credit card, and include the correct fee.
  • The certification team is on the phone support line for seven hours a day. If questions can be easily answered on the new website, please check there first to allow for more processing time each day.
  • If it has not been 10 weeks since sending in the application, please do not call or email asking for a status update as that dramatically slows down the process.

The certification office will be posting updates on the Certification home page as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and in the DOE newsroom.

Regional Contacts for Regionalization Grants and RSCs

The Maine Department of Education is focused on improving educational services, increasing student achievement, and creating efficiencies through creative regional partnerships.

As we work together with local districts to help facilitate regional efforts, the Maine DOE frame these efforts under an overarching program called EMBRACE: Enabling Maine students to benefit from regional and coordinated approaches to education.

In our effort to provide the highest level of service to Maine schools and to help focus conversations, visions, and goals that improve education for all Maine students, two members of our staff will specialize in specific superintendent regions for regional service center, EEOG and FEDES grants.

Jennifer Pooler, the Department’s Regionalization Project Manager, will focus on the following superintendent’s regions:
  • Cumberland
  • Kennebec
  • Mid-Coast
  • Penquis
  • Washington
Jennifer can be reached at Jennifer.g.pooler@maine.gov or 624-6783.

Deb Lajoie, the Department’s Regionalization Coordinator, will focus on the following superintendent’s regions:
  • Aroostook
  • Hancock
  • Western Maine
  • York
Deb can be reached at Deborah.j.lajoie@maine.gov or 624-6613.

Administrative Letter: 2018-2019 Clarifications Regarding Private School Approval and Publicly Funded Private School Students

Administrative Letter: #19
Policy Code: LBC
TO: Private School Administrators; Public School Administrators
FROM: Robert G. Hasson, Jr., Ed. D. Commissioner
DATE: October 2, 2018
SUBJECT: 2018-2019 Clarifications Regarding Private School Approval and Publicly Funded Private School Students

In accordance with 20-A M.R.S. Chapter 117, the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) requires private schools seeking approval status to be approved annually.
In early July of this year, guidance was provided to all private schools with Department updates regarding the 2018-2019 school approval process.

Since then, in a collaborative effort to align current statutory requirements with the needs of private schools and execute an appropriate and consistent business process, the Department has made several decisions which revise or clarify the previous guidance. These decisions are outlined in the paragraphs below.

  1. The current private school annual report, pursuant to 20-A M.R.S. § 4801(2-A), requires affirmation that a private school approved for the receipt of public funds participates in the development and approval of a regional school calendar. However, some private schools receive students residing in different career and technical education (CTE) centers or regions, so it is unclear how a private school’s calendar could be aligned with more than one different regional calendar. While the Department strongly believes in the value of expanding student access to CTE and removing barriers that prevent otherwise-interested students from exploring or accessing CTE, the current statutory language is not entirely clear, and thus private schools will not be required to respond to that item on the form for the 2018-19 school year. The Department will be engaging in significant policy discussions surrounding access to CTE in the coming year in order to gain more clarity in this area.
  2. Private schools seeking approval for the receipt of public funds were asked to affirm, on the annual school approval report, that they would work with the school administrative unit of residence to ensure that all publicly-funded students take the State assessments. While the Department does not see this requirement as being anything more than 1) an acknowledgment of the importance of ensuring that all students who are educated at public expense are assessed and 2) a commitment to cooperate with efforts in this area, private schools will not be required to respond to that item on the form for the 2018-19 school year.
  3. As a reminder, the public school administrative units have an obligation to ensure that all students who are educated at public expense by private schools take the state assessments, are screened for English learner status and provided, when eligible, with appropriate English language acquisition support services, and are included in truancy data. The Department plans to provide details and technical assistance about these obligations over the coming year.
  4. School approval includes the requirement that all private schools provide attendance data on their publicly funded students in the NEO information system, and this will not change. Private school attendance reporting is linked to the ESSA requirement to report chronic absenteeism for all publicly funded students and must be submitted. While attendance data is not overtly listed on the private school annual report and checklist, the statutory language requiring private schools seeking approval for the receipt of public funds to “in accordance with time schedules established by the commissioner, report[] to the commissioner the information the commissioner may require” is. This language comes from 20-A M.R.S. § 2952, and is directly linked to school approval by Section 2951, which states that “a private school may be approved for the receipt of public funds for tuition purposes only if it:  . . . [c]omplies with the reporting . . . requirement[] in section[] 2952.”

Attendance Data and School Approval Deadline
Currently, every private school that seeks tuition from an SAU is already entering information into the student information system for each student for whom they seek public funds. The attendance data entry is comprised of the number of days in the reporting period that the student is enrolled, the number of days they were present, and the number of days of excused absences. This data needs to be certified quarterly, with an initial 2018-19 submission due date of October 15.  More details about attendance data submission, and a helpful training manual document, can be found in NEO Student Attendance Reporting and Attendance Manual Entry Guide.

In order to align calendars, the Department will allow a new overall 2018 deadline of October 15 for the annual report and documentation, NEO staff entry, and first reporting of attendance data to be submitted by private schools. As stated in previous guidance, the 2018-19 private school approval year as printed on approval certificates will mirror the public school approval year – July 1 through June 30. Please note that this will move the FY 2020 private school approval annual report submission deadline to an earlier date than what has previously been identified, to be announced in future guidance.

Finally, as a reminder, notification was given in the Spring of 2017 that out-of-state private schools seeking approval for the receipt of public funds for FY 19 (2018-19) would be required to complete basic school approval, which includes, at a minimum, Maine Department of Education criminal history background checks for all employees. There are, as of this date, no out of state schools that have notified the Department of their intention to seek this approval.

Please contact Pamela Ford-Taylor, Maine DOE School Enrollment Specialist at 207-624-6617 or Pamela.Ford-Taylor@maine.gov with questions or comments about school approval.

Reminder: FEDES regional grant proposals due Nov. 7

The Maine DOE is reminding interested parties that proposals for grant funding offered through the Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Education Services (FEDES – RFP#201806118), are due on November 7, 2018.

Proposals must be submitted to the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services, by email, to Proposals@maine.gov, no later than 4:00 pm, local time. Proposals not submitted to the Division of Procurement Services’ email address by the deadline will not be considered for the grant award.

This is the third round of regional grant opportunities offered as part of the Maine DOE’s EMBRACE Regionalized Programs and Services initiatives.

The RFP, amendment, questions and responses from the Information Session, and questions and their responses received during the Question and Answer period can be downloaded from the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services website under RFP# 201806118.

For more information, contact Regionalization Project Manager and FEDES RFP Coordinator Jennifer Pooler at 624-6783 or Jennifer.g.pooler@maine.gov.

 

Nominate Students for the U. S. Presidential Scholars Program

The Maine Department of Education invites school districts to nominate graduating high school seniors for the U. S. Presidential Scholars Program.

Each district may nominate one senior who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent U.S. resident and has scored exceptionally well on either the SAT of the College Board or the ACT of the American College Testing Program.  In addition, a district may nominate a high school senior who has demonstrated excellence in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. Application materials will be sent directly to Superintendents and CTE Directors by Friday, October 5th. Application are due to the Maine DOE by Friday, October 26th.

Students chosen as U.S. Presidential Scholars receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D. C. in June and are presented the U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House, in commemoration of their achievements. During their visit to Washington, Scholars have access to important national and international figures, including government officials, educators, authors, musicians, scientists and other accomplished people.

For more information please contact Beth Lambert, Coordinator of Secondary Education or Dwight Littlefield, Coordinator of Career and Life Education.

BrightBytes Technology and Learning Fall 2018 Workshops

The Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) has partnered with BrightBytes for the sixth year to facilitate the administration of the Technology and Learning Survey to students and educators. The survey helps districts assess how technology is used for teaching and learning in its schools, and provides research-based insights to assist districts with planning for better technology integration.

Staff from BrightBytes and the Department will host another series of on-site data and action planning workshops this Fall. During these full day workshops, participants will analyze school or district BrightBytes results in order to create an action plan for better implementation of technology for learning that is grounded in best practice and linked to the mission and vision of the district.

A team is ideal for this full-day workshop. School principals, district administrators, technology directors, curriculum directors, teachers, and students are all welcome to join.

All workshops will take place from 9am-3pm.

  • Monday, 10/22, Ellsworth Elementary Middle School, Ellsworth.
  • Tuesday, 10/23, The Forum/Mt. Blue Campus, Farmington.
  • Wednesday, 10/24, Maine Department of Education, Room 103, Augusta.
  • Thursday, 10/25, Gorham Municipal Center, Gorham.
  • Friday, 10/26, Virtual Workshop (more info to be sent upon registration).

Cost: There is no registration cost.

Lunch: Please plan to bring your own lunch and snacks for the day.

Registration: Click here to register.

Contact Hours: Educators can earn up to six contact hours

Note: Districts have typically used BrightBytes survey results to inform the development of district technology plans. During the 2018 – 2019 school year, there is no requirement for districts to submit technology plans to the Department for review or approval, however, schools that are participating in the MLTI Apple and HP opt-ins are still required to complete the survey by November 30, 2018.

If you have questions, contact Amanda Nguyen, Digital Learning Specialist at Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov

 

Reports That Impact the ED 279 Subsidy Printout or Other GPA Funding

There are certain data points collected by the Maine DOE that have a direct impact on the calculation of subsidy. The Department has prepared a chart that shows the data that impacts the ED 279 subsidy printouts, when that data is due, and when any required revisions must be submitted in order to be included in the FY 20 EPS Funding Calculation.

Data that impacts the ED 279 subsidy printouts (PDF) »

Please contact Paula Gravelle at Paula.B.Gravelle@maine.gov with any questions.

 

 

MEDIA RELEASE: National Blue Ribbon School Honors for Three Maine Schools

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today recognized three Maine schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2018. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

“I’m pleased to celebrate with you as your school is named a National Blue Ribbon School,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in a video message to the honorees.  “We recognize and honor your important work in preparing students for successful careers and meaningful lives. Congratulations on your students’ accomplishments and for your extraordinary commitment to meeting their unique needs.”

“Congratulations to the students, educators and school leaders at Dr. Levesque Elementary School, Falmouth High School, and Yarmouth Elementary School for their unwaivering commitment to education and student achievement,” said Maine Department of Education Commissioner Robert G. Hasson, Jr.

The coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content.

Now in its 36th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed recognition on more than 8,800 schools. On November 7 and 8, the Secretary and the Department of Education will celebrate with all honorees at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

All schools are honored in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:

  • Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
  • Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s subgroups and all students over the past five years.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by The Council for American Private Education (CAPE).

Photographs and brief descriptions of the 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools are available at http://www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools.

School Name and City

  • Dr. Levesque Elementary School, Frenchville
  • Falmouth High School, Falmouth
  • Yarmouth Elementary School, Yarmouth

 

Public PreK Funding FY20 – Estimate Counts Required

Beginning in FY19, the Essential Programs and Services(EPS) funding formula added an allocation for PreK programs’ estimate student count. The PreK program estimate count allocation is intended to provide funding for PreK programming in advance of actual student enrollment, helping to offset the upfront costs associated with expanding or starting PreK programs. This PreK program allocation was first authorized into law on July 1, 2018 to begin in FY19.

If an SAU is opening or expanding a PreK program and the SAU would like to receive an FY20 estimate PreK allocation they must notify the Maine DOE’s finance team by completing the FY20 Estimate PreK Count Survey before October 31, 2018. SAUs completing this survey must also complete the PreK Program Application by April 30, 2019 and obtain program approval.

This FY20 Estimate PreK Count Survey is meant to capture the overall FY20 statewide obligation for estimate new and expanding PreK programs, but does not guarantee funding. This estimate count allocation will be used to provide funding on the FY20 ED279. SAUs must enroll the number of children included in the projected estimate count by October 1, 2019. After October 1, 2019 an audit adjustment, based on actual enrollment reported in NEO on October 1, 2019, will be made to the PreK allocation assigned on the FY20 ED279.

For more information please contact Deb Lajoie at 624-6613 or  deborah.j.lajoie@maine.gov