Year: 2018

Maine DOE Update – September 6, 2018

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

National Board Certified Teacher Salary Supplement Request due October 15, 2018

Superintendents of a school administrative unit or the director of a publicly-supported secondary school or Career and Technical Education (CTE) region, with eligible staff who have attained National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification prior to July 1, 2018, must submit to the Maine Department of Education (DOE) the list of those eligible to receive the salary supplement for the 2018-19 school year by October 15, 2018. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

ESSA Implementation and Report Card Release #success4ME

During the fall of 2018, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) will begin implementation of ESSA including the rollout of Maine’s Model of School Supports and the public release of the Maine’s School Report Cards. | More

National Board Certified Teacher Scholarship Funds Available

State law, 20-A MRSA Section 13013-A subsection 5 & 6; as amended by PL 2012 c. 702, established the National Board Certification Scholarship Fund to encourage teachers to apply to and enroll in the certification program offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization. | More

Helpdesk Ticketing and Immediate Communication Procedures

Due to recent Data Team staff departures, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Helpdesk currently has only one fulltime dedicated staff member, with augmented assistance from other members of the Data Team. While the Department is in the process of hiring additional staff, we ask that communications to the Helpdesk be submitted via email| More

NAEP Assessment Positions Available

Westat is recruiting for the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as NAEP or The Nation’s Report Card, for the National Center for Education Statistics, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education. | More

2018-19 Gifted and Talented SAU Program Application Forms Available

The 2018-19 Gifted and Talented SAU Program Application forms are now available. All applications are due by September 30, 2018 | More

More Dispatches | Press Releases | Priority Notices

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Assessment Professional Development and Learning

During the month of July, Department staff engaged in the review of submitted Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA)/SAU Consolidated Plans. All submitted plans have been reviewed and the Department continues final synthesis of review notes and team meetings in order to provide meaningful feedback to districts. | More

Gifted and Talented Workshops Available on September 12th and 14th

As a reminder to gifted and talented (GT) educators, the Maine Department of Education will sponsor two mentoring workshops for new and experienced gifted and talented educators. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Assessment Professional Development and Learning

During the month of July, Department staff engaged in the review of submitted Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA)/SAU Consolidated Plans. All submitted plans have been reviewed and the Department continues final synthesis of review notes and team meetings in order to provide meaningful feedback to districts.

Cross team discussions during the review of submitted district CNAs/SAU Consolidated Plans afforded the Maine DOE  a unique opportunity to identify trends in challenges and successes experienced by  schools and districts across the state.  As a result of this review, the Department has developed a series of professional development and learning opportunities related to assessment and instructional practice. Full details including the list of dates will soon be available on the Maine DOE Professional Development & Training Calendar – at this time a listing can viewed in the following downloadable excel listing:

2018 Professional Development & Learning Opportunities (excel)

The first session of the series will be conducted via webinar and will focus on a Balanced Assessment System. This session will include an overview of the planned opportunities and timeline in addition to reviewing the key components of a Balanced Assessment System. Registration details regarding this session can be found below.

Session: Balanced Assessment Systems
Location: Webinar
Date & Time: September 26, 2018 at 2 pm
Join the Webinar (no registration necessary)

For further information please contact Janette Kirk, Deputy Director, Office of Learning Systems at Janette.Kirk@maine.gov or 624-6707.

 

 

ESSA Implementation and Report Card Release #success4ME

Formerly known as No Child Left Behind, the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 was reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December, 2015.

During the fall of 2018, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) will begin implementation of ESSA including the rollout of Maine’s Model of School Supports and the public release of the Maine’s School Report Cards.

The reauthorization of ESSA provides Maine with the opportunity to develop and refine Maine’s strategic vision for education and provides flexibility for Maine to develop an accountability system known as Maine’s Model of School Supports, which incorporates measures of success beyond that of academic assessment data.

Over the coming weeks and months, in on-going communications from the Maine DOE Newsroom; official social media sites Facebook and Twitter (with use of the hash tag #success4ME); and in-person meetings throughout the State, the Maine DOE will be providing updates and information regarding Maine’s Model of Support, why it matters, and how it impacts schools and students.

In addition, the Department will be providing workshop sessions across the state for principals and school leaders to learn more about the School Report Card Dashboard and the Model of School Supports.  Registration information will be forthcoming.

Anticipated Timeline

  • September 2018 – January 2019 (and beyond): Ongoing communications via the Maine DOE Newsroom and in-person meetings scheduled throughout the State to prepare local officials and communities for the release of the implementation of ESSA and the public release of the report cards.
  • October 15, 2018: Confidential release of Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) student results with three weeks for districts to review and verify the data.
  • November 5, 2018: Public release of MEA student results.
  • November 2018: Internally, the Department will run the final and full 2017/2018 data through the Model of School Supports to check for accuracy.
  • December 2018: Confidential preview of School Report Cards for districts and schools followed by the public release of the School Report Cards.
  • January 2019: Department staff will meet with schools identified for tier III supports at regional meetings held throughout the State.

 

For further information, please contact Janette Kirk, Deputy Director, Office of Learning Systems at Janette.Kirk@maine.gov or 624-6707.

 

Helpdesk Ticketing and Immediate Communication Procedures

Due to recent Data Team staff departures, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Helpdesk currently has only one fulltime dedicated staff member, with augmented assistance from other members of the Data Team. While the Department is in the process of hiring additional staff, we ask that communications to the Helpdesk be submitted via email at MEDMs.helpdesk@maine.gov.

Emails to the Helpdesk automatically generate into a ticket tracking system, receive a ticket number, and will be answered in the order that they are received. The tickets and emails can be used for training new staff while not requiring the end user to sit on hold for an answer. The emails can also be forwarded to other Maine DOE staff for assistance.

If your situation does require verbal communication, you can record that in the email ticket and the Helpdesk will call you back.

It is anticipated that full staffing of the Helpdesk will resume by October 2018, and at that time we welcome calls for immediate assistance.

The Maine DOE and its Data Team appreciate your patience and understanding during this transition period.

NAEP Assessment Positions Available

Westat is recruiting for the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as NAEP or The Nation’s Report Card, for the National Center for Education Statistics, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is seeking motivated individuals who are committed to excellence and experienced in working with primary and secondary school students.

Positions are available for those interested in leading a team conducting assessments using touch-enabled tablets with 4th-, 8th-, and 12th grade students in participating schools across the state and for those interested in being a part of the team. Teams consist of 2-4 people, and will be responsible for assessment equipment during and between assessments. This opportunity is ideal for retired educators.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in core subjects. NAEP will be conducting assessments in Maine schools in 2019 and is looking for people to work from January to March 2019 who have education or research experience and are comfortable interacting with students in schools.

An online application can be found at workNAEP.com

For more information, can be found using the links below or by contacting:

Linda Pomerleau, NAEP 2019 State Field Manager at 207-266-8138 or lindapomerleau@naepmail.westat.com.

National Board Certified Teacher Scholarship Funds Available

State law, 20-A MRSA Section 13013-A subsection 5 & 6; as amended by PL 2012 c. 702, established the National Board Certification Scholarship Fund to encourage teachers to apply to and enroll in the certification program offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization.

A school administrative unit or a publicly supported secondary school or Career and Technical Education (CTE) region, may request scholarship funds on behalf of its teachers who meet the requirements.

In fiscal year 2018-19, Maine DOE will allocate $75,000 to the scholarship fund and shall award an amount equal to the cost of the certification program, less any other funds received by the applicant, on a first-come first-served basis to teachers accepted into the certification program.

For more information and eligibility requirements please go to National Board Certification Scholarship.

If you have questions, please contact Denise Towers at Denise.towers@maine.gov or by phone at 624-6863.

National Board Certified Teacher Salary Supplement Request due October 15, 2018

Superintendents of a school administrative unit or the director of a publicly-supported secondary school or Career and Technical Education (CTE) region, with eligible staff who have attained National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification prior to July 1, 2018, must submit to the Maine Department of Education (DOE) the list of those eligible to receive the salary supplement for the 2018-19 school year by October 15, 2018.

In order to qualify for the salary supplement, eligible staff must be currently employed by a Maine public school, or by a publicly-supported secondary school or CTE region in Maine. Eligible position titles include classroom teacher, special education teacher, literacy specialist, long-term substitute teacher, library media specialist, guidance counselor, and teacher leaders with certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization.

The amount of the salary supplement for fiscal year 2018-19 is $3,000.00, unless proration is necessary. The submission form and further information is available at National Board Certification Salary Supplement.

If you have questions, please contact Denise Towers at Denise.towers@maine.gov by phone at 624-6863.

2018-19 Gifted and Talented SAU Program Application Forms Available

The 2018-19 Gifted and Talented SAU Program Application forms are now available. All applications are due by September 30, 2018:

Access the Forms for Annual Gifted and Talented Program Approval and other related materials.

At the link above you will find:

  • Renewal applications with instructions (for SAUs that have an already existing gifted and talented program);
  • Initial applications with instructions (for SAUs that do not have a gifted and talented program);
  • Waiver request form (for SAUs that would like a one year waiver from having a gifted and talented program); &
  • Extension request form (for SAUs that require more time to complete their renewal or initial application).

All applications must be submitted to GT.DOE@maine.gov by September 30, 2018.

If you have any questions, please contact Ida Batista at ida.batista@maine.gov or 624-6795.

Gifted and Talented Workshops Available on September 12th and 14th

As a reminder to gifted and talented (GT) educators, the Maine Department of Education will sponsor two mentoring workshops for new and experienced gifted and talented educators. There is still time to register for one of these workshops. It is not necessary to attend both – choose the meeting that is most convenient for you:

University of Maine Orono (Wells Room 2)
September 12, 2018
9:00 am – 3:00 pm

University of Southern Maine, Lewiston – Auburn campus (Androscoggin Room 285) 
September 14, 2018
9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Workshop topics: reviewing this year’s renewal application process, exploring identification tools, discussing curriculum options aligned with regular education initiatives, organizing and managing GT programs, evaluating program effectiveness, and discussing budget concerns.

The morning will consist of a workshop designed for teachers and administrators who are looking for information regarding this year’s renewal application process. The workshop will also provide a forum to discuss GT programming.

Depending on the needs of the participants, in the afternoon, attendees will be broken into two groups. One group will be educators who are fairly new to the field. They will continue their in-depth discussions on the topics listed above. The second group will be educators who have been in the GT field for a longer period and may have far–reaching concerns and challenges.

The facilitator of this group, Lee Worcester PhD, asks that the advanced GT educators suggest a question for the afternoon session by September 7 at lee.worcester@yahoo.com or 943-8804.

Register for the training in Orono »

Register for the training in Lewiston » 

Please register by September 11. Due to the locations, lunch and refreshments will not be provided.

For any questions regarding the workshop, contact Educational Consultants: Lee Worcester at lee.worcester@yahoo.com or Patti Drapeau at ptdrapeau@aol.com.

Maine DOE Update – August 30, 2018

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Beginning of School Year Checklist for Completing Reports

The following checklist is designed to assist districts with publicly funded students in completing required reporting.  | More

Graduation Reporting Due by September 15, 2018

The Graduation Module has opened in NEO so that School Administrative Unit staff can start entering graduation data. This module is used to calculate the graduation rates for the 2017/18 school year. It will also be used, in part, to determine supports for Maine public schools as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Administrative Letter: New Requirements for Individualized Education Programs (IEP)

On April 14, 2018 in Administrative Letter #13, the Maine Department of Education announced new requirements for Individualized Education Programs (IEP) beginning on May 1, 2018. The purpose of the new requirements was to appropriately document certain services that are both educationally and medically necessary in accordance with both IDEA and Section 65 and Section 28 of the MaineCare Benefits Manual.  | More

Maine DOE Welcomes Students, Educators, and Staff Back to School

The Maine Department of Education would like to welcome students, educators, and staff back to school as they fill the halls, classrooms and campuses over the coming weeks. | More

State Finalists Announced for 2019 Maine Teacher of the Year

Three Maine teachers have been announced as State finalists for the 2019 Maine Teacher of the Year. The finalists were chosen from the 2018 Maine County Teachers of the Year honored earlier this year. | More

Further Certification Updates: Increase in Processing Times, and Temporary Change in Call Hours

The Certification team would like to thank the education field for their assistance in helping to reduce phone calls to the office. The reduction in calls over the past week has allowed the team to input substantially more applications into the system as well as processing applications currently in the system. | More

More Dispatches | Press Releases | Priority Notices

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities