Year: 2018

PRIORITY NOTICE: New Certification System Educator Portal is Now Open for Educator Renewals

The Maine Department of Education has released the long-awaited educator portal for the new online credentialing system, Maine Educator Information System (MEIS). Educators can now log-in to the new online certification system and renew their certifications completely online.

The phased rollout of the new online certification system began with the launch of the district portal which has been open to district administrators since the beginning of May to allow district staff time to become familiar with functions and complete recommendations for educators in their district, prior to the release of the educator portal.

The Department has processed over 10,000 applications internally using the new online certification system since mid-November of 2017 with a record decrease in processing times.

While the Department is currently still accepting paper applications for initial applications, all renewals must be processed through the online system. After the bulk of renewal applications have been submitted, educators will also be able to submit initial applications through the online system.

Instructions for Educators and Administrators Who Need to Renew:

  • Download Instructions on How to Create an Account.
  • Once your account is created, you may log-in and complete the steps necessary to renew your credential. Please download the step by step instructions on How to Submit a Renewal Application.
  • If you are prepared with any PDF documents that are required, the entire renewal process should take less than 15 minutes.
  • If you are currently working in a Maine public school district and have not been recommended by your certification committee, please confer with your certification chair and/or superintendent.
  • If you run into any difficulty, after reviewing the step by step instructions, call or email the Department’s certification office.

Once the educator portal has been fully released, the Department will release the public portal, which will allow members of the public to search for educators by name and see their current certification credentials.

The Department would like to thank the education field for their patience and time throughout the process of launching the online certification system. Rolling out a new system is a tremendously challenging, frustrating, rewarding, and exhilarating process. We are confident that the transition from an outdated paper filing system to a completely online certification system will serve and benefit the thousands of educators in Maine by making the credentialing process a much more efficient and cost effective experience for educators seeking and managing certification in our State.

Further communications and updates are available on the Maine Department of Education Certification Webpage, Maine DOE’s official Facebook and Twitter pages, and the Maine DOE Newsroom.

Chronic Absenteeism Data Training Webinar Recording

The Maine Department of Education held a webinar on Tuesday, June 12 for districts and schools to discuss the recently released 2016/17 chronic absenteeism data including collection process and resources available to help with 2017-2018 reporting.

The webinar was recorded for those who were not able to participate during the webinar. The recording and supporting documents are available below:

For further questions, please contact one of the following individuals:

Updates for Major Capital Construction Program and Integrated, Consolidated 9-16 Facilities Pilot

Major Capital School Construction Program

The scoring process for the Major Capital School Construction Program is complete for the 74 schools visited during the Fall of 2017.  The proposed priority list was presented to the State Board of Education at its June 13, 2018 meeting and accepted. This initiates a 30 day period in which schools on the list have the chance to appeal the scoring process.

To view the Major Capital School Construction Program priority list visit the Maine DOE’s Facilities website.

Integrated, Consolidated 9-16 Education Facility Pilot Project

The re-scoring process for the Integrated, Consolidated 9-16 Education Facility Pilot Project is complete for the three applicants selected to move forward to complete part 2 of the application process. As part of the Department’s EMBRACE Regionalization initiative, the applicants consist of partnerships between school districts and their CTE, higher education, and business partners.

The priority list for the Integrated, Consolidated 9-16 Education Facility Pilot Project was presented to the State Board of Education at its June 13, 2018 meeting and accepted. This initiates a 30 day period in which the three part 2 applicants on the list have the chance to appeal the scoring process.

To view the priority list for the Integrated, Consolidated 9-16 Education Facility Pilot Project visit the Maine DOE’s Facilities website. Learn more about the pilot project here.

For further information, contact Maine DOE Director of School Construction Scott Brown at (207) 624-6883.

Civil Rights Training: Addressing Bullying Behavior, School Culture & Bias

This training is provided through the US DOE, Office for Civil Rights.

Those who should attend: principals, assistant principals, Title IX coordinators, school counselors, and other school staff who are invested in fostering safe and welcoming schools in Maine. 5.5 contact hours given.

Date: June 26, 2018
Time: 8:00am – 2:30pm
Location: Bangor High School, Peakes Auditorium
Cost: FREE

The training will include 3 sessions:

  • Beyond Bullying
    As schools work to successfully prevent and intervene in acts of bullying, they are often challenged by bullying behaviors that cross the line into civil, civil rights, or criminal law violations.  Guidance from the US DOE and US DOJ will be viewed and discussed. Participants will examine federal statutes that prohibit bullying and harassment based on protected classes, and receive information relative to possible criminal law implications when bullying behaviors cause mental or physical injury to targeted students. This session will examine the legal ramifications of “deliberate indifference” with regard to failure to address bullying in their schools. 
  •  Advancing as Culturally Responsive Educators
    Culture plays a role in everything we do – it is an essential part of how we learn. It plays a role not only in communicating and receiving information but also in shaping the thinking process of groups and individuals. Culturally responsive teaching acknowledges, responds to, and celebrates fundamental cultures and offers full, equitable access to education for students from all cultures. As culturally responsive educators, we recognize the importance of including students’ cultural identities in all aspects of learning, thereby enriching classroom experiences and keeping students engaged.  Participants will be provided with opportunities to examine culture – their own culture and the cultures of the students they serve. 
  •  How to Speak Up at School
    Have you ever found yourself in the uncomfortable circumstance where someone, such as a student, parent or colleague, uses biased language or stereotypes in school? Based on Teaching Tolerance’s publication, How to Speak Up at School, this session is designed for educators who want to develop the skills to speak up themselves and who want to help their students find the courage to speak up, too. When someone makes a biased statement, we must act quickly! Using video scenarios, participants will learn to use four techniques (interrupt, question, educate, and echo) to respond to biased language in the moment, from any source, in any situation.

Agenda

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Beyond Bullying
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Break
10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Advancing as Culturally Responsive Educators
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch – on your own
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Advancing as Culturally Responsive Educators (continued from morning session)
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.  How to Speak Up at School

Register here.

If you have questions, please contact April Perkins, Director of ESOL/Bilingual Programs at april.perkins@maine.gov or (207)624-6627.

IBPA Bullying Prevention Through SEL and Kindness Summit – August 17 in Augusta

The International Bullying Prevention Association (IBPA) is partnering with the Maine Department of Education to provide a one-day summit to address bullying prevention through social and emotional learning and kindness.

Location: Cony High School
Date:  August 17, 2018
Time:  8:00am – 3:45pm.

Cost: $50 (includes breakfast, lunch, a signed certificate of attendance for contact hours)

The summit will have 5 keynote presentations and participants from Maine, and potentially across the U.S., will hear national presenters and be able to network with local professionals.

Topics of the day will cover bullying prevention best practices, including building healthy and positive relationships amongst school staff, talking with youth to address specific bullying behavior, and addressing bias-based interactions. Participants will walk away with tools and strategies that will be useful and meaningful when implementing bullying prevention efforts for the new school year.

Get more information and register for the Summit.

During the Summit, Maine middle and high schools are invited to participate in the inspirED Youth Leadership Conference facilitated by Facebook and the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, beginning at 10:00am and ending at 2:30pm with a presentation to the Summit attendees.  This opportunity is being offered at no cost to schools and is for a team of 4 students along with 1 or 2 adult allies.  Transportation would need to be provided by the district.  The inspirED program provides social and emotional (SEL) resources, tools, inspiration and support to empower students and educators to work together to create positive change in their schools and communities.

Please click here for more information and to register for the Youth Leadership Conference.  Based on capacity, only 15 schools will be able to participate in the Youth Leadership Conference.  Register soon!

In addition to the Summit, there will also be showing of The Fat Boy Chronicles with the author Michael Buchanan on Thursday night, August 16 at 7:00pm in the Viles Auditorium at Cony High School.  This event is free and open to the public.

For additional information and questions on the IBPA Summit, the inspirED Youth Leadership Conference or the showing of The Fat Boy Chronicles, contact Sarah Ricker, Maine DOE Student Assistance Coordinator at sarah.ricker@maine.gov

Science & Technology Standards Review – Writing Team

The Maine Department of Education is performing a review of the Maine Learning Results for Science & Technology and is looking for participants to serve as part of the writing team. The purpose of the writing team is to revise the current standards based on guidance provided from a steering committee. For more information about the standards review process, check the new Maine DOE standards revision website.

The team will serve as a representative sample of Maine K-12 science educators covering pK-12 grade levels, geographic locations, and content area strengths across all four of the science strands: life science, physical science (chemistry and physics), earth and space science, and engineering. While specific dates are still to be determined, a majority of the work will take place in July and August and will include at least one face to face meeting in Augusta.

All interested educators are encouraged to participate and are highly encouraged to apply. We will strive to ensure that the geographic diversity of our state is represented. We especially seek applicants from Aroostook, Franklin, Piscataquis and Sagadahoc counties.

Participants will receive contact hours for time worked, be reimbursed for travel costs, and lunch will be provided for face to face meetings.

If you are interested in participating, please complete this short survey by 4:00pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2018 to be considered. The Department will reach out to interested participants with more information in the coming weeks.

For further questions, contact Maine DOE Science & Technology Specialist Shari Templeton at (207) 624-6880 or shari.templeton@maine.gov

EPA Releases Diesel Emissions Grant Information for Tribal Applicants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the Clean Diesel Tribal Grant Competition, a grant competition for tribal applicants with projects that reduce diesel emissions in high-impact areas. Each applicant may request up to $800,000 in federal funding, with $2.0 million available for the grant competition overall.

Key Points

  • The grant competition will give priority to projects based on significant reduction in diesel emissions and exposure in areas with poor air quality, as well as areas that are exposed to a disproportionately high amount of air pollution from diesel fleets.
  • Eligible applicants for a Clean Diesel Tribal Grant are intertribal consortiums, tribal governments, and Alaskan native villages.
  • Funding may be used for projects involving eligible diesel vehicles, engines and equipment, which may include:
    • School buses
    • Class 5-Class 8 heavy-duty highway vehicles
    • Locomotive engines
    • Marine engines
    • Nonroad engines, equipment, or vehicles used in construction, cargo handling including at airports and ports, agriculture, mining, or energy production including stationary generators and pumps.

Webinars

Webinars will be available for applicants to learn more about this grant opportunity. Information regarding webinar time/date, access, links to the webinars, and webinar topics is included below.

  • Webinar dates:
  • Webinar access:
    • Call-in Number: 1-202-991-0477
    • Access Code: 414-9804#
  • Webinar Topics:
    • Overview of Funding Opportunity: Source, Eligibility
    • Eligible Vehicles, Engines, and Equipment
    • Eligible Projects
    • Cost Share Requirements
    • DERA Option Eligible Mitigation Action for Volkswagen Settlement
    • Funding Restrictions
    • Submission Requirements
    • Evaluation Requirements
    • Tools and Resources
    • Question & Answer Period

If you have any questions, please contact CleanDiesel@epa.gov, pat.hinckley@maine.gov, or visit the Clean Diesel Tribal Grants web page for more information.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine DOE Welcomes 9 Student Interns for 2018 Summer Season

Augusta, Maine – The Maine Department of Education (DOE) announced today the 9 student interns who will be working for the summer at the Maine DOE headquarters in Augusta.

AllDOEInterns18.jpg

Adam Barre

Barre is a sophomore at Loyola University, Maryland. He has lived in Maine his whole life and has a love for politics, business, and the state of Maine itself. Barre has volunteered in Baltimore and worked with local politicians and motivated citizens, which has been a tremendous inspiration to him. He takes great pride in being able to not only accomplish his own goals, but ensuring he can help others do the same in the process.  Barre will be working with the Department of Education’s data team, focusing on geo-mapping and working to catalogue all the major data collections for the Department.

Trevor Burns

Burns is a recent graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington with a major in Actuarial Science and Applied Mathematics. Burns will be assisting with the end-of-year collection process for 2017/18 student data and trying to find anomalies in that data before school ends for the summer. He will then work on a student data standards document which the DOE plans to make available to the public before school begins again next year.

Matt Bourque

Originally from South China, Maine, Bourque is an upcoming senior at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. He is double majoring in Political Science and Education. Outside of his academic life, Bourque is training for a marathon and loves the outdoors. During his internship with the DOE, Bourque will be acting as a support content specialist to prepare for summer professional development programs.

Lauren Porter

Porter is a third-year Social Work and Political Science student at the University of Southern Maine, where she is highly involved in her philanthropic sorority, the Service-Learning and Volunteering department, and Model United Nations. Her interests and career goals include social justice policy efforts – particularly advocacy for access to affordable healthcare. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, juggling, volunteering, and writing. During her internship with the DOE, Porter will also be acting as a support content specialist to prepare for summer professional development programs.

Adam Bovie

Bovie is a senior at the University of New Hampshire, but has lived in Vassalboro, Maine, his whole life. He is dual majoring in Communication and International Affairs at UNH, and spent the first semester of his junior year studying abroad at Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland. Bovie enjoys all aspects of the Communication field, but has recently been developing his skills in media production. He’ll be putting these skills to use in his role as the intern for the Commissioner of Education’s office, where he’ll be assisting in the creation of a new website for the Department as well as other multimedia communication projects.

Tyler Rollins

Rollins is a senior at the University of Maine at Orono in the New Media program. He currently lives in his home town of China, Maine, and in his spare time he enjoys playing the guitar and recording local bands. Rollins will be creating content to make Maine’s school funding formula more understandable for the legislature and general public.

Erica Hathaway

Hathaway is a senior at the University of Maine at Orono and will be graduating in December. She is studying Economics with minors in Mathematics and Business. Hathaway is originally from Vermont, but is planning to stay in Maine after graduating, at which point she would like to attend graduate school for Economics.  Hathaway is working on Maine’s contribution to a Kansas-led project that looks at school funding in all 50 states, including a state-by-state historical survey of school funding. She will also be assisting the DOE in reviewing the new Career & Technical Education funding model.

Morgan Rush

One of the Learning Through Technology interns, Rush is a senior at the University of Maine at Farmington. She studies Business Psychology with a minor in Community Health. Rush grew up in Farmingdale, Maine, and is excited to learn more about the use of technology in education.  Rush will be assisting with website design, event planning, and the development of resources related to MLTI and Learning Through Technology professional learning opportunities.

Renée Roundy

Another Learning Through Technology intern, Roundy grew up in Lewiston, Maine, and is entering her senior year at Colgate University with a major in Educational Studies and a minor in LGBTQ Studies. This summer she is excited to learn more about various software and how technology can be utilized by teachers, especially in Special Education. Rush will be assisting with website design, event planning, and the development of resources related to MLTI and Learning Through Technology professional learning opportunities.

 

 

Maine DOE Update – June 7, 2018

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

End of School Year Checklist for Completing Reports

A checklist has been designed to assist districts with publicly funded students in completing required end of year reports.  The dates listed after each report are when the report is open for entry and due for certification, if required. | More

MaineCare Seed Adjustments to be Made; Review Q318 Reports by June 29, 2018

The recovery of Q318 MaineCare Seed will occur in the July 2018 subsidy payment and the Maine DOE is asking districts to review their reports by June 29, 2018 to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. District staff must review student by student claims on both the public and private MaineCare reports for Q318 by June 29, 2018. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Certification System Educator Portal to be Released Statewide

The Maine Department of Education is completing final testing on the educator portal of the new online certification system and will release the portal as soon as testing is completed. The educator portal will be utilized for processing only renewal applications for the first few weeks.  The certification department is still accepting paper applications for initial credentials and fingerprints, but all renewal applications MUST be processed through the new online system. | More

Maine DOE to Host June 12 Webinar to Discuss Chronic Absenteeism Data Collection

The Maine Department of Education is hosting a webinar for districts and schools to discuss the recently released 2016/17 chronic absenteeism data including collection process and resources available to help with 2017-2018 reporting. | More

Resources to Support Student Attendance

The Maine Department of Education’s Office of School and Student Supports has compiled a resource guide to assist schools in their efforts to improve student attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism. | More

New ESEA Report Cards & STEM Technology Showcase to be Featured at 2018 Commissioner’s Conference; Register Now

As a reminder, registration for the 2018 Commissioner’s Conference is now open. The conference features an array of sessions catered toward superintendents. | More

Seeking School Highlights for ESEA Report Cards

The Maine Department of Education is requesting the assistance of school principals in the development of the new 2017-2018 ESEA Report Cards. A “School Highlights” section will be included on the Report Cards to provide the opportunity for schools to emphasize elements of which they are especially proud. | More

Gifted & Talented Applications

The 2018-19 Gifted and Talented Program Application forms are now available. | More

Guidance on District Technology Plan Development for 2017 – 2018 and 2018 – 2019

Over the past few months, there have been a number of questions about expectations for completing and submitting to the Department district technology plans. This correspondence is designed to answer those questions for district and school administrators, in particular, those who are responsible for developing technology plans. | More

More Dispatches | Press Releases | Priority Notices

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Registration Now Open for 2018 State Custodial and Maintenance Conference

Registration is now open for the 50th Custodial and Maintenance Conference for Maine school custodians and facilities directors. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

End of School Year Checklist for Completing Reports

The following checklist is designed to assist districts with publicly funded students in completing required end of year reports.  The dates listed after each report are when the report is open for entry and due for certification, if required.

Synergy:

The following items are available in the Synergy Student Information System. Please visit http://www.maine.gov/doe/data/helpdesk.html#resources for Synergy codes to be used for the items below.

☐   Update Attendance

  • All students with an enrollment must have attendance entered
  • Please register for the Chronic Absenteeism Webinar on June 12, 2018 at 1:00 for discussions on the data where districts can ask questions and discuss resources available to ensure accurate data. https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4892409320166524419☐   Update Truancy

☐  Special Education – exit any students who have left special education:

☐   Update Behavior – Note: all enrollments exited with an expulsion must have an expulsion incident in the behavior module

  • Special Education will not need to be ended unless the student is exiting the special education program. Special Education services will need to be uploaded each year.

☐  Update/End ALL Enrollments:

  • DOE will NOT be automatically ending enrollments
  • Concurrent enrollment MUST be ended before the primary enrollment can be ended
  • All students will need to be exited on their actual last day of school. This may be verified using “Attending Student Report”
  • June 30 should not be automatically populated for the last day of school.
  • Future exit dates are not permitted in the system.
  • Ending a student’s enrollment will end Economic Status and Truancy – to avoid this, update Truancy records prior to ending enrollments
  • New enrollments will need to be uploaded/entered as well as special education information each school year.

Annual End of Year Reports and Certifications: 

The following items can be accessed from DC&R. Guidance is available at http://www.maine.gov/doe/data/helpdesk.html#resources.

  • April 4 YR Graduation Report April 25 – June 8
  • Accountability (coming soon) – certified by Superintendent. June 8 – June 29
  • April 1 Counts – certified by Superintendent. May 2 – June 29
  • Attendance – certified by Superintendent. June 4 – June 29
  • Behavior – certified by Superintendent. June 4 – June 29
  • Special Education Exit Report – certified by Special Ed Director or Superintendent. June 1 – June 29.
  • Truancy – certified by Superintendent. June 4 – June 29
  • Bullying reporting –  certified by Superintendent. June 15 -June 29.
  • Report of Adult Education for Subsidy Purposes for Calendar Year 2017 –  June 1-July 15 .
  • School Nurse Annual Report.  May 25 – July 31.
  • Restraint and Seclusion Report – certified by Superintendent. June 15 – August 1.
  • Q4 Actual Balance Sheet July 1 – August 25
  • Q4 Actual Expenditure July 1 – August 25
  • Q4 Actual Revenue July 1 – August 25
  • Q1 Budget Expenditure – Due by 8/25/2018 or 30 days after the budget passes, whichever is later
  • Q1 Budget Revenue (coming soon) – Due by 8/25/2018 or 30 days after the budget passes, whichever is later.
  • Maine Schools and School Approval (coming soon) – Certified by Superintendent (more information to follow soon)
  • Special Education Teachers, Paraprofessionals, and Related Services Personnel – Due to technical issues in NEO, data collection for the EF-S-05 Part 2; Special Education Teachers, Paraprofessionals, and Related Services Personnel, will be delayed. It is anticipated that the report will open in NEO during the summer and will be due in September, 2018. The open date and due date will be announced when the technical issues have been resolved. For questions regarding the EF-S-05 Part 2, contact Brandi Giguere at brandi.a.giguere@maine.gov or 624-6648.
  • Public Preschool Annual Report – Due by July 31 Note: This report should be submitted directly through the survey link in the linked notice. Send questions to Nicole Madore at Nicole.madore@maine.gov  or 624-6677.

Contacts and Questions

If you have questions about these reports, (i.e. what should be entered) please contact the specialist listed below:

If you have questions about accessing the reports, please call or email the helpdesk. 624-6896 or medms.helpdesk@maine.gov

If you do not have credentials for Synergy or NEO – Access forms for Synergy and NEO if needed are located at: http://www.maine.gov/doe/data/helpdesk.html#resources  These forms must be signed by Superintendent and returned to medms.helpdesk@maine.gov.

Maine DOE Data Coordinator, Charlotte Ellis and Helpdesk Manager, Shannon Bartash will be available for questions at the Superintendent conference on June 28th.