Year: 2019

Maine Officially Adopts English Language Development Standards

Each of the eight content areas taught in Maine schools has its own set of standards, collectively known as the Maine Learning Results. Since 1997, the Maine Learning Results have provided a framework from which educators can build their curriculum, instruction, and assessments. Alongside these content standards, students learning English have been supported with a cohesive set of English language development (ELD) standards, aligned to the academic content they are learning.

This year Maine participated in the US Department of Education’s assessment peer review process for the English language proficiency assessment, through which the need for officially adopted ELD standards was emphasized. Therefore, the Maine Department of Education is officially adopting the WIDA ELD Standards as the foundation for language instruction for students who are English learners (ELs).

In use in Maine since 2007, the WIDA ELD Standards are an essential tool for student learning. WIDA is a non-profit educational consortium with 40 members, including the Maine Department of Education. In addition to the WIDA ELD Standards, WIDA provides Maine educators with a suite of high-quality instructional and assessment tools for students who are ELs, as well as professional learning for educators.

The five ELD standards support all Maine educators to engage students who are ELs in the academic language needed to access the Maine Learning Results. Both the Maine Learning Results and the WIDA ELD Standards were developed through extensive educator collaboration and have been regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the changing demands of college and career readiness.

  • Standard 1: Social and Instructional Language- communicate for social and instructional purposes within a school setting
  • Standard 2: Language of Language Arts- communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of language arts
  • Standard 3: Language of Mathematics- communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of mathematics
  • Standard 4: Language of Science- communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of science
  • Standard 5: Language of Social Studies- communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of social studies

For more information about the WIDA ELD Standards, or for support in implementing them effectively in your district, please contact April Perkins, Director of ESOL/Bilingual Programs & Title III, at april.perkins@maine.gov or (207)624-6627. For information about English language proficiency assessments please contact Sue Nay, ACCESS Assessment Coordinator at Sue.Nay@maine.gov or (207) 624-6774.

Preparing to Educate Students who Are English Learners- Reviewing Lau Plans

As schools prepare for the 2019-2020 academic year, the Maine Department of Education would like to offer its support to help educators proactively plan effective programs for students who are English learners (ELs). Each year many new families arrive to Maine over the summer, or transfer from one Maine district to another. When school enrollment begins in the fall, districts may enroll a student who is an EL for the first time or may experience an increase in the number of students who are ELs as compared to last school year. The following suggestions and resources can help educators prepare to identify and serve students who are ELs and engage their families and communities.

The first step in preparing to serve students who are ELs is to have an up-to-date, board-approved Lau Plan, which is essentially the district’s road map, detailing how it meets federal and state policies for English learners. “Lau” refers to a 1974 US Supreme Court decision, Lau v. Nichols, that confirmed the rights of English learners to meaningfully access their education. In other words, Lau v. Nichols established that students who are English learners must be provided with English language acquisition support to enable them to meet the same challenging academic standards that other students are expected to meet. All districts are required to have a Lau Plan as part of the school approval process. To help districts create a thorough, well-crafted Lau Plan, the Maine Department of Education provides the Lau Plan Template and Guidance.

Staffing an effective program for students who are ELs is another key step. However, it is often difficult for districts to predict the coming school year’s count and the intensity of each student’s needs in order to plan staffing accordingly. Staffing must be responsive to student needs; the level of services that students are provided should not be determined by current staffing. Because of this, districts may find themselves in need of more teachers than anticipated. In such cases, the Maine Department of Education offers to share job postings with English for Speakers of Other Languages(ESOL) educators and to connect districts with qualified consultants in the region, whom districts may then screen and hire through their standard processes.

It is recommended to designate a staff member to manage the process for identifying students who are ELs, including administration of English language proficiency screening assessments. Also, having an existing staff member become (660) ESOL-endorsed is a proactive way to ensure readiness, should any students who are ELs enroll unexpectedly.

For information regarding Maine’s requirements for providing services to students who are ELs, please see the resource and policy guide, Serving Maine’s English Learners. For further assistance, please contact April Perkins, Director of ESOL/Bilingual Programs & Title III, at april.perkins@maine.gov.

RECOGNIZING GREAT EDUCATORS: Department of Education Talent Pool!

The Maine Department of Education believes that a great way to ensure a robust educator workforce is to develop and engage a network of outstanding educators as exemplars and leaders for our state.  By promoting the excellence that exists in classrooms and schools across Maine, we hope to increase the trust and respect given to educators, and encourage and support others in an outstanding career working with Maine’s students.

We are seeking recommendations for our Maine Department of Education Talent Pool.  This opportunity is for the unsung heroes who are making a difference for students, and likely will continue to expand that impact far beyond their classrooms or schools. The Department of Education hopes to connect these current educational luminaries to one another, to decision making at the department, and to other practitioners in the field. By tapping into their professional expertise and insights, and encouraging educator to educator collaboration and sharing, Maine’s learners will continue to thrive!  Those who are recommended can determine their capacity and interest in engagement, there is no expectation beyond being an outstanding educator.

Please help us in the creation of our Talent Pool, and with our continued efforts to support and celebrate the amazing work being done in classrooms across Maine every day! Recommendations will be accepted on a rolling basis, however we would like to start the school year with strong cohort in place, and encourage school and district leaders to begin the recommendation process as soon as possible.

For more information, please check out the recommendation form, or reach out to Emily Gribben at Emily.gribben@maine.gov or (207)624-6748.

 

PRIORITY NOTICE: Conceptual Conversation Around the Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth Systems (PEPG)     

Since 2012, educators across the State of Maine have worked collaboratively to create locally developed, effective models for professional growth. Since that time, plans have been revised and refined to reflect the requirements of Chapter 180 and school or district goals. In response to changes to Chapter 180 made during the 129th legislative session, The Maine Department of Education invites interested stakeholders to attend a conceptual conversation related to educator effectiveness on August 5, 2019 from 3pm-5pm at the Burton Cross Building (Room 103A and 103B) in Augusta.  The conceptual conversations will provide an opportunity to explore hallmarks of educator effectiveness in the current rule Chapter 180.   

PL 2019, Chapter 27, removed the mandate that student learning and growth be used as a measure in summative effectiveness ratings effective on September 1, 2021.  In accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, sections 13704 and 13706, the Department of Education is required to amend the department’s rule Chapter 180: Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth Systems, to implement the provisions of the law, and submit the provisionally adopted rule to the Legislature.   

The department intends to take the following steps in order to submit the provisionally adopted rule to the Legislature by January 10, 2020, as required.   

  1. On August 5, 2019 stakeholders are invited to attend a conceptual conversation which will be facilitated by Maine Department of Education’s Educator Effectiveness Specialist Emily Gribben and Legislative Liaison Jaci Holmes; the Commissioner and other Maine DOE members may join the conversations as their schedules allow. This conversation will be guided by the following discussion prompt: 

Prompt: What are the critical components of educational practice that lead to educator’s overall effectiveness?  

2.  Taking into consideration the insights gained from conceptual discussions and the requirements under Chaptered Law 27, the Maine DOE staff will write a proposed rule Chapter 180 and begin again the Maine Administrative Procedures Act (A.P.A.) major substantive rule process pursuant to 5 MRS §8052 (public notice of filing, public hearing, open public comment period).The Maine DOE is working diligently to honor the hard work that has been done by steering committees and all educators to implement PEPG systems that foster improved teaching and learning.   

3.  Once the proposed rule has been filed, the public will be notified of the scheduled public hearing and comment period.  This will be an opportunity to provide written and oral comments regarding the proposed rule.  

4.  The department will review all comments and respond accordingly.  Updates to rule will then be filed for legal review before being submitted to the legislature by January 10, 2020.   

For more information on the conceptual conversations for Chapter 180 and Educator Effectiveness, contact Emily Gribben at Emily.gribben@maine.gov.   

 

Seeking Innovative Educational Leaders to Join Maine’s Leadership Development Program

The Maine Department of Education is thrilled to announce that the facilitator candidates for Maine’s Leadership Development Program (Maine LDP) have been selected. The selected facilitator candidates represent the following regions of the state: Washington, Kennebec, Penobscot, Cumberland, Androscoggin, and York counties.  The Department is looking forward to highlighting the selected facilitator candidates in August.  Maine’s LDP is an initiative designed to build and strengthen instructional leadership skills among Maine’s educational leaders at the school, district, and state levels. In our ongoing efforts to support and foster the educational expertise in Maine, educators who aspire to do the same are invited to take advantage of this high impact opportunity!

In recent weeks, the Department has been contacted by educational leaders interested in participating in the Maine LDP, but not able to commit to serving as future facilitators. In response to this feedback, the Department has made available  a limited number of seats for Maine leaders join the cohort. If you are interested in participating in Maine’s LDP and are able to make the one-year commitment, this is your chance to join this exciting professional learning opportunity. Maine’s LDP brings together the Maine DOE’s successful Transformational Leaders’ Network with NISL’s nationally recognized Executive Development Program (EDP).

Maine’s LDP is delivered through a blended learning model and includes study, inquiry, and hands-on activities with practical applications that meet the rigorous expectations for today’s educational leaders. Completion of the program can contribute to credit hours for participants pursuing an advanced degree, or contact hours for re-certification purposes.

Benefits for Maine Schools

  • Prepares educational leaders to lead for excellence and equity
  • Increases student achievement, fosters a culture of high expectations
  • Enhances teacher recruitment, retention, and quality

Program Curriculum

  • Nationally researched, evidenced-based, and locally delivered in a cohort model
  • Improves the practice of leadership, transforms instruction and student achievement in schools
  • Consists of 12 two-day units, delivered in 12 to 15 months
  • Bridged with online coursework, readings and job-embedded application of key concepts

Characteristics of Ideal Candidates

  • A belief in and commitment to improving instruction and increasing student achievement
  • Experience (five years) in a leadership role at the school, district, and/or state level and background as a classroom teacher. Ideal candidates include, but are not limited to, principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, deans, Title I directors, department leaders, ESEA coordinators, special education directors, English Learner directors, assistant superintendents, instruction and curriculum directors, and superintendents.
  • Excellent communications skills; able to effectively facilitate professional development for peers
  • Demonstrated skills in mentoring and coaching
  • Experience as a successful practitioner—able to translate concepts to actions, theory to practice, and programs to craft
  • Able to participate in the entire NISL program and attend all required sessions
  • Likely to live and work in Maine for the next five years

The Department encourages experienced educational leaders to consider applying to join the initial cohort of participants for Maine’s LDP. The deadline for participant candidates is August 5, 2019. Please visit http://www.maine.gov/doe/educators/maineldp for more information and email nisledp.doe@maine.gov  with any questions. Interviews will be scheduled upon review of submitted applications.

Maine DOE Update – July 25, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Annual Audit Requirements- an Early Reminder

We know that superintendents are busy during this season of hiring and preparation for the new school year. We wanted to get audit dates to district leaders and key personnel as an early reminder, so that you can mark your calendars and take any initial steps needed. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Cultivating Safe, Equitable, Strengths Focused School Communities- A Collaborative Opportunity

The goal of this convening is to build capacity, communication, and collaboration among youth serving practitioners based in schools, law enforcement, community corrections, and community programs to cultivate safe, equitable, strengths focused school communities where all youth experience positive outcomes. | More

Educators Invited to Write Maine’s Computer Science Plan. Application Due Monday, July 29th!

The Maine Department of Education is hosting a Computer Science Summit, where educators will create a statewide plan for Pre-K to 12 Computer Science. This plan will help coordinate and guide the efforts of many stakeholders, and serve as a set of recommendations in a report to the Legislature in January 2020. | More

Maine DOE Employee of the Week: Rhonda Casey

Business Manager in the Unorganized Territory , Rhonda Casey is being highlighted this week as the Maine DOE’s Employee of the Week! Learn a little more about Rhonda | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

WHY DATA MATTERS: SAU Leaders Invited to Train and Talk!

Are you a school or district leader who wonders why the Department of Education collects certain data sets, and what they are used for?  Have you ever wanted to have a frank discussion with the DOE’s Data Team about the data collections and how they could be improved?  | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

UMFK/UMPI nursing program sees busy first year, doubles slots for fall

Following a successful first year of the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s bachelor of science in nursing degree program delivered at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and as part of continued efforts to address the statewide nursing cliff, officials are doubling the number of slots for fall 2019.

The nursing expansion in Presque Isle is part of the University of Maine System commitment to doubling nursing enrollment over the next five years to address the shortage that is expected to grow to 2,700 vacancies by 2025.

The BSN program, a unique collaboration between UMPI and UMFK, allows students to complete all four years of the UMFK degree on the UMPI campus. Program participants are UMPI students for the first two years and UMFK students for the remaining two years. Courses are delivered by UMFK nursing faculty on the Presque Isle campus, and students graduate with a UMFK degree.

Designed to meet the needs of place-bound students — those who aren’t able to travel to Fort Kent due to family and work responsibilities — as well as to address the region and state’s nursing workforce challenges, the program welcomed a cohort of 16 students in fall 2018.

“While the number of available slots has been expanded to 32, they have been filling quickly, so we definitely encourage people to apply early,” said Stacy Thibodeau, UMFK assistant professor of nursing, who delivers classes in Presque Isle. “We are very pleased with how well the first year of the program went, and we’re looking forward to training the next cohort of future healthcare professionals.”

The program features classes and labs each semester.

“We do clinicals from day one,” Thibodeau said.

Last year, students learned about personal protective equipment, universal precautions, wound care, the mobility and transfer of patients, and how to check vital signs and collect samples. They visited the Maine Veterans Home and interacted with residents as they checked blood pressures, assisted with bed baths, and practiced therapeutic communication.

“We also had a really exciting opportunity to work in conjunction with UMPI’s medical laboratory technology program on a live, hands-on case scenario where we had actual blood from a blood bank and used it to practice hanging IVs for blood transfusion,” Thibodeau said. “Simulations like this are always so impactful. Students were able to practice retrieving blood from a ‘lab,’ patient identification, checking for allergic reactions, and how to prepare and administer blood.”

Thibodeau said one of the most important things that sets this program apart is the way faculty integrate both the art and the science of nursing, the professionalism and the compassion, into students’ learning.

“It’s a very holistic approach to nursing and it prepares students to be more well-rounded professionals when they graduate,” Thibodeau said. “And with their BSN degree, they’ll be ready for leadership roles once they complete the program.”

Free One Year Medical Assisting Program at EMCC

FROM WABI-  As the healthcare industry grows, so does the demand to fill jobs in the field. Eastern Maine Community College is giving students a chance to meet that need – with the help of a free education.

As part of a grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation to the Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges, EMCC has received funding to offer a one-year Medical Assisting program to 40 qualified individuals at no cost to the students.

The costs associated with tuition, fees, textbooks, criminal background checks, one certification exam, a stethoscope, and set of scrubs will be waived for individuals who qualify for the program.

The One-Year MA program is comprised of a fall semester which begins August 26 and ends December 13, 2019; a spring semester which begins January 13 and ends May 8, 2020; and a summer 160-hour unpaid externship that will begin as early as May 11 and end as soon as all hours are completed. The program will be offered both during the day and in the evening, with some classes available online. Students wishing to participate in this program must be willing to complete courses as scheduled within the one-year timeframe.

Admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis for qualified applicants. There is a two-part application process which includes:

1. An “Application for Admission” to the Medical Assisting (MA) program. This can be completed online at no charge by going to the EMCC website and clicking on “Apply” (the bottom option on the right hand “Get Started” menu.) Candidates will be asked to submit official high school and college transcripts, if applicable; and
2. An “Application for Funding” form that can be found at is http://www.emcc.edu/oneyearMA.

Individuals interested in exploring this opportunity are urged to email admissions at admissions@emcc.edu or call 207-974-4629 for more information.

 

Annual Audit Requirements- an Early Reminder

We know that superintendents are busy during this season of hiring and preparation for the new school year. We wanted to get audit dates to district leaders and key personnel as an early reminder, so that you can mark your calendars and take any initial steps needed.

Initial Report to the Commissioner Due November 1st:

As is required by Title 20-A MRSA 6051 §4, statements of assurance and Maine Education Financial System reconciliations are due to the Department by November 1, 2019. Please submit via email to DOE.audit@maine.gov .

  • Any adjustments identified by these reconciliations should be uploaded to the Maine Education Financial System in NEOby November 30, 2019.

Annual Audit Reports Due December 30th

Annual audit reports are due within six months after the end of the audit period (e.g., reports for the fiscal year ending June 30th are due on or before December 30th).

  • Per statute, the auditor is required to review the audit with the school board.
  • Per statute, it is the school board’s responsibility to submit the annual audit document unless it is stated in the engagement letter that the audit firm will submit the audit to the Department on behalf of the school board.
  • Municipal school units are required to submit either a combined annual audit or a school department audit and a municipal audit to the Department. The municipal annual report (a.k.a. town report) cannot be accepted in lieu of the complete municipal annual audit.
  • Per statute, Maine DOE must receive a Schedule of Expenditure of Federal Awards(SEFA), which includes federal award expenditures for all reporting entities, even if a Single Audit (formerly A-133 audit) is not required to be conducted. The SEFA provides information needed by Maine DOE to conduct sub-recipient monitoring as required by the US Department of Education and is due at the time of the annual audit.
      • In municipal school units where a combined audit is not conducted, Maine DOE should receive two audits: an audit with a SEFA for the school department, and an audit for the city/town including a SEFA.
  • If a management letter is prepared by the auditor, a copy must be submitted to Maine DOE with the annual audit, as this letter provides us with information needed to conduct sub-recipient monitoring, as required by US DOE.

Extensions and Subsidy Payments

If an extension or exception is needed for the deadline to submit either the municipal or school department audit, the superintendent must contact us to request the extension.

The forms are available on the Fiscal Review and Compliance webpage, under forms on the menu bar.

  • Extensions will expire no less than 30 days from the date the extension was submitted.
  • Extension requests will be considered until June 30th (six months after due date); extensions will not be valid after June 30th and all municipalities and school administrative units with overdue audits that have not submitted an extension request before May 31th may have a delay in subsidy release. Those who have not submitted an extension request will have subsidy withheld until addressed.

Please submit all annual audit documents, reports, information requests, questions and other audit correspondence via email to DOE.Audit@Maine.gov or via the direct link provided on the Fiscal Review and Compliance webpage.

 

Educators Invited to Write Maine’s Computer Science Plan. Application Due Monday, July 29th!

The Maine Department of Education is hosting a Computer Science Summit, where educators will create a statewide plan for Pre-K to 12 Computer Science. This plan will help coordinate and guide the efforts of many stakeholders, and serve as a set of recommendations in a report to the Legislature in January 2020. The two-day event will be held on Monday, August 5th and Tuesday, August 6th, 2019 at the RiSE Center at the University of Maine in Orono.

In order to make sure we have a diverse set of perspectives and all the needed knowledge, the Department will be limiting the participation to 40 educators, who will be selected based on a short application process. The goal is to have representation from various geographic areas, content areas, and grade-levels to shape this plan over the course of the two-day Summit. Additionally, the Department hopes to have representation from district and school leadership.

The application to participate can be located using this link or by copying and pasting this link into your browser: https://forms.gle/3EGengsXFyMNtgLt7

The application is due by close of business Monday, July 29th and invites will be sent on Tuesday, July 30th, 2019. 

Reimbursement for mileage, overnight accommodations, and meal costs are available for eligible participants.

The Department will also be inviting a variety of stakeholders to participate in specific ways in this process before, during, and after the Summit, however, this two-day gathering is primarily designed for educators to create the statewide plan.

Who: Maine Pre-K to 12 Classroom Teachers and Administrators (limited by application process)

What: Creating a Statewide Computer Science Plan

Where: RiSE Center in Estabrooke Hall at the University of Maine in Orono

When: Monday 8/5 from 10am – 8pm AND Tuesday 8/6 from 9am – 5pm

Application (https://forms.gle/3EGengsXFyMNtgLt7) due Monday, July 29th, 2019.

If you are unable to participate in the two-day event, but would like to share input, please review the digital workspace educators will use during the planning process. There are links to share your questions, ideas, feedback, and notes at the top of most pages. Click here for the link to the Computer Science 2019 State Planning Digital Workspace or copy and paste this link into your browser: https://sites.google.com/view/mainedoecsplanning2019/home

For answers to questions or more information, please reach out to Beth Lambert, Coordinator of Secondary Education and Integrated Instruction at Beth.Lambert@maine.gov or 207-624-6642.