Month: September 2024

Free Training on How to Identify, Assess & Support Students Who Exhibit Challenging Behaviors

Effective behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) protocols in schools are an indispensable component of maintaining the safety and well-being of students, staff, and the entire school community. Threat assessment is not only about identifying potential threats but also about preventing violence and promoting a supportive environment where individuals feel safe to report concerns.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) School Safety Center offers exclusive Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) Training by Navigate360 in partnership with Dr. Dewey Cornell.

This training offers:

  • Improved Risk Identification: Empower team members with the knowledge and skills to identify and assess early warning signs and risk factors associated with threatening behavior, enabling timely intervention and prevention efforts.
  • Expanded Expertise: Build expertise within the team by providing specialized training on threat assessment principles, protocols, and nationally recognized practices, empowering members to effectively fulfill their responsibilities with fairness and fidelity.
  • Proactive Prevention and Intervention Strategies: Equip team members with proactive prevention and intervention strategies, enabling them to identify and address potential threats before they escalate into harm.

Effective CSTAG relies on well-trained multi-disciplinary teams and is compatible with Restorative Practices, positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), and multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS).  Administrators, social workers, nurses, teachers, special education teams, transportation & facilities professionals, as well as psychologists and behavioral specialists are encouraged to attend.

CSTAG Level 1 training is available at any time to be completed online, individually, in about 3 hours.  The 4-hour CSTAG Level 2 training is completed as a team and will be offered monthly via zoom or in-person.

A follow-up CSTAG Level 3 training is available for trained teams who would like a 2-3 hour refresher.

Shorter 60-90 minute modules are available for staff and law enforcement who will not serve on a BTA team but would benefit from understanding the process.

For questions about BTAM in schools, please contact Dr. Karen Barnes (karen.a.barnes@maine.gov).  To enroll a multi-disciplinary team for training, Superintendents or designated proxies can contact Rebekah Sousa (Rebekah.Sousa@maine.gov).

Maine Educators Named Lead Co-Regulators to Support Phase 2 with The Regulated Classroom™

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and The Regulated Classroom (TRC) have named co-regulators to support educators across the state to support wellbeing and create safe and welcoming classrooms.

The first phase of the partnership included two-day training workshops specifically designed to enable educators to support staff in decreasing educator and student stress in the classroom through the application of the TRC™ framework. When phase 1 wraps up in September 2024, approximately 1,200 Maine educators will have attended Train-the-Trainer events hosted across the state.

Phase 2 introduces the sustainability of the TRC™ framework by providing additional training to a group of educators who completed Phase 1. These educators, the Lead Co-Regulators, will provide regional support to educators in implementing the TRC framework. The first TRC™ Lead Co-Regulators Workshop was held during the Maine DOE’s Annual Educator Summit.

The response to TRC™ training sessions from Maine educators was overwhelmingly positive, but many trainers found they needed more support. The success of the first phase of the partnership is evidenced in participants’ expressions of renewed faith that they can be successful in the classroom. The challenges educators face on a daily basis have been compounded in the wake of the pandemic. The right tools, resources, and supports have made a positive difference for educators.

The sustainability project establishes nine regional cohorts of educators who will, together, participate in a Community of Practice (CoP), providing in-person opportunities to share successes and brainstorm strategies to meet the challenges of practice. The intention of the CoP is to provide a continued framework of support for the new Lead Co-Regulators (LCR) working internally to support and train their colleagues throughout the schools of Maine in the TRC™ framework. Lead Co-Regulators were chosen through an application process occurring in late July. The intent was for each Superintendent Region to have two co-leaders from the region; however, due to the short turnaround of the application process and mandatory attendance at the August 8th training, some co-leads will be traveling to alternate regions, providing support for all nine regions.

Maine’s Lead Co-Regulators (LCR)

LCR Contact Information Superintendent Region School/District of LCR
Claire Nichols
cnichols@madawaskaschools.org		 Aroostook Region Madawaska High School
Sierra Blake
sblake@rsu63.org		 Penquis Region (Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset) RSU63/Eddington
Cecilia Dube
Cdube@sedomocha.org		 Penquis Region (Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset) SeDoMoCha Elementary – Dover-Foxcroft
Kayla Newmeyer
kaygeorgiapeach@gmail.com		 Traveling to Washington Region Lewiston Public Schools
Julie Carpenter
Carpenterjao@yahoo.com		 Traveling to Washington Region Auburn School District
Dawn McLaughlin
dmclaughlin@msad41.us		 Traveling to Hancock Region Milo/Brownville Elementary
Heather Wilson
hwilson@svrsu.org		 Mid-Coast Region (Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc) RSU 12- Windsor Elementary School
Deb Taylor
dtaylor@svrsu.org		 Mid-Coast Region (Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc) RSU 12- Alna, Chelsea, Palermo, Somerville, Westport Island, Whitefield, and Windsor
Amanda Clark
amanda.clark@mtbluersd.org		 Western Maine Region (Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford) RSU 9
Julie Schmidt
jschmidt@lewistonpublicschools.org		 Western Maine Region (Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford) Geiger Elementary/Lewiston Public Schools
Stacy Knappe
stacyreilly@mac.com		 Cumberland Region Scarborough Public Schools
Jessica Hunt
jessica.hunt@lakeregionschools.org		 Cumberland Region MSAD 61Stevens Brook Elm Schl, Lake Region Schl District,
Kristy McNaughton
Kmcnaughton@msad11.org		 Kennebec Valley Region (Kennebec, Waldo) Gardiner Area High School
Shannon Murdoch
smurdoch@rsu18.org		 Kennebec Valley Region (Kennebec, Waldo) Messalonskee Middle School
Samantha Grace
Samantha.grace@msad60.org		 York Region Noble High School/MSAD60
 Anne-Marie Hamlin
annemariehamlin@rsu57.org		 York Region Shapleigh Memorial School

All previously trained educators are invited to participate in three regional in-person CoPs. Lead Co-Regulators and the Maine DOE Events Calendar will notify them of those sessions.

Please complete this brief form to be included in the regional list serve: Complete THIS Interest Form!

 

Maine DOE AI Guidance – We need your input!

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Learning Through Technology Team is seeking input from Maine educators, administrators, and all other support staff for the creation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidance.

Our AI Guidance is designed to empower the confident integration of AI tools and foundational knowledge in Maine classrooms to prepare our students to thrive in an AI-influenced world. To do this with the most benefit for educators, we seek to gather your input. We envision a resource with interactive learning and multiple entry points.  Our guidance will not be mandated or a policy, but a guide to help empower educators in their schools.

We are excited to have you join us and discuss the needs in your classrooms, schools, and school administrative units. We will be doing collaborative Zoom calls throughout September.

Below are the dates and a link to register and receive the Zoom link:   

If you can’t join us on one of those dates, please consider giving us your input with this form.

These sessions will be held with Nicole Karod (The Emerging Technology Digital Specialist) and the Learning Through Technology Team.  If you have any questions feel free to reach out to Nicole at nicole.karod@maine.gov

Free Professional Learning: Integrating WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to provide support to School Administrative Units (SAUs) in their continued implementation of Maine’s English Language Development Standards. We invite all districts to participate in the following trainings:

  • A free, self-paced, six-module course called The WIDA ELD Standards Framework: A Collaborative Approach is available to all Maine public school educators through the WIDA Secure Portal. If you do not have a WIDA Secure Portal account, contact WIDA Client Services to have one set up for you. (Note that you must have a Maine public school email address.)All twelve WIDA self-paced courses provide leaders and educators the opportunity to responsively designed and implement professional learning through active facilitation and collaboration cycles for language growth and development. This can happen during department/grade level meetings, allocated professional learning time, or extended learning structures such as Communities of Practice (CoPs) and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).
  • The Maine DOE is also hosting a virtual workshop facilitated by WIDA: Planning with the WIDA ELD Standards Framework. The workshop will occur on October 2nd and October 9th from 3:30 – 5:00 pm. Participants must attend both sessions. This is an opportunity to leverage collaborative teams through participation. The workshops are free and limited to 40 participants. Registration closes September 25th. Register here.

Visit the Maine DOE website to access additional professional learning opportunities related to the WIDA ELD Standards and other topics specific to ESOL and bilingual/multilingual programs.

If you have any questions about the WIDA ELD Standards or the requirements for implementation, please get in touch with Jane Armstrong, Maine DOE English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) State Specialist at Jane.Armstrong@maine.gov or Melanie Junkins, Maine DOE Bilingual and Multilingual Education Specialist at Melanie.Junkins@maine.gov

Inclusive Education Professional Growth Opportunities for Early Learning Educators

To support inclusion in Maine’s early childhood programs, the Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network (MRTQ PDN), in collaboration with the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services, is excited to share four professional growth opportunities. These opportunities, which are part of the statewide Inclusion Initiative for children birth to grade 3, and funded by the Maine’s Preschool Development Grant, are available at no cost to Maine’s early care and education professionals who work with children birth to grade 3.

Inclusion Book Club

This virtual book club is available at no cost to Maine early care and education professionals interested in creating more inclusive classrooms. Book club participants will read and reflect on Inclusion Includes Us: Building Bridges and Removing Barriers in Early Childhood Classrooms (Huber, 2023). 

If you’re interested in participating in the Inclusion Book Club, please complete this form. For more information, please contact Shilo Goodhue at shilo.goodhue@maine.edu.

Due to high demand, MRTQ PDN will be adding Inclusion Book Club offerings at different times in addition to the ones currently scheduled. If you’re interested in future offerings of the Inclusion Book Club, you can indicate your interest on page 2 of the form above.

Inclusive Education PreK to 12

Developed by the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS) at the University of Maine, this 20-hour on-demand training provides the fundamentals for creating classrooms that are inclusive of all students. The on-demand format allows participants to proceed at their own pace and to engage in the training when their busy schedules allow. No-cost access to this training is limited to early care and education professionals who work with children from birth to 3rd grade.

To participate, please complete this form to receive a code for free registration.

Inclusion Micro-Credential

The Inclusion Micro-Credential, offered by the University of Maine System, includes the 20-hour on-demand Inclusive Education PreK to grade 12 training above and a one-day in-person session for an in-depth discussion on applying training content (dates to be determined). No-cost access to this training is limited to early care and education professionals who work with children ages birth to 3rd grade.

To participate, please complete this form to receive a code for free registration.

Maine Inclusion Credential

The Maine Inclusion Credential helps practitioners build the skills, knowledge, resources, and attitudes to offer care to ALL children in an inclusive environment. Accepted applicants will be part of a cohort of early care providers and public school staff that completes the training series as a group for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Join an information session on September 4 at 6:30 pm – Click this Zoom link or contact Shilo Goodhue at shilo.goodhue@maine.edu.

If you’re interested in participating in the Maine Inclusion Credential cohort, please complete this form.