Author: Maine Department of Education

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.

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.

This increased efficiency has allowed the amount of open applications to be reduced from 3,000 to 2,300. As school is starting, the certification team would like to alert you that next week between September 4th through September 7th the phone hours will be reduced from 6.5 hours per day to 3 hours per day.  This will allow the team additional time to process applications to meet the needs of both educators and districts.

Phone times for September 4 – 7 will be 9AM – 12PM.

On September 10th, phone coverage will resume the typical 6.5 hours a day, from 9AM to 3:30 PM. 

Further updates will be available in the Maine DOE Newsroom, on the Certification webpage, and on Maine DOE’s official Facebook and Twitter pages.

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.

Although there have been many changes in education, both rewarding and challenging, we would like to take a moment to extend our gratitude and appreciation for the hard work, dedication, and determination of education communities throughout the State who go above and beyond to educate the students within their communities.

Our hope is that the 2018 – 2019 school year is filled with new aspirations and exciting learning experiences for students and educators, and collaborative opportunities for the Maine DOE, districts and schools throughout the State.

For more information about how Maine DOE can support schools, educators and students, please visit the Maine Department of Education website, contact the Department at (207) 624-6600, sign up to receive Maine DOE news,  and connect on Maine DOE’s official Facebook and Twitter pages.

MEDIA RELEASE: 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.

The Maine Teacher of the Year program honors outstanding teachers who represent the thousands of excellent educators in Maine. Maine’s Teacher of the Year serves as an advocate for the teaching profession, education and students and represents Maine in the national Teacher of the Year program.

State Finalists:

JosephHennesseyJoseph Hennessey
2018 Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year, Joseph Hennessey teaches American, World, AP Literature and Composition, and Camden Conference Seminar for grades 11-12 at Piscataquis Community High School (RSU 80/MSAD 4). He has been teaching for 6 years.

ShanaGoodallShana Goodall
2018 Penobscot County Teacher of the Year, Shana Goodall teaches Social Studies, World Civilizations, AP Human Geography, and AP World History for grades 9-12 at Orono High School (RSU 26). She has been teaching for 15 years.

ConnieRussellConnie Russell
2018 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year, Connie Russell is a 2nd grade teacher at Mabel I. Wilson School in Cumberland, North Yarmouth (MSAD 51) and has been teaching for 27 years.

Each educator was nominated by a member of their community for their exemplary service in education, and dedication to their students. They were selected by a distinguished panel of teachers, principals and business community members from a pool of hundreds of other nominated teachers in their communities.

The three teachers are in the running for 2019 Maine Teacher of the Year, an honor awarded each year to one teacher in Maine. In October, Maine’s 2019 Teacher of the Year will be selected after a school site visit and final interview.

Maine Teacher of the Year is a program of the Maine Department of Education, administered by Educate Maine. For more information, visit the Maine DOE Website.

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

Administrative Letter: #17
Policy Code: BGE
To: District and School Administrators, Special Education Directors
From: Robert G. Hasson, Jr., Ed. D., Commissioner
Date: August 27, 2018
Subject: New Requirements for Individualized Education Programs (IEP)

The following Administrative Letter has been updated with the correct revised IEP form.

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.  Subsequently in a communication dated May 16, 2018, the Department delayed the start date pending consideration of some questions raised by the field through counsel for the Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities (MADSEC).

After careful consideration and assistance from the Department’s counsel, we are now ready to move ahead with implementation of a revised IEP that addresses educationally necessary, MaineCare billable services. The new implementation date is October 1, 2018.

The Department recognizes that what we initially viewed as a change in documentation has caused confusion and concern in the field, and wants to address several important points about what this change means and does not mean for IEP Teams and school administrative units:

  • First, nothing has changed about the IEP Team’s responsibility for determining if a child who needs special education also needs related services, such as behavioral health services, in order to benefit from their special education.
  • Second, nothing has changed about the requirement that an IEP address the behavioral health needs of a student with a disability whose behavior is impacting their education. MUSER has contained a category of related services called “school health services” for several years, and the scope of what is contained within that category has been limited only by the Supreme Court’s rulings in Garret F. and Tatro¹ that these services are services that do not need to be provided by a doctor. A social worker, or an educational technician certified as a behavior health professional could be a potential provider.
  • Third, nothing has changed with respect to the IEP Team’s responsibility for determining the least restrictive environment (LRE) in which a child with a disability will receive special education and related services. Not every student with a disability who requires behavioral health services needs to be served in a day treatment program. The IEP Team must consider the unique needs of the student in determining placement, just as they must consider the unique needs of the student in developing the rest of the IEP.
  • Finally, the only thing that has changed is that if the IEP Team determines that a child with a disability is going to receive a service or be served by a professional covered by MaineCare and the child’s parent has consented to the use of MaineCare as a payment source, the service must be documented in Section 8, on the applicable section of the service grid on the IEP.

The Department understands that there will be additional questions from the field and we intend to provide support and guidance. For questions, please contact Roberta Lucas (Roberta.lucas@maine.gov) or Mary Adley (Mary.adley@maine.gov).

¹ Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garret F., 526 U.S. 66 (1999); Irving Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Tatro, 468 U.S. 883 (1984).

Beginning of School Year Checklist for Completing Reports

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

Synergy

The Synergy Student Information System is now open for the 2018-2019 school year. If you are a new user or, an existing user who needs changes to system access, please complete the system access form and return to the Maine DOE Helpdesk.

Please note, the first three uploads in Synergy must be done in order (State ID – only if needed, Student Enrollment and Student Personal). Manual entry will allow all three sections to be entered at once so the order is not as critical.

The following items are available. Please visit the Maine DOE Data Resources webpage for Synergy codes to be used for the items below and detailed instructions for entry.

☐ State ID Import – Caution! Please verify the student has not already been previously enrolled in the State of Maine at any time before using this.  Duplicate student IDs create inaccurate data and are not always easy to resolve.

☐ Student Enrollment

☐ Student Personal

☐ Economic Status

☐ Special Education Services – Please remember to use the start date of the services even if this was in a previous year.  Synergy will create a new line for each year the student received the services

☐ EL if applicable

☐ CTE schools and other concurrent schools may only enter their information after the primary school has done their enrollment information.

☐ Attendance, Truancy and Behavior as often as possible but at a minimum, quarterly for certification purposes

☐ Future dates are not permitted in the system.

☐ NEO Staff updated

Beginning of Year Reports and Certifications in DC&R

The following items can be accessed from DC&R. Guidance is available on the Maine DOE Data Resources webpage.

☐ Maine Schools and School Approvals due August 1.  This report must be completed to enter staff information:

Contacts and Questions

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

  • Accountability: Penny Henry 624-6855
  • Attendance: Rick Bergeron 624-6840
  • Audits/EF-S-07:  Stephanie Clark 624-6807
  • Behavior/Bullying/Restraint and Seclusion: Sarah Ricker 624-6685 or Meredith Backus 624-6865
  • Maine Schools: Charlotte Ellis 624-6696
  • School Approvals: Pam Ford-Taylor 624-6617
  • Special Education: Brandi Giguere 624-6648
  • Truancy: Gayle Erdheim 624-6637
  • Financial Reports (actual expenditure and actual revenue): Tyler Backus 624-6635
  • School Nurse Report: Meredith Backus 624-6865

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 on the Maine DOE Data Resources webpage  These forms must be signed by Superintendent and returned to medms.helpdesk@maine.gov.

 

Maine DOE Update – August 23, 2018

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

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 high schools as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). To further assist districts as they manage required reporting, the Department will soon be releasing a comprehensive beginning of the school year checklist for completing required reports. | More

Reminder of 2019 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS)

This notice is a reminder that the sixth cycle for the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS) will be administered in February, 2019. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Certification Updates

Please help share the following notice with all Maine educators. The Maine Department of Education has now received 10,000 renewal applications since releasing the new online certification system, Maine Educator Information System (MEIS), to educators in June. There are currently 3,000 of those applications in queue, with an approximate eight-week processing time. Approximately 70% of all Maine educators needing renewal have now applied. For those that have applied for renewal, it is important to note the following renewal procedure as outlined in Chapter 115 Part 1: | More

School Bus Refurbishment Update

Maine Military Authority (MMA) has completed its work for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority contract. As part of the process of winding down operations, MMA will no longer be able to contract for school bus refurbishment and has reached out to school districts to inform them of the changes in their operations. | More

New Video Available to Assist with English Learner Identification

A new video is now available to help train staff who assist families in enrolling in school. As part of the English learner identification process, the parent/guardian of every student enrolling in an SAU for the first time completes a Language Use Survey.| More

Child Sexual Abuse Implementation Support Materials Now Available

As part of a collaborative effort of the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA), resources have been developed to support school systems in the implementation of the child sexual abuse prevention and response law, L.D. 1180 – An Act To Require Education in Public Preschool Programs and Elementary. | More

More Dispatches | Press Releases | Priority Notices

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Professional Standards for School Nutrition Professionals and Training Opportunities

As a reminder, the Federal School Food Service Professional Standards took effect July 1, 2015 and impacts the hiring process for new School Food Service Directors or staff members that are responsible for food service director duties and were hired after July 1, 2015. | More

Registration for Student Learning Objectives Training Now Open

The Maine Department of Education is once again proud to offer Student Learning Objective (SLO) training to school administrative units (SAUs) to help support the development and refinement of Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth (PEPG) systems. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Registration for Student Learning Objectives Training Now Open

The Maine Department of Education is once again proud to offer Student Learning Objective (SLO) training to school administrative units (SAUs) to help support the development and refinement of Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth (PEPG) systems.

For the 2018-2019 school year, Maine DOE has continued its partnership with the Northeast Comprehensive Center to offer training and support to effectively implement these important measures of student learning and growth.  This training will take place at the Burton M. Cross Building in Rooms 103A and 103B on September 10, 2018 from 10:00AM to 3:00PM.

SAU teams and other key staff who lead and support SLO work as a part of PEPG systems can expect to receive:

  • Research-based approaches to SLO implementation
  • Turn-key activities to facilitate with your SAU
  • Electronic resources to support districts in their SLO implementation

Topics to be addressed at the event include:

  • Determining SLO Quality
  • Navigating an SLO Process
  • Deciding on Learning Content
  • Setting Growth Targets
  • Developing Quality Assessments

Register for the Student Learning Objectives Training

Please note, additional trainings for the 2018-2019 school year are currently under development.  As these trainings are added, information will be distributed to districts.

For more information, please contact Emily Gribben, Educator Effectiveness Coordinator at emily.gribben@maine.gov.

Professional Standards for School Nutrition Professionals and Training Opportunities

As a reminder, the Federal School Food Service Professional Standards took effect July 1, 2015 and impacts the hiring process for new School Food Service Directors or staff members that are responsible for food service director duties and were hired after July 1, 2015.

School districts are asked to notify Maine Department of Education’s Child Nutrition staff of any School Food Service Directors leaving. Directors in place on or before June 30, 2015 are grandfathered in their position. Districts only need to meet the updated requirements for hiring a new director.

The professional standards require a combination of education and experience, and necessitate school food service employees stay current by requiring education credits be met each year. The amount of education credits varies with position and hours worked. View the Professional Standards for School Food Service.

Training offered by Maine DOE Child Nutrition team includes the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) training and Summer Food Service Program trainings, monthly webinars, regional meetings and workshops.

Take advantage of these trainings to acquire your continuing education hours. All trainings offered by Maine DOE Child Nutrition team will be posted on the Child Nutrition Resources web page and on the Maine DOE Professional Development and Training Calendar.

For more information contact Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition Director Walter Beesley at walter.beesley@maine.gov or call 624-6875.

New Video Available to Assist with English Learner Identification

A new video is now available to help train staff who assist families in enrolling in school. As part of the English learner identification process, the parent/guardian of every student enrolling in an SAU for the first time completes a Language Use Survey.

To support all Maine schools in administering this required form, the Maine Department of Education has produced a short video that explains the purpose of the Language Use Survey, how to access translation/interpretation services, and when further screening is needed to determine whether a student is an English learner.

Below please find a link to the video and the Language Use Survey:

If you have any questions about this video, please contact Maine DOE Director of ESOL/Bilingual Programs & Title III, April Perkins at (207)624-6627 or april.perkins@maine.gov.