Commissioner’s Update – February 5, 2015

From the Maine Department of Education

There are many benefits to an online administration of the new Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced. The computer delivery will better allow students to demonstrate critical and higher-order thinking skills; more accurately measure where students are; give educators and parents more timely information to inform instruction; and allow for a more efficient, cost-effective administration.

As a result, the Department is highly recommending schools give the test electronically but understands there may be individual students who are unable to access the assessment using a computer (e.g., medical reason for avoiding screen viewing). For those cases, the Maine DOE is providing a procedure for requesting a paper-pencil version of the assessment.

Please note, this is a different process than requesting to provide a schoolwide paper-pencil administration of the assessment, which only a few schools did by yesterday’s deadline.

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Notices and Reporting

School Facilities Inventory FY13-14, due March 31 (Reminder)

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News & Views

Acting Commissioner Tom Desjardin shares a laugh while talking with young students at his alma mater, Washburn Elementary. He was joined on the first stop of his tour yesterday of Auburn schools by his first grade teacher, Mrs. Bristol, who retired from that district in 2005. To invite the Acting Commissioner to see how your school is putting students first, contact Maine DOE’s Communications Director at samantha.warren@maine.gov. — Acting Commissioner Tom Desjardin shares a laugh with students at his alma mater, Washburn Elementary. He was joined on the first stop of his tour yesterday of Auburn schools by his first grade teacher, Mrs. Bristol (at left), who retired from the district in 2005.

Acting Education Commissioner visits Auburn schools

Maine’s Acting Education Commissioner returned Wednesday to the Auburn schools he once attended to learn about their efforts to improve outcomes and to inspire students with his own story. | More

Maine DOE provides student roster guidance to ensure assessment administration success

Accurate student lists for this spring’s computer-based Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced will depend on ongoing collaboration between the Maine DOE and the local school districts. | More

Comprehensive School Health Education Spring Conference to focus on proficiency

The Maine DOE is inviting educators to its 2015 Comprehensive School Health Education Spring Conference, which will focus on transitioning health education curriculum to a proficiency-based system of learning. | More

Department encourages recognition of school counselors during National School Counseling Week

The Department is reminding Mainers about the unique contributions of professional school counselors and how students are more prepared for success in college and career as a result of what school counselors do as the nation recognizes National School Counseling Week. | More

Maine DOE releases webinar on College, Career and Civic Life Framework for Social Studies

Maine DOE has released a short webinar to provide educators with information about the College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies. | More

Inaugural Maine Science Festival scheduled for March 20-22 in Bangor

Maine educators, students and families are invited to attend the first annual Maine Science Festival in Bangor this March 20-22. Events include a Teen Tech Night, high school state science fair, science scavenger hunt around Bangor and sessions on science in children’s literature, crime scene investigation and the intersection of science and economic development. | More

Department hosts Summer Food Service Program trainings

In preparation for the fast approaching summer season, the Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition Services Team will offer Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) trainings through the state in the coming months. | More

Maine DOE promotes financial literacy education resources

As part of its ongoing efforts to support financial literacy education, the Maine DOE is encouraging educators to save the date for the 6^th Annual Fostering Financial Education in Maine Schools Conference on May 1 in Rockland. | More

Maine Humanities Council announced Student Humanities Ambassadors

The Maine Humanities Council (MHC) announced that Abigayle Hopkins from Machias Memorial High School in Machias and Victoria Simons from Noble High School in Berwick are the first Student Humanities Ambassadors in Maine. | More

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LATEST DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Maine DOE provides student roster guidance to ensure assessment administration success

Continue reading “Maine DOE provides student roster guidance to ensure assessment administration success” →

Feb. 11 deadline to sign up students for paper-pencil assessment

The following Priority Notice was sent on Feb. 4 to District/System Administrators and School Coordinators for the Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced, alerting them of the Feb. 11 deadline by which to request individual students be provided paper-pencil tests.

Continue reading “Feb. 11 deadline to sign up students for paper-pencil assessment” →

Commissioner’s Update – January 29, 2015

From the Maine Department of Education

The Maine DOE will begin visits next month to provide targeted technical assistance to schools preparing to award proficiency-based diplomas.

Last May, the Department released six options by which districts could apply for extensions to fully implementing systems that support the awarding of proficiency-based diplomas starting in 2018 as a 2012 Maine law requires. Extension options five and six were designed for districts early in their transition and thus in need of the most structured support from the Maine DOE. It is the 50 or so districts who applied under one of those options, which extend full implementation to 2021, that will be visited by teams of up to four Department staff.

The half-day visits are intended to positively support schools in progress toward their benchmarks; identify and validate progress since the application; inform the Maine DOE of district needs; and as needed, to clarify Maine DOE understanding of district work and benchmarks.

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Notices and Reporting

Annual Certification of Superintendent, due Jan. 31 (Reminder)

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News & Views

Feb. 4 deadline for picking paper-pencil assessment administration

Maine schools wanting to give the upcoming Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced as a paper-pencil test rather than online must let the Department know by Wednesday, Feb. 4. So far, only one school has indicated they will do so. | More

Department seeks feedback on ESEA waiver in advance of renewal

In preparation for Maine’s application for a renewal of its existing ESEA waiver, the Department is seeking feedback on how the State’s current accountability and improvement system is serving Maine’s students and schools. | More

Maine DOE posts video of assessment administration training

Maine educators who will be helping to administer the upcoming online State assessment but couldn’t attend one of the Department’s recent regional workshops can now see the entire training online. The Maine DOE has posted a four-hour video on its YouTube channel filmed at the southern Maine workshop session on Friday, Jan. 16. | More

iOS 8 compatible secure browser available for assessment administration

An iOS 8 compatible secure browser application that will be used for the upcoming administration of the Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy is now available. | More

Outstanding educators sought for Maine talent pool

The Maine DOE is seeking recommendations through May 1 for the 2015 Maine Educator Talent Pool. | More

Transition Career Exploration Workshop available

The Maine DOE’s State Personnel Development Grant and the Maine Department of Labor’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) have partnered to offer schools a free e-workshop that helps students discover employment possibilities. | More

ACCESS for ELLs® testing window closes, materials due to MetriTech

The ACCESS for ELLs® testing window is set to close Friday, Jan. 30 and districts are required to pack and return all testing material to MetriTech by Feb. 6. | More

Department, State Board reopens rules related to exams for educator credentialing

The Maine DOE and the State Board of Education have reopened for further public comments the rules regarding the qualifying examinations for credentialing purposes for teachers, educational specialists and administrators. | More

Department reschedules NEO facilities training sessions

A NEO facilities training has been rescheduled to Feb. 12 due a snowstorm this week. | More

Requirements change for bus driver physicals

The Maine DOE has updated its physical form for bus drivers, which can be found here on the Department’s website along with instructions. | More

Maine students invited to share vision in digital storytelling challenge

Maine schools are invited to enter a free digital storytelling competition that asks students to share their visions for the future. | More

More Dispatches | Press Releases | From the Commissioner

LATEST DOE Career/Project Opportunities

iOS8 compatible secure mobile browser available for assessment administration

An iOS 8 compatible secure mobile browser application that will be used on Apple iPads for the upcoming administration of the Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy is now available. Continue reading “iOS8 compatible secure mobile browser available for assessment administration” →

Department posts video of recent assessment administration training

Continue reading “Department posts video of recent assessment administration training” →

Feb. 4 deadline for opting-in for paper-pencil assessment administration

Continue reading “Feb. 4 deadline for opting-in for paper-pencil assessment administration” →

ACCESS for ELLs® testing window closes, materials due to MetriTech

The ACCESS for ELLs® testing window is set to close Friday, Jan. 30 and districts are required to pack and return all testing material to MetriTech by Feb. 6.

Continue reading “ACCESS for ELLs® testing window closes, materials due to MetriTech” →

Maine DOE Monthly – January 28, 2015

Welcome to the January issue of the Maine DOE Monthly, which provides a recap of some of the month’s most important updates from the Department.

It’s been a busy start to 2015 here at the Maine DOE. With the administration window for the new Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced opening soon, we continue to release resources to ensure students and schools are prepared for success including practice and training tests and this video of our recent regional assessment administration workshops. We also announced our proposal to improve how Maine’s public charter schools are funded, shared the final report of the so-called EPS Commission and passed along new resources to support the local development of educator evaluation systems.

As we work toward ensuring there is a great teacher in every Maine classroom, it’s important to recognize the effective educators in our schools who are working tirelessly every day to help students reach their full potential. Last week the Department announced that through Feb. 20, Mainers can submit online nominations for the 2016 Maine Teacher of the Year. Last year we received a record number of nominations (nearly 400) and we hope to surpass that this year.

Finally this month, we welcomed educator, author and former Governor LePage Senior Policy Advisor Tom Desjardin as our new Acting Commissioner and veteran educator and Auburn School Department Multiple Pathways Director Mike Muir as our new Learning Through Technology Team Director.

Read on for a roundup of other recent updates from the Department and as always, stay tuned to our Newsroom and weekly Commissioner’s Updates for the latest news you can use from the Maine DOE.

Dispatches & Press Releases

Nominations sought for 2016 Maine Teacher of the Year

Members of the public can enter educators who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and nurturing the achievement of all students at www.mainetoy.org through Feb. 20. | More

LePage Administration proposes public charter school funding fix

The LePage Administration is proposing legislation that would have the Maine DOE make monthly payments directly to approved public charter schools starting in FY16, the same way the Department has long distributed funds to traditional public school districts. | More

EPS Commission releases final report

The Commission to Strengthen the Adequacy and Equity of Certain Cost Components of the School Funding Formula has released its final report. | More

Tom Desjardin named Acting Education Commissioner

Tom Desjardin has been appointed by Governor Paul R. LePage as Acting Education Commissioner. An 11^th generation Mainer and a graduate of Edward Little High School, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Florida State University and has a Ph.D. in U.S. History from the University of Maine at Orono. | More

Mike Muir joins Maine DOE as Learning Through Technology Team Director

The Maine DOE has selected one of the state’s leading learning technology integrators and a 30-year veteran educator to head its Learning Through Technology Team, which administers the groundbreaking 1:1 Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI). | More

Department releases new online resources to support spring MEA administration

The Maine DOE continues to support schools as they prepare for a successful spring administration of the new online Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy and has recently added new resources to its website. | More

Smarter Balanced practice, training tests now available

Smarter Balanced practice and training tests are now available to help schools better prepare students for the statewide spring assessment. | More

Maine DOE releases new educator effectiveness resources

The Maine DOE is releasing additional new resources to support the development and implementation of Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth (PEPG) systems. The new resources build upon those released last month and include Leader Evaluation and Professional Growth (LEPG) modules and a presentation specifically for special educators. | More

Maine DOE adopts rules to strengthen public preschool programs

Rule Chapter 124: Basic Approval Standards: Public Preschool Programs has been formally adopted by the Department of Education and took effect Dec. 28. | More

Maine to develop plan to ensure equitable access to effective educators

The Maine DOE is continuing its work to ensure an effective teacher in every classroom and an effective leader in every school. In the coming months, the Department will engage stakeholders in conversations to inform the development of a four to seven year state plan to provide all students with effective educators. | More

Dispatches
Press Releases
From the Commissioner

Commissioner’s Update – January 15, 2015

From the Maine Department of Education

Among the previously released resources were educator training modules produced in collaboration with American Institutes of Research and the Department has now additionally added the last three modules in the State LEPG module series. Though each of the modules is aligned with the details of the State PEPG model for teachers or the State PEPG model for principals, they can be adapted by local districts as needed. The modules are located on the State Teacher PEPG and State Principal PEPG pages of the Educator Effectiveness website.

Continue reading →

Notices and Reporting

Annual Certification of Superintendent, due Jan. 31 (Reminder)

More Notices | Administrative Letters | Reporting Calendar

News & Views

Maine DOE publishes applied learning lesson plans

The Department has published 30 lesson plans that support hands-on, applied learning for Maine’s middle school students. | More

Connecting classroom to math assessment focus of February Department workshops

The Maine DOE is inviting math educators to one of the six workshops the Department will host across the state next month focused on connecting the classroom to the new online Maine Education Assessment developed by Smarter Balanced. | More

EPS Commission releases final report

The Commission to Strengthen the Adequacy and Equity of Certain Cost Components of the School Funding Formula has released its final report. | More

Educators invited to Maine DOE winter wellness workshop

The Maine DOE is hosting a one-day workshop next month focused on supporting the development and implementation of successful school-based health promotion programs. | More

Department webinar to overview new assessment accommodations

The Maine DOE will host a webinar on Jan. 23 to overview the features and accommodations that will be available with the new online Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced. | More

U.S. Office of Civil Rights releases guidance on the obligations to EL students

The Maine DOE is encouraging review of new guidance released by the U.S. Office of Civil Rights on the obligations to English learner students. | More

Department reminds schools of pest control reporting, upcoming training

The Maine DOE is reminding all schools serving K-12 students that they are required to appoint a staff member to be the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Coordinator. | More

Department reminds district leaders EDFacts Staff Survey past due

The Department is asking districts that have not yet completed their 2013-14 EDFacts Annual Academic Staff Survey to do so before the statewide data is uploaded to the U.S. Department of Education. | More

iOS 8 compatible secure browser for assessment available soon

The Maine DOE is aware that the secure browser application that will be used for the administration of the Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced is currently not compatible with iOS 8. | More