World language teachers invited to summer institute

Summer institute will kick off initiative focused on standards-based instruction and assessment in world languages classes

World languages teachers are invited to apply to attend the 2012 World Languages in Maine Schools Summer Institute from June 27-30 at the University of Maine at Farmington.

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CTE instructors contribute to national career readiness tests

Students taking video production, visual and performing arts, sound engineering and other multimedia courses at career and technical education centers across Maine regularly take assessments to determine whether they’ve mastered the course expectations.

Soon, multimedia students won’t be taking just any test, but an assessment that tests their mastery of the skills considered important by the businesses that might some day employ them. And their teachers will have had a hand in developing the test.

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Arts assessment initiative going strong

Regional workshops and regular webinars are continuing throughout the state as more arts teachers are trained to make assessment in arts education an integral part of the work they do to deepen student learning.

The work is part of the ongoing Maine Arts Education Assessment Initiative.

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Starting the serious work of crafting a new accountability system

Author icon: Head shot of Commissioner Stephen BowenWhen we took to the road in December, we wanted to hear what the public had to say about the system we use to hold our schools accountable. And hear from the public we did. We had more than 1,500 people respond to an online survey; several dozen turned out at public forums in Bangor, Portland and online.

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Students seek voice in accountability

PORTLAND – Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen met with 10 Portland-area high school students on Dec. 14 to ask for their thoughts on school accountability and how to measure school and teacher effectiveness.

The 10 students represented Portland, Deering and Casco Bay high schools, along with Portland Arts and Technology High School and the Real School in Falmouth.

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