Strengthening the connection between Career and Technical Education (CTE) and secondary academics was on the agenda recently when a group of Carpentry and Automotive instructors from around the state met with a group of high school English and mathematics teachers. The discussion was how CTE programs are in fact academically challenging and how the “hands-on” approach to instruction bridges the gap between theory and the real-world application of skills and knowledge.
Category: Career & Technical
Totally Trades!
This year marked the 12th anniversary of Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community’s free day-long conference, Totally Trades, which encourages girls in grades 8-12 to consider careers in fields traditionally dominated by men.
Competitive Skills Scholarship Program now accepting applications
The Competitive Skills Scholarship Program, designed to help Maine residents learn new skills and succeed in a changing economy, is currently accepting applications.
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Materials released in advance of Commissioner’s Conference
The following Priority Notice was distributed to school superintendents today in advance of the 104th Annual Commissioner’s Conference for Superintendents:
Dear Superintendents,
We look forward to working with you next week during the 104th Annual Commissioner’s Conference for Superintendents, scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 28 at Sunday River’s Jordan Hotel in Newry.
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Committee votes to increase subsidy; cuts elsewhere
The following Priority Notice from Maine DOE Acting Commissioner Tom Desjardin was sent to schools on Tuesday, June 2.
Dear Educators,
In the midst of budget discussions in the legislature a lot of information and numbers are flying around and knowing you are in the midst of making your own local budgets, I wanted to give you this update which is current as of Tuesday, June 2 at noon.
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Maine’s Career & Technical Education Centers name students of the year
Maine’s top Career & Technical Education students were honored as students of the year recently at a ceremony at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center.
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Commissioner’s Update – April 30, 2015
From the Maine Department of Education
As parts of its commitment to ensuring all students have access to great teachers and leaders, the Maine DOE has developed a resource that districts can use to self-assess their readiness to pilot their Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth (PEPG) systems in the 2015-16 school year. The Pilot Readiness Guide provides:
- The current implementation timeline
- Key system components that districts must and/or should pilot
- Indicators of readiness to pilot each component
- Relevant resources, with page and section references
- Questions that school administrative units might seek to answer during the pilot
- Guidance for Teacher Incentive Fund districts (TIF 3 and TIF 4)
- DEMO student learning and growth effectiveness rating scales
This guide is intended for local district use. It is not for reporting purposes. As a follow-up to this resource, in June, the Department will ask districts to confirm their intent to pilot by completing a short online survey. Details about this process will be provided with the release of the survey.
Notices and Reporting
- Regional School Calendar, due April 14 (Past Due)
More Notices | Administrative Letters | Reporting Calendar
News & Views
Maine DOE invites educators to performance assessment webinar
The Maine DOE is inviting Maine educators to participate in a free webinar, Laying the Foundation for Performance Assessment: Lessons Learned from the Innovation Lab Network Pilot in New England, on Wednesday, May 27 at 3 p.m. | More
Regional school calendars past due
The Department is reminding school administrative units (SAU) and private schools approved for tuition purposes that they are now required to establish regional school calendars, in coordination with their local secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) school. | More
Educators encouraged to save the date for MLTI Summer Institute
The Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) is encouraging educators to save the date for its 2015 Summer Institute, scheduled July 21-23 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. | More
MaineCare Seed payment adjustments made, report review due May 22
The Maine DOE is reminding school administrative units (SAUs) that the remaining 2014-15 subsidy checks for General Purpose Aid for local schools will reflect adjustments for MaineCare Seed payments paid by the Department on behalf of districts. | More
Alternate assessments closing soon
The deadline to submit the MEA Alternate Science (PAAP) portfolios electronically is 5 p.m. today, April 30. | More
Maine teachers invited to participate in assessment hand scoring
Maine’s teachers are invited to apply for part-time work available now through June as a reader/evaluator in the scoring process for students across states who participated in the 2015 Smarter Balanced developed assessment.| More
Newly released ACCESS for ELLs® score reports a resource for supporting students
The Maine DOE is reminding schools that the ACCESS for ELLs® score reports received earlier this month can be used to determine if individual English learners are meeting expected English language proficiency growth. | More
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LATEST DOE Career/Project Opportunities
Regional school calendars past due
The Department is reminding school administrative units (SAU) and private schools approved for tuition purposes that they are now required to establish regional school calendars, in coordination with their local secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) school.
Students prepare for business careers at state DECA conference
More than 100 students gathered last month for the Maine DECA 47th State Career Development Conference.
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Maine Department of Labor offers technical assistance to support youth employment
The Maine Department of Labor (DOL) is offering increased assistance around youth employment.
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Maine DOE Newsroom 