Priority Notice: 2nd Round of Grant Funds Available to Support the Expansion of Public Pre-K

As part of the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, Governor Mills allocated $10 million of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds appropriated for Maine for public pre-k infrastructure to increase the number of 4-year-olds enrolled in public pre-k across the state. For the 2022-23 school year, 12 SAUs were awarded funding to expand or start new pre-k programs.

The Maine DOE is excited to announce another round of public pre-k expansion funding for school year 2023-24.

Currently, public pre-k in Maine is not universally available for all 4-year-olds. While the cognitive and social-emotional benefits of high-quality pre-k are well documented, there are a variety of factors that contribute to the ability of School Administrative Units (SAUs) to offer public pre-k and the extent to which they can enroll all eligible 4-year-olds from interested families. This funding will help expand pre-k opportunities across Maine.

Maine SAUs interested in starting or expanding public pre-k are encouraged to apply for funding through the Pre-K Expansion Request for Applications (RFA). SAUs will be able to use the funding, in combination with Essential Programs and Services allocations, to start new pre-k programs and/or expand existing programs from part-day/part-week to full-day/full-week programs. Funding may also support public pre-k programming through partnerships between SAUs and community providers.

A timeline for the RFA process is provided below.

August 5, 2022–RFA released
August 23, 2023–Informational session for interested parties, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
September 22, 2022-RFA question submittal deadline
September 30, 2022—RFA answers to questions posted publicly
October 13, 2022—RFA submission deadline

An informational meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 23 from 10 am-12 pm. Those wishing to learn more about the Pre-K Expansion RFA and ask questions may attend through this link. This meeting will be recorded and made available on our Early Childhood Professional Learning and Resources page.

For the 12 SAUs previously awarded grants in the first round, there will be a separate opportunity to apply for additional funding to support current projects later in fall of 2022 or winter of 2023.

All questions about the Pre-K Expansion RFA should be submitted to the Pre-K Expansion Grant Coordinator identified on the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.

Additional questions regarding this announcement should be directed to Pre-K RFA Coordinator jane.kirsling@maine.gov.

WEBINAR: Screening for Early Literacy Milestones, Dyslexia, and other Reading Disabilities

Dr. Nadine Gaab will host a webinar, “Screening for Early Literacy Milestones, Dyslexia, and other Reading Disabilities: The WHY, WHEN, WHO, HOW and WHERE on September 28, 2022 from 3:30-4:30 pm

Audience: General & Special Educators, Administrators, Parents, Caregivers and Community Members Interested in Early Literacy, Dyslexia & Reading Disabilities

Cost: FREE please register for ZOOM Link here

This session will address:

Screening for literacy milestones and reading disabilities, including developmental dyslexia in early grades (pre-K-2nd)
The WHY behind the screening movement with a strong focus on the neurobiology of reading development and reading disabilities.
The ‘Dyslexia Paradox’
Important constructs to screen for with a developmental lens
Practical steps for implementing a screening protocol in various educational or clinical settings.
Different screening instruments and criteria for picking the right screener
Educational and clinical implications of screening and early identification in young children.

About the Presenter: Dr. Nadine Gaab is an Associate Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Nadine’s work focuses on developmental cognitive neuroscience, particularly in language-based learning disabilities. Her research in the GaabLab examines the development of typical and atypical language and literacy skills in the pediatric brain and pre-markers of learning disabilities and the development of screening tools for screening literacy milestones and dyslexia.

She is the 2019 recipient of the LDA Award (Learning Disabilities Association America) for her work on learning disabilities. In 2018, Nadine was presented with the Allan C. Crocker Award for her advocacy on behalf of children with dyslexia and reading disabilities and efforts around the recent passage of the Massachusetts screening legislation (under the guidance of Decoding Dyslexia MA). She has also been recognized by the International Dyslexia Association in her receipt of the Norman Geschwind Memorial lecture 2020 and the Alice H. Garside Award for outstanding leadership in advancing the science and advocacy of dyslexia. She is an international speaker, frequently presenting to teachers on the brain science of typical and atypical literacy development.

If there are additional questions please email Tracy (Tracy.W.Whitlock@maine.gov), Anne-Marie Adamson (Anne-Marie.Adamson@maine.gov_) or Dee Saucier (danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov).

Governor Mills Announces Statewide Expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Maine

During a virtual discussion with iconic singer-songwriter Dolly Parton at the National Governor’s Association today, Governor Janet Mills announced that the State of Maine is launching a statewide expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in 2023.

The Imagination Library of Maine will mail high-quality, age appropriate books to children from birth until age five every month, no matter their family’s income. The program is dedicated to improving the lives of children by inspiring a love of reading with books, and is free to enrolled children and families.

As part of the recent bipartisan budget, Governor Mills proposed, and the Legislature approved, a $200,000 investment to implement the program, which will be administered by the Maine State Library. Together, The Dollywood Foundation and the Maine State Library will develop an implementation strategy this year with local libraries, community non-profits, the Maine Department of Education, and school systems – to establish and expand the program in the coming years. By the end of 2023, the State of Maine and the Imagination Library hope to have sent an initial 106,000 books to more than 14,000 children across Maine.

Maine is the 13^th state to commit to achieving statewide coverage of the program.

“We know the simple act of reading to a child stimulates brain development, reduces stress and anxiety, builds vocabulary, and develops the literacy skills they’ll need to succeed in school and beyond,” said Governor Janet Mills. “Today, we are taking another step forward to help make that happen by delivering books free of charge to Maine kids. Maine is proud to join the family of states that participate in the Imagination Library. On behalf of all Maine children who will be served by this program in the years to come, I thank the one-and-only Dolly Parton.”

“The Maine State Library is excited to be able to administer this program that will eventually connect tens of thousands of families and Maine children with wonderful books sent right to their homes,” said State Librarian James Ritter. “Working with Maine’s libraries and other organizations, we will have the opportunity to foster and grow generations of young readers through the Imagination Library, and for every child that learns to read, we know we are helping to build a community of lifelong learners.”

The Imagination Library builds on the Mills Administration’s commitment to increasing childhood literacy in Maine, including investing $10 million through the Governor’s Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan to create and expand pre-school programs across Maine.

The Administration is also creating “Literacy for ME 2.0” to revamp its statewide literacy plan and the Maine Association for Improving Literacy to mobilize a network of educators who are committed to supporting statewide literacy efforts.

This summer, the Maine Department of Education will also be hosting its first ever Educator Summit to train our teachers in the most effective, evidence-based practices for increasing childhood literacy. Every year, the Department also sponsors the statewide “Read to Me” challenge to encourage adults to read to their children.

In 2019, about 57 percent of fourth grade students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch scored below proficiency reading levels while 33 percent of students who are not eligible for free or reduced lunch scored below proficiency reading levels. However, Maine is ranked fifth in the nation for the percentage of parents with children aged 0 to 5 who read to their children every day (46.9 percent).

Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 as a way to distribute books to the impoverished Tennessee county where she grew up. The State of Tennessee quickly adopted the program statewide, and, since then, the nonprofit program has expanded into five countries. As of June 2022, the Imagination Library has gifted 184,615,046 books with over 2 million kids currently registered.

According to The Dollywood Foundation, 90 percent of a child’s brain is developed by the age of five, making that time period critically important for their development that can be enhanced by reading books. The Foundation notes that daily readings by parents or caregivers provide the greatest opportunity to prepare their child for school and that literacy is a major social determinant of health and economic impact in the long-term.

About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted well over 182 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland. The Imagination Library mails more than 2 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to enrolled children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading, inspiring children to dream more, learn more, care more and be more. The impact of the program has been widely researched and results suggest positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com

Registration for Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference is Now Open

This year’s annual statewide Early Childhood Education Conference, Connecting Early Childhood Education; Birth through Eight Across the State has been organized through a collaboration of early learning partners, including the Maine Department of Education (DOE). The conference will be held on October 28th and 29th at the Cross Center in Bangor.

Breakout sessions for Pre-Kindergarten through 3rd grade educators will include a wide range of topics that focus on trauma informed practices as well as practical tools for supporting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging to foster communities. Other sessions will offer support on social-emotional learning through literacy and language, mindful leadership, building bridges with child care programs to ease the transition to Kindergarten, the power of play, early intervention for dyslexia, math for all learners and engaging with families. Speakers and presenters will focus on best practices in early learning for all those working with children from birth through early elementary years.

Information about sponsorship and/or exhibitor opportunities can be accessed here.

Come for one day or come for both! Cost of attendance is $100.00 per person per day and will include a continental breakfast, lunch, a keynote address each day, over 50 breakout sessions from which to choose, an exhibitor hall, networking opportunities and chances to connect with peers.

How to register:

Please visit the conference website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/maine-early-childhood-education-conference-tickets-347892053497
Click on the green button that says Tickets and a pop-up window will open.
This registration process will secure you a ticket to one or two days of the 2022 Statewide ECE Conference. Participants will select breakout sessions for the conference at a later date.

Please contact the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children with any questions or concerns related to registration by emailing info@maineaeyc.org or by calling 207-747-2490.

For other questions, contact Maine DOE’s Early Childhood Specialist, Nicole Madore at nicole.madore@maine.gov.

Space Still Available for Leading Early Learning Series

Applications for the Leading Early Learning Series will be accepted through July 5. School administrators who support the PreK to Grade 3 span are strongly encouraged to explore this dynamic professional learning opportunity.

Leading Early Learning—A Professional Learning Series for Elementary School Administrators

“Participating in the series has helped me to look at the decisions we make about our instructional programming and school community through the lens of early learning and what is developmentally appropriate for our youngest learners.” – Quote from Cohort 1 participant

As Maine elementary schools have added preschool programming and are promoting whole child approaches across the Pre-K -Grade 3 span, elementary principals have requested professional learning to support their work as educational leaders. The Maine Department of Education and several Maine educational organizations (listed below) have collaborated to design an exciting professional learning series to address identified needs and support professional growth. The Leading Early Learning series was piloted with 16 administrators in 2021-22 and we are pleased to announce the second cohort for this series will launch during the 2022-23 school year.

The series will not only provide participants with opportunity to deepen their knowledge of early learning pedagogy and best practices related to supporting students and teachers across Pre-K-3, but it will also provide a professional learning network, opportunity to design a concept for an implementation project, and be supported through facilitated discussions. Participants will engage in a variety of modes of learning, from asynchronous modules to professional learning communities to attendance at a statewide early learning conference.

If this opportunity interests you, please review the details for the series in the informational guide. A link to apply for the series is included in the informational guide. The series will support up to 25 participants. Applications will be received through July 5, 2022. Once spaces are filled, a waiting list will be generated.

For additional information, please contact Lee Anne Larsen, Director of Early Learning at Maine DOE, leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Leading Early Learning Partner Organizations

Maine Department of Education
Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children
UMaine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge

As the school year comes to a close we are happy to announce that the Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge is once again being supported by the Freemasons of Maine for the 7th year. All students in grades K-8 who complete a summer reading goal of at least 500 minutes are eligible for a school drawing. Each school is then able to submit 2 names of school level winners to be put into a state level drawing for a free bike and helmet. Last year 32 bikes and helmets were awarded to students across the state. If you are interested in registering your school for the challenge please complete this form. For additional resources such as a summer reading passport and parent information please visit the Read to Ride Challenge website.

If you would like additional information please contact Danielle Saucier, danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov.

Leading Early Learning—A Professional Learning Series for Elementary School Administrators

For additional information, please contact Lee Anne Larsen, Director of Early Learning at Maine DOE, leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Leading Early Learning Partner Organizations

Maine Department of Education
Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children
UMaine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

Pre-K Expansion Grant Funding Informational Session

Interested in starting or expanding public pre-k in your school administrative unit during the 2023-24 school year? If so, the Maine DOE’s Early Learning Team invites you to attend an informational session regarding a Pre-K Expansion Grant opportunity that will be available later this year.

Pre-K Expansion Grant Funding Informational Session
Date: June 23, 2022
Time: 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Description: To review the grant opportunity and anticipated requirements.
Register here

Twelve Maine School Administrative Units (SAUs) were awarded Pre-K Expansion grants totaling $2.2 million for start-up or expansion of pre-k programming during the 2022-23 school year. The Pre-K Expansion grants, authorized through Maine’s Jobs and Recovery Plan (American Rescue Plan Act allocation), provide funds to the Department of Education to support SAUs with start-up activities necessary to establish new or expanded public prekindergarten programs to address the inequities in availability of early education opportunities resulting from the COVID pandemic. Households with young children have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. This project directly addresses this harm by supporting schools to overcome barriers that are preventing them from starting and expanding public pre-k and to transition from part-time to full-time programming, thus increasing the number of young children in high-quality prekindergarten. A greater availability of full-time prekindergarten slots will support parents with young children to work and prepare young children for success in kindergarten and beyond.

Round two of pre-K expansion grant funding will be released to applicants in the late summer/early fall of 2022. Funding for this round will amount to approximately seven million dollars for Pre-K expansion in school year 2023-2024. Interested SAUs should monitor the DOE Newsroom as well as the Division of Procurement Services site for release of the next RFA.

Questions may be directed to the Director of Early Learning, leeann.larsen@maine.gov, or the Early Childhood Specialist, nicole.madore@maine.gov.

Reminder: 2022 Pre-K for ME and K for ME Program Summer Training Opportunities

Since 2018, the Maine Department of Education has adapted and piloted open-source Pre-k and Kindergarten programs based on the Boston Public School’s evidence-based Focus on K1 and Focus on K2 curricula. Pre-K for ME was launched in 2019. K for ME was launched in 2021. These programs focus on the whole child and are interdisciplinary and developmentally appropriate. They are also aligned to Maine’s learning standards. While Maine schools are responsible for the purchase of the materials that support the programs, the programs can be accessed at no cost via the Maine DOE’s website. Informational overviews for each of the programs available through the following links:

Pre-K for ME Informational Overview

K for ME Informational Overview

Educators/schools/programs interested in utilizing Pre-K for ME and/or K for ME in the coming year may want to take advantage of 2-day initial trainings scheduled for August 1 and 2, 2022. These trainings are provided to promote understanding of program design and to support successful program implementation. School administrators are strongly encouraged to attend the trainings with their Pre-K and/or Kindergarten teachers. This year’s training opportunities will be held in-person in the Augusta area. Registration for these trainings should be completed at the school/program level. Principals and educators should complete one registration on behalf of their school/program. Details about location of and how to prepare for the trainings and the materials needed to support the programs will be provided via email after registrations are received. Registrations for the 2-day training should be received by June 30, 2022.

Registration Links:

Pre-K for ME 2-day Training Registration

K for ME 2-day Training Registration

For additional information about Pre-K for ME, contact Nicole.Madore@maine.gov, and for K for ME, contact Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov.

Possible Pilot Opportunity for Focus on First Instructional Program

As part of the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) efforts to adapt and offer open-source, interdisciplinary, whole student instructional programming for the early elementary grades, the Maine DOE is considering a pilot to work on adaptation of a grade 1 program during the 2022-23 school year. To date, the Maine DOE has piloted, adapted, and posted the Pre-K for ME and K for ME instructional programs, both of which are based on the Boston Public Schools’ Focus programs. In order to continue providing aligned programming into the early elementary grades, the Maine DOE is interested in piloting Boston’s Focus on First program and working with pilot educators to make adaptations/enhancements specific to Maine.

If you are a grade 1 teacher interested in being part of a pilot, please consult with your building principal and consider attending an overview session on May 2, 2022 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Details about the Focus on First program, initial planning for a possible pilot during the 2022-23 school year, and the expected responsibilities of school participants and the DOE in the pilot process will be shared. Time for questions will also be provided. If interested, please complete this form and a link to the May 2^nd session will be provided as the date approaches. The May 2 session will be recorded and a link to the recording will be shared, so if interested, complete the form even if you are unable to attend.

Please contact Lee Anne Larsen, Early Learning Team Coordinator, at Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov with any questions.