Read to ME Challenge to Kick-off February 4th at Young School in Saco

Year 4 of the Read to ME Challenge is scheduled to begin on February 4, 2019. Maine Department of Education Acting Commissioner Pender Makin will launch the campaign by reading to children at Young School in Saco. She will follow up her reading by issuing a challenge to participate in the 2019 campaign. This simple but powerful campaign challenges adults to read to children for 15 minutes, to capture that reading episode via a photo and then post it on social media to challenge others to do the same. The Read to ME Challenge will run for the month leading up to Read Across America Day on March 2, 2019. The Department will be live streaming this event on their official Facebook Page.

If your organization is willing and able to promote the Read to ME Challenge, please follow this link to provide us with your contact information: Read to ME Challenge Partner 2019. Read to ME Challenge resources, including a guidance document, public service announcements in a variety of languages, fliers and a list of engaging ways to incorporate the challenge are available on the Read to ME webpage.

Reading aloud to children is one of the most cost effective and highly beneficial methods of building children’s literate abilities. The simple act of reading aloud to a child 15 minutes a day for five years results in 27,375 minutes of language exposure which can put children on the path to high literacy achievement. Reading aloud exposes children to the world around them, helps them see reading as an enjoyable and valuable activity and often strengthens bonds with trusted adults.

Schools and organizations are invited to join the challenge and to encourage community members to do the same. The collective voice of many key partners, leaders and those in respected positions will send a clear message about the vital importance reading to children plays in the social and economic well-being of Maine. Maine DOE also encourages partners to be creative and to use this opportunity to enhance ongoing literacy education outreach efforts.

Thanks for your consideration of this opportunity, and don’t hesitate to contact danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov (624-6702) with any questions.

Professional Development Opportunity – Poverty: The Multiple Influences and Effects

The Maine DOE is providing a 3-part workshop series with Miriam Dodge, a GoldStar speaker for Communication Across Barriers, that will challenge participants to understand poverty at a deeper level and to think about their own biases and beliefs around poverty. The series will be limited to 20 participants and will focus on the Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten age span. This series will address the following goals:

Increase educators’ knowledge base to understand key concepts of poverty;
Recognize personal biases, thoughts and beliefs around people living in poverty;
Increase understanding of the effect poverty has on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES);
Increase the foundational understanding that if basic needs are met (nutrition, medical, social/emotional), students can focus engage in higher order thinking skills; and
Help educators recognize personal beliefs and how they can indirectly influence collaboration between school staff and families.

By understanding the effects poverty has on Maine’s children; teachers, principals and other school leaders will be better able to individualize supports and increase learning outcomes for students most at risk.

Schools are strongly encouraged to register 3-member teams representative of classroom teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, and special educators. Time will be provided for individuals to share their learning and to collectively plan for how to with colleagues in their respective schools.

Dinner will be provided during each session which will run 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm. Six contact hours will be provided to each participant over the course of the series.

Cost is $90 per team to attend the 3-part series. Registration requires a credit card. Event Registration Link

Training Dates:                                             Training Location:
January 14, 2019                                             Educare Central Maine
March 18, 2019                                               56 Drummond Ave
May 13, 2019                                                  Waterville, ME 04901

For further information, please contact Nena Cunningham Ed.D., Head Start State Collaboration Director at 207-624-6601 or nena.m.cunningham@maine.gov

Join Maine DOE for the 2019 Read to ME Campaign

For the past 3 years, Mainers have strongly engaged in the Maine Department of Education’s Read to ME Challenge. We are pleased to announce that Read to ME will launch for its 4^th year. This simple but powerful campaign challenges adults to read to children for 15 minutes, to capture that reading episode via a photo and then post it on social media to challenge others to do the same. Hundreds of Maine schools, community literacy teams and other literacy related organizations have partnered in the annual campaigns and the Maine DOE is hoping that even more organizations will partner in the 2019 campaign scheduled to kick off the first week of February.

We invite your school or organization to join the challenge and to encourage community members to do the same. The collective voice of many key partners, leaders and those in respected positions will send a clear message about the vital importance reading to children plays in the social and economic well-being of Maine. Maine DOE also encourages partners to be creative and to use this opportunity to enhance ongoing literacy education outreach efforts.

If your organization is willing and able to promote the Read to ME Challenge, please follow this link to provide us with your contact information: Read to ME Challenge Partner 2019. Read to ME Challenge resources, including a guidance document, public service announcements, fliers and a list of engaging ways to incorporate the challenge are available on the Read to ME webpage.

Thanks for your consideration of this opportunity, and don’t hesitate to contact danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov (624-6702) with any questions.

Public PreK Funding FY20 – Estimate Counts Required

Beginning in FY19, the Essential Programs and Services(EPS) funding formula added an allocation for PreK programs’ estimate student count. The PreK program estimate count allocation is intended to provide funding for PreK programming in advance of actual student enrollment, helping to offset the upfront costs associated with expanding or starting PreK programs. This PreK program allocation was first authorized into law on July 1, 2018 to begin in FY19.

If an SAU is opening or expanding a PreK program and the SAU would like to receive an FY20 estimate PreK allocation they must notify the Maine DOE’s finance team by completing the FY20 Estimate PreK Count Survey before October 31, 2018. SAUs completing this survey must also complete the PreK Program Application by April 30, 2019 and obtain program approval.

This FY20 Estimate PreK Count Survey is meant to capture the overall FY20 statewide obligation for estimate new and expanding PreK programs, but does not guarantee funding. This estimate count allocation will be used to provide funding on the FY20 ED279. SAUs must enroll the number of children included in the projected estimate count by October 1, 2019. After October 1, 2019 an audit adjustment, based on actual enrollment reported in NEO on October 1, 2019, will be made to the PreK allocation assigned on the FY20 ED279.

For more information please contact Deb Lajoie at 624-6613 or deborah.j.lajoie@maine.gov

New ESEA Report Cards & STEM Technology Showcase to be Featured at 2018 Commissioner’s Conference; Register Now

As a reminder, registration for the 2018 Commissioner’s Conference is now open. The conference features an array of sessions catered toward superintendents. This year’s sessions include opportunities to:

Get a sneak peak at the new ESEA Report Card dashboard
Ask questions and talk about ESSA, and School Improvement
Learn more about the budgeting process for Title I/ESEA funds
Learn more about supports and resources available on topics like Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS), trauma, attendance, concussion management, and substance abuse
Learn more about Certification, including updates about the new online system
Learn more about Department initiatives and goals including: pilot programs for early math and literacy, CTE programing and funding, and regionalization opportunities
Participate in open forums on the teacher shortage, and on educator effectiveness
Listen to panels about workforce development, and about workforce needs and CTE
Get hands on experience with current STEM technology at a showcase brought to you by the Maine State Library

See a draft agenda, including session descriptions.

In addition to this year’s breakout sessions, Commissioner’s Conference participants also have the opportunity to enjoy the following celebrations:

The Annual Reception Hosted by Apple, Inc
An Evening Banquet Dinner
Maine School Management Association’s Annual Awards Ceremony

The conference takes place at the Augusta Civic Center on June 27^th and 28^th.

Find additional resources and information including pricing, the draft agenda, lodging options, further details about registration including guest registration, and more on the Maine DOE Commissioner’s Conference webpage.

Register now »

Public Preschool Annual Report

Per Chapter 124: Basic Approval Standards: Public Preschool Programs, (Section 17.01): Public preschool programs, including partnerships, will complete the electronic Public Preschool Program Annual Report online and submit to the Maine Department of Education no later than 30 days after the end of the school year.

This report is now available here and must be completed no later than close of business on July 31, 2018.

Before you get started, the following information will be useful to have:

Information on any staff turnover
Program operation:
- Hours/day
- Days/week
- Any major changes- partners, curriculum, location, etc.
Successes/challenges
Student attendance- percentages for FRL, chronic absenteeism, transient students, etc.
Student’s identified:
- English Learners- screening process
- Individualized Education Plan (IEP)- referrals, active, no longer qualify, etc.
Student growth in all learning domains
2018-19 MOU with Child Development Services
2018-19 MOU with any community partners (if applicable)

All public preschool programs are required to complete this report. Any questions should be directed to Nicole Madore at Nicole.madore@maine.gov (624-6677).

Online Formative Assessment Opportunity for Primary Grade Educators

The Maine Department of Education will be supporting a cohort of public primary grade (K-2) teachers for the 2018-19 school year in using an online Formative Assessment Platform. This tool utilizes observation and documentation of student work during ongoing instruction. Teachers selected to participate will:

Be required to attend one 2-day training on August 1 and August 2, 2018, held in Augusta.
Receive iPad minis to collect and document child observations for the online platform.
Receive a one-time $300 training stipend.

Those interested in participating should complete and submit this application no later than end of business on Friday, June 15, 2018.

Due to the limited number of student portfolios that can be supported, this opportunity is available on a first come, first served basis – per the date and time on the submitted application. Once the cohort has been set, a Memoranda of Understanding will be sent to each participating teacher for signature. Notification via email will be sent to those teachers who were not selected.

For further questions please contact Nicole Madore at Nicole.madore@maine.gov or (207) 624-6677.

Reminder: Register now for 2018 Commissioner’s Conference – session highlights available

The 2018 Commissioner’s Conference will be held at the Augusta Civic Center on Wednesday, June 27th and Thursday, June 28, 2018. The Maine DOE has been working closely with Maine School Management Association (MSMA) to ensure that this year’s sessions meet the needs of attendees – see conference highlights below.

Find additional resources and information including pricing, a draft agenda, lodging options, further details about registration, including guest registration, and more on the Maine DOE Commissioner’s Conference webpage.

Register now »

Conference Highlights

Fulfilling the Dream of a Prosperous Maine
Duke Albanese, Commissioner’s Conference Keynote

“Fulfilling the Dream of a Prosperous Maine: Getting There Requires a Focus on Education and Effective Leadership for Learning, Citizenship, and Opportunities for All Maine Students”

Finding widespread prosperity has been difficult for our state. Although Maine presents abundant opportunities to thrive and prosper as individuals and communities, pockets of vibrancy have often been limited even during the best of times. To turn the tide and make our state a great place to live and prosper, high quality education is the key. We have the scale and wherewithal to build a world-class early childhood through higher education system focused on equity and enriching learning opportunities for all students. What we need to achieve this is strong, effective, creative, and resourceful leadership. Can Maine do it? Yes. Who will lead?

Duke Albanese will serve as Commissioner Keynote, in addition to conducting a break-out session.

Cracker-Barrel Session
Commissioner Hasson and Maine DOE staff

Come to this informal session and get a chance to talk one-on-one with Commissioner Hasson and Maine DOE staff, including Department leadership. The Department will also have available some insider updates for superintendents.

Certification: What You Need to Know
Maine DOE staff

This session will provide participants with a review of important changes resulting from recent revisions to certification laws; clarification on common misconceptions about certification requirements and processes; an opportunity to discuss communication strategies for certification; and a question and answer segment on the new online system.

Legislative Update
Maine DOE Staff

The Maine Legislature adjourned its Second Regular Session sine die on May 2, 2018. While education bills remain, including LD 1869 –”An Act To Establish the Total Cost of Education and the State and Local Contributions to Education for Fiscal Year 2018-19 and To Provide That Employees of School Management and Leadership Centers Are Eligible To Participate in the Maine Public Employees Retirement System”—which are preserved to be carried over to any special session of the 128^th Legislature, others were passed and became law are either in effect now as emergency legislation, or will become law on Wednesday, August 1. This session will include a summary of enacted educated-related legislation, the status of bills preserved by the joint order, and a progress report on the status of rulemaking.

Open Forum: Addressing the Teacher Shortage
Open Forum lead by DOE staff

What can Maine do to address the teacher shortage while strengthening our educator workforce? In this open forum session, we will discuss barriers to teacher retention and recruitment and what is being done across the state to overcome these obstacles. Together we will collaborate on ways that all stakeholders can work together to build our educator workforce and promote the teaching profession.

Put your Collaborative Project on the Regionalization Map
Maine DOE staff

During this session, participants will learn about the EMBRACE II initiatives, including lessons learned; be introduced to the process of forming a regional service center; learn about the upcoming grant opportunity offered by the Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services (FEDES); brainstorm possible regionalized services and programs; and have an opportunity for questions and answers.

We Have Formed a Regional Service Center: Now What?
Maine DOE staff

During this session, participants will provide input for the Department as to what regional service centers and executive directors need for support; gain an understanding of the monitoring and reporting requirements for a regional service center; receive legislative updates that directly impact regional service centers and their funding; and have an opportunity for questions and answers.

Panel: Preparing Kids for Maine’s Workforce
Maine DOE staff and panel of industry representatives

What are employers looking for? What are students prepared to offer? What can Career and Technical Education (CTE) provide for industry and students? In this session, a panel of industry representatives will share what they look for in an employee. We will discuss and seek ideas for how Maine’s CTE programs can help create more opportunities for students and meet workforce needs.

PreK with Staying Power!
Maine DOE staff

High quality prek has great potential; but research shows that to truly lessen the achievement gap, certain program elements must be present before kindergarten or the gains will “fade out” in the early elementary grades. What are the goals for a prek program in your district? Are you seeing these goals realized in child outcomes over time? Come hear about the prek programs that include the research-based elements and the end-of-prek outcome data that predicts 5^th grade reading, writing, and math scores.

Improving K-3 Literacy Achievement by Building Teacher Knowledge
Maine DOE MoMEntum staff and educators from pilot schools

The Department is implementing an early literacy/technology learning pilot project, MoMEntum K-3 Literacy, in schools located regionally across Maine. This initiative provides high-quality professional learning to build teacher knowledge and skills to impact student learning. This session will provide an overview of the initiative; details about the professional learning, including intentional instruction, opportunities for student practice, technology integration, and assessment that informs ongoing instruction; preliminary findings related to student achievement; and lessons learned so far. During this panel discussion, participants will have the chance to hear from and ask questions of those leading the program as well as participating educators and school leaders.

Closing the Achievement Gap with Early Math Education
Maine DOE staff

Two years of assessing current state data shows an increasing gap in the percent of grade 3-5 students statewide who meet or achieve state expectations in mathematics as compared to ELA/literacy. The Maine Department of Education is embarking on a new initiative called the Numeracy4ME K-4 Mathematics Pilot program, in schools located regionally across Maine. This initiative provides high-quality professional learning to build teacher knowledge and skills to impact student learning of mathematics. This session will provide an overview of the initiative, including details about structure of the professional learning, the focus on numeracy concepts, and implications for PK-4 learning and assessment applicable to all schools.

Work Session: 2018/19 School Approval Requirements & Process
Maine DOE staff

This session will provide guidance on the 2018-19 school/district approval requirements and the new more streamlined process in the Department’s NEO system. Superintendents will have the opportunity to begin completing the approval process at this session – bring your laptops.

Open Forum: Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth
Maine DOE staff

This session will provide district leaders an opportunity to share their PEPG triumphs and tribulations. Do you have a strategy that is working well in your district that you would like to share with others? Do you have a need for greater support in certain areas such as observations and feedback? Is your school or district interested in improving the quality of the Student Learning Objectives? Participation, creative strategies, and a willingness to share is encouraged in this session!

Raising the Bar for Technology in Maine Schools
Jim Moulton, Apple Inc.

How do we help our students learn today and prepare them for a rapidly changing world? A driving force behind this change is technology. It affects the way we communicate, the way we work, the way we live day-to-day. It also empowers every individual—and every learner—to create amazing things and make a difference in the world. But first, we need to raise the bar for what’s expected, and what’s possible, for learning with technology.

Substance Abuse Resources
Maine Center for Disease Control

The presentation will provide an overview of Maine Prevention services, specifically substance and tobacco use prevention including electronic nicotine delivery systems/vaping to school leaders. The information provided will be useful for school administrators as they consider policies, practices and education necessary to protect and optimize the health and safety of students. Materials, resources and a list of community prevention providers who can support school prevention efforts will be available at this presentation.

Elevating Concussion Education: How to Address Everyone
Maine Concussion Management Initiative (MCMI), Colby College

As schools prepare for the start of each year, it’s the perfect time to update concussion education. To ensure that head injury is addressed with each population in the district, MCMI has tailored plans to educate all stakeholders. Everyone in your district will benefit from tailored and current concussion information. Attend this session to learn more about how to get involved.

Other possible sessions:

Steve Levesque, and Glenn Cummings – Educating the Workforce Panel
Adult Education
Budget Methodology of State/Local Funds for ESEA
ESSA: School Improvement for All
Early Math Education
Post-secondary enrollment and credentialing options
Truancy
Trauma

Maine DOE announces 3rd Annual Read to Ride Summer Reading challenge

Summer vacation is a welcome break from the daily school routine for children and parents alike, but the summer months can be detrimental to students’ learning if young minds are not kept active. Summer learning loss is a well-documented phenomenon, particularly with respect to reading achievement. Students can lose up to three months of reading progress during the summer if they don’t keep reading. When combined across a child’s PK-8 school career, this can result in 1-2 years of lost reading progress.

Fortunately, the summer slide can be prevented or greatly reduced when students continue to read on a regular basis. By encouraging children to read from a variety of resources for fun and to explore topics of interest, they continue to practice applying the skills they have learned, build their vocabulary and widen their knowledge of the world. For students who are not yet reading independently or just beginning to read, reading to and with parents is equally beneficial.

Again this year, the Maine Department of Education is collaborating with the Freemasons of Maine to sponsor the Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge for students in grades PK-8. The Maine Freemasons have generously donated 48 bikes with helmets as prizes for the Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge. During the first two years of this initiative, thousands of Maine children completed the challenge of reading 500 minutes during the summer vacation. Maine DOE hopes to see this number grow even higher during the summer of 2018.

Any school with students in the PK-8 grade span may register to participate. Participating schools will collect documentation from students who have completed the challenge. They will hold school level drawings to select two students (one boy and one girl) whose names will be entered into the state level drawing to be held on September 21, 2018. Schools are encouraged to participate in this challenge, to coordinate it with any other summer reading challenges/programs they offer, and to consider soliciting their own local level prizes for students who complete the challenge. Details about the Read to Ride Challenge and information to register your school can be found at: http://www.maine.gov/doe/literacy-for-me/summer-literacy.html.

Questions may be directed to Maine DOE’s Early Learning Coordinator, leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Media Release: National 2017 “State of Preschool Report” shows progress in Maine

A new national state-by-state report shows more young children enrolled in public Pre-K programs nationwide, with Maine investing more in Pre-K, serving nearly 40 percent of 4 year olds in high-quality pre-K.

The State of Preschool 2017 annual report reflects that Maine pre-K served 39 percent of the state’s 4-year-old population, above the nationwide average. Maine boosted pre-K funding by more than $1.1 million and continued to implement policies supporting both high-quality pre-K and young Dual Language Learners.

“This is the first-time Maine has met 9 out of 10 benchmarks for public preschool,” said Maine Education Commissioner, Robert G. Hasson, Jr. “The Department has dedicated the extra time and resources needed to support Maine Pre-K programs in their work toward meeting these high-quality national standards. We are committed to continuing the work so that students can benefit from access to quality Pre-K programing state-wide.”

This year’s report includes a special section on policies affecting Dual Language Learners (DLLs) and highlights changes since 2002, when National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) began tracking state pre-K. Read more about Maine’s report below.

Maine 2016–2017 fast facts:

Maine met 9 of 10 new quality standards benchmarks
Enrolled 5,440 children, a decrease of two from 2015–16
Total state funding = $18,775,709, an increase of $1,181,702 from 2015–16
State spending-per-child = $3,451, compared to $3,233 in 2015–16
Maine collects data on preschoolers’ home language; several policies to support preschool DLLs

Enrollment in state-funded preschool programs has more than doubled since 2002, according to the report. Nationally, 43 states, D.C. and Guam now provide publicly funded preschool to more than 1.5 million children.

For more information about the State of Preschool report and detailed state-by-state profiles on quality access, and funding, please visit www.nieer.org.