Cultivating Collaborative Relationships: Technical Assistance and Mini-Grant Opportunity for Early Care and Education Communities – Info Session 9/19

With the ever-growing understanding of and commitment to serving the whole child and family, the need for relationship building among early care and education providers within communities is even more important. When early care and education providers, such as child care, Head Start, schools, YMCAs, and libraries, get to know the work each does to support children and families during the early years, partnerships can emerge to achieve shared, positive outcomes.

These partnerships can vary in their design and in their intended purposes, depending on the context and needs of the community. Examples of early care and education community partnerships include providing public pre-k, supporting the transition of special education responsibilities for 3–5-year-olds to the public schools, strengthening kindergarten transitions and registration, and offering shared professional development among educators. But how do you start building relationships among community partners? Who do you contact? What are possible partnership opportunities in your community? The Maine Department of Education’s Pathways to Partnership series is designed to help communities answer these questions and build relationships among early care and education providers to benefit young children and their families.

Recognizing that every community’s needs are different, and each early care and education provider brings a variety of important perspectives to the work, the Early learning team is seeking communities open to exploring the benefits of relationship building and community partnerships. Community teams will need to have at least one leadership representative from a school administrative unit (SAU) or school (e.g., principal, assistant principal, superintendent, curriculum coordinator, etc.) as well as at least one licensed community-based provider (e.g., family childcare, center-based care, Head Start, YMCA, etc.) willing to attend a 4-part series to learn about the various partnerships that occur in Maine. Although only these two members are required, teams are strongly encouraged to have broader representation from their early care and education community.

The series will include facilitated and focused planning time for team members. Upon completion of the series, a mini-grant opportunity will be available for communities to secure additional facilitated support to continue the work started during the series. Each 90-minute session in the series will be held over zoom on the following dates. The exact time will be determined after registration information has been reviewed.:

Thursday, October 17^th
Thursday, November 7th
Thursday, December 5th
Thursday, January 16th

To register for the series, follow this link to the application.

For further questions, please reach out to Michelle Belanger, Pre-K partnership Specialist at Michelle.belanger@maine.gov

Inclusive Education Professional Growth Opportunities for Early Learning Educators

To support inclusion in Maine’s early childhood programs, the Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network (MRTQ PDN), in collaboration with the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services, is excited to share four professional growth opportunities. These opportunities, which are part of the statewide Inclusion Initiative for children birth to grade 3, and funded by the Maine’s Preschool Development Grant, are available at no cost to Maine’s early care and education professionals who work with children birth to grade 3.

Inclusion Book Club

This virtual book club is available at no cost to Maine early care and education professionals interested in creating more inclusive classrooms. Book club participants will read and reflect on Inclusion Includes Us: Building Bridges and Removing Barriers in Early Childhood Classrooms (Huber, 2023).

If you’re interested in participating in the Inclusion Book Club, please complete this form. For more information, please contact Shilo Goodhue at shilo.goodhue@maine.edu.

Due to high demand, MRTQ PDN will be adding Inclusion Book Club offerings at different times in addition to the ones currently scheduled. If you’re interested in future offerings of the Inclusion Book Club, you can indicate your interest on page 2 of the form above.

Inclusive Education PreK to 12

Developed by the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS) at the University of Maine, this 20-hour on-demand training provides the fundamentals for creating classrooms that are inclusive of all students. The on-demand format allows participants to proceed at their own pace and to engage in the training when their busy schedules allow. No-cost access to this training is limited to early care and education professionals who work with children from birth to 3rd grade.

To participate, please complete this form to receive a code for free registration.

Inclusion Micro-Credential

The Inclusion Micro-Credential, offered by the University of Maine System, includes the 20-hour on-demand Inclusive Education PreK to grade 12 training above and a one-day in-person session for an in-depth discussion on applying training content (dates to be determined). No-cost access to this training is limited to early care and education professionals who work with children ages birth to 3rd grade.

To participate, please complete this form to receive a code for free registration.

Maine Inclusion Credential

The Maine Inclusion Credential helps practitioners build the skills, knowledge, resources, and attitudes to offer care to ALL children in an inclusive environment. Accepted applicants will be part of a cohort of early care providers and public school staff that completes the training series as a group for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Join an information session on September 4 at 6:30 pm – Click this Zoom link or contact Shilo Goodhue at shilo.goodhue@maine.edu.

If you’re interested in participating in the Maine Inclusion Credential cohort, please complete this form .

Pre-K for ME, K for ME, and 1st Grade for ME Professional Learning Communities Offered

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and teacher leaders from across the state are teaming up to offer monthly professional learning communities (PLCs) for educators implementing Pre-K for ME, K for ME, and 1st Grade for ME in their classrooms.

These PLCs are provided to promote understanding of program design and to support successful program implementation. Program components will be explored in greater depth, and teachers will be encouraged to share practice and student work examples. Teachers, ed techs, instructional coaches, and any other staff implementing the programs are strongly encouraged to attend, whether you are new to using the programs or have been using them for a while.

This year’s PLC opportunities will be held virtually from 3:30 – 4:30 pm on the first Tuesday of the month:

October 1
November 5
December 3
January 7
February 4
March 4
April 1

Although it is highly encouraged, teachers and ed techs do not have to commit to attending every session. Details about how to access the sessions will be provided after registration is completed. Registrations for the PLCs should be received by September 20, 2024.

Register here for Pre-K for ME

Register here for K for ME and 1st Grade for ME

For additional information contact Nicole.Madore@maine.gov, or Marcy.R.Whitcomb@maine.gov.

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

As Maine elementary schools have added preschool programming and are promoting whole student 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. To date, the Leading Early Learning Fellowship series has supported three cohorts, one each year since 2021-22. We are pleased to announce that applications for the fourth cohort, 2024-25 school year, are now being accepted.

The fellowship provides participants with opportunities to deepen their knowledge of early learning pedagogy and best practices related to supporting students and teachers across Pre-K-3. Participants engage in a variety of modes of learning, from asynchronous modules to facilitated online professional learning communities to in-person gatherings.

“I really enjoyed the variety of materials and activities in which we were engaged–videos, utilizing the observation and reflection tools, and the readings. Also, it was a great group of people to interact with both online and in person,” said a participant from Cohort 3.

“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,” said a participant from Cohort 1.

If this opportunity interests you, please review the fellowship details in the informational guide. A link to apply for the series is included in the informational guide. The series will support up to 30 participants. Applications will be received through July 14, 2024. 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

Exciting Early Childhood Summer Summit Opportunity

Are you interested in exploring critical issues impacting early care and education? Are you wondering how you could work more collaboratively within your community to connect early childhood partners (e.g., childcare, schools, community-based organizations, etc.)? Are you eager to connect with other early childhood educators and consider ways of strengthening the early care and education mixed-delivery system in your community?

Consider attending the Early Childhood Summer Summit on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at Keeley’s Banquet Center, 178 Warren Avenue, Portland, Maine. The summit will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Attending is no cost, and up to 60 individuals can be accommodated. CEUs will be made available to anyone attending the summit.

The goals of the Early Childhood Summit include:

To improve alignment and transitions for children and families, foster community-level coordination and collaboration across the mixed-delivery early care and education system, which includes childcare programs, Head Start, and elementary schools.
Strengthen understanding of evidence-based practices that are critical to leverage across the birth-grade 3 span to promote whole child development.
Supporting community-based planning and implementation efforts through mini-grants and ongoing technical assistance support.

What will the summit structure be like? 

The summit is funded through Maine’s Preschool Development Renewal Grant. It is jointly sponsored by the Maine Department of Education and the Office of Child and Family Services in Maine’s Department of Human Services. Individuals may register to attend independently but are encouraged to come with a colleague interested in building community collaborations. The summit’s content will include various keynote addresses and workshop sessions connected to the goals outlined previously. Topics will include promoting inclusionary practices, addressing challenging behaviors, promoting play as a foundational learning strategy, and promoting smooth transitions from early childhood education programs into public schools for children and families. Time will also be provided for attendees to work with each other and presenters to develop plans for building collaborative early childhood community teams.

What are the next steps for attendees after attending the Early Childhood Summer Summit?

Individual 2024 Early Childhood Summer Summit attendees will be encouraged to build a community team during the 2024-25 school year. They will be given preference for attending the 2025 ECE Summer Summit. Teams that attend the 2025 summit will receive $800 mini-grants to implement action plans. Details about team building will be shared at the summit.

To apply: Complete the application by June 14, 2024. Each individual who plans to attend should complete the registration form. A field is included in the application to note if you plan to attend with a colleague so that we can group you at the summit.

For additional information, please contact Renee Reilly, Maine DOE PDG Manager, at Renee.A.Reilly@maine.gov or Andrea Faurot, OCFS PDG Manager, at Andrea.Faurot@maine.gov.

Maine DOE Announces 9th Annual Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge

(Pictured: Valerie, a student at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary, Brunswick School Department.)

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 for reading achievement. Students can lose up to three months of reading progress during the summer if they don’t keep reading. 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 regularly. 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. Reading to and with parents is equally beneficial for students who are not yet reading independently or just beginning to read.

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 agreed to continue supporting the Read to Ride Challenge. In 2023, 36 students were awarded bikes and helmets; it is hoped that this number will grow even higher during the summer of 2024.

Louie from Laura E. Richards School

Clementine from Nobleboro Central School

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 whose names will be entered into the state-level drawing held in October. Schools are encouraged to participate in this challenge, coordinate it with any other summer reading challenges/programs they offer, and consider soliciting local-level prizes for students who complete the challenge. Additional details, supporting documents, and a registration link are on the Maine Department of Education Read to Ride landing page.

Questions may be directed to Dee Saucier, danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov.

Preschool Maine Early Learning and Development Standards Update Released

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network (MRTQ PDN), are thrilled to announce the release of the updated Preschool-Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (P MELDS).

Formally known as Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standard (MELDS, 2015), this new version aligns the Infant Toddler Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (IT MELDS) and Maine Learning Results, K-12 learning standards, with Maine’s early learning and development standards for 3–5-year-olds. The updating process involved over 130 Maine professionals from across multiple sectors of the early childhood field.

Additionally, the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services have established a landing page for information related to Maine’s early learning and development standards which explains the relationship between the MELDS (Infant Toddler and Preschool) and Maine’s Learning Results K-12. Please visit Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards website or the Office of Child and Family Services website and click the “Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (MELDS)” link under provider resources.

In another exciting update, the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network (MRTQ PDN), will offer professional learning on the Maine Early Learning and Development Standards as an on-demand training beginning this summer (2024).

Digital versions of Infant Toddler MELDS, Preschool MELDS, and Maine Learning Results are available now on the websites referenced above. Stay tuned for information on how to access a physical copy of the P MELDS.

For more information, please contact the Early Childhood Specialist at the Department of Education, Nicole.Madore@maine.gov, or the Family and Community Engagement Program Manager at the Department of Health and Human Services, Megan.Swanson@maine.gov.

Applications Open for ‘First 10 Community Schools’ Pilot Project

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications from school administrative units (SAUs) and Education in the Unorganized Territory (EUT) to be part of a 3-year First 10 Community School pilot project funded through Maine’s Preschool Development Grant. Developed by Education Develop Center (EDC), First 10 Community Schools bring together school systems, early childhood programs, and community partners/agencies to improve care and education for young children and their families throughout the first 10 years of children’s lives. This model works to improve teaching and learning, deepen partnerships with families, and provide comprehensive services for children and families.

Through this opportunity, pilot sites will be supported in developing and implementing First 10 Community School models. To learn more about the model and the pilot opportunity, interested applicants are encouraged to view this recorded First 10 Community School information session.

Additional information about First 10 Community Schools can be found on the Maine Department of Education’s First 10 webpage and on Education Development Center’s First 10 webpage.

Eligible schools that are interested in the First 10 Community School grant opportunity may access the application through the First 10 Community School Request for Applications (RFA).

A timeline for the RFA process is provided below.

May 17, 2024–-RFA released
May 23, 2024—RFA question submission deadline
June 6, 2024—RFA submission deadline

All questions about the First 10 Community School RFA should be submitted to the First 10 Community School Grant Coordinator identified on the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.

Additional questions regarding this announcement should be directed to:
Lee Anne Larsen, Maine Department of Education Director of Early Learning, leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Applications Open for Public Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant

Maine’s Preschool Development Renewal Grant is supporting the Maine Department of Education (DOE) to offer grant funding to school administrative units (SAUs) to increase the number of eligible 4-year-olds attending high-quality public Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) programming through partnerships with licensed community providers (center based and family child care) during the 24-25 school year.

In order to realize its goal of reaching universal access to public Pre-K, Maine will need to increase the number of partnerships with licensed community-based providers (e.g., center based and family child care) to ensure equitable access to high-quality early care and education, especially for our most vulnerable children.

Partnerships with licensed community-based providers support SAUs to achieve full day/full week programming for children and to meet the needs of working families while increasing their offering of Public Pre-K.

The Public Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant RFA will provide funding to support new partnerships with either a licensed center based provider or a licensed family child care provider.

The timeline for the RFA process is as follows:

May 17, 2024-RFA Released
May 24, 2024—Question Submission Deadline
June 6, 2024- RFA Submission Deadline

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

Any additional questions about this opportunity may be directed to Michelle Belanger, Pre-K Partnership Specialist, Michelle.Belanger@maine.gov.

Registration Open for Pre-K for ME, K for ME, and/or 1st Grade for ME Summer Training

Since 2018, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) has adopted and piloted open-source instructional programs for early elementary grades based on the Boston Public School’s evidence-based Focus Curricula. Pre-K for ME was launched in 2019, K for ME was launched in 2021, and 1st Grade for ME was launched in 2023. 2nd Grade for ME is being piloted in Maine classrooms next year and will be available for the 2025-2026 school year. These developmentally appropriate learning programs are interdisciplinary and align with Maine’s learning standards. While Maine schools are responsible for purchasing classroom materials that support these programs, lesson plans, outlines and other supporting documents can be accessed at no cost via the Maine DOE’s website.

An informational overview of the programs was provided on March 7. The overview session was recorded and is now posted here for anyone unable to attend the live session. The overview session shared the basic program structures and reviewed the materials needed to implement the programs. Watching the recording is highly recommended if you are unfamiliar with the programs.

Educators/schools/programs interested in utilizing Pre-K for ME, K for ME, and/or 1st Grade for ME in the coming year may take advantage of initial training scheduled this summer. These trainings are provided at no cost to promote understanding of program design and to support successful program implementation. School administrators are strongly encouraged to attend the training with their Pre-K, Kindergarten, and/or first-grade teachers. Special educators, education technicians, and instructional coaches/curriculum leaders who work with pre-k, kindergarten, and first-grade teachers are also encouraged to attend. This year’s training opportunities will be held in person from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 2-day trainings are provided for each program.

Pre-K for ME– During the week of 7/29-8/2 (exact dates and locations TBD)
K for ME– July 29th and 30th in the Augusta/ (exact location TBD)
1st Grade for ME– July 31st and August 1st in the Augusta (exact location TBD)

For teachers learning the K for ME and 1st Grade for ME programs, an additional training day will occur on Wednesday, June 26th from 8:30 to 3:30 (Augusta Civic Center).

Registration for these trainings should be completed by principals/educators with one registration on behalf of their school/program per grade. Details about how to prepare for the trainings and the training locations will be provided via email after the registration period closes. Registrations for the trainings for each instructional program should be received by May 24, 2024.

The Summer Training Registration Link is now open. Please submit a separate response for each grade level in which you are registering educators: Pre-K for ME, K for ME, and/or 1st Grade for ME.

For additional information about Pre-K for ME, contact Marcy.r.Whitcomb@maine.gov and for K for ME and 1st Grade for ME, contact Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov or Nicole.Madore@maine.gov.