Contact information has been posted to the Maine DOE website to assist School Test Coordinators (SCs) in resolving any discrepancies in the student lists available in the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) during the upcoming administration of the new Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced.
Continue reading “School enrollment contacts posted to support assessment administration”
The Maine DOE has issued a request for proposals seeking bids to establish or extend 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) in 2015-2016.
Continue reading “RFP issued for 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program”
The nomination deadline is just days away for the 2016 Maine Teacher of the Year.
Members of the public can enter educators who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and nurturing the achievement of all students at www.mainetoy.org through Feb. 20. To be considered, a teacher must hold at least a four-year degree and be employed by a Maine public school – including a public charter school or publicly supported secondary school.
The eventual winner of the state’s highest teaching honor, which is awarded by the Maine DOE through a program administered by Educate Maine, serves as an advocate for teachers, students and the efforts underway in Maine’s public schools to prepare students for success in college, career and civic life.
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The Maine DOE is pleased to announce that mechanical keyboards will no longer be required for the online administration of the new Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy. | More
Governor Paul R. LePage is requesting Mainers observe Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month this February. | More
Governor Paul R. LePage and Acting Education Commissioner Tom Desjardin were on hand Tuesday as Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) accepted a $200,000 grant from the AT&T Foundation. | More
The Department is letting schools preparing to administer the optional SAT to their students on Wednesday, April 15 know of support available from College Board. | More
The Maine Curriculum Leaders’ Association (MCLA) is seeking nominations for the 2015 Maine Curriculum Leader of the Year through March 30. | More
The Maine DOE has worked with the U.S. Department of Education and the College Board to acquire grant money to cover a portion of the exam fee for low-income students. | More
The Maine DOE has recently revised its FAQs on adult education and its role in Maine’s Unified Special Education Regulations (MUSER). | More
The Maine Secretary of State’s Office is inviting students to enter its Maine Constitution Essay and Poster Contest. | More
Qualifying Maine schools are invited to enter the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC) fourth annual COSEBOC School Awards. | More
Maine schools that have issues with nuisance birds are invited to a free webinar overviewing the challenges that avian pests present and ways to deter them. | More
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The Department is letting schools preparing to administer the optional SAT to their students on Wednesday, April 15 know of support available from College Board.
Continue reading “School day SAT administration support available”
The Maine DOE is pleased to announce that mechanical keyboards, while still recommended based on the best interest of some students, will no longer be required for the online administration starting next month of the new Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced. Continue reading “Maine DOE recommends, rather than requires, assessment keyboards”
There are many benefits to an online administration of the new Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced. The computer delivery will better allow students to demonstrate critical and higher-order thinking skills; more accurately measure where students are; give educators and parents more timely information to inform instruction; and allow for a more efficient, cost-effective administration.
As a result, the Department is highly recommending schools give the test electronically but understands there may be individual students who are unable to access the assessment using a computer (e.g., medical reason for avoiding screen viewing). For those cases, the Maine DOE is providing a procedure for requesting a paper-pencil version of the assessment.
Please note, this is a different process than requesting to provide a schoolwide paper-pencil administration of the assessment, which only a few schools did by yesterday’s deadline.
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Maine’s Acting Education Commissioner returned Wednesday to the Auburn schools he once attended to learn about their efforts to improve outcomes and to inspire students with his own story. | More
Accurate student lists for this spring’s computer-based Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced will depend on ongoing collaboration between the Maine DOE and the local school districts. | More
The Maine DOE is inviting educators to its 2015 Comprehensive School Health Education Spring Conference, which will focus on transitioning health education curriculum to a proficiency-based system of learning. | More
The Department is reminding Mainers about the unique contributions of professional school counselors and how students are more prepared for success in college and career as a result of what school counselors do as the nation recognizes National School Counseling Week. | More
Maine DOE has released a short webinar to provide educators with information about the College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies. | More
Maine educators, students and families are invited to attend the first annual Maine Science Festival in Bangor this March 20-22. Events include a Teen Tech Night, high school state science fair, science scavenger hunt around Bangor and sessions on science in children’s literature, crime scene investigation and the intersection of science and economic development. | More
In preparation for the fast approaching summer season, the Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition Services Team will offer Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) trainings through the state in the coming months. | More
As part of its ongoing efforts to support financial literacy education, the Maine DOE is encouraging educators to save the date for the 6th Annual Fostering Financial Education in Maine Schools Conference on May 1 in Rockland. | More
The Maine Humanities Council (MHC) announced that Abigayle Hopkins from Machias Memorial High School in Machias and Victoria Simons from Noble High School in Berwick are the first Student Humanities Ambassadors in Maine. | More
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The Maine Humanities Council (MHC) announced that Abigayle Hopkins from Machias Memorial High School in Machias and Victoria Simons from Noble High School in Berwick are the first Student Humanities Ambassadors in Maine.
Continue reading “Maine Humanities Council announces Student Humanities Ambassadors”
The following Priority Notice was sent on Feb. 4 to District/System Administrators and School Coordinators for the Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced, alerting them of the Feb. 11 deadline by which to request individual students be provided paper-pencil tests.
Continue reading “Feb. 11 deadline to sign up students for paper-pencil assessment”
The Maine DOE will begin visits next month to provide targeted technical assistance to schools preparing to award proficiency-based diplomas.
Last May, the Department released six options by which districts could apply for extensions to fully implementing systems that support the awarding of proficiency-based diplomas starting in 2018 as a 2012 Maine law requires. Extension options five and six were designed for districts early in their transition and thus in need of the most structured support from the Maine DOE. It is the 50 or so districts who applied under one of those options, which extend full implementation to 2021, that will be visited by teams of up to four Department staff.
The half-day visits are intended to positively support schools in progress toward their benchmarks; identify and validate progress since the application; inform the Maine DOE of district needs; and as needed, to clarify Maine DOE understanding of district work and benchmarks.
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Maine schools wanting to give the upcoming Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced as a paper-pencil test rather than online must let the Department know by Wednesday, Feb. 4. So far, only one school has indicated they will do so. | More
In preparation for Maine’s application for a renewal of its existing ESEA waiver, the Department is seeking feedback on how the State’s current accountability and improvement system is serving Maine’s students and schools. | More
Maine educators who will be helping to administer the upcoming online State assessment but couldn’t attend one of the Department’s recent regional workshops can now see the entire training online. The Maine DOE has posted a four-hour video on its YouTube channel filmed at the southern Maine workshop session on Friday, Jan. 16. | More
An iOS 8 compatible secure browser application that will be used for the upcoming administration of the Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy is now available. | More
The Maine DOE is seeking recommendations through May 1 for the 2015 Maine Educator Talent Pool. | More
The Maine DOE’s State Personnel Development Grant and the Maine Department of Labor’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) have partnered to offer schools a free e-workshop that helps students discover employment possibilities. | More
The ACCESS for ELLs® testing window is set to close Friday, Jan. 30 and districts are required to pack and return all testing material to MetriTech by Feb. 6. | More
The Maine DOE and the State Board of Education have reopened for further public comments the rules regarding the qualifying examinations for credentialing purposes for teachers, educational specialists and administrators. | More
A NEO facilities training has been rescheduled to Feb. 12 due a snowstorm this week. | More
The Maine DOE has updated its physical form for bus drivers, which can be found here on the Department’s website along with instructions. | More
Maine schools are invited to enter a free digital storytelling competition that asks students to share their visions for the future. | More
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Maine educators who will be helping to administer the upcoming online State assessment but couldn’t attend one of the Department’s recent regional workshops can now see the entire training online.
Continue reading “Department posts video of recent assessment administration training”
Maine DOE Newsroom 