Maine Department of Education Expands Kindergarten Entry Inventory Project

During the 2024-2025 school year, more than 30 Maine kindergarten teachers participated in the first phase of the Kindergarten Entry Inventory (KEI) project, funded through Maine’s Preschool Development Grant and designed to help teachers gather valuable insights into children’s development across multiple domains. Since then, these teachers have tested various KEI instruments in their classrooms, using information collected to better support individual learning needs.

Now, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is preparing for the launch of the next phase of KEI during the 2025-2026 school year. The expansion of this project will pilot KEI instruments in approximately 100 kindergarten classrooms throughout the state. Ultimately, aggregated KEI data will help to strengthen Maine’s early care and education system by identifying trends in growth and areas of continuous improvement.

The Maine DOE is inviting kindergarten teachers to participate in this exciting initiative by applying for a Kindergarten Entry Implementation Specialist position! Kindergarten Entry Implementation Specialists will pilot a KEI tool in their kindergarten classroom during the fall of 2025. Selected participants will receive a stipend for their work. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, participating in training in the KEI tool administration protocol, piloting KEI with students, offering timely feedback, and attending periodic in-person and virtual meetings.

Your expertise and perspective are needed. All interested kindergarten teachers are welcome to complete this application. Applications are being accepted through May 9.

An informational meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 1, from 3:45-4:45 p.m. Please use this link to join.

If you have questions or need additional information about the KEI project, please contact Karen Mathieu, Maine DOE Kindergarten Entry Inventory Specialist, at karen.mathieu@maine.gov.

Applications Open for Transition to Kindergarten Planning Assistance and Mini-Grant Opportunity; Informational Session on February 25

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Early Learning Team, in partnership with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services, is pleased to announce that applications are open for a second round of Transition to Kindergarten planning assistance with mini-grant funding to support the development of high-quality kindergarten transition teams and plans. The deadline to apply is March 7, 2025.

This opportunity is designed for school administrative units (SAUs) seeking to strengthen partnerships among children, families, community providers, and schools to ensure successful transitions into public kindergarten classrooms. The focus is on fostering family and community engagement and equitable access to transition supports.

The transition to kindergarten is an exciting yet often overwhelming time for young learners and their families. Thoughtful transition plans that include strong community partnerships help schools and educators to meet children and families where they are. This opportunity will support SAUs and community partners in building Kindergarten Transition Teams and Kindergarten Transition Plans through a structured technical assistance program that guides the strengthening of community partnerships, promotes equitable practices for families, establishes a shared understanding of kindergarten readiness, encourages consistent school attendance, and creates a sustainable support system.

Participants will:

Engage in monthly technical assistance sessions.
Receive individual support, as needed.
Form a Kindergarten Transition Team.
Develop a year-long transition plan to support children and families before, during, and after the transition to kindergarten.
(SAUs will) become eligible for mini-grants to support their implementation through the 2025-2026 school year upon finalizing transition plans in spring of 2025.
Participate in follow-up technical assistance sessions in September of 2025 and October of 2025.

All interested representatives from SAUs and community early childhood programs are invited to join an informational/Q&A session to learn more about this opportunity on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, from 4-5 p.m. Please use this Zoom link.

Participants interested in the opportunity must complete the registration form by March 7, 2025. The registration form should be completed by an SAU representative and requires identification of preliminary team members (at a minimum, representation of one SAU or school leader, one school educator/staff member, and one potential community early childhood provider) and assurances for building community partnerships and engaging in the technical assistance meetings.

If you need assistance locating childcare providers in your area, please visit Child Care Choices.

Technical assistance meetings will be held on the following dates:

March 18, 2025, from 4-5:30 p.m.
April 15, 2025, from 4-5:30 p.m.
May 27, 2025, from 4-5:30 p.m.

The Early Learning Team is part of the Maine DOE Office of Teaching and Learning. For further questions, please reach out to Marcy Whitcomb, Maine DOE Public Pre-K Consultant, at marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov.

Additional Climate Education Professional Development Grants Available for 2025-2026 School Year

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to release the third round of Climate Education Professional Development grant funds for climate-related professional learning for Maine educators and local education providers. The grant application is due March 21, 2025. Awarded programs will take place between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.

The Maine DOE Climate Education Professional Development Grant Program was designed as a result of LD 1902, which the Maine Legislature passed in the spring of 2022. The program continues to expand its reach and impact statewide by encouraging the partnership of schools and community-based organizations for climate-related, interdisciplinary professional learning.

In this third round of grants, the program has been refined to include two different types of professional learning models. This is based on learnings from Phase 1 and Phase 2 grant applicants and awardees in 2023 and 2024.

Program type 1 focuses on an individual local education provider, allowing only the local education provider’s educators and staff to work with a partner organization with a budget between $5,000 and $30,000.
Program type 2 is designed to be a professional learning summit where the local education provider and partner host an event or events that are open to educators and staff in a broader region – e.g., multiple school administrative units (SAUs), county(s), statewide, or other. Awarded type 2 programs may have a budget between $5,000 and $100,00

A total of $650,000 has been allocated for this third round of grant programs. Applications are available starting January 14, 2025, and are due March 21, 2025. Programming may run from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

To view the Climate Education Professional Development Grant RFA, please visit the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services webpage and search for RFA #202412219. More information can be found on the Maine DOE website.

As the Climate Education Professional Development Grant Program continues, the program’s impact throughout the state is becoming more evident. Seven programs from Phase 1 in the spring and summer of 2024 worked with 126 teachers and 17 partners and reached more than 4,000 students in Maine. More information about the overall impact of those programs and their individual narratives can be found here. Ten phase 2 programs are currently underway throughout the state. Learn more about those here.

Questions about the RFA should be emailed to Teddy Lyman, Maine DOE Climate Education Specialist, at Theodore.Lyman@maine.gov by 11:59 p.m. on February 7, 2025. Questions and answers will be posted publicly on the Maine DOE Climate Education webpage.

The Climate Education webpage also contains additional information and resources. Interested partners may also consider joining the upcoming Maine Climate Education Quarterly Winter Meeting.

Grants for Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs Now Available; Applications Due April 2, 2025

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce the release of a request for proposals (RFP) seeking bids from organizations interested in implementing comprehensive afterschool and summer learning programs in 2025-2026. It is anticipated that roughly $2.5 million will be available to issue grant awards this spring.

Authorized under Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Act of 2015, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program provides competitive grant funding to support before school, after school, and summer learning programs that focus on improving the academic performance of students in pre-K through grade 12.

The primary purpose of the 21st CCLC program is to provide funding for school and community partnerships that establish or expand community learning center programs. These programs provide students in high-need, economically-disadvantaged communities with academic tutoring and enrichment opportunities, designed to complement their school-day academic program. In addition, these programs can provide a broad array of additional support services related to overall student health and well-being.

Local 21st CCLC programs – which can be located in elementary schools, secondary schools, or similarly-accessible community facilities – provide high-quality support services to students during non-school hours. As such, these programs also support working parents and families by providing safe, supportive learning environments for students at times when school is not normally in session.

The request for proposal (RFP), which includes information regarding eligibility, program requirements, and more, is available on the Maine Office of Procurement Services website (Search for RFP #202412216.)

An informational webinar for this RFP will also be posted to the Maine DOE Grants4ME website on January 22, 2025. It is strongly recommended that interested organizations view this presentation in its entirety prior to submitting a proposal for 21st CCLC program funding.

Below is the anticipated timeline for the Maine DOE current 21st CCLC grant competition:

January 8, 2025 – RFP released to public
January 22, 2025 – informational webinar posted online
February 5, 2025 – deadline for submission of questions in response to RFP
February 26, 2026 – interested organizations submit intent to apply form
April 2, 2025 – proposal deadline
April 2025 – formal peer review of proposals
May 2025 – grant award notifications
July 1, 2025 – grant award start date

Please be advised that the dates above are subject to change. Interested organizations must consult the RFP document for the most accurate dates and deadlines regarding this opportunity.

For more information about the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Program, please contact State Coordinator Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov.

Literacy Learning Grant Opportunity Open to Pre-K through Grade 3 Maine School Teams

In the summer of 2024, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) offered educators free access to professional literacy learning through Steps to Literacy modules from the AIM Institute for Learning & Research. Nearly 650 educators completed more than 20,000 hours of professional learning in the science of reading, phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, spelling, language expression, writing, emerging literacy, vocabulary, dyslexia, and English language learning.

In response to overwhelmingly positive feedback from summer participants, and as a result of the Maine DOE’s continued dedication to supporting high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction in Maine schools, the Maine DOE is pleased to now be offering a new grant program for schoolwide implementation of this effort. This opportunity is designed for school teams who will be provided access to three AIM literacy modules and who will participate in virtual community of practice sessions for six months. That work will help to support literacy leadership and the implementation of the Steps to Literacy best practices in classrooms.

At the completion of this project, each participating school will receive $5,000 for further schoolwide capacity building and implementation of evidence-based literacy practices.

To be eligible for this grant, schools must register a minimum of three staff members, including at least one general education teacher, one special education teacher, and one literacy leader (a specialist, administrator, or lead teacher). This project will prioritize applications from pre-K through grade 3 school teams. A school administrative unit (SAU) with multiple elementary schools applying should complete a separate application for each school.

Special consideration will be given to schools serving populations of students with identified achievement gaps (i.e. those related to race, income, etc.) and with identified reading proficiency achievement gaps, including, but not limited to, special education in a reading-specific learning disability, reading achievement gaps for economically-disadvantaged students, and racial and ethnic populations.

Interested applicants from schools with fewer than three school staff members should please contact Dee Saucier at danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov to discuss options. Future opportunities will be available for educator teams in grades 4-12.

Applications are due Friday, December 20, 2024.

AIM Pathways™ is a unique, interactive digital teacher training platform, designed to deliver research and evidence-based content in the science of reading. Each Steps to Literacy module provides teachers with engaging learning opportunities organized in a “learn, practice, apply” introductory cycle and contains teaching techniques, videos, and printable resources from the comprehensive AIM Pathways courses to develop participants’ understanding and application of new techniques into classroom practice.

The modules offered as a part of this grant project include:

Module 1: Overview of the Science of Reading (nine contact hours)
Module 2: Phonological Awareness (seven contact hours)
Module 3: Decoding & Spelling (seven contact hours)

To learn more about this literacy module project, you may attend a virtual informational meeting at 3:30 p.m. on December 10, 2024 by registering here. This session will be recorded. Please use this link to complete the Project application.

For additional information, please contact Dee Saucier at danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov.

Applications Due November 15 for Extended Learning Opportunities Expansion 2.0

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking applications from Maine school administrative units (SAUs) and community-based organizations partnering with SAUs for the Extended Learning Opportunities Expansion 2.0. The purpose of this funding is to develop new Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) programs or to expand current ELO programs.

To be eligible, applicants must be an SAU, Career and Technical Education school, Adult Education diploma program, or a community-based organization partnering with a local SAU.

The 2024 ELO Expansion 2.0 Request for Applications (RFA), also known as grants or grant RFA, is available here. (See RFA 202410182.) Applications are due Friday, November 15, 2024.

The Extended Learning Opportunities team at the Maine DOE recently partnered with Black Fly Media to produce a short video that shows the impact of ELOs throughout the state. Watch the video below to hear from ELO coordinators, students, school leaders, and employers as they share about ELOs in their communities!

Reminder: Deadlines Approaching for Early Learning Mini-Grant and Other Professional Learning Opportunities

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Early Learning Team is sending a reminder of the following opportunities with deadlines approaching soon:

Kindergarten Transition Mini-Grant Opportunity: This technical assistance program focuses on bringing students, families, schools, and communities together through high-quality transition to kindergarten plans. See the original newsroom article for more information about this mini-grant opportunity and/or watch the recorded information session. Register for the opportunity here.

Maine DOE Early Learning Team office hours are offered on the first Thursday of every month. Find more information about the schedule and the link to join office hours here.

For more information or questions regarding any of these opportunities, you may email Marcy Whitcomb, Maine DOE Public Pre-K Consultant, at marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov.

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

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.