Category: Instruction

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.

Maine DOE World Language Specialist Available for Program Support

The Maine Department of Education’s World Language Specialist, Lavinia Rogers is available to talk with and support districts interested in creating a plan to realize world language programs for all students, especially those districts who may be experiencing a teacher shortage in that area.

More information and resources about world languages can be found on the Maine DOE’s website, or feel free to contact Lavinia directly to request a meeting or ask questions. She is available at lavinia.m.rogers@maine.gov or (207)624-6825

 

Learning Through Technology Survey

The Maine Department of Education is seeking input to inform the work of leveraging technology to improve student learning. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. Maine DOE leadership will be reviewing the results as it plans for continued support of technology integration in Maine schools.  The survey will remain open until December 21, 2018.

Learning Through Technology Survey

For additional information, please contact Lee Anne Larsen (leeann.larsen@maine.gov) or Beth Lambert (beth.lambert@maine.gov) on the Standards and Instructional Support Team.

Using Assessment to Strengthen Instruction in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, K-8

As part of its 2018-19 Assessment Literacy series, the Maine Department of Education will present full-day workshops to continue supporting educators in examining eMPower ELA and math, and MEA science assessment data, connecting that data with locally generated assessment information, and identifying high impact instructional strategies that foster student engagement and achievement of learning standards.

State level assessment provides school systems with a useful lens through which educators can evaluate the effectiveness of curricula and instructional practices. This information can help educators improve programming to increase the number of students meeting expectations for learning standards in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science. The availability of released item data and sample state assessment items, coupled with local level assessment information, enables educators to dig more deeply into what instructional practices are benefiting student learning as well as where adjustments could be made to result in greater positive impact.

Join Maine DOE ELA, Math, and Science specialists as they provide professional learning and resources that:

  • Connect state eMPower and science assessment to instructional practices
  • Delve into the roles cognitive demand and stamina play in instruction and assessment
  • Explore protocols for linking state level data analysis with local level data analysis

Participants will select one of 3 content areas in which to focus their learning during the day: English language arts, mathematics or science.  Schools are strongly encouraged to register teams of 3 so that they will have representation in each of the 3 featured content areas. An alternate option is for educators to come as a team representing one content area (e.g. science teachers from a middle school).  Time will be provided during the day for teams to share their learning across content areas and to collaboratively plan for how to disseminate the day’s content back in their respective schools. Lunch will be provided during each full day session which will run 8:30 am – 3:30 pm. Contact hours will be provided.

Cost is $40 per individual or $100 per 3-person team. Registration requires a credit card.  

Workshop Locations/Registration Links Workshop Dates
Keeley’s Banquet Center, Portland January 15, 2019
Snow Date: February 1, 2019
Jeff’s Catering, Brewer January 24, 2019
Snow Date: January 31, 2019
University of Maine at Presque Isle January 29, 2019
Snow Date: January 30, 2019

For further information, please contact Lee Anne Larsen, Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Learning Systems at 207-624-6628 or leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Live Broadcast Available for Public Hearing on Proposed Revisions to Science and Technology, and Social Studies Standards

As a reminder, the Maine Department of Education has scheduled a public hearing on November 15, 2018 as part of the scheduled periodic review of the Maine Learning Results. The Department is seeking public comments regarding the proposed revisions to Rule Chapter 132, revised science and technology and social studies standards.

The public hearing will take place in room 103A of the Burton Cross Building in Augusta. Anyone present may speak at the public hearing, which will be live-streamed. People that wish to speak will be asked to sign in and, preferably, provide two written copies of comments, as well as an electronic copy.

Anyone unable to attend the public hearing may send written comments by 5 pm on December 3, 2018. Written comments may be emailed to sis.doe@maine.gov with the subject “Science Standards Review,” or “Social Studies Standards Review,” or mailed to Maine Department of Education, attn: Beth Lambert, 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.

Below is a list of relevant links, as well as the hearing information including a link for the live stream:

For further information about the standards review process contact Beth Lambert at Beth.Lambert@maine.gov.

Seeking Maine Schools for Social Emotional Learning Pilot Program

The Tobacco and Substance Use Prevention and Control Program with the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (MECDC), in partnership with the Maine Department of Education (Maine DOE), is seeking interest from Maine schools who would like to pilot the social emotional learning (SEL) program, Second Step, funded by a grant through MECDC.

The grant’s larger goal is to provide primary prevention for substance use and is part of Maine’s State Opioid Response plan. The Second Step Curriculum is research-based and available for grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. Many of the skills within the Maine Learning Results for Health Education in elementary school align with goals of Second Step, to nurture skill building and prevent problematic developmental behaviors that are part of the trajectory toward later substance use.

If you are interested in adding Second Step to your school’s curriculum, are already implementing Second Step, or are implementing a SEL curriculum other than Second Step, the MECDC and Maine DOE would like your feedback about your interest and experience.

This brief survey will take approximately 5 minutes.  Your input will be used to assess what programs are currently being implemented, where there are opportunities to pilot Second Step in Maine, and what districts are specifically interested in piloting Second Step.

Maine CDC and DOE will select pilot sites based on best fit and evaluate the program’s success, with the goal of expanding the program to more sites in coming years. Thank you in advance for your interest and feedback.

For more information, contact Hannah.Ruhl@maine.gov at Maine CDC.

What is Graduation Rate? #success4ME

The graduation rate indicator is one of four indicators used in Maine’s Model of School Support. It will be used as an indicator of success for high schools only. Graduation is defined as graduating within four years after entering ninth grade. In Maine, the graduation rate indicator reflects the number of students graduating “on-time”, as well as the graduating students who progressed at a different rate and graduated in either five or six years.

In the past, graduation rate was never utilized when making determinations of schools eligible to receive support. Under Maine’s Model of School Support, the graduation rate for students meeting graduation requirements in four years in addition to the graduation rate of students meeting graduation requirements in five or six years will be utilized.

graduation rate 4 yr (blue)
4 Year Graduation Rate

What does this look like in Maine?

Achieving a diploma is a major accomplishment and marks a significant milestone in a student’s life. It is important to highlight the number of students achieving a diploma, whether it takes some students four years or longer to do so. As it relates to Maine’s Model of School Support, the Graduation Rate indicator is split into two rates of graduation:

  • graduation 5_6 yr (blue)
    5 and 6 Year Graduation Rate

    The 4-year rate is the number of students who graduate in four years with a high school diploma, divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class.

  • The 5 and 6 year rates reflect the number of graduating students who took 5 and 6 years, respectively to graduate from high school.

How will graduation rate data be presented on the school report card?

The school as a whole will receive a performance measure related to individual student groups meeting the annual graduation target.

Graduation Performance Descriptors:

Graduation – 4 Year

Emerging Developing Meeting Excelling
No eligible student group made their annual graduation target At least one eligible student group made their annual graduation target All eligible student groups made their annual graduation target All eligible student groups have met or exceeded the long-term goal of 90%

Graduation – Combined 5/6 Year

Emerging Developing Meeting Excelling
No eligible student group made their annual graduation target At least one eligible student group made their annual graduation target All eligible student groups made their annual graduation target All eligible student groups have met or exceeded the long-term goal of 92%

Eligible student groups include: Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Two or More Races, White, Students with Disabilities, Economically Disadvantaged, Migrant Students, and English Learners.

Goals for four year adjusted cohort graduation rate:

Subgroup Baseline (Data and Year) Long-term Goal (Data and Year) 2030
All students 86.83% 2016 90% or maintain current 2016, whichever is greater, graduation percentages by 2030
Economically disadvantaged students 77.77% 2016
Children with disabilities 72.19% 2016
English learners 78.14% 2016
Race – Hispanic/Latino 83.46% 2016
Race – American Indian 84.91% 2016
Race – Asian 90.68 % 2016
Race – Black or African American 76.77% 2016
Race – Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 88.24% 2016
Race – White 87.29% 2016

The measurements of progress are based on increases in the percentage of all students in Maine who make progress toward the long-term goals on a three-year basis. Long-term goals were developed to reduce the percentage of non-graduating students to result in student groups all meeting the goal of 90% by 2030. The calculation process, for example, is as follows:

Subgroup: All Students

  • Step 1: 2016 Graduation Rate = 86.83%
  • Step 2: 90% (goal) – 86.83% (baseline) = 3.17%
  • Step 3: Differential for each 3-year step is 3.17 divided by 5 = .61%
  • Step 4: Add to the baseline .61 % and add the .61% to each subsequent step to reach the goal of 90% by 2030.

Goals for extended- year cohort graduation rate

Subgroup Baseline (Data and Year) Long-term Goal (Data and Year) 2030
All students 88.61% 2016 92% or maintain current 2016, whichever is greater, graduation percentages by 2030
Economically disadvantaged students 80.82% 2016
Children with disabilities 77.27% 2016
English learners 86.12% 2016
Asian 94.27% 2016
American Indian 83.49% 2016
Black 83.47% 2016
Hispanic 84.13% 2016
Native Hawaiian 93.33% 2016
White 88.84% 2016
Multiple Races 86.62% 2016

Graduation rate will be presented on the initial page of the report card in the following way:

reportcard1

reportcard2

reportcard3

reportcard4

For further information please contact Janette Kirk, Acting Director, Office of Learning Systems at Janette.Kirk@maine.gov.

Love to Code: STEAM Professional Learning Workshop – Register by 11/16

Maine educators are invited to participate in a professional learning workshop that supports the integration of technology across multiple content areas with a focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) as well as computer science, coding, and computational thinking. By using arts and craft techniques to teach circuits and programming, the workshop will introduce ways to engage learners of diverse backgrounds and interests in designing and building their own technologies and getting excited about STEAM!

During the workshop, educators will:

  • Engage in activities that can be used in classrooms with students who are learning STEAM, coding, and computational thinking concepts
  • Explore techniques that blend craft and code: students can use skills they have (crafting) to learn new skills (coding), offering new pathways to coding for students who find traditional pathways to learning code less accessible
  • Learn how to develop integrated learning opportunities, where the technology is used in service of the learning (instead of as the focus of the learning).
  • Understand how to create and foster a sense of wonder (instead of fear) when students try something new and somewhat challenging

The workshop will be led by a team from Chibitronics that has created Love to Code, an electronics and coding toolkit that gets students building circuits and coding in an art-friendly, hands-on way.  Students will learn to build and program functioning circuitry within the pages of a picture book and then take these skills to design their own paper circuits (sample paper circuit projects). Students can then program a “Chibi Chip” to control their art work, making interactive artwork that comes to life with code!

Love to Code’s innovative features include a:

  • Picture book format, which teaches complex coding concepts by embedding them in metaphor and story;
  • Blend of craft and code, which allows learners to use skills they already have (crafting) as they learn new skills (coding).

Learn more about the presenters and see some of their projects, Jie Qi and Natalie Freed.

Event Information:

  • Date: Saturday, December 1st, 2018
  • Time: 8:30am – 3:30pm
  • Location: RiSE Center, University of Maine, Orono
  • Contact Hours: 8 hours can be earned
  • Cost: $15 (includes light breakfast, lunch, and Love To Code Kit)
  • Register here

Please bring a laptop or tablet with you to the event. In order to program the Chibi Chips, devices need to have a headphone port available. This might require you to bring an adapter/dongle depending on your device.

Draft Agenda:

  • 8:00am: Registration and light breakfast
  • 8:30am: Welcome, Introductions, and Connections
  • 9:00am: Jie Qi and Natalie Freed– “From Make Believe to Making Tech: Paper Circuits and Programming”
  • 10:00am: Break
  • 10:15am: Learning with the Love to Code Kits
  • 11:45am: Lunch – includes a networking activity
  • 12:45pm: Expectations and goals for afternoon design and creation time
  • 1:15pm: Design and Create: Make what you’ll take back to your school – workshop for colleagues, unit or lesson with students, etc
  • 3:00pm: Wrap up, reflections, connecting forward

For answers to questions or more information, please contact Amanda Nguyen, Digital Learning Specialist for the Maine Department of Education at Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov.

Live Broadcast Available for Nov. 7th Public Hearings for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Career and Education Development Standards Review

As a reminder, the Maine Department of Education has scheduled public hearings this week as part of the scheduled periodic review of the Maine Learning Results. The Department is seeking public comments regarding the current English language arts, mathematics, and career and education development standards.

Public hearings for each standard have been scheduled back to back in room 103 of the Burton Cross Building in Augusta. Anyone may speak at the public hearings which will be live-streamed. People wishing to speak will be asked to sign in and it will be helpful, but not mandatory, to provide a written copy of comments.

Below is a list of relevant links, as well as hearing times including live broadcast links for each event:

Career and Education Development Standards:

Mathematics Standards:

English Language Arts Standards:

Anyone unable to attend the public hearing may send written comments by 5pm on December 1, 2018. Written comments may be emailed to sis.doe@maine.gov with the subject “CED Standards Review,” “Mathematics Standards Review,” or “English Language Arts Standards Review,” or mailed to Maine Department of Education, attn: Beth Lambert, 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.

For further information about the standards review process contact Beth Lambert at Beth.Lambert@maine.gov.

WIDA Early Years Online Learning Modules (to Support Multilingual Children) Now Available at No Cost to Teachers and Administrators

The Maine Department of Education is excited to announce that Maine’s early care and education community is now able to access to the WIDA Early Years online learning modules. These modules focus on supporting young multilingual children, ages 2.5 to 5.5 years and are available at no cost to teachers and administrators. Multilingual children, commonly referred to as dual language learners, are children who are developing more than one language.

Each self-paced, interactive module provides opportunities for reflection and offers suggestions for applying content to local practice. The following modules are available:

  • Dual Language Learners and their Families
  • WIDA Early English Language Development Standards Framework
  • Dual Language Learners with Disabilities
  • Scaffolding Language Learning
  • Promising Practices

A description of each module, frequently asked questions, and instructions for creating a user account and registering for the modules can be found in the documents listed below:

Access the modules: WIDA Early Years online modules (visit and create your user account)

If you are a program leader, administrator, trainer, or coach, we hope you will utilize these modules as a resource to support the professional learning needs of those serving multilingual children. The modules can be used in staff development sessions and/or shared with individual educators or teams of educators, such as professional learning communities.

Contact hours are available upon completion of a module. To receive a contact hours certificate, please download the certificate of completion generated by the WIDA Early Years online system and email it to april.perkins@maine.gov.

Additionally, the Department has purchased a set of WIDA Early Years Promising Practices Implementation Kits to assist districts in refining their programs for young multilingual children. These kits serve as a program self-evaluation tool, highlighting several evidence-based, highly effective strategies for supporting children’s development of multiple languages. Several districts with a significant number of dual language learners will receive these kits. A district that does not receive its own kit may request to borrow one from the Maine Department of Education.

WIDA Early Years resources have been provided to Maine educators through Title III, CDS, Head Start and public pre-k funds.

If you have any questions about these resources, or to request to borrow a WIDA Early Years Promising Practices Implementation Kit, please contact Maine DOE Director of ESOL/Bilingual Programs & Title III April Perkins at april.perkins@maine.gov or (207)624-6627.