Maine DOE Update – April 4, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

REMINDER: Submit board decisions about school calendar revisions (including weather-related) to Maine DOE by May 30

The Department is asking Superintendents to submit any board decisions about revising the School Administrative Unit calendar, including the number of weather-related makeup days using the extended hours option, as outlined in M.R.S. Title 20-A Section 4801. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Registration Open for the 16th Annual MLTI Student Conference

Registration for the 2019 MLTI Student Conference, taking place on Thursday, May 23rd at the University of Maine campus in Orono, will be open from Monday, April 1^st until Tuesday, April 23^rd. | More

Important federal grants for local communities on school safety and security just opened, apply soon!

The Department of Education is committed to providing timely information and support to school communities, including federal grant opportunities, in the ongoing efforts to ensure safe schools in the State of Maine. | More

Maine’s National Board-Certified Teachers Celebrate at Pinning Ceremony

Friends, families, and colleagues throughout the state gathered at Cony High School to attend the ceremony, which was co-sponsored by the National Board-Certified Teachers of Maine Network and the Maine Education Association. | More

New Info-graphics for Schools and Communities on Electronic Nicotine Devices

At the Department of Education we recognize that schools across Maine are challenged on a daily basis with how to effectively address adolescent use of electronic nicotine devices. | More

Maine State Science Fair Showcases High School STEM Talent

The 73^rd annual Maine State Science Fair (MSSF), organized by The Jackson Laboratory and Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, was held on March 23, 2019, and included 250 students representing 36 schools in 13 Maine counties. | More

Maine DOE Employee of the Week: Jean Zimmerman

Health Education and Physical Education Consultant, Jean Zimmerman is the Maine Department of Education’s Employee of the Week this week. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Assessment Capable Learning for the 21st Century -Save the Date!

Join the Maine Department of Education as we explore knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are necessary for 21^st century careers and the intentional actions of educators to support students developing the skill and will to fuel their learning. Participants will delve into the principles of assessment capable learning as they examine strategies for building units of instruction that integrate multiple content areas. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Maine DOE Update – March 28, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Important Notice: Quarter 3 (Q3) Truancy, Behavior, Attendance and Bullying Data Review-due date approaches

The Department of Education offers quarterly windows for districts to review, for accuracy and comprehensiveness, the data that has been entered and reported to us. The fourth quarter review requires final certification for the annual data. | More

April 1 Attending Count

The April Attending Count Report will be available for districts to submit and certify, beginning on April 1^st. Once submitted, the Department of Education will then review the reports and approve them, or return them for further information or clarification. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Administrative Letter: Clarification Concerning Local School Bus Purchase and Bid

To assist and support school districts in their diligent work to purchase school buses, the Maine Department of Education is providing clarification concerning the process for districts to bid and purchase school buses. | More

Maine FFA State Vice President Promotes Student Leadership Opportunities at Maine Agriculture Day

Maine FFA State Vice President, James Hotham, joined representatives from a number of Maine agriculture and natural resources organizations in the Maine State House on Maine Agriculture Day, March 21, 2019. | More

1400+ Educators Convene for Regional PD “Rendezvous” Provided by Western Maine Education Collaborative (WMEC)

Educators from 13 districts throughout the western Maine region gathered at the University of Maine at Farmington last week to attend a series of professional development opportunities designed specifically for them. | More

2019 Maine State KidWind Challenge

More than 80 “windgineers” on 28 teams from York, Topsham, Winslow, Freeport and Portland took part in the 2019 Maine State KidWind Challenge on March 20, at Ocean Gateway in Portland. | More

English Teachers Gather at the Summit

Nearly 200 English teachers from across the state attended the Maine Council of English Language Art’s annual conference at the summit of Point Lookout in Northport last week. The conference began on Thursday with a celebration of poetry headlined by Maine Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum. | More

Commissioner Makin Selects Kelli Deveaux as Department of Education Communications Director

Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin announced today that she has selected former Westbrook High Principal Kelli Deveaux to serve as the Department’s next Communications Director. | More

Maine DOE Employee of the Week: Michael Ashmore

Michael Ashmore, Program Development & Training Officer for the Maine Commission for Community Service is the Maine Department of Education’s Employee of the Week this week. Get to know a little more about Michael. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Exciting Summer Agriculture Opportunity for Teachers!

Teachers of all grades: Looking for an exciting and informative summer opportunity related to agriculture? Consider the upcoming July 29 – August 2, 2019 “Agriculture for ME on Land and Sea” Summer Teachers’ Institute. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Maine DOE Update – March 21, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Graduation Reporting Phase One

Based on feedback from our school and district colleagues who have been responsible for the graduation reporting process in the past, we have divided the tasks into what we hope are more timely and manageable steps. We recognize the hard work being done to ensure accuracy of the data reported, and would like to offer technical assistance with the process of meeting this federal requirement. | More

MaineCare Seed Adjustments to be Made, Review Q219 Reports by April 12, 2019

The recovery of Q219 MaineCare Seed will occur in the April 2019 subsidy payment and the Maine DOE is asking districts to please review their reports by April 12, 2019 to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. SAU staff must review student by student claims on both the public and private MaineCare reports for Q219 by April 12, 2019. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Maine DOE to Host 2019 Farm to School Cook-Off

The Farm to School Cook-off showcases the culinary skills of school food service staff and students, while promoting locally grown products in school meals. Each volunteer team, consisting of one school food service staff and one student, will prepare a breakfast and lunch meal within a specific time frame using at least two ingredients that are grown, raised, caught, or manufactured in the State of Maine and meet National School Breakfast and Lunch Program requirements as well as one USDA food. | More

Nominations Sought for the 2019 Maine Curriculum Leader of the Year

The Maine Curriculum Leaders’ Association is excited to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2019 Curriculum Leader of the Year. | More

New Visual Tool Available to Help Communicate Purpose of the MEAs

With the upcoming MEA testing window opening soon, the Maine Department of Education has created a visual tool to help schools and districts when communicating with families and communities about the Maine Educational Assessments (MEAs). | More

Updated Language Use Survey Now Available

Through the concerted efforts and dedication of our English Learner Advisory Council, and with feedback from our colleagues in the field, the Department of Education has refined our statewide Language Use Survey. We believe these minor changes have created a more quality document that will aid in ensuring valid identification. | More

Maine DOE Employee of the Week: Nate Menifield

Visual and Performing Arts Specialist, Nate Menifield is the Maine Department of Education’s Employee of the Week. Get to know a little more about Nate. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

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Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Maine DOE Data Team Announces Annual Data Entry Training

August 6th thru August 15th, the Maine Department of Education Data Team will be hosting regional data entry trainings. This annual training is geared toward district and school level staff who are tasked with reporting student/staff data to the Maine DOE. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Maine DOE Update – March 14, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Reminder: Regional School Calendars Due May 3, 2019

School administrative units and private schools approved for tuition purposes are expected to establish regional school calendars, in coordination with their local secondary career and technical education school, by May 3, 2019. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

PRIORITY NOTICE: Information Regarding ESEA Dashboard and Implementation of the Federal Accountability Model Under ESSA

Data requests submitted to the Maine DOE by the February 8, 2019 deadline will be completed by Friday, March 15, 2019. The updated data sets will be uploaded to the ESEA Dashboard and provided to Superintendents for review on Monday, April 15, 2019. | More

Administrative Letter: Clarification on Requirement to Ensure Parents’ Meaningful Access to IEP Information

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 guarantees parents’ right to receive communication from their children’s schools in a language they can understand. The US Department of Education has provided guidance (PDF) clarifying that, “State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) have flexibility in determining what mix of oral and written translation services may be necessary and reasonable for communicating the required information to parents with limited English proficiency.” | More

Release of FY2018 Title IA Basic Disadvantaged and Program Improvement Funds for General Title IA Reallocation-Title IA FY2019 Summer School

The Maine Department of Education’s ESEA Federal Programs Title IA Office is announcing the availability of approximately $700,000 of FY18 Title IA Disadvantaged and Program Improvement funds for Title IA reallocation purposes. | More

FY2018/2019 Tribal Clean Diesel Funding Request for Applications (RFA) Changes; Deadline is April 3

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has combined fiscal year 2018 and 2019 Clean Diesel Grant funding into one Request for Applications (RFA). An additional $2.0 million in grant funding has been added to the already open FY18 Tribal RFA for a total of $4.0 million available. | More

School Safety and Security Bulletin: Fire Alarm Changes and Codes

Throughout the 2018- 2019 school year, the Maine Department of Education, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Department of Health and Human Services, Maine State Police, Maine Sheriffs Association, Maine Chiefs of Police Association, and the Maine Emergency Management Agency will provide tips and resource information to Maine schools to help provide some guidance for identifying signs and preventing school violence. | More

Nominations Now Open for Maine Volunteer Roll of Honor Awards

Volunteers are the heartbeat of Maine and it is volunteer recognition season. Nominations are currently being accepted for the Governor’s Service Awards, Maine Volunteer Roll of Honor and Young Maine Volunteer Roll of Honor. | More

Maine DOE Employee of the Week: Mary Adley

Mary Adley, Coordinator of State Agency Programs and Special Projects, is the Maine Department of Education’s Employee of the Week. Get to know a little more about Mary.| More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Maine DOE Update – March 7, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

PRIORITY NOTICE: Reminder to Review and Report any District Data Errors in 2019/20 Subsidy Printouts (ED 279s) by March 15, 2019

The Maine Department of Education would like to acknowledge the hard work of school districts in ensuring that the data they submit to the Department is as accurate as possible. Each year there are a handful of data errors that districts notice after the release of the ED 279 printouts and these can have a significant impact on subsidy. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

PRIORITY NOTICE: Maine Department of Education’s Position on School Mascots and Logos

Because our schools must provide safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environments, and because schools teach many lessons by example, DOE urges schools to refrain from using mascots and logos that depict Native American tribes, individuals, customs, or traditions.| More

Guidance Regarding Automated Translation/Interpretation Services

As Maine districts have experienced increasing numbers of students and parents who speak languages other than English, there has also been an increase in the availability of machine or automated translation/interpretation software and apps. | More

Resources to Help Schools Eliminate Browntail Moth Nests

The Maine Department of of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry has put together the resources and information below to help Maine schools eliminate Browntail Moth nests | More

National Congress on School Transportation Writing Committees Seeking Input

The National Congress on School Transportation (NCST) is accepting change requests from any interested party on the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures. | More

The Maine Association of School Nurses (MASN) is Seeking Nominations for School Nurse of the Year 2019

The purpose of this award is to recognize the contributions of Maine School Nurses by honoring one school nurse who has demonstrated leadership and excellence in the practice of school nursing. | More

Seeking Additional 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 additional schools that would like to implement the social emotional learning (SEL) program, Second Step, funded by a grant through MECDC. | More

Maine DOE Employee of the Week: Sarah Adkins

Sarah Adkins, Student Assistance Coordinator, is the Maine Department of Education’s Employee of the Week. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Somerset Valley Middle School Shares Recent Highlights & Successes

Somerset Valley Middle School is located in Hartland, Maine. It is currently grades 3-8. The district is in the process of consolidating due to a new high school/middle school construction project. | More

Senator King Visits LearningWorks Afterschool

Senator Angus King visited the LearningWorks 21st Century Community Learning Center Afterschool program in Biddeford on Friday, February 8th. | More

Windham Middle School Named a Common Sense School

RSU 14, Windham Raymond Schools, has been working very hard to help their students become responsible and safe in their digital lives. | More

The Five Town CSD and MSAD #28 Held the First Ever Remote School Day in Maine

This process began last summer when we convened a group of teachers representing K-12 staff to begin working on the idea. | More

Event Highlights from Downeast School and William S. Cohen School in Bangor

Highlights of great things happening in Bangor including the welcoming home of a deployed Military Service Member. | More

Dike-Newell School’s Classroom Buddy Reading Initiative Supports Literacy and Building Community

Dike-Newell School is a Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade elementary school of 250 students, located in Bath, Maine. | More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Maine DOE Update – February 28, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

The Special Education Staff Certification Report (EF-S-05 Part II) Open on March 1, 2019; Deadline is April 5, 2019

The EF-S-05 Part II Special Education Staff Certification report must be verified and certified by the Special Education Director in the Maine DOE’s NEO System. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Certification Processing Reduced to Three Weeks

The Maine Department of Education is pleased to announce that its certification office has reached its operational goal of a three-week turnaround time for processing educator certification applications that are complete. This is an enormous improvement from the significant processing times educators have been experiencing. | More

Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) Follow-up and Guidance for 2019-20

Thank you for the tremendous efforts put forth to complete a district level CNA during the 2017-18 school year. The intent behind this process was to streamline state and federal requirements into one succinct document to support districts in making data driven decisions. | More

Public Comments Sought on Maine’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B Application for Federal Funds

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking public comments on its annual application for federal funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which covers services to children with disabilities, ages 3-20. | More

Streamlining the Basic School Approval Process; New Release Date May 1, 2019

Based on feedback from schools and districts around the state over the past year, the Department is working hard to bring school administrative units a leaner and more streamlined school approval process. | More

Reminders for Storm Closures and Updated Guidance for Remote School Days

This school year, Maine has already experienced a number of weather-related school day cancellations. As in other recent years, this may cause some districts to exceed the number of storm days that were originally planned for in the school calendar. | More

Reminder of Cybersecurity Opportunity for Students

As a reminder, ‘GirlsGoCyberStart’, an exciting national program that uses online games of discovery to introduce high school girls to the cybersecurity field, is open for registration. Young women in high school who excel in the GirlsGoCyberStart game will have the opportunity to win scholarships and other prizes. | More

Maine DOE Employee of the Week: Adriane Ackroyd

Adriane Ackroyd, Maine Department of Education’s Food Service Program Coordinator is the Maine Department of Education’s Employee of the Week. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Awesome Things Happening at James F. Doughty School in Bangor

Mrs. Kathryn Kennedy of James F. Doughty School (JFDS) is one of eighteen educators from across America to have been selected to participate in Memorializing the Fallen — a teacher professional development program from National History Day®. | More

Caravel Middle School’s Top Priority is Doing What is Best for Students

In RSU 87 we work to provide the best possible educational experience to the students in our community. We support staff development in order to help our staff be as effective as possible in their position(s) and be responsive to students. We use a student-centered decision making model so that our top priority is always what is best for our students. | More

Madison Junior High School Provides Students with Quality Learning Experiences

Madison Junior High school staff, students, administration and parents work together to create a productive, positive, and rewarding atmosphere in which our students will learn and grow. We work hard to create lasting memories through quality learning experiences and special events. | More

Carmel Elementary School Shares their Success with One Book, One School Experience

Picture the combo gymnasium/cafeteria, typical of schools built in the mid 70’s. Enter one hundred fifty-three kindergarten through grade four students. Today, students efficiently organize into pre-determined discussion groups; they wait patiently, anticipating the work that is about to begin. They know how to do this work. One Book, One School has been part of the school community in one version or another for over a decade. There is an air of expectation and enjoyment in the gymnasium: purposeful talk is about to begin. | More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Maine DOE Update – February 21, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

EPS High-Cost Out-of-District Report (EF-S-214) Open for Reporting on March 1, 2019; Deadline is April 15, 2019

The EF-S-214, also known as the EPS High-Cost Out-of-District Report will be open for data entry to Maine public schools on March 1 in the Maine DOE’s NEO Portal. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

PRIORITY NOTICE: 2019/20 Subsidy Printouts (ED279s) Now Available with Explanation of Funding Changes

The fiscal year 2019-2020 ED 279 subsidy printouts are now available. The subsidy printouts are provided based on the $1.1 Billion in General Purpose Aid funding recommended for FY 2019-2020 by Governor Janet Mills in her FY 2020-2021 biennial budget. | More

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine Participates in National Cybersecurity Opportunity for Young Women in High School

To help educate more young women about the opportunities in the field of cybersecurity, Governor Janet Mills, the Maine Office of Information Technology, and the Maine Department of Education are promoting ‘GirlsGoCyberStart’, an exciting national program that uses online games of discovery to introduce high school girls to the field. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Oceanside High School, Setting Students up for Success

Submitted by Jesse Bartke, Interim Principal at Oceanside High School and written by Jenny Goode, GT Teacher and Hannah Faesey, Social Worker. At Oceanside High School in Rockland, a system has been established that supports students to build a foundation of success as they enter High School and then encourages them to challenge themselves and focus their education on individual passions. | More

River View Community School Takes the Kindness Challenge

Submitted by Vicki Duguay, Principal, River View Community School in MSAD 11. River View Community School in South Gardiner, part of MSAD #11, has taken a concerted effort to increase the kindness factor within our school. We believe that the promotion of kindness among our students and school community is vitally important to the atmosphere within our school. | More

MSAD 49 Partners with Harvard University School of Education

Submitted by Reza Namin, Superintendent of Schools for Maine School Administrative District 49. Under leadership of Superintendent Dr. Reza Namin, Maine School Administrative District 49 has implemented a partnership with the Harvard University School of Education. 47 teachers, staff, and specialists in 8 Professional Learning Communities are taking part in the partnership. | More

Healthy Decisions Day a Success at Maranacook Community Middle School

Submitted by Kristen Levesque, Principal at Maranacook Community Middle School. Healthy Decisions Day is an annual event at Maranacook Community Middle School, that is organized by the school counselor, Gwen Mohlar, with support from other staff. | More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Seeking Schools to Participate in “Youth Mindfulness” Opportunity

The Maine DOE has teamed up with OmKids and Radiant Beginnings to offer a 2-hour, in-person training on a video-based mindfulness and stress relief curriculum to support students’ and teachers’ emotional health. This opportunity is available to a small number of Maine schools that include PreK through grade 5 | More

Professional Learning Opportunity: Leveraging Free Technology to Create More Inclusive Classrooms

The Maine Department of Education and Microsoft are collaborating to offer educators the opportunity to participate in a program from March 2019 to June 2019. The program will focus on leveraging free technology tools available to Maine educators to create more inclusive classrooms. A Microsoft Learning Consultant will lead these sessions. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Maine DOE Update – February 14, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

School Safety and Security Bulletin: Planning for those with Access and Functional Needs

U.S. Department of Education Acts on School Safety Report Recommendation to Improve Understanding of Student Privacy Law

The U.S. Department of Education released a comprehensive set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on schools’ and districts’ responsibilities under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in the context of school safety. | More

Maine Seeks Qualified Peer Reviewers for 21st CCLC Grant Applications

The Maine Department of Education is seeking qualified peer reviewers to read, assess, and score competitive grant proposals for the 21st Century Community Leaning Centers (21st CCLC) Program. This federally-funded grant program provides opportunities for schools and communities to develop “community learning centers” that serve children and youth during out-of-school time. Maine currently has 32 grant-funded 21st CCLC programs operating 55 individual centers in communities across the state. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Mountain Valley Middle School (RSU 10) – A Safe Place To Learn

Mountain Valley Middle School in Mexico, is part of Regional School Unit #10, in the picturesque foothills of western Maine. At Mountain Valley Middle School, we strive to provide all students with a safe place to learn where all staff and students follow a code to be respectful, act responsibly, and do what is right, even when no one is watching. We pride ourselves on knowing where we need to grow and we all work toward becoming better students, teachers and learners. | More

From Early Reading Struggles to Bowdoin College: One Student’s Story in RSU#34

Reading Recovery is designed to help struggling first graders catch up to their peers in 12 to 20 weeks. Specially trained reading teachers work with students in a one on one setting to meet each child’s individual needs. In RSU #34, about three quarters of these students reach the average of the class by the end of first grade. But we often wonder what happens to these students as they move on. Here is one student’s story. | More

Thomaston Grammar School Shares their School and Community Success

Thomaston Grammar School, located in the Mid-Coast town of Thomaston, is a great place to be. Our K-5 school has approximately one hundred and eighty-five students, with two classes at each grade level. In addition to having a daily focus on mathematics, literacy, science, social studies, and health instruction, students also have weekly art, music, technology, SEL (social emotion learning), and physical education classes. | More

Happenings in Afterschool Programs for RSU#13

At Broadreach’s 21st Century Learning Center, providing afterschool programming for the towns of RSU#13, we are proud to announce that students from grades K-12 participated in their town’s local “Pies on Parade!” | More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Professional Learning Opportunity: Learning Design Lab at East Grand School

Maine Educators are invited to visit East Grand School in Danforth, Maine on Tuesday, March 5th, 2019, to join a Learning Design Lab lead by Kim Gray, a Kindergarten teacher, Jill Plummer, a Middle School teacher, and Jennifer Gilman, a 6-12 Mathematics teacher. This is an opportunity for educators to visit classrooms and talk with students and teachers about ways technology is successfully integrated into elementary, middle, and high school grades. | More

Bullying Prevention: Online Professional Development

Through a collaborative effort with Safe Schools, an industry leader in K-12 school safety, the Maine DOE is providing all schools free, equitable access to professional development that addresses Maine’s anti-bullying law. The professional development course, Bullying: Recognition & Response, specifically highlights An Act to Prohibit Bullying and Cyberbullying in Schools and addresses the proper use of Maine DOE’s model bullying policy and procedures, which can be found here. | More

Professional Development Opportunity: Fostering Musical Early Childhood Classrooms

The Maine Department of Education invites educators to be part of its upcoming professional development opportunity, Fostering Musical Early Childhood Classrooms. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Maine DOE Update – February 7, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

PRIORITY NOTICE: Data Submission Correction Process Now Available; February 8 Deadline

Recognizing the collection of attendance data remains relatively new to Maine schools and districts and in response to school and district feedback, the Maine Department of Education is pleased to provide an opportunity for schools to correct errors related to data in the following three (3) areas: | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Administrative Letter: Clarification Concerning Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

To assist and support school districts in their diligent work to document student Individual Education Plans (IEP), Maine Department of Education is providing clarification concerning least restrictive environment (LRE) and the calculation of the percentage of time that a child is with non-disabled peers (Section 9 of the IEP). | More

Maine Seeks Qualified Peer Reviewers for 21st CCLC Grant Applications

MLTI T-shirt Design Competition Accepting Entries Until April 12, 2019

The Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) has hosted a design challenge for years. Students were asked to submit original works of digital art that could be used as screensavers. Twenty winners were chosen, and those images were used as screensavers on thousands of student laptops across the state each year. This was a way to celebrate the varied ways students could create with the MLTI technology and share with others across the state. | More

Maine DOE Kicks off February ‘Read to ME Challenge’ at Young School in Saco

Maine Department of Education Commissioner A. Pender Makin along with students, educators, and administrators from Young School in Saco officially kicked off the Read to ME Challenge on Monday, February 4, 2019. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Rise and Shine Program Proves Successful at East End Community School in Portland

At East End Community School in Portland, 75-80% of the students receive free or reduced lunch, student mobility is about 50%—there are almost 150 new students that leave at the end of the year, with that same amount of new kids coming in the following school year. | More

Extensive Dual Enrollment Program at Maranacook Community High School Creates Opportunities for Students

At Maranacook Community High School, to best support our students and community we have worked to create the most extensive dual enrollment program in the state. Routinely each year, students from Maranacook graduate with an Associates Degree in Liberal Studies from Thomas College before they graduate from Maranacook Community High School. | More

Katahdin Schools – RSU 89 Shares Successful Outcomes from Recent Initiatives

I am excited to share the positive initiatives that are a part of Katahdin Schools and making a positive difference for students and their learning. This is my third year as a principal in Maine. Prior to moving to Maine I was a classroom teacher, instructional coach and principal in Philadelphia and its suburbs. | More

Erskine Academy Wins School Spirit Challenge Tournament of Champions by Raising a Record-breaking 196,969 Pounds of Food

Beginning in September, Erskine Academy committed to a challenging mission, once again, to collect food and funds to support the Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine (GSFB) by participating in WGME13/Fox23’s School Spirit Challenge Tournament of Champions. The School Spirit Challenge (SSC) is a friendly competition between schools to show school pride and spirit, all while helping the community. | More

St. George School Chosen as the School of the Year by the Maine Environmental Education Association

St. George School has been chosen as the School of the Year by the Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA)! In the award letter to the school, the MEEA wrote, “Your demonstrated commitment to creating authentic learning opportunities for your students and engaging them in their environment as well as your clear dedication to reaching into the community to create real world learning opportunities make St. George School a clear choice for this award.” | More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

New Webinar Recording Available for Administrators on the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Model Policy

The Children’s Safety Partnership is pleased to announce that the Maine’s Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Education Model Policy Overview Webinar is now available online. | More

2019 Winter Wellness Workshop Day: PUTTING WELLNESS CENTER STAGE

The Maine Schoolsite Health Promotion Program, a program of the Maine Department of Education is offering this professional development opportunity, 2019 Winter Wellness Workshop Day: PUTTING WELLNESS CENTER STAGE!, to support health promotion and wellness for staff and positively impacting school and student health. | More

Rural Maine Attendance Summit to be held April 11

Rural Maine Attendance is hosting small school districts from across the state for a day-long summit held at gather at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer on April 11th, 2019 with experts from across the state to talk about ways to improve chronic absenteeism in rural schools. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Maine DOE Update – January 31, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Certification Processing Times & Reminders

A huge thank you to the education field for their patience and understanding as the DOE has continued to implement enhancements to the new online certification system and enhance information found on the certification webpage. | More

PRIOIRTY NOTICE: Update Regarding the Release if the ED 279 Subsidy Printouts

The Maine Department of Education has been working as quickly and efficiently as possible to calculate and prepare the ED 279 Subsidy Printouts as we know that school districts rely on this information to set their local budget. | More

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

To kick off the 4^th annual Read to ME Challenge, Maine Department of Education’s Acting Commissioner A. Pender Makin will read to students at the Young School in Saco. | More

Teacher of the Year Nominations Open Until February 4th

As a reminder, nominations are still open 2019 County Teachers of the Year and 2020 Teacher of the Year. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate educators who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and nurturing the achievement of all students. | More

National School Counseling Week 2019 – School Counselors: Providing Lessons for Life

February 4 – 8, 2019 is National School Counseling Week, please celebrate your school counselor(s)! | More

Due Process Procedure Update

The Office of Special Services would like to inform school districts and parents that the Due Process Office has a new email address specific to special education due process issues. | More

Maine DOE Seeks Community Partners to Help Feed Hungry Children This Summer

With the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine public schools have long offered a nutritious breakfast and lunch meal program to thousands of income eligible children in Maine during the school year. To extend this program, Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition (Maine DOE) is seeking organizations who would like to participate in the federally funded Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which provides children healthy meals when school is not in session. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

RSU 9 – Mt. Blue Middle School Initiates “Strive for Five” Initiative to Improve Absenteeism

The Strive for 5 campaign at Mt. Blue Middle School was initiated after a routine end of the year audit on student data. After my first year as the principal of MBMS I wanted to see what our data, including attendance, said about my first year as principal. We reviewed academic, behavioral and demographic data to see deficiencies and strengths in order to create school wide goals. | More

RSU 19 -Newport/Plymouth Elementary School is Engaging Students and the Community in Unique Ways

One of the great things about being a part of the RSU 19 school district is the involved community that we are a part of. Getting to invite community members in to see the fantastic work that our students are immersed in every day is one of the ways that we can help celebrate our students’ success with the help of community members, creating memorable experiences for all. | More

Parent Praises Hard Work of Arundel CDS, Shooting Stars Preschool in Scarborough, and Young School in Saco

I am a parent of four children, three of whom were diagnosed with autism. Two of them are considered severe, nonverbal, but have done great so far, thanks to Child Developmental Services support in Arundel, our interventionist Linda Gatz who worked with all three of our kids. | More

Seeking Success Stories from Maine Schools

In an effort to help promote and highlight the positive stories, initiatives, and efforts happening in Maine’s local schools, the Maine DOE will be collecting and sharing stories from local schools and districts and sharing them in a new section of the Weekly Maine DOE Update called Maine Schools Sharing Success. | More

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Professional Learning Opportunity: Using Assessment to Strengthen Instruction

The Maine Department of Education is pleased to announce the next installment of its Balanced Assessment series: Using Assessment to Strengthen Instruction for high school grades. Participants will explore SAT data and methods to compare local data to determine instructional priorities. The workshops will be at USM, UMO, and UMPI. There is no cost for these events. | More

Upcoming Integrated Pest Management (IMP) Workshops

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry’s Maine School IPM Program has announced the Winter/Spring 2019 workshop schedule. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |