Lyseth Spanish Teacher Wins ‘Teacher of the Year’ Award

José Iván Sabau Torrelo, fifth-grade teacher in Lyseth Elementary School’s Spanish Immersion program, has been selected as Teacher of the Year 2021 by the Ministry of Education, Embassy of Spain. In recognizing Sabau Torrelo, the Ministry of Education cited an “outstanding” mystery-solving gaming project involving multicultural cooperation that he created for his students.

The project, titled Operación Museo, connected Lyseth fifth-graders with students in Spain at Colegio La Salle in Santiago de Compostela, and Colegio Montserrat Fuhem in Madrid. Sabau Torrelo “implemented gamification methodology to develop a mystery-solving story where students became detectives,” the Ministry of Education said. “Using a dynamic, cross-curricular and student-centered approach, students used their artistic and language skills and explored information about Spanish painters, like Miró and others, as well as geography, mathematics, physical education, and culture to solve the case.”

Sabau Torrelo explained that the two-month gaming project began with a message from a “police officer” asking students for help in dismantling a worldwide organization that was stealing famous paintings from museums. “First, they needed to go to the detective academy to get their licenses,” Sabau Torrelo said. “They needed to overcome many different challenges to do that. Once they graduated, they needed to crack codes, learn about painters and use logical thinking and skills to solve six different cases.”

The Ministry of Education praised the video Sabau Torrelo made about the project and also the project’s other aspects. “The visual and technical quality of Operación Museo’s materials is very high and demonstrates the great potential of numerous, valuable educational tools,” the Ministry of Education said. “The project’s elements combined to create a fun, creative, and engaging plot – full of humor and surprises to fuel students’ interest and attention. Mr. Sabau Torrelo’s students will remember Operación Museo forever and the Spanish teaching community will love the opportunity to learn more about this enriching project.”

“I feel honored,” Sabau Torrelo said, regarding the recognition.

Last year, Lyseth Elementary School won the Ministry of Education, Embassy of Spain’s School of the Year 2020 Award in the elementary school category. Lyseth, home of the only public Spanish immersion program in Maine, won for its “outstanding immersion program” and the school’s “enthusiasm and dedication to the Spanish language and culture.”

The immersion program was begun at Lyseth in 2014 with one kindergarten cohort. A new class was added each year. There is now an immersion classroom at each grade level from kindergarten through fifth grade.

Superintendent Xavier Botana said, “The Portland Public Schools is very proud of Iván for winning the Teacher of the Year 2021 award. His innovative Operación Museo project exemplifies his dedication to student learning. Spanish is the second most-spoken language in the United States and biliteracy in Spanish and English makes students attractive to colleges and future employers. We are very grateful to Iván and other staff at Lyseth for making the Spanish Immersion program there such a success.”

Lyseth Principal Lenore Williams said, “Iván has been steadfast in his commitment to ensure learning for his students is both engaging and interactive and connected to real-life experiences. His students are immersed in the target language and culture and they have content taught to them through an integrated teaching approach that unifies the arts, math, science, writing, and geography. “Operacion Museo” embodies Iván’s approach and beliefs about what and how students should experience learning.”

Carlos Gomez, the district’s Director of Language Development, said, “Engaging students is ‘profesor’ Sabau’s superpower! His creativity and energy help students to learn language while they learn content and culture, making for a rich, memorable and life-changing experience for his students and colleagues at Lyseth.”

Information for this article was provided by Portland Public Schools as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Visiting Teachers from Spain Program

Is your school anticipating difficulty in securing a licensed Spanish teacher for the 2020-2021 school year or beyond? Do you want to expose your students to a native speaker and cultural expert? Are you trying to figure out how to staff a Spanish immersion program? Then the Visiting Teacher from Spain Program may be just the answer!

Maine’s Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Education of Spain was created to promote strong cross-cultural ties between the citizens of Maine and the people of Spain and to help address the uneven distribution of qualified instructors of Spanish in our state. Under this agreement, educators from Spain can be brought to teach in Maine schools for a period of up to three years, (a two-year extension may be possible after the third year), depending on the availability of each individual teacher, his or her willingness to stay for an extended period, and the school districts’ interest in extending their visiting teachers’ contracts beyond the initial year.

Visiting International Teachers are licensed to teach in Maine while holding the cultural exchange status described above.

The process of securing a Visiting Teacher from Spain is comprised of a few simple steps. An interested school or public district must first determine that they have a guaranteed position. Teachers on J-1 visas cannot be procured for openings that are uncertain or subject to elimination or change. Next, a detailed application must be completed and signed. New schools or districts also must sign a program contract, indicating a commitment to abide by all of the program’s requirements.

Both documents must be submitted together to Maine DOE by April 15, 2021. Maine DOE representatives will conduct remote interviews with Spanish teachers and select a pool of highly qualified candidates whose skills and backgrounds may fit the needs of Maine schools. The next step is to put their visiting teachers under contract in accordance with any local bargaining unit agreements. Visiting teachers must receive the same salary and benefits that any other teacher would receive, based on their educational attainment and years of experience. Visiting teachers arrive in Maine in mid-August and undergo an intensive pre-service orientation provided by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Maine DOE prior to their arrival in their Maine communities.

Participation by the visiting educator in a strong, year-long novice teacher mentoring program in his or her school or district is a requirement for securing a teacher through this program. The school or district also should find a host family for the first one to two weeks that the visiting teacher is in the community and be willing to assist the teacher with all aspects of getting settled. Again, the application deadline is April 15, 2021. Please secure the approval of your local board of education/sponsor to hire a teacher from Spain before the April 15th deadline.

See the 2021 program brochure for more details.

If you have any questions, please contact April Perkins or Manuel Collazo:

April Perkins
World Languages & ESOL/Bilingual Programs Specialist
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333
Cell: (207)441-9043
Email: april.perkins@maine.gov

Manuel Collazo
Education Advisor
Embassy of Spain, Education Office
General Consulate of Spain in Boston
31 Saint James Avenue, Suite 905 Boston, MA 02116-3606
Email: manuel.collazo@educacion.gob..es
Phone: 617 678 5920
Skype: manuel.collazo_educacion

Opportunity for Partnerships with French Schools – Deadline 3/31/21

The Maine Department of Education is excited to announce an opportunity for middle and high school teachers to participate in cross-cultural partnerships with schools in France. This opportunity has been made possible through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Académie de Nantes, the governmental body overseeing education in the Pays de la Loire region of France.

The MOU aims to strengthen connections between Maine and France and improve the teaching of English and French, allowing educators and students to benefit from increased understanding and cooperation between the two cultures. Teachers from all content areas, not only French teachers, are welcome to apply. Schools will be partnered based on shared objectives and interests.

Schools that engage in partnerships will participate in joint learning projects with their French-school colleagues. A group of students within one class, a whole class, or multiple classes of students may be involved. Projects can focus on virtually any topic related to the curricula of the two schools (for example: school life and daily routines, natural environment, celebrations, cooking and culinary traditions, sustainable development policies, etc.). Students will demonstrate their learning through artifacts such as letters, emails, drawing, blog posts, video/audio recordings, essays, articles, or other creative means.

Applications are due by 3/31/21. Click here to apply. Partnerships will be confirmed by 5/31/21 so that initial contact can be made and schools may begin planning their projects for the fall. Note that participating in a partnership is a commitment, and our partner schools in France are eager to be matched with Maine schools that are willing and able to actively engage in collaborative teaching and learning. Partnerships may last indefinitely, with the willingness of both schools.

If you have any questions, please contact April Perkins, World Languages & ESOL/Bilingual Programs Specialist, at april.perkins@maine.gov.

Maine Educator Selected by U.S. Department of State for Prestigious English Language Specialist Project

The U.S. Department of State announced the selection of Maine educator Karina Escajeda of Maine for a five-month English Language Specialist project focusing on K4/K5 curriculum design and materials development for a new English immersion initiative in Curacao. She is hosted by a partnership between the Regional English Language Office in Panama, the US Embassy in Curaçao, and the Curaçao Chamber of Commerce. This project will involve researching and drafting curriculum by incorporating local knowledge and curriculum understanding from other countries and best practices given the goals of Curaçao. Escajeda is part of a select group, as her project is one of 150 that the English Language Specialist Program supports each year.

Escajeda is a K-12 ESOL educational consultant with over 20 years of experience teaching, training, presenting, administrating, designing curriculum, and writing reports for K-12 public and private schools in domestic and international environments. She earned a BA in formal linguistics and Spanish at the University of Southern Maine, TESOL at UCLA, K-12 teacher certification at CSU East Bay, and an MA and administrative credential in K-12 Educational Administration and Leadership at CSU Bakersfield. She also holds certifications in K-12 ESOL, K-12 Literacy, and K-12 Spanish. She received a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching fellowship to Greece in 2019-2020 to study community-based refugee integration initiatives. She is the program director for Capital Area New Mainers Project, a non-profit in central Maine that supports immigrants and provides educational resources to the broader community.

The English Language Specialist Program is the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. Embassies in more than 80 countries, English Language Specialists work directly with local teacher trainers, educational leaders, and ministry of education officials to exchange knowledge, build capacity, and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities in the United States and overseas.

Since 1991, the English Language Specialist Program has supported in-country, virtual, and mixed projects in which hundreds of TESOL scholars and educators promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through cultural exchange. During their projects, English Language Specialists may conduct intensive teacher training, advise ministries of education or participate in high-level educational consultations, and offer plenary presentations at regional, national or international TESOL conferences. These projects are challenging and those selected represent the best of the U.S. TESOL community. In return, the program provides professional development opportunities to help participants experience different cultures and build skills that can greatly enhance their TESOL careers at home.

English Language Specialists are counted among the more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Specialist Program is administered by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.

For further information about the English Language Specialist Program or the U.S. Department of State, please visit elprograms.org/specialist, contact us by telephone at 202-632-6452, or e-mail ECA-Press@state.gov.

New! Online Child Development Associate Training Available for Foreign Trained Professionals

Portland Adult Education and Opportunity Alliance have announced the launch of their new ELL Child Development Associate (CDA) Training. The training is a partnership between Opportunity Alliance, Portland Adult Education and the Greater Portland Workforce Initiative.

The CDA Credential is recognized nationally as the quality standard for training of professional early childhood teachers. CDA training helps teachers work effectively with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families in either a center-based or family child care setting.

This six-month training program is co-taught by a Certified CDA Instructor from the CDA Development Center and supported by an instructor from Portland Adult Education. Students will receive 120 hours of CDA instruction as well as support in English language, portfolio development, test-taking skills, and digital skills.

There are two informational sessions on Zoom: January 13th at 11:30 am and January 20th at 11:30 am (click on the date for the link).

Eligibility Requirements:

Target Population: Foreign trained professionals who have a background and interest in working in a child care setting
English skills equivalent to ESOL level 5 or above
Work Authorization is preferred
Meet income or other eligibility requirements to receive possible scholarships
18 years and older

More information is available in the Application form, Application Packet, and Flyer. For further questions, contact: Bridget Kahn Kahnb@portlandschools.org

Dec. 10 Webinar: Maine Ethnic Community Based Organizations Share Connection & Social Support Services Available During COVID-19

A coalition of Maine’s Ethnic Community Based Organizations (ECBO) will share the structure, content, and scope of the work they are doing to support their communities, particularly during the pandemic.

The presentation will provide an overview of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Social Services, including demonstrating how to make referrals for clients/students, what happens when there is an outbreak at school, and cultural brokering vs. Interpreter line.

The presentation will also cover the following topics:

Identifying communities to connect families with,
cultural differences to be mindful of,
describing support ECBOs can offer schools/ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teachers outside of COVID-19 work, and
provide an overview and the objectives of the NMEN (New Mainers Education Needs) Group and the Lewiston and Auburn taskforce.

The webinar will also provide time for questions and answers.

Details about how to participate in the webinar can be found below:

Date: Thursday, December 10th

Time: 3:00 PM

Register here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTrgYxcYZ8OtAsEUkw8o3VCdUNjYxOFJOUkdWOFZLSDBXNTMyNzNDWERTVC4u

If you have any questions, contact April Perkins, Director of ESOL/Bilingual Programs, at april.perkins@maine.gov.

Administrative Letter: Updated Remote Learning English Learner Identification Procedures

Administrative Letter: #28
Policy Code: IHBEA
TO: Public School Administrators
FROM: Pender Makin, Commissioner
DATE: August 5,2020
SUBJECT: Updated Remote Learning English Learner Identification Procedures

The Maine Department of Education has developed a revised process for the identification of students as English learners during the COVID-19 pandemic. This revised process will remain in effect during any period when there is an interruption in face-to-face school operations as a result of the pandemic. Federal law requires that all English learners be identified within thirty days of enrolling at the beginning of the school year, or within two weeks for students who enroll mid-year (Sections 1112[e][3] and 3113[b][2] of Elementary and Secondary Education Act).

Please note that English learner identifications made in other states are not recognized in Maine, and all newly-enrolling students must undergo the identification process required by the Maine Department of Education.

Under the previous provisional identification process provided by the Department of Education in response to the challenges faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students were screened for approximate level of English proficiency using a set of informal rubrics. Provisional English learner status did not require official English learner identification. However, under the new revised process, students must be officially identified as English learners in the student data system by inputting an EL Start Date. Any student who was identified using the provisional identification process previously in place must now be officially identified by adding an EL Start Date, which must be the date on which the informal screening occurred. It is essential that all students who are English learners have an EL Start Date by October 1, 2020, to ensure that accurate enrollment counts are used in the state funding formula.

In order to accommodate the varying needs of SAUs across the state, the new, revised identification procedure allows for SAUs to exercise discretion in determining which of the following screening methods is most appropriate for the specific circumstances of their communities at any given time.

Prior to administering an English language proficiency screener (whether face-to-face or remotely), schools must provide the Language Use Survey to the parent/guardian of each student to complete. The Language Use Survey may be mailed, emailed, or completed in-person, as appropriate. Note that some families may require translation and/or interpretation by a qualified professional in order to complete the Language Use Survey and/or the enrollment process as a whole, and these services must be provided by the SAU at no cost to the family.
All Language Use Surveys and English language proficiency screener score reports must be kept in students’ cumulative files.

Screening Method 1: Face-to-Face
If a SAU determines through consultation with various stakeholders (including school board, staff, and families) that face-to-face screening can be conducted safely, SAUs may opt to administer an English language proficiency screener per the usual identification policy. According to current CDC requirements for health and safety in schools, face masks/face shields, hand sanitation stations, frequent sanitizing of computers and other items and surfaces involved in screening, physical distancing, and use of COVID-19 symptom screening questions must be used.

If a parent/guardian or screener administrator is not comfortable with face-to-face screening due to concerns about virus transmission, it is advisable to offer remote screening as an alternative.

Screening Method 2: Remote
For students in grades K-12, screening may be conducted remotely (via phone or video call) using the WIDA Remote Screener. (For students in pre-K, please see the final section of this document.) Training for screener administrators can be found within the WIDA Secure Portal, and screening materials are available in WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS). If you do not yet have login credentials, please contact WIDA Client Services at help@wida.us or 1-866-276-7735.

Students who perform at the “developing” level or below will be officially identified as English learners in the student data system and must receive English language acquisition support services. Students identified as English learners must also participate in Maine’s annual English language proficiency assessment ACCESS for ELLs/Alternate ACCESS (when state-required assessment resumes as normal).

If a student performs at the “entering” or “emerging” level on the WIDA Remote Screener, no further validation of English learner status is required. However, when a student scores at the “developing” level, the student’s status must later be validated once face-to-face assessment is possible. There are two possible means of validation.

Validation Method 1: Face-to-Face Screening per Usual State Policy
When face-to-face screening can be safely conducted, a student must complete the regular screening assessment required by state policy. If the student performs below the identification threshold of 4.5, the student will remain in English learner status and no further steps are necessary. If the student performs above the identification threshold of 4.5, the SAU must submit a request for change in English learner identification to the Department. One request may be submitted for multiple students.

If requests for change in English learner identification are not received prior to the start of the ACCESS for ELLs/Alternate ACCESS assessment window (January 11, 2021), all identified English learners must participate in the ACCESS for ELLs/Alternate ACCESS, which will also serve as validation of the student’s English learner status.

Validation Method 2: ACCESS for ELLs/Alternate ACCESS
ACCESS for ELLs/Alternate ACCESS assessment window is scheduled to open January 11^th and closes March 5^th, 2021. If it is not possible to administer a face-to-face screening assessment prior the start of the assessment window, students’ English learner status will be validated via ACCESS for ELLs/Alternate ACCESS.

Assessment results will be available to SAUs in early May of 2021, so any student in English learner status must continue to receive English language acquisition support services until student performance reports are received and proficiency is confirmed. Students who receive an overall composite proficiency level of 4.5 or higher (or level P2 on Alternate ACCESS) will be automatically exited from English learner status by the Department.

In the event that state-required assessments are suspended for the 2020-21 school year, students will remain in English learner status until such time as either validation method can be utilized.

For assessment-related questions, please contact Jodi Bossio-Smith, WIDA Assessments Coordinator, at jodi.bossiosmith@maine.gov.

Identification of Students in Pre-Kindergarten
For students in pre-K, administering a remote screening assessment is not advised. Instead, as recent guidance from the US Department of Education permits, the Language Use Survey will be used to determine a student’s English learner status. If the Language Use Survey reflects a primary/home language other than English, the student will be temporarily identified as an English learner until validation is possible through an English language proficiency assessment (see validation methods 1 and 2 above). Educators must collaborate with parents/guardians in order to determine the type, frequency, and amount of English language acquisition support a student in pre-K will receive.

Re-entry of Former English Learners into English Learner Status
Students who have previously exited English learner status may experience a change in English proficiency level at any time. It is essential to monitor the performance of such students in order to ensure that any student who needs English language acquisition support services receives them.

Federal guidance recommends two years of intensive monitoring, but monitoring should continue throughout the rest of the student’s academic career. The federal guidance also includes recommendations on what the monitoring process should entail.

Given the unique and challenging learning conditions of the 2019-20 school year due to the pandemic, this fall it will be especially critical to monitor students’ performance and re-evaluate them for English learner status when appropriate, using the Maine Department of Education’s re-identification policy. It is recommended to allow a period of four to six weeks for students to re-acclimate to an English-speaking school environment before re-evaluating for English learner status.

If you have any questions about this notice, please contact April Perkins, Director of ESOL/Bilingual Programs & Title III, at april.perkins@maine.gov.

Free eWorkshops to Assist with Teaching Students who are English Learners

Educators in Maine now have the opportunity to participate in six, self-paced, on-demand eWorkshops developed by WIDA, a trusted name in the field of multilingual learner education and assessment. WIDA eWorkshops cover a range of topics intended for a variety of audiences, from K-12 classroom teachers, to ESL specialists, to district and school administrators. All eWorkshops are free and available when and where it is convenient to you!

The following eWorkshops are available in the eLearning Center of the WIDA Secure Portal:

Using the WIDA Writing Rubric
Leading for Equity: Classroom Walkthrough
Classroom Educators: Engaging Newcomer Multilingual Learners
Language for Learning in Mathematics
Doing and Talking STEM
Foundational Concepts for K-12 Educators

To access the eLearning Center, you will need a WIDA Secure Portal account. Contact WIDA customer service at help@wida.us or 1-866-276-7735 to set up your account. If you have any questions about this notice, please contact April Perkins at april.perkins@maine.gov or (207)624-6627.

Get to know the DOE Team: Meet Megan Dichter

Maine DOE team member Megan Dichter is being highlighted this week as the part of a Get to know the DOE Team campaign! Learn a little more about Megan in the brief question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

I am the Workforce Development Coordinator for Adult Education, so I support adult education programs in offering industry recognized credentials and workforce training to adult education participants. I am also the CASAS (the math and reading assessment used by Adult Education programs) state trainer. Additionally, I have a background in teaching English to non-native speakers and also support adult education programs working with students learning to speak English.

What do you like best about your job?

I enjoy the variety of my work and that it allows me to continue to teach (in the form of training,) and learn daily. And of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the amazing Adult Education team with whom I work.

How or why did you decide on this career?

After college I volunteered with an organization called WorldTeach and spent two years in Thailand teaching at a University. That experience helped shape my career path and I returned to the U.S and enrolled in an M.Ed program- the rest is history.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

I am an avid photographer and spend a lot of my free time doing documentary photography. I love the challenge of visual storytelling.

MORE Webinars to Assist with Data Submission!

To assist those who are responsible for the important task of reporting data to the Department of Education, the DOE Data Team will be holding two webinars on Tuesday September 24^th.

English Learners (EL) Webinar September 24th from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

This webinar will focus on required data submissions for students who are English Learners. If you are tasked with submitting student data for English Learners, you are encouraged to attend. If you have any questions, comments or concerns in regards to this webinar, please do not hesitate to contact us at the MEDMS helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@Maine.gov or (207) 624-6896.

Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8362249225049745165

Webinar ID: 597-624-635

Private School Oct. 1st Resident Enrollment Report (EF-M-13) Webinar September 24th from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

This webinar will focus on the Oct. 1st Resident Enrollment Report (EM-F-13), which should be completed and submitted by Private Schools. If you are tasked with submitting the Oct. 1st Resident Enrollment Report (EM-F-13), you are encouraged to attend. If you have any questions, comments or concerns in regards to this webinar, please do not hesitate to contact us at the MEDMS helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@Maine.gov or (207) 624-6896.

Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5395788843542832909

Webinar ID: 646-963-635