Maine high school graduation rates continue to climb

The State Department of Education is encouraged by the increase, but says a wide graduation-proficiency gap and high college remediation rates show Maine schools must prioritize proficiency

AUGUSTA – Maine’s high school graduation rate continues to climb with 86.36 percent of all students who entered the ninth grade in the fall of 2009 earning their diplomas on time in 2013, but State education officials stress that proficiency must be the top priority.

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Maine DOL, DHHS collaborate on welfare-to-work initiative

Joint effort provides ASPIRE program participants with training needed for successful employment

AUGUSTA— Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Employment Services have launched a program designed to successfully transition those on welfare to meaningful employment.

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Maine DOE prepares to release school report cards, outlines changes

In an effort to expand the snapshot of a school the report card provides, the Department will add information about student poverty, teacher tenure and education levels, and funding

AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education has begun creating the 2014 school report cards that will be published in May.

For the second straight year, the Department will use existing school performance and progress data to provide the public a snapshot of how the state’s 600 schools are doing.

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Maine DOE opens registration for free online AP classes

The offering of free Advanced Placement courses through AP4ALL is another way the Maine Department of Education provides digital learning opportunities to all Maine students

AUGUSTA – Student registration is now open for free online Advanced Placement courses that will start next September.

As part of its commitment to providing digital learning opportunities to all Maine students, the Maine Department of Education’s AP4ALL program allows all high school students who are educated at the public expense access to the year-long online Advanced Placement courses. The Department also covers the cost of books and materials.

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Maine DOE releases elementary student assessment results

AUGUSTA – The majority of Maine’s elementary school students are still proficient in reading and math, but State Education Department officials say performance declines in all grade levels tested are a reminder of the importance of school-led improvement work continuing.

The performance of students in grades three through eight, as measured by the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) administered in October, comes just months after the Department announced proficiency in math and reading was on the rise again in Maine high schools, according to scores from the 2013 SAT.

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Maine DOE bridges transition to college, careers with $500,000 in grants

The funding will allow students to earn post-secondary credit while still in high school and develop technical and life skills for success in college, careers and civic life

AUGUSTA – As many as 225 students will earn approximately two semesters of college credit before they even graduate from high school, thanks to $500,000 from the Maine Department of Education to support the innovative Bridge Year Program.

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Schools to represent Maine at regional conference on educational innovation

PORTLAND – Three Maine schools and one Maine school district—Ellsworth High School, Troy Howard Middle School (Belfast), Westbrook High School and Regional School Unit 2 (Hallowell)—have been invited to represent their state at a regional conference on effective strategies for improving teaching and learning in the 21^st century.

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Maine DOE selects student artwork for MLTI screensavers

“Landscape” by Liam Reading, a junior at Bangor High School, is one of the 22 pieces of student artwork that will be featured as screensavers or background images on MLTI devices.

AUGUSTA – Twenty-two young Maine artists will soon have an audience of tens of thousands of their fellow students and teachers for their artwork.

A painting, drawing or photograph from each of the 22 artists representing a dozen schools has been selected to be displayed during the 2014-15 academic year on devices provided to schools by the Maine Department of Education through the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI).

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Education Commissioner applauds expansion of student learning opportunities

The Maine Charter School Commission voted today to approve the state’s first virtual charter school, which could begin start serving students this fall

AUGUSTA – Education Commissioner Jim Rier released the following statement today in response to the Maine Charter School Commission’s approval of the state’s first public virtual charter school.

The unanimous approval authorizes the independent Commission to enter into contract negotiations with Maine Connections Academy, which plans to start serving as many as 300 students from across the state this fall.

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Governor LePage proclaims February Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

Members of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, Family Violence Project and other violence awareness advocates joined the Governor as he signed the proclamation earlier this month.

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage has proclaimed the month of February to be Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. He recently joined domestic violence awareness advocates in his office to sign the proclamation and praised them for their work.

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