Category: Newsroom Articles

Registration for Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference is Now Open

This year’s annual statewide Early Childhood Education Conference, Connecting Early Childhood Education; Birth through Eight Across the State has been organized through a collaboration of early learning partners, including the Maine Department of Education (DOE). The conference will be held on October 28th and 29th at the Cross Center in Bangor.

Breakout sessions for Pre-Kindergarten through 3rd grade educators will include a wide range of topics that focus on trauma informed practices as well as practical tools for supporting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging to foster communities. Other sessions will offer support on social-emotional learning through literacy and language, mindful leadership, building bridges with child care programs to ease the transition to Kindergarten, the power of play, early intervention for dyslexia, math for all learners and engaging with families. Speakers and presenters will focus on best practices in early learning for all those working with children from birth through early elementary years.

Information about sponsorship and/or exhibitor opportunities can be accessed here.

Come for one day or come for both!  Cost of attendance is $100.00 per person per day and will include a continental breakfast, lunch, a keynote address each day, over 50 breakout sessions from which to choose, an exhibitor hall, networking opportunities and chances to connect with peers.

How to register:

  1. Please visit the conference website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/maine-early-childhood-education-conference-tickets-347892053497
  2. Click on the green button that says Tickets and a pop-up window will open.
  3. This registration process will secure you a ticket to one or two days of the 2022 Statewide ECE Conference. Participants will select breakout sessions for the conference at a later date.

Please contact the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children with any questions or concerns related to registration by emailing info@maineaeyc.org  or by calling 207-747-2490.

For other questions, contact Maine DOE’s Early Childhood Specialist, Nicole Madore at nicole.madore@maine.gov.

EXTENDED DEADLINE – Job Opening for Continuous School Improvement Leader

The deadline for applying for this job has been extended to July 15, 2022.

The Maine Department of Education’s ESEA Federal Programs Team is seeking an energetic and experienced individual to serve in the role as a Continuous School Improvement Leader. As a member of the ESEA Federal Programs Team, the selected candidate will provide support, research- and evidence-based guidance to a team of leadership coaches serving principals of identified schools; support the formation of school leadership teams with necessary stakeholder representation; support the review and update of the consolidated needs assessment (CNA); guide the utilization of the updated CNA to create a strategic plan to inform areas of focus, support and additional funding; and utilize the continuous improvement cycle to conduct data analysis for intentional decision making in order to provide on-going support . This is a professional service position that directs and coordinates Maine’s Model of School Support as required within Title I under the Elementary & Secondary Education Act of 2015 (ESSA). The position is responsible for the administration, management, and evaluation of  Maine’s Model of School Support as approved under federal Title I statutory regulations. This work will include policy review, input and development as related to Maine’s Model of School Support under federal statutory requirements and adherence to. This is a contracted position.

REPRESENTATIVE TASKS:

  • Approve school strategic plan applications submitted for review/feedback in utilizing awarded funds in a necessary, reasonable, and allowable way;
  • Approve all school leadership coach timecards and travel reimbursement requests;
  • Determine on-going support and resources for School Leadership Coaches, building principals, and School Leadership Teams, based on policy and guidance for Title I School Improvement;
  • Identify agenda items and facilitate monthly meetings with school leadership coaches to develop resources and trainings to support identified schools;
  • Identify specific insight to guide the collaborations in decision making regarding the administration of the Maine’s Model of School Support for identified schools;
  • Determine specific data collection and analysis to identify on-going program refinement and continued improvement;
  • Determine specific policies and procedures directly aligned to Continuous School Improvement research- and evidence-based practices and suggest changes to these policies and/or procedures based on date-driven decision making;
  • Communicate directly and frequently with principals, district staff, and Maine DOE school improvement coaches, as needed, on issues related to the school and the district level support being providing by Maine DOE;
  • Monitor school improvement budget to include review and approval of school improvement project requests and invoices;
  • Review and analyze student achievement data, and use the results to assist principals, leadership teams, and school improvement coaches to improve and develop comprehensive school improvement plans as needed or requested by school leaders and coaches;
  • Provide support, conduct performance reviews, and provide self evaluations for Maine DOE school leadership coaches;
  • Visit identified comprehensive schools to provide technical assistance, collect data regarding program effectiveness, attend leadership team meetings with coach, and meet one-on-one with school leaders, as determined necessary.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED: These are among the requirements to successfully perform the work assigned

  • Knowledge of current research- and evidence-based best practices and exemplary educational practice in the education of the disadvantaged and the ability to interpret and apply information to current programs;
  • Knowledge of current and emerging federal laws, policies, rules and regulations regarding the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in particular School Improvement under Title I, including funding, compliance issues and evaluation issues;
  • Knowledge of the State’s assessment and accountability system including Maine’s Model of School Support;
  • Knowledge of continuous quality improvement and systems change concepts, practices, and tools;
  • Ability to assist in managing complex program and federal program budgets;
  • Ability to provide leadership to school leadership coaches and the Tier III identified schools they serve;
  • Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both in written and oral form;
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships;
  • Ability to analyze, interpret, articulate, and present technical information, concepts, policies, procedures, and practices;
  • Ability to communicate complex information effectively, orally and in writing, to technical and non-technical audiences.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  To qualify, candidates must have a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership or a field related to the position and experience in educational leadership. Preferred candidates will have experience in successfully supporting the administration of federal programs and budgets aligning to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

APPLICATION:  Please submit a letter of interest, resume, and three current letters of recommendation to Cheryl Lang at cheryl.lang@maine.gov on or before July 15, 2022.

Maine DOE Thanks Maine Educators Serving on Multi-State Alternate Assessment Item Review Committee

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) wishes to thank the ten Maine educators who recently participated in the Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) Item Review Committee in Minneapolis, Minnesota!

MSAA is Maine’s alternate assessment is based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) in ELA/literacy and mathematics, for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who have been found eligible by the IEP Team.  As a partner in the MSAA Consortium, Maine engages actively in the ongoing development cycle of this assessment throughout the year. As a result of this collaboration, Maine’s students with the most significant cognitive disabilities participate in state assessment that has been designed with input from the same dedicated and expert Maine educators who serve this population every day.

During the Item Review Committee, Maine educators served on panels to review proposed items for the Spring 2023 MSAA.  Items were reviewed for both alignment to content and potential bias and sensitivity issues. Panelists also provided critical feedback on the accessibility of items across diverse student populations.  During this experience, Maine participants collaborated with educators from across the MSAA Partner Entities: TN, AZ, MT, DC, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Department of Defense Schools, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

The expertise of Maine educators is critical to the development of the state’s alternate assessments. Their engagement ensures that Maine continues to strive towards high standards and achievement for all Maine students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

Many thanks to the following panelists for sharing their time and expertise during this review!

 

School Renovation Funding Available

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications to receive funding for school renovation projects through the School Revolving Renovation Fund (SRRF). The application deadline is October 31, 2022.

The Maine DOE will be able to approve approximately $10 million in SRRF loans. A portion of each loan will be considered a grant and will be forgiven. The remaining portion will be paid back over either five or ten years with no interest. The maximum loan amount is limited to $1 million per school building per priority in any five-year period.

Applications for Priority One projects will be accepted.  Priority One projects include indoor air quality improvement, structural roof repair, hazardous material abatement or removal, ADA compliance upgrades, and other health, safety and compliance renovations.

The SRRF application and additional information are available on the Maine DOE’s SRRF website. For more information or technical assistance, contact Ann Pinnette at 207-215-3809 or email ann.pinnette@maine.gov.

 

U.S. Department of Education Special Event: Reimagining Our Investments for Strengthening Educator Effectiveness

Many teachers in the U.S. are feeling stretched beyond their limits. In fact, one in four American teachers reported considering leaving their jobs by the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Overall staffing levels in schools are down across the nation, often forcing remaining teachers to “do double duty” to address student well-being and overcome the impact of lost instructional time. School systems are finding new and innovative ways to encourage, invest in, and lift up teachers across America by pursuing strategies to increase teacher collaboration, reduce teacher workload, attend to dimensions of teacher wellness, and enact inclusive practices to attract and retain high-quality teachers.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Effective Educator Development (EED) Division is hosting a special Powered by Teach to Lead event. This event will convene P-12 school districts focused on strengthening educator effectiveness through projects aligned with

  • increasing teacher collaboration through innovative scheduling,
  • supporting educator wellness using targeted practices, and
  • investing in a talented and diverse teacher pipeline.

What is Powered by Teach to Lead?

Powered by Teach to Lead events provide teams with collaboration time, skills development, and professional consultation to develop and refine innovative projects that can make a positive impact for educators and students in their schools, communities, districts, and states.

What are the benefits for teams attending this event?

  • Collaboration time to develop and refine a theory of action that addresses a challenge within a district, region, or state
  • Obtain the support of a dedicated “critical friend” to facilitate thinking and advance the project work
  • Build relationships with the U.S. Department of Education, other education partners, and innovative peers in the field
  • Participate in learning experiences related to implementation planning
  • Register at no cost and receive free on-site lodging

Who should apply?

  • Any team that has been engaged in innovative work for at least one school year is encouraged to apply HERE by 11:59 pm ET on July 15, 2022. Accepted teams will be notified by the end of July.
  • Teams must have 4-6 members, consisting of at least one teacher, and should represent the expertise, authority, and perspective required to do the work effectively (e.g., superintendent, principal, collective bargaining representative, curriculum specialist, teacher, board of education member, and other individuals with diverse perspectives).
  • The focus of the work may be at the school, district, or regional level, and must focus on one of these key areas:
    • increasing teacher collaboration time using innovative scheduling practices – for example, four-day school week, extended school day, professional learning communities, embedded professional learning, common planning time, and alternative approaches to the traditional teacher workload
    • supporting educator (teacher and principal) well-being using innovative approaches – for example, targeted efforts focused on dimensions of educator wellness (e.g., emotional, environmental, or social wellness) or inclusive practices
    • investing in a talented and diverse teacher pipeline – for example, diversifying the educator workforce, implementing grow-your-own programs and teacher residency programs, supporting teachers in earning additional certification in high-demand areas, and creating opportunities for teacher advancement and leadership

Event Logistics

  • Accepted teams will convene virtually in advance of the event for approximately 60 minutes.
  • The event begins at 1:00PM ET on Friday, September 16, and ends at 5:00PM ET on Saturday, September 17.
  • There is no registration cost for this event, and participants will receive free on-site lodging.

For more information, visit https://eed.communities.ed.gov/#program/2022-powered-by-ttl-special-event and please contact the EED Technical Assistance Center EED-TA@aemcorp.com. Submissions can be submitted HERE.

Job Openings for First4 AmeriCorps Program – Info Session 7/8

Child Development Services (CDS) in collaboration with Kennebec Valley Community Action (KVCAP)/Educare Central Maine are recruiting for the First4 AmeriCorps program.  If you know someone interested in working with young children please share the AmeriCorps information found at https://www.flipsnack.com/…/americorps…/full-view.html.

An information session will be held on July 8th at 8:30am – Interested people may register here. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please plan to attend the information session to learn more, meet current members, hear what they do in classrooms, and ask questions.

For further information please reach out to agiallombardo@kvcap.org.

Maine Students’ Software Design and Development Skills Showcased in Maine App Challenge

In a ceremony on June 18th, Tyler Technologies, Inc. announced the three winners of their 2022 Tyler Technologies Maine App Challenge. The contest provides students the opportunity to explore software design and development by using their creativity to design a mobile app. This year’s winners are Yuliya Buturlia of Scarborough High School, Frazier Dougherty of Yarmouth High School, and Ian Lajoie of Biddeford Regional Center for Technology. 

Buturlia’s first place app, ScheduleStorm, allows students to schedule meetings with their teachers, anytime and from anywhere. 

Dougherty’s second place app, Train ME 2, allows users to create customizable workouts or choose from a database of premade workouts. This inclusive workout app is for all activity levels and allows users to track progress and set individual goals. 

Lajoie’s third place app, Quick Work, helps users easily find videos and information from experts on how to troubleshoot problems with their vehicle.  

The winners received scholarships totaling $10,000, and the top 10 submissions receiving a guaranteed internship interview after their sophomore year of college. The first 50 submissions each year also receive a tablet, and the high school with the highest participation receives $500. 

More information about the Tyler Technologies Maine App Challenge and next years application can be found on the Tyler Technologies website. 

Get to Know the Maine DOE Team: Meet Jim Harford

Maine DOE team member Jim Harford is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Jim in the question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

I am a Maine Registered Architect working in the School Facilities and Transportation Department.  My title is School Construction Coordinator.  I am involved in the planning and construction of State funded school projects.

What do you like best about your job?

I enjoy working with my co-workers, and it is very satisfying after the years of effort it takes to design and build a school building to see it come to fruition and experiencing the excitement expressed when staff and students move into the new school and start the school year in a brand new facility.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I’ve always been interested in building things and architecture was always my first choice.  I’m not sure what I would have done if getting into an architecture school did not work out.  Besides working in architectural offices, in my younger years I also worked doing residential and commercial construction.

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

I always have home improvement and woodworking projects going.  I also enjoy gardening, playing golf, taking the dogs for a walk, watching the tides change, and reading.

Space Still Available for Leading Early Learning Series

Applications for the Leading Early Learning Series will be accepted through July 5.  School administrators who support the PreK to Grade 3 span are strongly encouraged to explore this dynamic professional learning opportunity.

Leading Early Learning—A Professional Learning Series for Elementary School Administrators

 “Participating in the series has helped me to look at the decisions we make about our instructional programming and school community through the lens of early learning and what is developmentally appropriate for our youngest learners.” – Quote from Cohort 1 participant

As Maine elementary schools have added preschool programming and are promoting whole child approaches across the Pre-K -Grade 3 span, elementary principals have requested professional learning to support their work as educational leaders.  The Maine Department of Education and several Maine educational organizations (listed below) have collaborated to design an exciting professional learning series to address identified needs and support professional growth.  The Leading Early Learning series was piloted with 16 administrators in 2021-22 and we are pleased to announce the second cohort for this series will launch during the 2022-23 school year.

The series will not only provide participants with opportunity to deepen their knowledge of early learning pedagogy and best practices related to supporting students and teachers across Pre-K-3, but it will also provide a professional learning network, opportunity to design a concept for an implementation project, and be supported through facilitated discussions.  Participants will engage in a variety of modes of learning, from asynchronous modules to professional learning communities to attendance at a statewide early learning conference.

If this opportunity interests you, please review the details for the series in the informational guide.  A link to apply for the series is included in the informational guide.  The series will support up to 25 participants.  Applications will be received through July 5, 2022. Once spaces are filled, a waiting list will be generated.

For additional information, please contact Lee Anne Larsen, Director of Early Learning at Maine DOE, leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Leading Early Learning Partner Organizations

  • Maine Department of Education
  • Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network
  • Maine Association for the Education of Young Children
  • UMaine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

MaineCare Seed Adjustments to be Made, Review Q3’22 Reports by July 15, 2022

The recovery of Q3’22 MaineCare Seed will occur in the July 2022 subsidy payment and the Maine DOE is asking Districts to review their reports by July 15, 2022 to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. SAU staff must review, and submit disputes and student by student claims on both the public and private MaineCare reports for Q3’22 by July 15, 2022.

To access the MaineCare Seed reports, please follow the instructions below.

  1. Log into NEO using the link below
    https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/neo/Dashboard
  2. Click on the Student Data tab
  3. Click on the Student Report tab
  4. Select MaineCare in the Reporting Area drop-down
  5. Choose the quarterly Seed report and the report type (private/public)
  6. save iconClick “view report” button
  7. Once the report appears on the screen, choose the export button.

You may export the reports to Excel but, please be aware that there may be multiple worksheet tabs within the workbook. Save the file to your computer.

To dispute a claim:

If you disagree that a particular student or time period should not be on the report, please send an email with the following information for each State Student ID to stephanie.clark@maine.gov.

  • State Student ID
  • The reason that you disagree
  • Identify the type of report: public or private
  • Quarter in which the claims are located
  • Service provided dates (From and To)
  • Total amount of Seed being disputed

Summer services:

Students must be enrolled for the time period they are receiving educational services. This means that students that are receiving extended school year services in district or extended school year services in an out of district placement must have a primary enrollment for that time period in order for the MDOE to have the most accurate enrollment data to determine SAU responsibility for MaineCare Seed.

If you have difficulty logging into NEO:

Anyone who currently has Special Education Director permissions to the Special Education module will automatically have permission to access MaineCare reports.
As in the past, if a new staff member needs permission to access this module, a request from the Superintendent to the Maine DOE helpdesk will be necessary. The helpdesk contact information is medms.helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-624-6896.

Please contact stephanie.clark@maine.gov for more information or technical assistance related to MaineCare Seed