WHY DATA MATTERS: SAU Leaders Invited to Train and Talk!

Are you a school or district leader who wonders why the Department of Education collects certain data sets, and what they are used for? Have you ever wanted to have a frank discussion with the DOE’s Data Team about the data collections and how they could be improved? Charlotte Ellis, the Maine Department of Education’s Data Manager will be hosting open discussion sessions throughout the state during the first two weeks of August. These sessions will be held from 1-3pm in the same locations as the MDOE Data Team Summer Trainings.

The sessions will be geared toward each location’s participants, and the topics they have indicated interest in during the registration process. Please use the following link to register and select the topics for the session you wish to attend. Tip – if you have any interest in a topic, please move the indicator bar. Leaving the bar in the middle without moving it registers a null response.

https://mainedoe.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8owiimlOciexsEt\

Dates and Locations – all sessions 1-3PM

August 6, Caribou High School

August 7, Brewer High School

August 8, Ellsworth Elementary/Middle School

August 12, Cony High School (Augusta)

August 13, Mt. Blue High School (Farmington)

August 14, Mt. Ararat Middle School (Topsham)

August 15, Buxton Center Elementary School

Please contact Charlotte Ellis with any questions at Charlotte.ellis@maine.gov 207-624-6696 or 207-485-3445

Public Preschool Annual Report due July 31, 2019

In the event that you missed the announcement of the Public Preschool Annual Report, this is a friendly reminder that the report is now available and due to the Department of Education no later than close of business on July 31, 2019. All public preschool programs are required to complete the Public Preschool Annual Report.

If you accidentally submit the report before finalizing, please email Nicole Madore for a link to access and continue your work.

A preview of the report can be found here.

Before you start the survey, the following information will be useful to have available:

Information related to staff turnover
Program operation:
- Hours/day
- Days/week
- Any major changes to the program including but not limited to:

- - partners
  - curriculum
  - location

Successes/challenges experienced over the course of the year
Student attendance-

- percentages for Free & Reduced Lunch
- chronic absenteeism
- transient students

Student’s identified for additional support:
- English Learners- screening process
- Individualized Education Plan (IEP) information including but not limited to:

- - referrals
  - active identifications
  - no longer qualify

Student growth in all learning domains

Any questions should be directed to Nicole Madore at Nicole.madore@maine.gov or 624-6677.

Certification Renewals Due July 1, 2019: Update

At this time 57% of those with certifications that were set to expire on July 1 have submitted their renewal application and materials. To avoid complications and delays, SAU leaders are encouraged to check the certification portal, to ensure your staff members hold valid certification. Educators can easily check their current certification status by following the directions on how to create an account, and further information on the renewal process can be found here. For assistance, please contact our certification team at cert.doe@maine.gov or by phone: 207-624-6603.

Maine School Counselors Attend Annual Conference in Boston

70 school counselors from Maine attended the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Annual conference in Boston from June 29 – July 2 for an opportunity to network with school counselors from across the country, hear from inspirational keynote speakers, and attend an array of breakout sessions to explore hot topics in the school counseling profession.

Conference participants came back with information about developing and designing the elements of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program, which includes aligning lessons to the ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors Standards, collecting and analyzing attendance, academic and discipline data, and collaborating with district and school staff on multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS).

A wonderful example of Maine’s outstanding school counselors striving to ensure that all students are provided with the programming they need to address social emotional learning, college and career readiness, and academic supports and interventions.

The images below were graciously provided by Bonnie Robbins from RSU 16, Jennifer Simmons from MSAD 5, and Sarah Adkins from the Maine DOE.

School counselor poses with conference poster.

School counselor poses for picture at conference

Two counselors pose together at conference with their name badges

two pose for picture with conference agenda picture

group picture

Maine FFA Joins Forces with Other New England States

On June 25-30, 2019, three student State Officers of the Maine FFA Association (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America”) joined 23 of their counterparts from the other New England States for a regional leadership training held for the first time at Northern Vermont University (NVU) in Lyndon. Most costs for this event were generously supported by a grant from the AgEnhancement Program of Farm Credit East, along with additional funding by Farm Credit East and by Yankee Farm Credit. Maine FFA State Officers Graham Berry (President), Camryn Curtis (Vice President) and Ava Cameron (Secretary-Treasurer), were eager to gain leadership skills for the coming 2019-2020 school year. They traveled to Vermont with State FFA Advisor Doug Robertson, from the Maine Department of Education. On the way, they had the chance to experience the agriculture of Vermont, including a visit to Shelburne Farms, a 1,400 acre historic agricultural education facility on the shores of Lake Champlain, dating from the 1800s.

The purpose of the training was to prepare State FFA Officers to serve nearly 7,000 FFA members, grades 7 to 12, in the six New England States. As representatives of one of the largest student leadership organizations in the country, State FFA Officers are expected to organize leadership workshops, conferences and other events for their membership, composed of students studying subjects related to agriculture and natural resources, whether through middle/high school science curricula infused with agriculture topics, or through technical programs in areas such as horticulture, forestry, landscaping, natural resource management, and outdoor leadership.

In Vermont, three National FFA facilitators from California, Kentucky and Oregon led training sessions on areas related to Communication Skills and Workshop Development/Delivery, helping student State FFA Officers begin to create their own workshop sessions to bring back to their home states. Training logistics were overseen by host Vermont FFA Executive Director Suzanne Buck and Maine FFA State Advisor Doug Robertson. To complement their formal training, State FFA Officers also participated in hands-on teamwork/leadership training on NVU’s high and low ropes courses, successfully undertaking team and individual challenges. Students interviewed a local Lyndonville Institute agriculture teacher, observing his students’ projects related to gardening and maple syrup production, and learned more about opportunities in the agriculture industry through guest speakers from Case New Holland Tractors.

State FFA Officers commented on the high quality of their National FFA facilitators, the idyllic setting of NVU, with its excellent food and amenities, and the overall effectiveness of the training program and learning environment. They left the training with increased confidence and excitement to serve FFA members in the coming year, along with strong personal connections to their New England peers, whom they will next see at events in Massachusetts, Washington, DC and Indianapolis.

Vermont Regional New England FFA Training Group (Maine Officers Ava Cameron and Camryn Curtis on right, with Graham Berry behind them)

High Ropes New England FFA Group

Belaying students on high ropes (Graham Berry, foreground)

New England FFA Officers collaborate on low ropes activity (Maine FFA State President Graham Berry back left)

Workshop Session – Maine and Rhode Island FFA Officer Teams working with National FFA Trainer Alex Morrissey

Maine FFA State Officer Team – Camryn Curtis (Vice President), Graham Berry (President), Ava Cameron (Secretary-Treasurer)

Shelburne Farms, agricultural education facility and National Historic Landmark in Shelburne, Vermont.

Those wishing to learn more about Maine FFA, including the possibility of connecting with an existing FFA chapter or beginning a new one, should contact State FFA Advisor Doug Robertson: doug.robertson@maine.gov, (207) 624-6744.

Etna-Dixmont School Selected For Program to Grow School-wide Farm to School Initiatives

Submitted by Jane P. Stork, Principal, Etna-Dixmont School.

Pictured: Etna-Dixmont Farm to School Team (left to right) Jane P. Stork, Principal; Caitlyn Barker, fourth grade teacher; Ryan Parker, RSU 19 School Board member and designing and Maine FoodCorps Manager; Colleen Tibbetts, Food Service Manager; Anne Carney, third grade teacher; John Thurston, Maine Farm to School coach. Very Important Members of the EDS FTS Team not present: Meghan Baker, school social worker; Mark Guzzi, parent and co-owner of Peacemeal Farm with Marcia Ferry; and Dan Soucy FoodCorps Service member.

The Etna-Dixmont School was selected as one of twelve Northeast school teams to attend the 2019-20 Northeast Farm to School Institute. Shelburne Farms and NOFA-VT offer this year-long professional development program through their Vermont FEED initiative to support selected schools in implementing effective, school-wide Farm to School (FTS) programs—programs that create a culture of wellness, improve food quality and access, engage students in agriculture and nutrition education, and strengthen local food systems.

Thirty million students participate in the National School Lunch Program daily. Lunch shaming, rising school lunch debts, and highly processed foods are trending topics about school cafeterias in today’s media. But school meal programs can—and have—improved, and when FTS is part of those improvements, meal participation increases by 17%. FTS connects schools with their local producers and facilitates getting fresh, whole foods on the lunch tray. As more students eat school meals, school meal program revenue increases, and more local food can be purchased, providing all kids with the chance to participate in the local food system.

This year, Congress will be debating reauthorization of the national Child Nutrition Act, also known as the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (CNR). The legislation supports FTS grants to projects like the Northeast Farm to School Institute. The Institute brings selected school teams together for a three-day intensive to build a FTS action plan for their school community. Then, with the support of a coach, they spend the next year putting their plans into action and implementing new programs like farm visits, gardening and cooking activities, serving seasonal foods in the cafeteria, and offering food-based, hands-on science, math, and literacy lessons. Over nine years, the FTS Institute has supported programs at 97 schools and districts, impacting over 102,000 Northeast students.

The twelve teams selected for the 2019-20 Northeast Farm to School Institute were: Academy School, Brattleboro, VT; Berne-Knox Westerlo Central School District, Berne, NY; Etna-Dixmont School, Etna, ME; Innovation Academy Charter School, Tyngsboro, MA; Janet S. Munt Family Room, Burlington, VT; Naugatuck Public Schools, Naugatuck, CT; Providence Public School District, Providence, RI; Robert V. Connors Elementary School, Lewiston, ME; Russell I. Doig Middle School, Trumansburg, NY; Williamstown Middle/High School, Williamstown, VT; Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union, Hartland, VT; Windham Northeast Supervisory Union, Westminster, VT.

The Etna-Dixmont School is fortunate to be situated on over 100+ acres of land that consists of fields, woods and wetlands. In the spring of 2015, the Etna-Dixmont School received a grant that supported the beginnings of our school garden. A quarter acre of field next to the school was rototilled and prepped for planting. Over the last five years, students, staff and community members have helped plant vegetables, wildflowers and cover crop.

Shelburne Farms is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to cultivate and inspire learning for a sustainable future. That means learning that links knowledge, inquiry, and action to help students build a healthy future for their communities and the planet. Through our participation in the 2019-20 Northeast Farm to School Institute and our work with our Maine Farm to School coach, John Thurston, and FoodCorps Service member, Dan Soucy, our goal is to establish a comprehensive and sustainable garden to table program. We are committed to providing students with the opportunity to participate in project-based learning and to gain a deeper knowledge about how to become a healthy school while becoming responsible and productive citizens.

Maine DOE Data Management Systems Summer Training

The Maine Department of Education Data Team is holding their annual summer training during the first two weeks of August. The focus of the training this year will be on tips and resources to assist districts with their data reporting and viewing/certifying their reports. The sessions will be focused on sharing resources to assist districts with the data tasks required.

Training Dates and Locations

August 6, Caribou High School, 308 Sweden St Caribou, ME 04736

August 7, Brewer High School, 79 Parkway south Brewer, ME 04412

August 8, Ellsworth Elementary/Middle School, 20 Forrest Avenue Ellsworth, ME 04605

August 12, Cony High School, 60 Pierce Drive Augusta, ME 04330

August 13, Mt. Blue High School, 129 Seamon Rd Farmington, ME 04938

August 14, Mt. Ararat Middle School, 66 Republic Avenue Topsham, ME 04086

August 15, Buxton Center Elementary School, 912 Long Plains Road Buxton, ME 04093

All sessions will begin with registration at 8:30, with presentations beginning at 9. We will serve a light lunch and will finish no later than 4:00. Coffee and water will also be provided throughout the day.

Agenda for each session:

The following is the daily agenda for this year’s summer data trainings Please note that these times are tentative and are subject to change. Thank you.

8:30 – 9:00 – Check-in, Meet & Greet, Welcome
9:00 – 9:30 – Why Data Matters – Charlotte Ellis and Paula Gravelle
9:30 – 9:45 – A.C.T. & Data Security – Ryan Cunningham
9: 45 – 10:15 – Web Page, Helpful Resources & What’s New for 2020 – Ryan Cunningham
10:15 – 10:30 – DC&R and Maine Schools/Approvals – Kathy Warren
10:30 – 10:45 – Break
10: 45 – 11:30 – NEO Staff Module & MEIS – Drew Mitchell
11: 30 – 12:45 – Synergy – Michael Mikrut
12:45 – 1:30 – Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 – Graduation/Student Reports– Trevor Burns
2:30 – 3:00 – Behavior/Bullying/RAS – Sarah Adkins
3:00 – 3:30 – Truancy – Gayle Erdheim
3:30 – 4:00 – Closing – Questions, Comments and Concerns

To register for the training, please visit Summer 2019 Training Registration.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding these training sessions, please contact Ryan Cunningham Maine DOE Data Systems Helpdesk Manager at (207) 624-6809 or Ryan.L.Cunningham@maine.gov.

WCC Washington County Educator Profile: Lynn Mitchell

Submitted by Sarah Woog from the The Washington County Consortium.

Meet Lynn Mitchell, Passamaquoddy Culture and Language Teacher at Calais High School.

Have you ever considered learning Passamaquoddy? If you are not Native, does this question give you pause? Have you ever wondered if learning the Passamaquoddy language and culture is an endeavor you should or could have access to? According to Lynn Mitchell, yes and yes.

Lynn Mitchell is the Passamaquoddy Culture and Language teacher at Calais High School. She’s been teaching Passamaquoddy Culture and Language to Native and non-Native students at Calais for four years. Lynn believes her class bridges divides between Native and non-Native communities, creates a shared experience, and develops empathy and deepens ties between the communities. Lynn isn’t the only person at Calais High School who believes this. Her passion reverberates throughout the school.

Mary Anne Spearin, Principal at Calais High School, recommended I profile Lynn for this month’s newsletter. Mary Anne said, “Her love for all students became apparent during our Blue and White review when Lynn presented her academic awards. She became emotional when referring to the ever strengthening connection between the Calais High School students and staff and the Passamaquoddy culture, traditions, and language, stating it had been a long time coming.” In our divisive times, these connections are so important in our shared quest for a more kind and just world. And Lynn is building more connections, too.

Lynn recently visited a fifth grade classroom in Norridgewock, Maine. She arrived at 10:30 AM and spent the rest of the school day with the class. She taught the young people and teachers about her people, the First People, about their language and traditions, and their existence as people, not as caricatures or mascots. Lynn is clearly committed to creating bridges, and I admire the love with which she builds them.

Lynn teaches with love too. I asked her the best part of teaching and she didn’t miss a beat- the kids. She smiles when she talks about the games she uses to engage them, about the challenges of differentiation, about the student who told her he wanted to be a linguist because of her class.

Lynn learns with love. She is finishing her coursework in Education at the University of Maine at Machias next year. She told me she’s grateful for the experience, is excited for the credential, but especially appreciates the knowledge and skills she is acquiring that supports her work in the classroom. She loved the coursework that taught her about unit design and lesson planning. Lynn has created the curriculum and content she is using in her classes. The frameworks and planning processes she’s learned have allowed her to offer a course that always has a waitlist.

Two more loves of Lynn: working at Maine Indian Education, and her husband, Dana Mitchell. Lynn is proud of her 32 years at Maine Indian Education. She and her husband were actually married at the Wabanaki Culture Center, where Maine Indian Education is located. Dana also works for Maine Indian Education, at Beatrice Rafferty School, and has his own illustrious career in service to Native students that would require another profile to do justice. Lynn loves that her husband “supports everything I do.” Knowing Dana and Lynn, his support of Lynn is unwavering, but it’s also worth noting that he supports the spirit of her work, and shares her passion for teaching, learning, and building community.

I’ll end here with a quote from Lynn: “It is a passion of mine to advocate for our beloved Passamaquoddy culture and language and to educate not only our children from the reservation, but all children.” Do you share Lynn’s passion for educating children? Do you want to provide your students with increased opportunities to authentically learn about Passamaquoddy culture and language in your classroom? If so, reach out to Lynn (mrslynn.mitchell@gmail.com), and build another bridge together.

Student Written Song Brings Together Three Maine Communities

Submitted by Connie Carter, Operation Breaking Stereotypes.

Students from Indian Island School, Leonard Middle School, and Orono Middle School partnered with Operation Breaking Stereotypes to break stereotypes about the three communities and to work together to connect the towns in positive and productive ways. Their result was to write a song that connects the three communities and highlights positive aspects of each town. Their hope is that the song will inspire people to look beyond stereotypes to the power of working together.

Operation Breaking Stereotypes is a non-profit committed to facilitating the ongoing quest for knowledge and social justice through short-term exchanges between middle and high school students in Maine and New York City.

Employee of the Week: Trevor Burns

Student Data Coordinator, Trevor Burns is being highlighted this week as the Maine DOE’s Employee of the Week! Learn a little more about Trevor in this brief question and answer:

What are your roles with DOE?

I am the Student Data Coordinator. I maintain student enrollment information to make sure there are no data anomalies within the system as well as to ensure all is accurate and correct. I also handle some reports done by the field throughout the year. Some of those reports include Graduation reporting, Quarterly Attendance reporting, October EPS reporting and Adult Education EF-M-39.

What do you like best about your job?

I enjoy seeing and learning more about the school system I grew up in myself. I am learning lots of things about schools and districts that I had only heard about growing up through my district of RSU 57. I actually didn’t know where most districts were even located in the state prior to starting at the MDOE.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I had just graduated from the University of Farmington with a degree in Actuarial Science. Looking for an internship; I had signed up for the Margaret Chase Smith Internship program, where they had selected me for a Data Analyst role. After spending some time in the internship, I had learned that I really enjoyed working with Data. Actuaries are known to work with and around data similar to data analysts, but the data analyst role focuses more primarily on the things I like; Data.