08; webinar training available for new collection process

The Maine Department of Education (Department) has modified the data collection process for graduation reporting which will impact the process for collecting the 2017-2018 graduation data. The graduation data is due for submission in the Maine DOE’s NEO System on June 8, 2018, and needs be certified by June 15, 2018.

The new process has been designed to give districts that operate high schools a procedure to edit the first three years of their cohort data for the 2017/2018 graduation cohort.

The new process is now open for reporting. There will be two scheduled webinar trainings on Monday May 14, 2018 to assist data coordinators and others in completing this report:

Please note: both training sessions will be recorded and available to view at your convenience, at a later date.

Update for Returning Users – 4 Year Graduation Process
Date: May 14, 2018
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Description: This session is for those familiar with the overall graduation process in NEO. The session will concentrate on the new process only. Please note that those new to NEO graduation processing may attend this session as well.
Registration link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2259395630371646465
Webinar ID: 719-861-043

New Users – 4 Year Graduation Process
Date: May 14, 2018
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Description: This session is for those who are just starting with NEO’s graduation system overall, and will include guidance on both the graduation module and the new collection process for 2017/2018. However, if you are familiar with NEO graduation processing, you may attend this session.
Registration link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1423731608889969409
Webinar ID: 108-457-627

Download guidance for the new graduation process: http://maine.gov/doe/data/documents/April_Grad_Training_Doc.pdf

Learn more about the changes to graduation reporting.

To gain access to the graduation module in NEO contact the MEDMS Helpdesk or call 207 624-6896. For assistance with the graduation module contact Travis Wood or call 207 624-6742.

Federal grant to promote safe communities now open for higher education

Institutions of higher education are eligible for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Community Policing Development (CPD) Program. Applications are due by June 7, 2018 at 7:59 p.m. EDT.

The 2018 Community Policing Development (CPD) program will fund projects that develop knowledge, increase awareness of effective community policing strategies, increase the skills and abilities of law enforcement and community partners, increase the number of law enforcement agencies and relevant stakeholders using proven community policing practices and institutionalize community policing practice in routing business.

Information and application instructions are on this website: https://cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=2450

2018 Summer Literacy Institute

The Maine Department of Education invites educators to register for the 2018 Summer Literacy Institute. Proven Practices: Accelerate Student Literacy with Visible Learning is a two-day event that builds from Dr. John Hattie’s ground-breaking research which identifies effectiveness of strategies and influences on education. Drawing from materials developed by Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey, certified consultants Marisol Thayre and Olivia Amador-Valerio will help participants better understand how to:

apply the most effective Visible Learning practices highlighted by John Hattie’s research;
enhance close reading and small group instructional practices to honor surface, deep, and transfer level learning; and
use resources effectively to support continuous learning progress.

Content will be drawn from Text Dependent Questions: Pathways to Close and Critical Reading (K-5 and 6-12), Teaching Literacy in the Visible Learning Classroom, and Engagement by Design as well as other Fisher and Frey texts.

The Institute will be on August 7 & 8 at Jeff’s catering in Brewer.

Read more about this learning event. Register today as seats are limited. For more information, contact morgan.dunton@maine.gov.

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.

This information will be used to help the Department verify attendance data for the school year.

Please submit the information by May 30, 2019 to Maine DOE School Enrollment Specialist Pamela Ford-Taylor, via email at Pamela.Ford-Taylor@maine.gov.

Maine DOE announces 3rd Annual Read to Ride Summer Reading challenge

Summer vacation is a welcome break from the daily school routine for children and parents alike, but the summer months can be detrimental to students’ learning if young minds are not kept active. Summer learning loss is a well-documented phenomenon, particularly with respect to reading achievement. Students can lose up to three months of reading progress during the summer if they don’t keep reading. When combined across a child’s PK-8 school career, this can result in 1-2 years of lost reading progress.

Fortunately, the summer slide can be prevented or greatly reduced when students continue to read on a regular basis. By encouraging children to read from a variety of resources for fun and to explore topics of interest, they continue to practice applying the skills they have learned, build their vocabulary and widen their knowledge of the world. For students who are not yet reading independently or just beginning to read, reading to and with parents is equally beneficial.

Again this year, the Maine Department of Education is collaborating with the Freemasons of Maine to sponsor the Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge for students in grades PK-8. The Maine Freemasons have generously donated 48 bikes with helmets as prizes for the Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge. During the first two years of this initiative, thousands of Maine children completed the challenge of reading 500 minutes during the summer vacation. Maine DOE hopes to see this number grow even higher during the summer of 2018.

Any school with students in the PK-8 grade span may register to participate. Participating schools will collect documentation from students who have completed the challenge. They will hold school level drawings to select two students (one boy and one girl) whose names will be entered into the state level drawing to be held on September 21, 2018. Schools are encouraged to participate in this challenge, to coordinate it with any other summer reading challenges/programs they offer, and to consider soliciting their own local level prizes for students who complete the challenge. Details about the Read to Ride Challenge and information to register your school can be found at: http://www.maine.gov/doe/literacy-for-me/summer-literacy.html.

Questions may be directed to Maine DOE’s Early Learning Coordinator, leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Changes in Joint Rule Chapters 126/261: Immunization Requirements for School Children

This notice is to inform you of the recent changes to the joint rule (Chapter 126/261), Immunization Requirements for School Children, (statutory authority, Title 20-A §6352). The Maine Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education have revised the Maine School Immunization Requirements rule to now include meningococcal meningitis disease. These changes further align Maine’s immunization rules with current national recommendations to better protect the health of all Maine people. Meningococcal disease is a rare, but dangerous disease that strikes healthy young people without warning. It can affect all ages, but teens and young adults are at highest risk of getting the disease.

The following changes are effective for the 2018-2019 school year for all students attending a public or private school in the State of Maine:

One dose of meningococcal vaccine MCV4 (serogroups A, C, W, and Y) is required for all students entering 7th grade.
Two doses of meningococcal vaccine MCV4 are required for students entering 12th grade, with a minimum interval of 8 weeks between dose one and dose two. If the first dose of meningococcal vaccine was administered on or after the 16th birthday, a second dose is not required.

For your convenience, the Department has prepared a sample notification letter that your school may use to inform parents/guardians of the above changes to the immunization rule.

Sample notification letter for parents

Additionally, the DHHS has prepared a Frequently Asked Questions attached with more information. As a reminder, no student is permitted to be enrolled in or attend a public or private school in Maine without providing either a certificate of immunization or a written medical, religious or philosophical exemption for each required school entry vaccine.

NEW 2018-2019 Maine School Entry Requirement for Meningococcal Vaccine

Please ensure all 7th and 12th grade student records are updated by the first day of the 2018-2019 school year for this new meningococcal meningitis requirement. If you have questions regarding this new meningococcal meningitis vaccine requirement, record keeping or immunization history reviews please contact Emily Poland, School Nurse Consultant at (207) 624-6688 or by email at Emily.Poland@maine.gov.

If you have immunization specific questions regarding vaccine schedules or validity of any doses given to a student, please contact the Maine Immunization Program at (207) 287-3746 or (800) 867-4775 or by email at ImmunizeME.DHHS@maine.gov.

Changes in Rule Chapter 45: Vision and Hearing Screening in Maine Schools

This notice is to inform you of the recent changes to Chapter 45: Rule for Vision and Hearing Screening in Maine Schools. This rule outlines the standards and processes for periodic vision and hearing screenings. The purpose of a screening is to identify potential hearing or vision deficits among school age children and refer for further care. Updates to this rule reflect current national recommendations for hearing and vision screenings. The rule also clarifies techniques and acceptable research-based tools for schools to use.

This new requirement is in effect for the start of the school year 2018-19. Chapter 45 includes definitions, school nurse responsibility, general guidelines, vision screening schedule including distance and near acuity, alternative screening methods, and referral guidelines, hearing screening schedule and referral guidelines. The complete rule can be reviewed at http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/05/chaps05.htm.

In brief, vision screening is required for preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9; hearing screening is required for preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1, 3, 5. The rule acknowledges that some children, because of their medical histories, have a higher rate of vision problems and may bypass routine screening at school to be directly referred to an eye specialist. The school nurse may determine which children should be referred directly.

The rule also clarifies which research-based tools are acceptable for screening. Particularly, using evidence-based instruments to screen for amblyopia risk factors and reduced vision risk factors may be used for certain school children in place of tests of visual acuity.

If you have questions about hearing and vision screening, please contact the Maine Department of Education School Nurse Consultant, Emily Poland at 624-6688 or emily.poland@maine.gov .

Maine students among top scorers in national cyber security program

Maine students recently took part in the GirlsGoCyberStart program, a national opportunity that features fun, technical challenges and games to inspire the next generation of cyber security professionals.

Promoted by Governor Paul R. LePage, the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Office of Information Technology, the program took place February 20th through the 25th of 2018 with students from all over Maine participating.

GirlsGoCyberStart was available to the first 10,000 girls who registered with teams of 1-4 students. 18 states participated and 5 of Maine’s 60 plus teams that participated, ranked in the top 100 scorers. Participants on the top three Maine teams were awarded prizes.

Maine’s top five scoring teams were from the following high schools (in order of scoring):

Bangor High School, Penobscot County
Thornton Academy, York County
Portland High School, Cumberland County
Falmouth High School, Cumberland County
Maine Connections Academy, Cumberland County

More details about the scoring can be found on the GirlsGoCyberStart website and more details about Maine team’s scores can be found on the Maine scores page of the GirlsGoCyberStart website.

Synergy summer training survey

The Maine Department of Education’s Help Desk staff is preparing for a summer training session and feedback is needed to ensure the training needs of Data Managers, Superintendents, CTE Directors, Tech Directors and others entering student data for the State Synergy System are addressed.

Please take a few moments to answer the following survey so we can better understand the training needs those entering student data for the State Synergy System.

DOE Summer Training Survey »

For further information and questions, please contact the Data Help Desk at 207-624-6896 or medms.helpdesk@maine.gov.

15th Annual MLTI Student Conference

Registration is open for the 2018 MLTI Student Conference, taking place on Thursday, May 24^th at the University of Maine campus in Orono.

We’re expecting 1000 students and their adult chaperones to fill the concert hall at the Collins Center for the Arts for the opening student keynote and, at the end of the day, for the so-called “Über Session.” Once again, music and coding will drive the opening and closing sessions.

Between the opening and closing at the Collins Center, students will spill out over the campus for lunch and for sessions where students will learn and create in a variety of ways – through coding, audio, video, images, text, and more. Sessions throughout the day will be optimized for current MLTI devices (Apple and HP laptops and tablets), although other devices can participate in most activities as long as they can access the Internet. Session listings will specify device requirements.

As always, this will be a time for celebration and fun challenges. From the opening Student Keynote through the Block 1 & 2 sessions across the campus, to lunch the “college way,” and on to an amazing Über Session, this day will be another of what so many folks over the past decade-and-a-half have described as “our favorite day of the year!”

The registration cost for each participant (student or adult) is $15, the same as last year. This fee includes all event activities, lunch for each registrant, and a 2018 MLTI Student Conference T-Shirt for each student. Schools will be invoiced for registration costs after the Conference.

To register, go to: http://maine.gov/doe/mlti/student/studentconference/registration/index.html

Registration closes Friday, May 11^th.

Questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the planning team at mlti.project@maine.gov, and we look forward to seeing you and a team of students from your school in Orono on May 24th!