The Maine DOE is offering Synergy training dates for Special Purpose Private Schools (SPPS) and Regional Programs, and for Career and Technical Education (CTE). Dates and registration information are provided below in two focused half day sessions.

In these sessions, participants will learn how to use Synergy DOE to upload student data required by the State of Maine. In addition, participants will learn how to use Synergy DOE to enter and validate student data that is not included in the upload process.

After completing this session, participants will understand how to perform uploads and will be able to:

* Log in to Synergy and navigate the interface
* Use and understand Synergy concepts and terminology
* Change Focus to view other years/schools
* Create personal Navigation Menus
* View existing student information
* Create upload for concurrent enrollments
* Create upload for program enrollments
* Find a single student or multiple students
* Enter and modify student data
* Upload Quarterly Attendance
* Upload Behavior Information
* Enter Truancy information
* Use a Matrix to print student information or export student information to other desktop programs
* Create student filters
* Create Graph information
* Preview and Print common reports
* Save report settings
* Make corrections/additions on existing records

In addition to the two dates, the session will shared via Zoom so attendants can log in.

***August 14 – For Special Purpose Private Schools (SPPS) and Regional Programs Only***

SPPS Registration

***August 16 – For Career and Technical Education Programs (CTE) Only***

CTE Registration

23 State House Station
Room 103
Augusta, Maine

8:30-12:00

 

If you have any questions please contact Shannon Bartash, Data Systems Helpdesk Manager for the Maine Department of Education at 207.624.6799 or Shannon.Bartash@maine.gov.

As the State finalizes its plans to move to the new Student Information System (SIS), Synergy, we are seeking information from Superintendents about exactly who needs to have access to the final production model.

Several district staff members have signed up for Maine DOE training sessions to learn the new system. For security purposes, we need to verify which district staff members should have access beyond the training site. Once we are ready to move into production, all training accounts will end. We will systematically be adding an account for each Superintendent and for the person listed in NEO contacts as your data specialist. Access will not be given to additional staff members unless the request comes directly from Superintendents via email.

Superintendents, please email medms.helpdesk@maine.gov with the following information for each person:

Staff member first and last name:
Staff member email address:
Please specify if they should have read only access or update access

Maine DOE will contact each person with their log in credentials. In the future, we will have an access form much like what we have for NEO.

As an update, members attending the trainings will receive access to a training site with their district information. Access to the final product will be available the second week of August.

During the week of August 1 to August 7, districts will not be able to get new student IDs.

If you have any questions, please contact Charlotte Ellis charlotte.ellis@maine.gov or Shannon Bartash shannon.bartash@maine.gov

The Maine DOE recently submitted to the Secretary of State proposed regulation, Chapter 134, pursuant to 20-A MRS § 4722-A (Regulations for Awarding a High School Diploma). This rule chapter supports the implementation of a diploma based on proficiency, and fosters the culture of learning that makes it possible for each learner to graduate ready for next steps after secondary school.

We anticipate that a formal notice for the rulemaking will be published on July 26 (in the Bangor Daily News, Kennebec Journal, Portland Press Herald, Lewiston Sun-Journal and the Central Maine Morning Sentinel).

A public hearing will be held on August 14^th in room 500 at the Cross State Office Building from 9-11 am with the deadline for public comment closing on September 8^th at 5 pm.

The development of Chapter 134 has been underway since the summer of 2016 guided by the rule making requirements of the proficiency diploma law. This rule must:

• Allow flexibility and innovation at the school and district level for the development of consistent graduation standards,
• Identify the manner in which multiple pathways in career and technical education can provide evidence of proficiency in the disciplines of the content areas and Guiding Principles of Maine’s system of learning results
• Establish criteria for the placement in career and technical education programs while ensuring all students are exposed to all content areas of the system of learning results.

For more information on the diploma based on proficiency, contact Maine Department of Education Proficiency-Based Education Specialist, Diana Doiron at diana.doiron@maine.gov or 624-6823.

The Maine DOE recently submitted to the Secretary of State proposed regulation, Chapter 134, pursuant to 20-A MRS § 4722-A (Regulations for Awarding a High School Diploma). This rule chapter supports the implementation of a diploma based on proficiency, and fosters the culture of learning that makes it possible for each learner to graduate ready for next steps after secondary school.

We anticipate that a formal notice for the rulemaking will be published on July 26 (in the Bangor Daily News, Kennebec Journal, Portland Press Herald, Lewiston Sun-Journal and the Central Maine Morning Sentinel).

A public hearing will be held on August 14^th in room 500 at the Cross State Office Building from 9-11 am with the deadline for public comment closing on September 8^th at 5 pm.

The development of Chapter 134 has been underway since the summer of 2016 guided by the rule making requirements of the proficiency diploma law. This rule must:

• Allow flexibility and innovation at the school and district level for  the development of  consistent graduation standards,
• Identify the manner in which multiple pathways in career and technical education can provide evidence of proficiency in the disciplines of the content areas and Guiding Principles of Maine’s system of learning results
• Establish criteria for the placement in career and technical education programs while ensuring all students are exposed to all content areas of the system of learning results.

For more information on the diploma based on proficiency, contact Maine Department of Education Proficiency-Based Education Specialist, Diana Doiron at diana.doiron@maine.gov or 624-6823.

The Maine Department of Education is seeking feedback from superintendents and other administrators who attended the 2017 Commissioner’s Conference held in Bar Harbor on June 26th and June 27th.

Please take a few moments to fill out this 7 question survey:

2017 Commissioner’s Conference Survey »

For further questions or comments, contact Georgette Valliere at georgette.valliere@maine.gov or 207-624-6620.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has named a Hall-Dale educator as Maine’s History Teacher of the Year. Karen Doughty graduated from the University of Maine in 1988. She has taught history at Wells Middle School, Lake Region High School, and in 2012, began her current assignment at Hall-Dale. Throughout her career, Doughty has brought her passion for history to her classroom by incorporating experiential, thought-provoking, creative, and hands-on activities into her lessons.

Doughty will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the Hall-Dale school library will receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials. Doughty will be invited to a 2018 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar, a weeklong program that offers teachers daily discussions with eminent historians, visits to historic sites, and hands-on work with primary sources. She also has the opportunity to be selected as “National History Teacher of the Year” from a list of the 2017 state winners.

The Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one exceptional K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. territories.

Nominations can be made by a student, parent, colleague, supervisor, or other administrator familiar with the teacher’s work. For more information, visit www.gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy.

The Maine Department of Education is seeking proposals for subscription services to provide unlimited remote access to all Maine School Administrative Units (SAUs) for the collection of ESSA Parent Notifications and forms to assist Maine’s SAUs in meeting ESSA compliance requirements. These documents must be available in English with translations in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Somali, with opportunities for additional languages to be added. The Department and SAUs must have the ability to upload locally created documents. These documents must be available to download and print onto State or local letterhead.

A copy of the RFP, as well as the Question & Answer Summary and all amendments related to this RFP, can be obtained at the following website: http://www.maine.gov/purchases/venbid/rfp.shtml

Proposals must be submitted to the State of Maine Division of Purchases, located at the Burton M. Cross Office Building, 111 Sewall Street – 4th Floor, Augusta, ME 04330. Proposals must be submitted by 4:00 pm, local time, on July 25, 2017, when they will be opened. Proposals not received at the Division of Purchases’ aforementioned address by the aforementioned deadline will not be considered for contract award.