Category: Newsroom Articles

Maine Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) To Meet Friday, Dec. 9

The next meeting of the Commission on Educational Opportunity for Military Children will be held on Friday, Dec. 9 at 9:00 a.m. in room 500 of the Cross Office Building, located at 111 Sewall Street in Augusta.

All 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, belong to the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3). Each state appoints a council to oversee the implementation of the Compact at the state level.

States that sign on to the Compact commit to doing what it takes to:

  • Enroll children of military families at their new schools as quickly and seamlessly as possible, even in the absence of normally required official records and immunizations; and
  • Ensure that students with parents in the Armed Forces stay on track to graduate on time, even when such students’ academic records don’t comply perfectly with local graduation requirements.

More information about MIC3 is available at http://www.mic3.net/ or http://maine.gov/doe/special/military.html. Interested parties can request copies of the Dec. 9 meeting agenda by contacting Tyler Backus, Maine DOE’s Military Education Liaison, at tyler.backus@maine.gov.

Schools to offer CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) instruction

Schools to offer CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) instruction

The 127th Maine Legislature passed LD 556, “An Act to Require Public Schools to Offer Instruction Related to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the Use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).” Consequently, Maine Department of Education rule Chapter 41 has been adopted.

All students must now be offered training in how to perform CPR and understand how to use an AED prior to graduation.  This includes the current senior class.  Details of Chapter Rule 41 are available on the state website, but a few key points to note are:

  • This rule requires school districts to offer all students training in CPR and the use of AEDs some time prior to graduation. The instruction can happen for students at any time in middle or high school.
  • The requirement is NOT for certification in CPR or AED use; however a certification course would meet the requirement.
  • Hands only CPR with a psychomotor skills component will meet the CPR requirement and does not require a certified instructor. The American Heart Association (AHA), the American Red Cross or other nationally-recognized programs offer the most current national evidence-based emergency cardiovascular guidelines. They also incorporate psychomotor skills development into the instruction.  There are several online resources available for teachers or other instructors to utilize.
  • The standards for instruction in AED use may not require the use of an AED but must include an explanation of AED use.
  • All public schools, including charter schools, are required to comply with this rule.

To support implementation of this new law, the AHA Maine Founders Affiliate and the Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance have secured a number of CPR in Schools Training Kits.  If you are interested in borrowing a kit, you can click here to download the form or contact kathymwilbur@gmail.com.

For more information on the new requirement contact Susan Berry, Maine DOE’s Health Education & Health Promotion Coordinator, at susan.berry@maine.gov.

SAT Content Workshops Presented by the College Board and Maine DOE

 

SAT Alignment to Standards and Instruction

Participants in this day-long workshop will learn about the SAT Suite of Assessments and the resources available to support student learning and teacher instructional strategies.  A close look into the question structure and critical alignment to standards will be led by the subject area specialists of the Maine Department of Education.

We will provide an overview of the format of the SAT and the SAT benchmarks and go into greater detail regarding the reports that can be created through the K12 Assessment Reporting Portal.  Specifically, we will focus on the Question Analysis Reports and Instructional Planning, which can be used by educators to monitor growth and target instruction.

Participants will also learn about the College Board’s partnership with Khan Academy, in which students can engage in individualized practice.

Because we will be using live data in the K12 Assessment Reporting Portal, all participants must bring a laptop to individually manipulate the data.  Participants will also need to ensure that they are authorized data users and can access the K12 Assessment Reporting Portal prior to attending this workshop.

Teachers, Department Chairs, and Content Specialists in ELA and Mathematics should register to attend.

CAMPUS LOCATION DATE TIME REGISTRATION
Hilton Garden Inn Bangor Bangor 12/13/2016 8:30AM-3:00PM HERE
University of Maine at Farmington Farmington 12/14/16 8:30AM-3:00PM HERE
University of Maine at Presque Isle Presque Isle 12/16/16 8:30AM-3:00PM HERE
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine Standish 1/13/17 8:30AM-3:00PM HERE

Proposed changes to Chapter 115, “Certification, Authorization and Approval of Education Personnel”

On April 6, 2016 the Maine Department of Education received a letter from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education which reflected the impact of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B application. ESSA reactivated an IDEA statutory provision which requires that special education teachers be fully certified. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is requiring that Maine amend the Chapter 115 regulations by June 30, 2017 to come into compliance with the reactivated IDEA statutory provision. As Department staff began to address the OSEP concerns it became evident that there were components of Chapter 115 that need to be revised for all educators. The State Board of Education voted unanimously at its Oct. 12 meeting to initiate the joint rulemaking process with the Department.

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Skowhegan Area Middle School Reading Interventionist named Maine’s 2017 Teacher of the Year

In a surprise assembly at MSAD 54’s Skowhegan Area Middle School (SAMS) on Thursday, Oct. 13, Maine State Board of Education Chair Martha Harris announced Tammy Ranger had been chosen from a field of 300 nominees as Maine’s 2017 Teacher of the Year.

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Students, Parents, and Schools Celebrate School Bus Driver Appreciation Week Oct. 17-21

A school bus driver’s career is about safely delivering the world’s most precious cargo – our students. Making a positive difference in the life of a child is what motivates school bus drivers.

Continue reading “Students, Parents, and Schools Celebrate School Bus Driver Appreciation Week Oct. 17-21” →

Maine DOE opens window for SAUs to complete 2016 progress report on proficiency-based diploma implementation

Public school superintendents and public charter school directors received a live link this week to the 2016 Progress Report: Implementing Proficiency-Based Learning and Proficiency-based Diplomas. A printable version of this progress report is available here.

Continue reading “Maine DOE opens window for SAUs to complete 2016 progress report on proficiency-based diploma implementation” →