The Maine DOE purchased enough copies of the “Maine Education and School Statutes” 2013-14 edition law book to provide one at no charge to each superintendent of schools.
Continue reading “Complimentary 2013-14 law books sent to all superintendents”
Category: Newsroom Articles
Report of Services to Students with Disabilities (EF-S-05 Parts 1 & 2) due Dec. 31
School administrative units (SAUs) should begin preparing data for the EF-S-05, which includes Part 1: Special Education Child Count, as well as Part 2, Sections A and B: Report of Special Education Personnel Employed, Contracted and Needed. Continue reading “Report of Services to Students with Disabilities (EF-S-05 Parts 1 & 2) due Dec. 31”
State of Maine approves new virtual high school program
The Maine DOE has granted the Virtual High School (VHS) Collaborative approved online learning provider status. The Department has found VHS courses to meet the State’s standards, enabling middle and high schools statewide to partner with VHS.
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Discover alternative interventions for at-risk students
Teachers, administrators, school counselors and mental health specialists are invited to attend the third annual Lives in the Balance summit, “There’s a Better Way,” which focuses on non-confrontational interventions for at-risk children.
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Response rates for youth health survey released, data to follow
Final student response and school participation rates for the 2013 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS) are now available. Subsequent data and reports will be released before the end of December.
Continue reading “Response rates for youth health survey released, data to follow”
Leased space approvals now posted
The Maine DOE has completed its review of fiscal year 2014 instructional leased space applications and posted the results online. School administrative units that submitted applications may learn the status of their applications by visiting the web page. Approvals are indicated in the yellow column labeled “Approved by Department of Education for FY ’14.”
Continue reading “Leased space approvals now posted”
School improvement webinars offer tangible tips
With schools now settled into the new academic year, Maine DOE resumed our School Improvement Webinar Series this week. Perhaps not surprisingly for a session on increasing attendance, we had our best turnout yet, with more than 60 educators from the across the state participating.
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Join fall fundraiser for Maine schools
Hannaford and CLYNK have teamed up to provide a school fundraising opportunity designed to be simple for students and families with the potential to earn a significant amount for individual schools.
MEDMS staff data collection due Sept. 30
The Maine Education Data Management System (MEDMS) staff edition is open for staff data collection for the 2013-14 school year. Staff data must be entered or uploaded to the MEDMS staff system by Sept. 30.
Updated: Reminder about special education students placed in non-approved programs
Updated Oct. 1
Since the release of this dispatch, the Maine DOE has become aware of a need for further clarification. A parent has the right at any time to place his or her child receiving special education in a private school, including a non-approved private school. As stated in MUSER §IV.4.G(3)(a), the residential district in this situation is not required to pay for the cost of the child’s education in the private school. The Department has become aware that some districts, nevertheless, are paying some or all of the educational costs for such children placed in non-approved private schools. Districts should not be making such payments unless the procedures described below (convening the IEP Team, developing an offer of FAPE, explaining to the parent the ramifications of a decision to place the child in a non-approved program and the right to revoke consent for continued provision of special education services) are followed and the parent revokes consent in writing. Under no circumstances should special education funds be used for such payments.
School administrative units (SAUs) sometimes become aware that a student identified as needing special education services has been placed in a program that has not been approved for special education by the Maine DOE. Placement of such a student by the SAU is prohibited by MUSER §XII.1.F(1)(c), but the student may have been placed directly by parents or a State agency.
