Category: Newsroom Articles

MaineCare Seed payment adjustments; review reports by May 15

Update, April 30: See Corrected ED279s posted for some districts

Beginning with the April subsidy checks, General Purpose Aid for Local Schools will reflect adjustments for MaineCare Seed payments by the Maine DOE made on behalf of school administrative units in Quarter 1 (July through September 2012) and Quarter 2 (October through December 2012) for students at Special Purpose Private Schools and at public schools (attending school administrative unit).

Continue reading “MaineCare Seed payment adjustments; review reports by May 15” →

Students compete in trade and leadership contests

More than 800 students from 22 technical schools and two colleges competed in trade and leadership contests at the 2013 SkillsUSA Maine State Championships in March at the United Technologies Center and Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor. Gold medalists from this event will have the opportunity to represent the State of Maine at the national championships in Kansas City.

Continue reading “Students compete in trade and leadership contests” →

Former Maine teacher releases book on senior capstone

Image of book cover - Unleashed to Learn: Empowering Students to Learn at Full Capacity
Linda C. Aronson developed the senior capstone at Hall-Dale High School and recently published this book out of her experience.

Linda Aronson, who taught for six years at Hall-Dale High School initiating and developing the senior capstone, has crafted the book Unleashed to Learn: Empowering Students to Learn at Full Capacity out of her experience. Part case study and part advocacy, Aronson describes her work at Hall-Dale and argues passionately for more learner-led education and performance assessment in schools.

Performance assessment–in which students pursue genuine interests, in real world settings, and in ways that suit their learning styles–is one of the keystones of Maine’s vision of proficiency-based/learner-centered education.  Continue reading “Former Maine teacher releases book on senior capstone” →

FEMA seeks young applicants for preparedness council

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Youth Preparedness Council provides an opportunity for young leaders to serve as a member of a distinguished national council; to complete a youth preparedness project for their choosing; to learn about youth disaster preparedness from the leadership at FEMA and other national organizations dedicated to youth preparedness; Continue reading “FEMA seeks young applicants for preparedness council” →

Maine School Garden Network hires coordinator

The Maine School Garden Network (MSGN)—serving schools of all grade levels—has hired its first ever coordinator, Suzanne Balbo, thanks to a USDA Specialty Crop Grant. The USDA grant also will allow the network to promote school gardens, update the website, disseminate information, provide educator trainings and workshops, attend conferences and events, create connections between schools and local farms, and create new school garden sites.

Continue reading “Maine School Garden Network hires coordinator” →

Smarter Balanced practice test more broadly available

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium shared the following news release March 28.

Due to the overwhelming demand for access to the Smarter Balanced Volunteer Pilot assessment from principals, teachers, parents and the public, the Executive Committee has decided to release a more complete and more broadly available “practice test” in lieu of the Volunteer Pilot assessment. As will be stressed in messaging to schools and districts, the change from a Volunteer Pilot to Practice Test does not impact current testing in support of the Scientific Pilot; all schools signed up for the Scientific Pilot are still expected to test as scheduled.

Continue reading “Smarter Balanced practice test more broadly available” →

Preview new English language proficiency test

The 31 states that have banded together to create a new, computer-based assessment system for English language learners are getting their first glimpses at the new English-language proficiency exam being developed to measure the language demands of the Common Core State Standards. Prototypes will be available to the public in the summer.

Continue reading “Preview new English language proficiency test” →