What Makes a Great School in Maine? Join a Measure What Matters Community Conversation

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to host community meetings across Maine to bring educators, parents, students, and business leaders together to discuss a shared vision for our schools. These in-person conversations will take place in August and September across the state.

We need your voice!

We’re interested in developing relevant ways to recognize and acknowledge what schools are doing to prepare students for success in their lives, a rapidly changing global economy, their careers, and as engaged and productive citizens of Maine. It’s time to measure what matters.

Join us at a community conversation near you to share your thoughts about what makes a great school in Maine, how we can best prepare all of our students to thrive, and how we measure the great things happening in Maine schools. Your thoughts and ideas will be used to develop a portrait of a great school in Maine based on what the people of Maine value for our schools.

Sign up here to join a community conversation near you. See the full list of Measure What Matters Community Conversations below.

Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Westbrook High School
Wednesday, August 14, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Mt. Ararat High School
Thursday, August 15, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
York County Community College
Monday, August 19, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Penquis Valley High School
Tuesday, August 20, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Maranacook High School
Wednesday, August 21, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Central Maine Community College
Thursday, August 22, 2024, 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Skowhegan High School
Monday, August 26, 2024, 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Lamoine Consolidated School
Wednesday, August 28, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Camden Hills Regional High School
Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
UMaine Machias
Wednesday, September 11, 2024, 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Bangor High School
Thursday, September 12, 2024, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Caribou Community School

We look forward to seeing you at a Measure What Matters conversation soon!

No Cost Educational Trip Leader Permit Training Available at Maine DOE Annual Summit

Does your school unit sponsor outdoor learning opportunities in one of the following categories?

Overnight trips away from potable water
Use of non-motorized watercraft on Maine’s waterways

Answering yes to either statement indicates that your school unit requires a school employee or approved volunteer to hold an Educational Trip Leader (ETL) permit to lead outdoor educational trips. Per the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, an educational institution conducting an outdoor educational trip that would normally require a registered Maine guide (trips overnight away from potable water and/or trips that occur on Maine’s waterways) shall provide for every 12 trip participants at least one educational trip leader who holds a valid educational trip leader permit and who is associated with the educational institution. If the person who is conducting the trip holds a valid Maine Guide’s license, then the educational trip leader permit is not required.

On August 6-8, during the 2024 Maine DOE Annual Summit, 18 educators in Maine have the opportunity to receive free Education Trip Leader (ETL) training. The course, Educational Trip Leader Permit and Wilderness First Aid (WFA), is being taught by Sarah Hubert, Registered Maine Guide, and Jeremy Hargreaves, owner of Northeast Whitewater.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is partnering with Teens to Trails, Northeast Whitewater, and Camp Mechuwana to provide this hands-on training and certification.

Registration for the course is a 3-day commitment, as participants will be immersed in integrating the curriculum and training over the three days. Participants will need to provide their own overnight camping and personal gear and can sleep in their own tent or in a lean-to on the shores of Camp Mechuwana on the nights of Tuesday, August 6^th, and Wednesday, August 7^th.

For more information about the Educational Trip Leader Permits, please visit the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (ETL Permits) or call (207) 287-8000.

For questions regarding the Educational Trip Leader Permit/Wilderness First Aid course for the 2024 Educator Summit, contact Dr. Carolyn Gross (carolyn.gross@maine.gov /207-441-9043).

For general information about the 2024 Educator Summit, please visit the 2024 Maine DOE Annual Summit Event website.

In 2021, Chapter 927: Guides, Youth Camp Trip Leaders and Education Trip Leaders guidance was established by the Maine Legislature and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. An Educational Trip Leader Permit is required for schools and postsecondary institutions in the state of Maine that sponsor trips on waterways and lack of potable water. Read more about this legislation at Chapter 927: Guides, Youth Camp Trip Leaders and Educational Trip Leaders.

Information and Recommendations Regarding the ‘School Health Advisor Role’ Defined in Maine Statue

Under Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6402-A, each school board shall appoint one or more physicians or family or pediatric nurse practitioners. Some of Maine’s medical providers and school health staff have requested clarification from the Maine Department of Education (DOE) about the law and the role of the school health advisor, which is defined under this law.

While each school administrative district is unique and will create a contract based on its needs, the Maine DOE Coordinated School Health team has collaborated with the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MAAP) School Health Committee and Maine Association of School Nurses (MASN) to create a new resource, Maine School Health Advisor Role Template. This document provides a framework and recommendations around Maine school health advisor roles and responsibilities. This template is intended to provide information about the Maine Law as it defines the roles and responsibilities of a school health advisor and offers guidance to the school administrator and school health advisor as they further define the role for their specific school district and student population.

Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behaviors. A strong partnership with a school health advisor can help create a healthy school environment.

For further information or questions, please get in touch with Maine DOE Coordinated School Health Staff at DOESchoolandStudentSupports@maine.gov . Questions and further information can also be found with the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MAAP) School Health Committee and the Maine Association of School Nurses .

New Resources Available to Support PK-12 Literacy and Neuroscience Integration

The Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction Team has created new resources for supporting PK-12 literacy instruction. The Integration of Literacy and Neuroscience suite of resources reflects current research-based practices through a combination of asynchronous professional learning modules, strategies, and additional resources to support student engagement and reading comprehension through the lens of neuroscience. These modules focus on multiple aspects of literacy, including:

Active self-regulation includes engagement and motivation, executive functioning skills, and strategy use in literacy, with the goal of developing engaged, motivated, independent readers.
Word Recognition includes literacy foundational skills such as phonological awareness, alphabetic principles, phonics, decoding, and sight words.
Language Comprehension focuses on Cultural and Other Content Knowledge, including work on the role of students’ prior and background knowledge in improving reading and Theory of Mind, which refers to a reader’s ability to empathize with characters or people in books.
Bridging processes are the tools that readers use to move between word recognition and language comprehension with increasing fluency. Bridging processes are how readers begin to weave together word recognition and language comprehension skills to become more fluent readers.

Access the PK-12 Literacy and Neuroscience Integration Resources here.

To learn more about this exciting resource, please contact Kathy Bertini at Kathy.Bertini@maine.gov.

Maine Participates in First Annual Seal of Biliteracy Summit in DC

The first national Seal of Biliteracy Summit took place in Washington, DC, recently, and representatives from the Maine Department of Education (DOE) attended. The event brought together educators, policymakers, and language advocates to celebrate and promote multilingual education. It highlighted the achievements of students who earned the Seal of Biliteracy, an award recognizing proficiency in English and an additional language.

Left to Right: Ayesha Hall, Maine DOE Director of Strategic Partnerships, and Beth Lambert, Maine's Chief Officer of Teaching and Learning — Left to Right: Ayesha Hall, Maine DOE Director of Strategic Partnerships, and Beth Lambert, Maine’s Chief Officer of Teaching and Learning.

Among the attendees were Beth Lambert, Maine’s Chief Officer of Teaching and Learning, and Ayesha Hall, Maine DOE Director of Strategic Partnerships. The Maine DOE plans to use this celebratory platform to continue promoting equitable access to global engagement opportunities for all Maine students. The Maine DOE’s Office of Innovation and Office of Teaching and Learning are working together to create a more inclusive experience for all students by presenting Maine’s multilingual learning and world languages programs as collaborative efforts at the state level.

The Seal of Biliteracy, endorsed by the Maine DOE and awarded to students in many Maine schools, acknowledges students who have demonstrated high proficiency levels in both English and another language through rigorous assessments. The Seal, which appears on students’ transcripts, enhances their post-secondary and career opportunities by showcasing their bilingual skills.

In Maine, the program includes various languages, such as Mandarin, Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Somali. The recent awarding process has been streamlined, allowing schools to confer the Seal of Biliteracy directly, making the recognition more accessible to students across the state.

The summit aimed to expand the Seal of Biliteracy’s reach and impact, encouraging more states and districts to adopt similar programs and highlighting the importance of multilingualism in an increasingly globalized world.

For more information about the Seal of Biliteracy in Maine, visit the Maine DOE website.

July Reporting Due Dates and Upcoming Data Reports

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) would like to remind school administrative units (SAUs) of the following data reports and due dates that are coming up.

Truancy and Daily Attendance Certifications

The final certifications for Truancy and Daily Attendance for the 2023-2024 school year are due on July 15th. Superintendents must certify these reports once data specialists and SAU data teams have reviewed and updated them.

Resources:

NEO Staff Rollover to 2024-2025

NEO Staff was rolled to the 2024-2025 school year on July 1. All staff were updated to “pending” status during this rollover. All staff must be updated to reflect their current position. Please review all staff positions in NEO, add new staff if necessary, and update salary, contact, and position information to reflect each staff member’s position for this school year.

Resources:

NEO Staff Data Entry Webinar 9/3 at 12 pm Register Here

Graduation Report

This report allows SAUs to validate graduation counts for the school year. Students still working toward finishing their graduation requirements have until August 15th to complete them for this reporting cycle. Students who finish their requirements over the summer can be exited from State Synergy on the date of the graduation ceremony. The graduation date must be prior to 6/30.

Open Date: 7/1
Due Date: 8/15
Resources:

Graduation Report Webinar 8/6 at 10am Register Here
Graduation Certification Report Instructions

Questions about these reports should be directed to MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or call 207-624-6896.

Summer Asynchronous Book Study Opportunities

Starting this July, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction Team will offer two asynchronous book studies.

The first book is “Dispositions” by Arthur Costa and Bena Kallick. It discusses how educators can nurture and develop positive student dispositions. It emphasizes the importance of attitudes, habits of mind, and character traits that contribute to successful learning.

The second book is “Assessing Student Learning by Design” by Jay McTighe and Steve Ferrara. This book explores the methods for aligning assessment with learning and designing assessments that provide meaningful feedback to students. It covers key concepts such as formative and summative assessments, performance tasks, and using assessment data to inform instruction.

Both asynchronous book studies include a free copy of the book, which will be mailed to you, and discussions on integrating the concepts into instruction, reflection, and collaboration through the EnGiNE learning management system. You can sign up for one or both book studies, and since they are asynchronous, you can work on them at your own pace.

Any questions about these book studies can be sent to Erik Wade at erik.wade@maine.gov.

Save the Date! 14th Annual Maine PBIS Conference Slated for November 2024

The Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Office of Special Services & Inclusive Education will host the 14th Annual Maine PBIS Conference on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at the Augusta Civic Center from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

Celebrate, learn, and network with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) leaders and implementers from across Maine and beyond! There will be inspiring keynote speakers and breakout sessions that are both interesting and practical for your classrooms, schools, and districts!

PBIS Conference Save-The-Date – Event Flyer (PDF)

More details, a call for proposals, and registration will open later this summer. If you have any questions, please get in touch with pbis@maine.edu.

Ignite PI and SAD 1 Adult & Community Education Partnership Provides Free Hospitality Training in Northern Maine

This spring, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) awarded a $400,000 Strengthening Maine’s Workforce Grant to Ignite Presque Isle and SAD 1 Adult & Community Education’s workforce development partnership.

The Maine DOE awarded a total of $4 million in Strengthening Maine’s Workforce Grants between 2022 and 2023. These initiatives are funded through Governor Mills’ Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan.

Ignite PI is an organization committed to innovation and excellence in the Presque Isle area. Through dedicated training and professional development programs, Ignite PI strives to enhance the standards of the hospitality industry and create meaningful career opportunities for individuals in the area. SAD 1 Adult & Community Education provides comprehensive educational programs, ranging from basic education to vocational training, designed for adult students. Together, the two organizations have created a workforce development partnership that provides free hospitality training for workers.

The Strengthening Maine’s Workforce Grant has been imperative to the program’s success. Since the organization’s start in 2022, it has provided more than 4,686 hours of training for Ignite PI employees and 240 hours for non-employees. 135 workers total (94 Ignite PI employees and 41 non-employees) have undergone comprehensive hospitality training. 19 distinct training programs were designed to elevate the skillset of hospitality workers for 15 different local businesses. Not only have job opportunities increased, but the standard of service at multiple establishments has improved due to this training.

“We are thrilled with the progress and positive outcomes of this partnership,” said LeRae Kinney, CEO of Ignite PI. “The training programs have not only improved the capabilities of our employees at Ignite PI but have also contributed significantly to the broader community. This grant has allowed us to offer high-quality education and training free of charge, which is a tremendous asset.”

This program has been incredibly beneficial for businesses in the Presque Isle region. The supervisor of Dean’s Motor Lodge (whose staff attended the B.A.S.I.C.S training) remarked that “the training that my staff received was incredible! By having the opportunity to have face to face conversations and bringing up case scenarios, they were able to better understand the laws.”

The supervisor of Parkhurst Siding Pub (whose staff attended both B.A.S.I.C.S training and ServSafe noted that “It’s certainly nice to be able to hold trainings and elevate our workforce’s knowledge and marketability. These are skills they will keep with them their whole lives. A lot of these are public safety issues at their core so the whole community benefits as well.”

Ignite PI and Sad 1 Adult Ed Partnership Story

The Strengthening Maine’s Workforce Grant was originally set to end in June 2024; however, it has now been extended to June 2025 due to its success. Ignite PI, SAD 1 Adult & Community Education, and the Maine Department of Education hope that this extension allows for continued support and expansion of hospitality training programs and access to all who want to enhance their skills. The prolonged grand and positive feedback from business owners highlights the region’s ongoing need for skilled hospitality workers.

“The collaboration between Ignite PI and SAD 1 Adult & Community Education demonstrates the power of community partnerships in addressing workforce development needs,” remarked Shara Page, director of SAD 1 Adult & Community Education. “We are excited to continue this journey and look forward to training even more individuals in the coming year.”

To learn more about Ignite PI, SAD 1 Adult & Community Education, and hospitality training programs, please get in touch with LeRae Kinney lkinney@ignitepi.com or Shara Page pages@sad1.org.

Seeking Teacher Leadership Fellows for Civics, Financial Literacy, and Arts Integration

As part of The Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) work to elevate the expertise of Maine’s education field, we are looking to hire Maine educators as Fellows in the following areas: Civics, Financial Literacy, and Arts Integration. These educators will be provided a stipend through this program to:

Create and distribute regular communication to the field in their focus area;
Maintain webpage content on the Maine DOE website related to their focus area;
Provide a monthly, 1-hour long professional learning opportunity for Maine educators. The professional learning will be based on requested needs from the field and will be offered virtually, synchronously, and archived for asynchronous access on the Maine DOE YouTube channel;
Provide Maine educators technical assistance regarding classroom-specific best practices in their focus area and
Fellows will form a community of practice led by the Chief Teaching and Learning Officer and will meet monthly to share best practices and engage in a book study to help support their work.

The Fellows will be selected from Maine’s field of exceptional educators through a competitive process. Applicants must demonstrate that they have experience as classroom educators (all levels welcome to apply), have demonstrated innovative approaches in their classroom, have knowledge and experience in the focus area, and have been involved in learning communities throughout Maine.

Since the fellowship is in addition to their regular teaching job, fellows will work remotely and outside of their contracted school hours.

Fellows will begin work as soon as suitable candidates are found and continue through June 2025. Fellows will be expected to work up to 20 hours/month for a stipend of up to $2,000/month.

Click here to apply. Applications close on July 22, 2024.

For more information or questions, please contact Beth Lambert, Maine DOE Chief Teaching and Learning Officer, at beth.lambert@maine.gov.