Category: Newsroom Articles

Grants for Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs Now Available, Application Deadline April 10, 2024

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce the release of a request for proposals (RFP) seeking bids from organizations interested in implementing comprehensive afterschool and summer learning programs in 2024-2025. It is anticipated that roughly $3.5 million will be available to issue grant awards this spring.

Authorized under Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Act of 2015, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program provides competitive grant funding to support before-school, after school, and summer learning programs that focus on improving the academic performance of students in Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12.

The primary purpose of the 21st CCLC program is to provide funding for school and community partnerships that establish or expand community learning center programs. These programs provide students in high-need, economically disadvantaged communities with academic tutoring and enrichment opportunities designed to complement their school-day academic program. In addition, these programs can provide a broad array of additional support services related to overall student health and well-being.

Local 21st CCLC programs – which can be located in elementary schools, secondary schools or similarly accessible community facilities – provide high-quality support services to students during non-school hours. As such, these programs also support working parents and families by providing safe, supportive learning environments for students at times when school is not normally in session.

The request for proposal (RFP), which includes information regarding eligibility, program requirements, and more, is available here. An informational webinar for this RFP will also be posted to the Department’s application website on January 24, 2024. It is strongly recommended that interested organizations view this presentation, in its entirety, before submitting a proposal for 21st CCLC program funding.

Below is the anticipated timeline for the Department’s current 21st CCLC grant competition:

  • January 9, 2024—RFP Released to Public
  • January 24, 2024—Informational Webinar Posted Online
  • February 7, 2024—Deadline for Submission of Questions in Response to RFP
  • February 21, 2024—Interested Organizations Submit Intent to Apply Form
  • April 10, 2024—Proposal Deadline
  • April 2024—Formal Peer Review of Proposals
  • May 2024—Grant Award Notifications
  • July 1, 2024—Grant Award Start Date

Please be advised that the dates above are subject to change. Interested organizations must consult the RFP document for the most accurate dates and deadlines regarding this opportunity.

For more information on the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Program, contact State Coordinator, Travis Doughty, at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov.

Reminder: Quarter 2 Reporting is Open – Validation Due January 15

Attendance, Behavior, Bullying, and Truancy reports for Quarter 2 (October, November, and December) open as of January 1st.

Validation of these reports are due on Monday, January 15th.

These reports will need to be reviewed and validated. Superintendent validation is required for all quarterly reporting.

Reporting Resources:

For questions about quarterly reporting contact MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or call 207-624-6896.

Webinar: Culturally Responsive Practices in Special Education

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education and its partners at Maine Access to Inclusive Education Resources (MAIER) invite you to join Penn State University’s Dr. Jonte’ C. Taylor (JT), for a webinar on Culturally Responsive Practices in Special Education. This LIVE session will provide well-structured content on different pedagogies and how teaching and learning can be conducted by developing strategies that promote environmental characteristics and principles for students with disabilities in inclusive settings.

Participants will learn the importance of developing cultural practices in special education and how to provide intensive support for students regardless of dis/ability. The session will help the participant to develop action points and strategies necessary for incorporating cultural practices into the teaching and learning process.

  • The webinar will be held on Tuesday, January 23rd from 4:00 – 5:00 pm via Zoom (a link will be provided to you once you register)
  • Register here NOTE: This webinar will NOT be recorded, you need to attend to see the webinar.

Dr. Jonte’ C. Taylor (JT) is an Associate Professor of Special Education in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education in the College of Education at Penn State University. He taught for approximately 10 years with various populations from PreK to Adults in settings ranging from inclusive classrooms to residential treatment facilities. His research interests include science education for students with disabilities, evaluating innovative classroom practices, and bullying issues for students with Autism, Learning Disabilities, and Emotional/Behavioral Disorders.  His most recent publication Mixtape Volume 1: Culturally Sustaining Practices Within MTSS Featuring the Everlasting Mission of Student Engagement was published this year.

NOTE: There are additional learning options regarding this topic from MAIER. MAIER has 5 hours of free, online/asynchronous learning modules from Dr. Taylor HERE. You can take these online learning modules before or after the webinar. You can get UMaine contact hours for these online learning modules once you complete the modules and an evaluation.

For additional information contact Sarah Howorth at sarah.howorth@maine.edu

Regional School Calendar Coordination Between SAUs and CTEs

This notification is a reminder that Regional School Calendars are due by June 1, 2024 for school administrative units (SAU) and private schools, approved for tuition purposes, in coordination with their local secondary career and technical education (CTE) school. This requirement is part of Public Law 2011, Chapter 686 to promote collaboration among local school administrative units that may benefit from inter-administrative unit collaboration beyond CTE.

For school year 2024-25, both regional school calendars and individual calendars for each school administrative unit must be submitted by the director of the local CTE Center/Region to the Maine Department of Education (DOE) no later than June 1, 2024, for a decision on approval by July 12, 2024.

Guidance and templates or Regional School Calendars can be accessed electronically on the Maine DOE website.

Given the coordination required to fulfill this law, the Maine DOE recommends that SAUs initiate discussions as soon as possible, including representatives from all affected secondary schools and their associated career and technical education center or region.

Please visit the Maine DOE Website for more information, including guidance, instructions, templates, a waiver process, and a link to the complete law.

Further questions should be directed to Emily Doughty emily.doughty@maine.gov at 207-592-0314 or Dwight Littlefield dwight.a.littlefield@maine.gov at 207- 441-8927.

Subscribe to the Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Newsletter

Are you looking for ways to enhance your instructional practices and transfer your students’ learning to the next level? Look no further. The Interdisciplinary Instruction team has created a monthly newsletter that you can subscribe to. This newsletter will highlight innovative interdisciplinary classroom resources and upcoming professional learning opportunities.

To subscribe, click the link below, fill in your contact information, and click “Interdisciplinary Instruction” in the “subscribe me to” section. When we publish a new newsletter, it will automatically arrive in your inbox.

Subscribe here (If you are already subscribed to Maine DOE publications like the Maine DOE Update or other newsletters we publish when you submit your information, you will be redirected to update your preferences.)

For further questions or help, reach out to Interdisciplinary Instruction Team Coordinator Kathy Bertini at kathy.bertini@maine.gov.

Book Study: Asynchronous Cognitive Science

Cognitive science can offer educators an understanding of how students learn so they can apply it to their practice. Interacting with cognitive science  can be challenging though. If you are interested in learning more about cognitive science in a simple yet informative way, this book study is for you.

The book, “Why Don’t Students Like School,” by Daniel T Willingham is an education-focused dive into the cognitive science of how students learn. This 11-week asynchronous book study will allow participants to reflect on their current practice while discovering and applying new knowledge. A free copy of the book will be mailed to your school, and each participant can receive up to 17 contact hours. The book study starts on January 22, 2024.

To join, click this Book Study link and fill out the form. Please email any questions to erik.wade@maine.gov.

January 16th Webinar on Quarterly Reporting – Quarter 2 Reports Open

Join the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Data Team for a webinar about quarterly state reporting requirements – attendance, truancy, behavior, and bullying. There are no changes to quarterly reporting since the fall webinar; this is a refresher webinar.  Please note that the validation of Quarter 2 reports are due on January 15. Quarterly reporting can be updated all year and this webinar is designed to help you stay ahead of quarterly reporting throughout the year. Quarter 2 Reports are now open.

This webinar will be recorded and posted to the DOE Data Youtube Playlist a few days after the webinar.  Additional information about this webinar can be found on the webinars page of the Helpdesk Website or you also can find events on Maine DOE’s Events calendar.  

Quarterly Reporting Webinar: 

January 16th at 10:00 am – Register here (registration required).  

 For questions about data reporting webinars please contact Alexandra.Cookson@maine.gov  

Two-Day Workshop: Inclusive Teaching Practices and Learning

This event is open to all school personnel.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is hosting its third training opportunity focused on learning around diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), and the impact that increasing understanding of DEIJ can have on teaching practices, instructional strategies, and classroom management in every discipline area.

Think about the following:

  • Have you looked at your curriculum and teaching practices with a lens of inclusion?
  • Are your materials representative of all students and their families?
  • Are your practices and use of language inclusive of all students and families?
  • Is there any evidence of diversity, inclusion, equity and justice?

If you answered not sure or no to any of the questions, this training is a great place to start.  The 2-day interactive training will focus on understanding foundational concepts in DEIJ, along with reviewing a process to conduct a deep dive into curriculum, instructional strategies, and classroom management processes.  Following the 2-day training, we will hold Community of Practice virtual sessions during the school year to reflect on DEIJ implementation in your classroom.  Access to technical assistance from our trainers and Maine DOE specialists will also be available during this time.

Dr. Sarah Benes (she, her, hers) will return to lead the training and is our consultant for this initiative.  Sarah is an assistant professor at Southern Connecticut State University in health education and physical education.  In addition, she is the co-owner of Lighthouse Wellness & Health Education Consulting and the current president of SHAPE America.  We are also pleased to have a cadre of Maine physical education and health education teacher leaders co-training for the workshop.

Event Details: 

  • Capital Area Technical Center, Augusta
  • Wednesday, February 7, and Thursday, February 8
  • 8:00 am-3:00 pm each day
  • The fee for this training is ONLY $50 (the fee assists with the cost of food).  All other expenses are covered by the Maine DOE.

Register by clicking on this link or going to the Maine DOE Professional Event Calendar at this link.

Financial Assistance: There are five-$150 scholarships available to help with substitute pay, mileage and lodging to support attendance.  The form to apply for a scholarship is here.

Email susan.berry@maine.gov or carolyn.gross@maine.gov with questions or before registering if using a PO for payment.

‘Box of Maine’ Connects Old Town Elementary Student with Maine Studies Curriculum Through Their Taste Buds

A few years ago 4th grade teacher Todd Rand had an idea to support the Maine Studies Curriculum at Old Town Elementary by bringing a taste of Maine into the classroom. He connected with small business owner, Daniel Finnemore and the Box of Maine Company to supply his students with monthly “Tastes O’Maine” to expand the students’ understanding of the products, businesses, and culture Maine has to offer.

Todd Rand approached the school’s Parent Teacher Club (PTC) to support purchasing a monthly subscription to the Box of Maine for every fourth grader at Old Town Elementary School. The PTC jumped at the opportunity to help bring the Maine Studies Curriculum alive.

Each month Box of Maine ships the boxes filled with a specific item for the students to sample. Todd has worked with the company to feature connected curriculum items to align with the lessons being taught for the month. For example, when the 4th graders celebrated Maine’s birthday in March of 2023, the students were supplied with whoopie pies, Maine’s finest dessert to celebrate the occasion.

The partnership with the Box of Maine has added a new dimension to the celebration of Maine and students are exposed to many new experiences through the monthly boxes.

This story was contributed by Old Town Elementary School. To submit a good news story or idea to the Maine DOE please email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

 

Students Practice Real-world Science Through Salmon Spawning with State Biologists

The fishery on Mill Street in Raymond was swimming with hands-on science in late November as ecology and recently arrived immigrant students from Windham High School (WHS) helped Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) scientists weigh, measure, and spawn Sebago Lake land-locked salmon from Panther Run.

The students assisted IFW field biologists express eggs from female salmon that were immediately fertilized by the male salmon. They helped to weigh, measure, and return the fish into the Sebago Lake watershed.

The aim of salmon spawning along the shores of Sebago Lake is to support Maine ecology and replenish healthy salmon numbers for fishing purposes. The late chilly November morning provided the students with an essential hands-on adventure, giving them a chance to see ecological purposes and science at work.

“When students graduate from WHS, we hope they are leaving with skills and practices of science that they can carry into any field they enter,” WHS science and ecology teacher, Lindsay Hanson said. “The experience highlighted the importance of asking good scientific questions, analyzing and interpreting data, and constructing explanations in science.”

Hanson continued, stating that students observed these skills being used in a real way. “We were able to listen to the IFW biologists discussing new trends they were seeing in this salmon population and posing new questions they would later investigate using the data they were gathering. Scientific curiosity at work.”

It was also a special treat for the new Maine students from Angola, The Democratic Republic of Congo, and France who all had a chance to connect their learning [of Maine] outside of the classroom setting.

“It provided the opportunity to see how academic language and the content and skills they learn in school are used professionally,” Elizabeth Moran, RSU14’s Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) said.

Moran also said that her students were excited to hold the fish, strip the salmon for fertilization, and help collect data.

“They enjoyed being a part of the actual process of helping to produce the next generation of salmon in Maine,” she said. “This kind of work is authentic and contagious, and it inspires students to learn in a creative and fun way.”

The spawning of salmon from Sebago Lake has been happening for many years and occurs every fall in conjunction with the fish’s natural cycle to swim upstream. In this case Panther Pond from Sebago Lake.

“During the second week of November, we open up the dam on Panther Pond to draw the fish up the river from Sebago Lake,” Stephen Twemblay, IFW Fish Culturalist supervisor said. “Since they can’t get through the dam, the salmon swim up a fish ladder into the fish hatchery. We then separate the male and female fish. Both are differentiated by fin clip class [fins clipped in different areas depending upon the year, denoting the age of salmon]. We do this so we always know how old that fish is to provide the best genetic variable.”

After the eggs are spawned and counted, they are transported to the fish hatchery in Casco where they are incubated through the winter. In the spring, most of the salmon are returned to Sebago Lake to keep up with the demand for fishing. The rest of the eggs are sent to other hatcheries around the State and to other State agencies in the U.S.and Canada as needed.

This real-world experience showed students the various ways science plays a role in our lives.

“I always tell my students that loving science doesn’t mean you need to be a scientist,” Hanson said. “There are environmental lawyers, policymakers, and computer engineers working in science-based companies, etc. Pairing an interest in science with a focus on another sector can be an avenue to explore. It is difficult for students to see how science incorporates into real-life situations or see what careers related to science might look like. Most scientists don’t wear lab coats and it was great to see that scientists also wear Muck boots and go fish.”

This story was provided by Lorraine Glowczak, Director of Community Connections & Storytelling Ambassador for RSU 14. To submit a story or an idea, email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.