Nominations and Applications are Now Open for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is currently accepting nominations and applications for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). PAEMST is the highest recognition that a Kindergarten through 12th grade science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science educator may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Since 1983, more than 5,100 teachers have been recognized for their contributions to mathematics and science education. Up to 108 awardees may be recognized each year. Maine is proud to have honored over 80 exceptional educators for their contributions!

Marshalyn Baker, Secondary Mathematics Awardee (1994) shared the value of accepting the nomination and the impact on her life, “Receiving this award took me on a professional and personal journey of a lifetime. I took on leadership roles with ATOMIM and NCTM Affiliate Services and the Board of Directors, met and worked with NASA scientists, and leveraged classroom resources and knowledge to better teach my students. I traveled extensively to speak at conferences and share and collaborate with a fabulous professional community. I felt valued and honored to be a mathematics educator from a rural state.”

This current cycle will recognize educators teaching grades 7-12. Anyone—principals, teachers, parents, students, colleagues, Higher Education partners, association members, or members of the general public—may nominate a teacher by completing the nomination form. To submit a nomination, you’ll need the teacher’s name, email address, and school contact information. Teachers may also initiate the application process themselves at www.paemst.org.

2022-2023 One-Page Outreach Flyer

2022-2023 One-Page Outreach Flyer (Spanish)

Eligibility

Applicants must:

Teach science, technology, engineering, or mathematics as part of their contracted teaching responsibilities at the 7-12 grade level in a public (including charter) or private school;
Hold at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution;
Be a full-time employee of their school or school district as determined by state and district policies, with responsibilities for teaching students no less than 50% of the school’s allotted instructional time;
Have at least five years of full-time employment as a K-12 teacher prior to the 2022-2023 academic school year, with science, technology, engineering, or mathematics teaching duties during each of the past five years;
Teach in one of the 50 states, the Department of Defense Education Activity schools, or the U.S. Jurisdictions of the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or as a group American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands;
Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; and
Not have received the PAEMST award at the national level in any prior competition or category.

Why apply/nominate?

Please consider nominating outstanding STEM teachers today! By nominating a teacher, you play an important role in elevating Maine’s education workforce.

Recipients of this prestigious Presidential award receive the following:

A certificate signed by the President of the United States.
A paid trip to Washington, D.C., to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities.
A $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation. An
opportunity to build lasting partnerships with colleagues across the nation.

Important Dates

For secondary 7-12, the nomination deadline is January 9, 2023, and the application deadline is February 6, 2023. Secondary 7-12 educators will be eligible to apply during the current cycle. Nominations are encouraged early so that educators have ample time to submit applications!

Questions? Contact:

Emily Doughty, PAEMST Coordinator, Emily.doughty@maine.gov

To learn more about the ways in which Maine is striving to attract, support, and sustain a strong educator workforce please visit the Teach Maine plan’s webpage: https://www.maine.gov/doe/exploreeducation/teachmaine.

Priority Notice: 2nd Round of Grant Funds Available to Support the Expansion of Public Pre-K

As part of the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, Governor Mills allocated $10 million of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds appropriated for Maine for public pre-k infrastructure to increase the number of 4-year-olds enrolled in public pre-k across the state. For the 2022-23 school year, 12 SAUs were awarded funding to expand or start new pre-k programs.

The Maine DOE is excited to announce another round of public pre-k expansion funding for school year 2023-24.

Currently, public pre-k in Maine is not universally available for all 4-year-olds. While the cognitive and social-emotional benefits of high-quality pre-k are well documented, there are a variety of factors that contribute to the ability of School Administrative Units (SAUs) to offer public pre-k and the extent to which they can enroll all eligible 4-year-olds from interested families. This funding will help expand pre-k opportunities across Maine.

Maine SAUs interested in starting or expanding public pre-k are encouraged to apply for funding through the Pre-K Expansion Request for Applications (RFA). SAUs will be able to use the funding, in combination with Essential Programs and Services allocations, to start new pre-k programs and/or expand existing programs from part-day/part-week to full-day/full-week programs. Funding may also support public pre-k programming through partnerships between SAUs and community providers.

A timeline for the RFA process is provided below.

August 5, 2022–RFA released
August 23, 2023–Informational session for interested parties, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
September 22, 2022-RFA question submittal deadline
September 30, 2022—RFA answers to questions posted publicly
October 13, 2022—RFA submission deadline

An informational meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 23 from 10 am-12 pm. Those wishing to learn more about the Pre-K Expansion RFA and ask questions may attend through this link. This meeting will be recorded and made available on our Early Childhood Professional Learning and Resources page.

For the 12 SAUs previously awarded grants in the first round, there will be a separate opportunity to apply for additional funding to support current projects later in fall of 2022 or winter of 2023.

All questions about the Pre-K Expansion RFA should be submitted to the Pre-K Expansion Grant Coordinator identified on the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.

Additional questions regarding this announcement should be directed to Pre-K RFA Coordinator jane.kirsling@maine.gov.

IN-PERSON TRAINING: Amplifying Students’ Voices in the Transition Process: Outcome-Oriented Planning using Person-Centered Approaches

We can promote success for our students by partnering with them to understand their visions for the future and amplify their voices in the transition planning process. But how can we provide a structure for students to articulate their visions? How can we make time for students to engage in the experiences they need to achieve their future goals among other instructional priorities?

This training will provide strategies for assessing and promoting career pathways through education, work experiences, and other predictors of post-school success. You will engage in community resource mapping with other training participants using case studies to identify and plot resources within your communities. The session will culminate in each participant’s creation of an individualized action plan to bring back to your school, agency, or community with support from the trainers and other participants.

Date and Time: Thursday, September 22, 2022, 10:00am-2:00pm ET

Location: University of Maine at Augusta campus

Presenters: Josh Taylor (UMaine), Janet May (UMaine- Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies), and Gina Oswald (UMaine-Farmington)
Cost: $75.00

Register today! Once you register, you will receive an automated email confirming your registration, with directions to the training site.

Questions: Contact Lara Enein by email at lara.enein@umb.edu

Free Viewing of ‘Truth Tellers’ Documentary on Racial Equity, Climate Justice, and Indigenous Rights; Follow-up Conference Scheduled for 11/5

All Maine educators and pre-service teachers are invited to view, “Truth Tellers” a film chronicling the lives of courageous Americans fighting for racial equity, climate justice, and indigenous rights through the eyes of Robert Shetterly, a long-time activist, and Maine artist. Truth Tellers is both a story of Shetterly’s art and activism and a history lesson in what it means to be a citizen of a democracy. The film will be available for viewing on August 16th and 17th from the comfort of your own home.

There will be a follow-up conference on Saturday, November 5th, focusing on how all disciplines can bring this important work to students. Attendance at the November 5th workshop is encouraged but not required.

This FREE opportunity is sponsored by Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association, Maine Math and Science Alliance, Maine Arts Education Partners in Leadership, and Maine Art Education Association.

For access to this documentary, please register here. The link to view the film will be sent on Monday, August 15th.

Priority Notice: 2022-2023 Assessment Calendar and Assessment Program Updates

Thank you, Maine educators and administrators! Your hard work, diligence to scheduling, and investment in assessments supported and ensured a successful administration of state assessments during the 2021 – 2022 school year.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) remains committed to our mission of promoting learning opportunities of the highest quality for all Maine students by providing information, guidance, and support to our schools, educators, and school administrative unit (SAU) leadership, and we’re excited to share some updates to the Maine assessment program. This includes ensuring that Maine’s assessment system provides educators and SAU leadership with the timely data they need, while limiting the amount of instructional time impacted by necessary assessment administration.

During the height of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Maine DOE heard from and responded to the needs expressed by SAUs and schools to focus more on supporting students. The Maine DOE formed a partnership with NWEA to expand MAP Growth to all schools and SAUs for grades 3-8 and high school as an emergency effort to provide educators, school communities, and the state with real-time information about student achievement.

The Maine Department of Education has continued to hear from educators and administrators across the state that timely and useful data to inform instruction remain vitally important. We have also heard that growth measures comparing the performance of different cohorts each spring have been unhelpful. Therefore, in the spring of 2023, the Maine DOE will begin implementing a flexible, innovative assessment that is similar to the MAP Growth assessment model for math and reading in grades 3-8 and the second year of high school. This assessment will also serve as our federally required, statewide assessment. The assessments will be adaptive each year for grades 3-8, and fixed form (not adaptive) in the second year of high school. The first administration will occur during the spring 2023 assessment administration window, with a full transition to a through-year (a required fall assessment and optional winter implementation) model in the 2023-24 school year. Growth will then be measured based on fall to spring performance within the same cohort of students. Assessment items will include well-vetted, adaptive MAP Growth items along with specific grade-level items, producing a valid RIT score that is nationally comparable and will provide a measure of consistency over time in addition to Maine-specific grade level performance levels.

This transition will allow us to maintain existing interim assessments and the required summative assessment in fewer assessment administrations in a manner that will provide a system of equitable, student-centered, and personalized measures to provide evidence, data, and instructionally relevant information and tools.

What is a flexible, through-year assessment program?

The assessments are intended to provide information for educators throughout the year. This means assessments can be administered 2-3 times a year: fall, winter (optional), and spring. Although many of the elements below are a familiar part of the current program, items highlighted** reflect new features/functionality now available.

The assessments are computer adaptive, providing a personalized experience for each student.
The assessments provide educators information about student performance relative to end of year achievement level expectations. **
The assessments are efficient, leveraging information about how students performed in previous administrations to personalize later assessment experiences. **
The spring assessment generates a summative score that meets federal requirements. **
The assessments support within year growth and national comparisons via a norm-referenced score (i.e., RIT scores) provided after each administration.

Key benefits of this flexible, through-year state assessment model for educators and students in Maine include:

A two- to three-times-per-year assessment program that allows for performance monitoring while eliminating the need for a standalone and disconnected state summative assessment each spring, supporting the continuity of the overall assessment experience. **
In addition to a state scale score, the assessment will provide RIT scores that yield national normative information.
A reduction of overall assessment administrations compared to prior assessment administration cycles. There will only be two required administrations of math and reading each year. There will no longer be a separate language usage assessment.
A reduction in lost instructional time (each assessment is estimated to take less than 1 hour).
New, interactive reports and tools designed to provide timely and actionable information to support our Maine educators and students.
Continued cost saving for district leaders as this program will provide districts and schools with information previously provided by interim assessments, reducing the need for districts to purchase an interim assessment.

Next steps:

To support a smooth transition, the Maine DOE will continue to provide MAP Growth administrations for Math and Reading in the fall (required) and winter (optional) of the 2022/2023 school as we prepare for the spring 2023 administration. Maine DOE will be sponsoring professional learning opportunities designed to support educators in the administration of the assessment and their use of through-year data for instructional purposes. Further information regarding professional learning will be forthcoming.
It should be noted, there are no changes to the alternate assessment provided to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) will continue to be utilized in mathematics, ELA, and science.

Assessment Calendar Now Available

The assessment calendar for the 2022-2023 school year is now available. The schedule is located below and available on the assessment calendar webpage.

Assessment	Content Area	Grades	Assessment Window Dates
NWEA (fall-required)	Math & Reading	3 -8, 2nd year of HS	October 3 – 28, 2022
ACCESS for ELLs Alt. ACCESS for ELLs	English Language Proficiency	K-12	January 9, 2023 – March 3, 2023
NWEA (Winter -optional)	Math & Reading	3 -8, 2nd year of HS	January 9, 2023 – February 3, 2023
MSAA	Math, ELA, Science	Grades 3 – 8, 3rd year of HS Grades 5, 8 and 3rd year of HS	March 13, 2023- April 28, 2023
NWEA (spring- required)	Math & Reading	3 – 8, 2nd year of HS	May 1 -26, 2023
Maine Science	Science	Grades 5, 8 and 3rd year of HS	May 15 – 26, 2023

Questions can be directed to Janette Kirk, Chief, Office of Federal Programs.

WEBINAR: Outcome-Oriented Planning for Transition-age Youth

Transition planning is critical to ensuring that students’ educational experiences result in success after graduation. But transition planning can also be a daunting task for educators and other practitioners. What are the right pathways to get our students where they need to be? Where do we begin? This session will discuss how we can use person-centered and backwards planning to anchor transition to the outcomes students want for themselves. You will learn practical strategies for engaging students and families through reframing the transition planning process to develop students’ career potential. In this webinar, you can connect and share ideas with other practitioners through small group discussions in breakout rooms. Presenters will also host interactive Q&A discussions.

Date and Time: Tuesday, August 30, 2022, 2-3:00pm ET Location: Online (Zoom)

Presenters: Josh Taylor (UMaine), Janet May (UMaine- Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies), and Gina Oswald (UMaine-Farmington)

Cost: $25.00

Register today! Once you register, you will receive an automated email confirming your registration. We will send reminders closer to the event date with the webinar URL link.

Questions: Contact Lara Enein by email at lara.enein@umb.edu.

WEBINAR: The Role of School Mental Health Professionals in Supporting School Safety Efforts

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a Webinar on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will highlight the role of mental health professionals in supporting school safety efforts at the local level.

The objectives of this 60-minute Webinar are to

Demonstrate the importance of developing a collaborative planning team to support emergency operations plan development, as outlined in Step 1 of the six-step planning process detailed in the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans.
Discuss the role that school mental health professionals — including mental health coordinators, counselors, and others — play in implementing the National Preparedness System mission areas before, during, and after a potential emergency.
Share resources to strengthen mental health professionals’ efforts around climate assessment, behavioral threat assessment, continuity of teaching and learning, and overall plan development.

Register on the REMS TA Center Website to participate in the Webinar!

Presenters:

Mobile County Public Schools

Denise Riemer, LCSW, Mental Health Services Coordinator

REMS TA Center

Janelle Hughes, Project Director

Questions About the Event?

Contact the REMS TA Center Help Desk at 1-855-781-REMS [7367] or info@remstacenter.org from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Get to Know the Maine DOE: Meet Gina Post

Maine DOE Team member Gina Post is being highlighted as part of our Get to Know the Maine DOE Team campaign. Learn a little more about Gina in the question and answer below.

What are your roles?

I am Interim Executive Director with the Maine Charter School Commission (MCSC). While MCSC staff aren’t technically Maine Department of Education (DOE) employees, we do work very closely with the Maine DOE.

What do you like best about your job?

As a former teacher, I find it interesting to work with schools that have unique missions and approaches to education.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

Outside of work, I like to read, do crossword puzzles, and spend time outside with my family.

WEBINAR: WIDA Screener Online

The WIDA Screener Online is Maine’s statewide English language proficiency screening assessment for students in Grades 1-12. As part of the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) multilingual learner identification policy, all students with a primary/home language other than (or in addition to) English must be screened to determine whether they quality for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services.

In order to support schools in administering the WIDA Screener Online to multilingual students, the Maine DOE is offering a WIDA Screener Online overview webinar on August 26th from 1-2:30pm, facilitated by Lori Hanna, WIDA Professional Learning Specialist. Register by August 12th.

Agenda:

Describe the purpose and uses for WIDA Screener Online
Discuss the connection between the English Language Proficiency levels that are targeted in specific test items and Screener Scoring Scales for speaking and writing
Consider the format, expectations of the WIDA Speaking Scoring Scales, and how to administer the speaking test then practice evaluating student responses
Explore the format, expectations of the WIDA Writing Scoring Scales, and how to administer the writing test then practice evaluating student responses
Examine the format of the listening and reading test
Discuss the components of the WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Framework, and usage of universal tools and accommodations
Locate WIDA AMS functions for Screener scoring and reports
Explore the logistics for preparing to administer in the training course on the WIDA website

If you have any questions about this training, or about multilingual learner identification, contact April Perkins at april.perkins@maine.gov.

Old Town Elementary School ‘Learning Garden’ Becomes an Extension of the Classroom

When Old Town Elementary School started a school garden many years ago, the purpose was to beautify the school grounds and give students a chance to explore and play in a more natural setting. Since then, the garden concept has literally “grown” as the school has started to use the garden as an opportunity to integrate the space into the day-to-day curriculum. In conjunction with the Cooperative Extension Staff at the University of Maine, the school has developed a Legacy Curriculum, with each grade growing and caring for different crops.

Starting in kindergarten, students grow apples and sunflowers. They plant their apple trees in the spring and watch as they blossom and grow different apple varieties, which they can taste in the fall. They also plant their sunflowers in the spring and use them for a kindness project, where they gift the flowers to people to brighten up their days.

First graders make seed tape indoors with carrots and radishes. A month before school ends, they plant their radishes and have a harvest on the last day of school. To demonstrate that different plants take different amounts of time to develop, they plant their carrots in the last week of school and harvest them when they come back to school in the fall, when they have taste tests with different dips and cooking methods.

Second graders grow pumpkins. They weigh and measure the circumference of their pumpkins and collect seeds to cook as well as to plant. They learn how to prepare pumpkin in a healthy, easy, low-cost way that they can bring home to family. On the last day of school each year, they compare their pumpkins’ growth rates.

In third grade, students grow various microgreens indoors under a grow lamp. They can taste test the different greens and vote on their favorites. After the votes are collected, they graph and analyze the results to see which one was the most popular.

Finally, when students reach fourth grade, they grow single seed potatoes. They cut them in half – planting one half in the school garden and one half in a container they bring home to care for over the summer. Once the potatoes are ready, students harvest them and prepare multiple healthy potato recipes and vote on their favorites, which they then graph.

OTES Farm Stand

OTES Learning Garden

Student tending to plants

Old Town Elementary Schools educators say they have seen a great sense of pride and joy with their students and their role in the growing their grade levels product. Since this change in the curriculum, the students and staff see the garden as an extension of the classroom. Students take pride in planting and harvesting the bounty, even creating an opportunity on Tuesday afternoons to contribute to the school’s farm stand. The farm stand, which is open to both Old Town Elementary School families and the public, has created a great opportunity for the school to impact their citizens and provide a great resource to be proud of, a resource that would be possible without their learning garden.