Professional Learning Opportunity: Identifying Where Your Students are, in Order to Adjust Instruction

COVID-19 has created unique challenges in education as students finish the year with distance learning. The Maine Department of Education, in collaboration of guest presenter Beth Ratway, is pleased to offer two sessions to examine how to look at this “gap”. How do teachers figure out where their students are at and plan for next year?

Minding the Gap: This session will focus on sharing strategies to make the transition to next year manageable and meaningful. Educators will learn how to clearly identify the non-negotiables for their grade/course, how to build pre-assessments to determine where each student is coming in at connected to the non-negotiables and how to adjust learning plans to ensure all students are engaged in meaningful learning experiences around the non-negotiables.

Session host Beth Ratway is the former Social Studies Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and is an associate member of the national Council of State Social Studies Specialist group.

Minding the Gaps (Elementary Teachers): Identifying Where Your Students are at in Order to Adjust Instruction (Led by Beth Ratway/Senior Consultant at the American Institutes for Research – June 4 (Thurs) at 11:00am ET – Register for this session here
Minding the Gaps (Secondary Teachers): Identifying Where Your Students are at in Order to Adjust Instruction (Led by Beth Ratway/Senior Consultant at the American Institutes for Research – June 4 (Thurs) at 1:00pm ET – Register for this session here

For more information contact Joe Schmidt, Maine DOE Social Studies Specialist at Joe.Schmidt@maine.gov.

Department of Education Update Meeting

Commissioner of Education Pender Makin will be hosting a Zoom update on education in Maine during the current pandemic on Tuesday, June 2, from 4:00-5:00.

Please register in advance for this meeting, as there is a 500-person maximum. You can register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Questions or topics of interest may be submitted in advance by emailing Chief-of -Staff Jessica Nixon at Jessica.nixon@maine.gov by Tuesday at 8:00 am.

The meeting will be recorded and posted on our website.

New Webinar: 2020-2021 NEO Maine Schools and School Approval Process

To assist those who are responsible for the important task of reporting district and school organizational data as well as school approval information to the Maine Department of Education, the DOE Data Team will be holding a topical webinar about the Maine Schools and School Approval (Public and Private) process on Tuesday June 2^nd, from 11 am to 12 pm.

Registration URL can be found here, and the Maine Schools NEO Module Instructions can be found here.

New Webinar: 2020-2021 Special Education Exit Report

To assist those who are responsible for the important task of reporting Special Education Exits to the Maine Department of Education, the DOE Data Team will be holding a topical webinar about the Special Education Exit Report on Wednesday June 3^rd, from 2 pm to 3 pm. We will be covering how to validate the report and will be fielding any questions in regards to the report.

The registration URL found here, and Special Education Exit Report Instructions can be found here.

Innovative Educators Sought for Maine Learning Modules!

The Maine Department of Education invites all interested educators, curriculum leaders, and Maine educational community organizations to join us in designing an a-synchronous library of learning modules in a Maine Learning Results-aligned scope and sequence. These project-based modules will be integrated to ensure that learning is synthesized across traditional subject areas and learning experiences are designed to be mutually reinforcing.

Work will take place beginning June 15^th and run throughout the summer with a launch of the website on September 7^th. Each participant will be trained in a-synchronous instructional design by Maine DOE digital learning specialists, as well as supported in their content by Maine DOE content specialists. Participants will be expected to produce at least one learning module, but more may be accepted. Stipends will be provided for modules used in the Maine DOE library.

Participants must be Maine educators, including curriculum leaders and Maine educational community organizations.

To register click here.

For more information please contact Beth Lambert, beth.lambert@maine.gov or Page Nichols, page.nichols@maine.gov.

FREE TRAINING for Comprehensive Emergency Operations Planning: A Framework for Fall 2020

Maine Department of Education is proud to announce that our Maine School Safety Center Team will be hosting a series for all School Administrative Units (SAUs) and their Collaborative Planning Team members to create or review their Emergency Operations Plans. These plans should serve as the framework for any emergency planning and response effort, and requires a whole community approach. While it is still too early to finalize guidance for schools in Fall of 2020, by participating in this training, SAUs will be optimally positioned to apply forthcoming guidance to their existing frameworks.

This eight week series, beginning June 9 and occurring every Tuesday at 10:00 am, will walk participants through the comprehensive framework, from which all emergency response plans are built, and will include expert presenters for the individual topics and training that was developed by Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS).

Week 1: Overview of the Six Step Planning Process (1 hour)
Week 2: Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) (1 hour)
Week 3: Continuity of Operations Annex (1.5 hours)
Week 4: Recovery Annex (1.5 hours)
Week 5: Infectious Diseases Annex – broad coverage (1 hour)
Week 6: Integrating Disabilities (1.5 hours)
Week 7: Bereavement and Loss Annex (1.5 hours)
Week 8: Understanding Resilience and Developing a Self-Care Plan (1 hour)

Your Collaborative Planning Team should include your school nurse, administrators, educators, and representatives from transportation, food service, local emergency responders, and your local or regional community health experts, and we encourage you to share the registration with them.

When timely guidance for Fall 2020 is provided, additional training that builds upon this framework will be provided by Maine School Safety Center, and will ensure all SAUs have the necessary tools to make sound decisions for the safety and well-being of your school communities.

Please register in advance of the meeting, here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Contact hours will be available at the conclusion of the series.

6th Annual Count ME In Multimedia Contest Promoting School Attendance, Learning and Community

Count ME In is broadening its annual contest to include multimedia submissions that promote learning and being part of a school community. Students age 6 through high school are invited to create a poster, sculpture, song, poem, story or video for the 2020 celebration in September and October 2020. This is an opportunity for students to share their view on why school learning and being part of a school community is important. Students can participate from home, school, or summer program.

The winning submissions will be reproduced, including the artist’s name and distributed throughout Maine. In addition, the winning artists will receive money gift cards. View the contest guidelines.

Please share with student you think might be interested in submitting artwork. The deadline is Friday, July 17, 2020

For more information check out the Count ME In website.

Requests for Applications for McKinney-Vento Sub-Grant Program

The Maine Department of Education is requesting applications for the Department’s McKinney-Vento Sub-grant program to support the education of students experiencing homelessness. Proposals will be accepted from school administrative units (SAUs) seeking to develop, implement, or expand programs that improve the success of students identified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act. This grant may be renewable for up to three years. Applications must be received by July 1, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. local time. The application can be found here.

If you have questions about homeless education or the McKinney Vento Sub-grant program, contact Amelia Lyons, McKinney Vento Homeless Education Consultant, at amelia.lyons@maine.gov or 207-557-1787.

U.S. DOE Names Two Maine Students as 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars

The United States Department of Education (DOE) has announced that 161 high school seniors, including two from Maine, have been named U.S. Presidential Scholars. The recognition honors the students’ accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields.

2020 Maine U.S. Presidential Scholars

Neily Kate Raymond, Hermon – Hermon High School
John Bishop Wahlig III, Falmouth – Falmouth High School

Six Maine High School Seniors were announced U.S. Presidential Scholar semifinalists earlier this spring. A complete list of 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars follows and is also available at http://www.ed.gov/psp.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations, and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals.

Of the 3.6 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,300 candidates qualified for the 2020 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT or ACT exams or through nominations made by Chief State School Officers, other partner recognition organizations and the National YoungArts Foundation’s nationwide YoungArts™ competition.

As directed by executive order of the President, the 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 scholars in the arts and 20 scholars in career and technical education.

The Presidential Scholars Class of 2020 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement this summer as public health circumstances permit.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Next Week’s Schedule of DOE Virtual Meetings

Virtual Meeting Schedule: May 26 – May 29, 2020

The Maine Department of Education continues to schedule virtual office hours and professional development with Department Specialists to support educators and administrators during extended remote learning. During these meetings, our specialists are available to provide support, professional learning opportunities, and guidance regarding distance learning and school supports, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators.

It is advised to check the schedule in advance. Many of the virtual meetings now require pre-registration or the need to email the host to obtain meeting information, these measures help to prevent inappropriate interruptions.