Category: News & Views

Important Information Regarding Lapsed Certificates

Please note that we have just reached the 6-month threshold for all certificates that expired on July 1, 2018.  This means that any educator who has not yet applied for renewal is now considered lapsed and will need to submit an initial paper application. Educators with lapsed certification will now appear on the Superintendent’s violation list if they are currently employed.  If the support chairs had verified their renewal requirements, that verification is now null and void.  New applications submitted by the educators will need to include all contact hours and/or semester hours needed for renewal.  Because there is a lapse in certificate, these educators will now also need to be re-fingerprinted with IdentToGo before their certificates can be issued.

Ed Tech renewals that expire on February 1, 2019 will need to be done through the MEIS portal. For anyone who has not yet created an online account, please do so as soon as possible. Step by step instructions on how to create an account and apply for renewal can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/renewals

District Support Chairs – Teachers (and Ed Techs if applicable) will appear on your renewal verification list 6 months prior to their expiration date. Once you verify they have completed renewal requirements, teachers are welcome to complete their online renewal.  If a teacher renews early, the new certificate will not begin until the current one expires.

As a reminder, only renewal applications are being submitted through the MEIS system. For new certificates, new endorsements, or certificates that have lapsed, paper applications need to be mailed to or dropped off at the certification office.

The certification office will be posting updates on their home page http://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/index.html as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and in the DOE newsroom.

Maine Celebrates School Counselors of the Year with Local and National Ceremonies

The Maine School Counselor Association (MESCA) is pleased to announce that Kelly O’Brien Weaver from Weatherbee Elementary School is the 2018 Maine School Counselor of the Year and will represent Maine at the 2019 School Counselor of the Year celebration at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. in February. Kelly’s focus has been on promoting comprehensive school counseling programs in the State of Maine through the RAMP process (Recognized ASCA Model Program).  Kelly has also worked to promote National Board Certification (NBCT) for School Counselors in Maine. Kelly’s passion includes use of experiential social learning through educational break-out boxes and escape games.

In addition, Tara Kierstead from Hall-Dale Middle & High School, has been announced as Maine’s 2019 School Counselor of the Year.  Tara was recognized at MESCA’s annual conference on November 30, 2018 in Portland, Maine. Tara’s focus has been to support all students, especially those who identify as LGBTQ to ensure they are successful in high school and beyond.

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) School Counselor of the Year program (#SCOY19) honors the professionals who devote their careers to serving as advocates for the nation’s students, helping them achieve success in school and in life.  State school counselor of the year honorees were selected based on several criteria, including: school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership and advocacy skills and contributions to student advancement.

“The ASCA School Counselor of the Year award is an esteemed recognition for our profession,” said Richard Wong, Ed.D., ASCA executive director.  “School counselors make significant contributions to the overall well-being of students and their success. Their unique qualifications and training allow them to support students’ academic achievement, career development and social/emotional needs. This award highlights their commitment, dedication and excellence.”

On February 7, 2019, from 2:00-4:00, MESCA and the Maine DOE will recognize Kelly, Tara, and all of Maine’s School Counselors in the Hall of Flags to celebrate National School Counselor Week.  All are welcome!

For more information or questions about the role of the School Counselor, contact Sarah Adkins at sarah.adkins@maine.gov or 207-624-6685.

MaineCare Seed Adjustments to be Made; Review Q119 Reports by January 18, 2019

The recovery of Q119 MaineCare Seed will occur in the January 2019 subsidy payment and the Maine DOE is asking School Administrative Units (SAUs) to review their reports by January 18, 2019 to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. SAU staff must review student by student claims on both the public and private MaineCare reports for Q119 by January 18, 2019.

To access the MaineCare Seed reports, please follow the instructions below.

  1. Log into NEO
    As in the past, if a new staff member needs permission to access this module, a request from the Superintendent to the Maine DOE helpdesk will be necessary. The helpdesk contact information is medms.helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-624-6896. Anyone who currently has Special Education Director permissions to the Special Education module, will automatically have permissions to access MaineCare reports.
  2. Click on the Student Data tab
  3. Click on the Student Report tab
  4. Select MaineCare in the Reporting Area drop-down
  5. Choose the quarterly Seed report and the report type (private/public)
  6. Click view report button
  7. Once the report appears on the screen, choose the export button.

    Export Button
  8. You may export the reports to Excel but, please be aware that there may be multiple worksheet tabs within the workbook. Save the file to your computer.

If you disagree that a particular student or time period should be on the report, please provide the reason that you disagree along with the following to Denise.towers@maine.gov.

  • Identify the type of report (public or private) and the quarter in which the claims are located.
  • State Student ID
  • Service provided dates (to and from)
  • Total amount of Seed being disputed

Summer services: Students must be enrolled for the time period they are receiving educational services. This means that students that are receiving extended school year services in district or extended school year services in an out of district placement must have a primary enrollment for that time period in order for the MDOE to have the most accurate enrollment data to determine SAU responsibility for MaineCare Seed.

For more information or technical assistance related to MaineCare Seed, please contact Denise.towers@maine.gov.

 

Maine DOE Offers Two Opportunities to Participate in a 1% Alternate Assessment Support Webinar

Letters were sent out Friday, December 21st to all districts that have identified more than 1% of their students as alternate assessment students.  Three levels of support are offered to all districts.  Districts assigned to a level of support in Tier 2 and Tier 3 are required to attend one of the 1% Support Webinars listed below.  All other districts are welcome to attend.

The webinar will include an overview of the 1% ESSA regulation – Section §1111(b)(2)(D)(I) for providing alternate assessments, including: the definition of significant cognitive disabilities, meeting the criteria within the Participation Guidelines, how to identify students in Synergy, and how to complete the Action Plan for districts over the 1% participation threshold. Concentration on the Action Plan will look at three levels of support and what that means to districts, how to provide justifications, and a look at disproportionality.

Please contact Sue Nay at sue.nay@maine.gov or Ann Belanger at ann.belanger@maine.gov  with questions.

Integrated Pest Management School Workshop

Registration is now open for the Comprehensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Workshop to be held February 20th at Gardiner Area High School. This workshop is offered by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

View the full workshop schedule (click on Training and Events). All School IPM Coordinators are required to attend this training one time but everyone is welcome to attend. It is an opportunity to network with other Coordinators, see what other schools are doing to prevent and manage pests.

Register for Comprehensive IPM Workshop at Gardiner High School HERE. 

Save the Date: October 29-30, 2019 for our first Rodent Academy! This 2-day workshop, featuring internationally recognized rodent expert, Dr. Robert Corrigan is not to be missed! You’ll learn very practical information about how to recognize and eliminate rodent activity in your schools (and at home too!).

Questions/Comments? Contact kathy.murray@maine.gov Phone: 207-287-7616

Middle School Career and Technical Education (CTE) is gearing up across Maine

Public Law Chapter 171, “An Act To Enable Earlier Introduction of Career and Technical Education in Maine Schools,” was enacted in June 2017 to expand Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities by requiring Maine schools to provide access to developmentally-appropriate CTE for middle school students (grades 6-8). The expansion of CTE to middle school builds on a long history of providing high-quality and industry-relevant CTE to students in high school grades 9-12. The Department also responded with a goal to increase CTE participation by 100% by 2020.

The funds, as established by  2018 PL Chapter 446, §15688, were created to facilitate the development and implementation of career and technical education pilots by CTE regions and centers in collaboration with middle. A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be announced soon with more details about this opportunity.

For more information about middle school  CTE implementation in Maine  please contact Margaret.harvey@maine.gov.

Proposed Revisions to Rule Chapter 115: Credentialing of Educational Personnel

As part of the Maine Department of Education’s efforts to streamline and clarify certification processes for Maine educators, the Department is proposing revisions to Rule Chapter 115: Credentialing of Educational Personnel. The Department had withdrawn an earlier proposal in order to make necessary changes and fall within the timeframe needed for public hearings and legislative action during this session. Having made those changes, the Department is now releasing a refined proposed rule for public comment.

Please note: The Part I proposed changes are to the current Rule Chapter 115, Part 1, adopted in July 2018. The Part II proposed changes are to Rule Chapter, Part II, adopted in August 2017, which had been scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2019.

The proposed Rule Chapter 115 can be found here (proposed rules are listed in order by rule number).

Summary of changes: Part I revisions refine and correct for articulation with statute and Part II and clarify certain provisions. Part II revisions include clarifications and refinements as well as more substantial changes, including the elimination of some provisions scheduled to take effect July 1, 2019. Part II proposed changes include:

  1. Eliminating literacy course work for Secondary Teacher Endorsement, Pathway 2
  2. Proposing grade spans: Public preschool-3, K-8, 6-12, Public preschool-12, and K-12
  3. Establishing a pathway to qualifying as a secondary teacher based on work experience and specified education course work
  4. Refining Career and Technical Education endorsement requirements to better meet the needs of the field.
  5. Sun setting endorsement 093: School Psychologist (Specialist or Doctoral), Pathway 4; and updating the requirements for this pathway
  6. Repealing and replacing endorsement pathways for some certificates to account for statutory changes in types of certificates (e.g. the elimination of the targeted certificate) and for clarity.

Public Comment Period Information for Rule Chapter 115:

Public Comment Period: December 26, 2018 – January 28, 2019
Comments should be submitted to Mary Paine at mary.paine@maine.gov or to the address below.

Public Hearing: January 14, 2019, 9:30 – 11:00 am Rm. 500, Cross State Office Building, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta, Maine. People wishing to speak are asked to sign in and provide two written copies of their comments.

Anyone unable to send comments via email or attend the public hearing may send written comments to:

Mary Paine
Department of Education
23 State House Station, Augusta, ME

McKinney Vento Sub-grant for the Education of Homeless Students

The Maine DOE congratulates the Bangor School Department for being conditionally awarded a $40,000 McKinney Vento sub-grant for the education of homeless students.  Through a focused needs assessment, Bangor discovered that their homeless students need help catching up to their peers in language arts, math, and high school credit accrual.  Bangor has committed to using the grant award in part to reduce school social worker caseloads, enabling them to coordinate more regularly with guidance staff, monitor and support students’ academic success, and focus on meeting identified needs of homeless students and families.

Maine DOE annually receives approximately $200,000 in federal McKinney Vento sub-grant funds to distribute statewide to supplement annual homeless education resources, such as Title IA funds. Maine DOE remains committed to distributing the unawarded sub-grant funds across the state so that they are broadly available to address statewide concerns and documented local needs.  A new RFP will be issued in early 2019 for the remaining funds. Districts who were not awarded a grant in this round are encouraged to apply.

If you have questions about homeless education or the McKinney Vento sub-grant program, contact Gayle Erdheim, gayle.erdheim@maine.gov or (207) 624-6637.

 

Professional Development Opportunity – Poverty: The Multiple Influences and Effects

The Maine DOE is providing a 3-part workshop series with Miriam Dodge, a GoldStar speaker for Communication Across Barriers, that will challenge participants to understand poverty at a deeper level and to think about their own biases and beliefs around poverty. The series will be limited to 20 participants and will focus on the Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten age span. This series will address the following goals:

  1. Increase educators’ knowledge base to understand key concepts of poverty;
  2. Recognize personal biases, thoughts and beliefs around people living in poverty;
  3. Increase understanding of the effect poverty has on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES);
  4. Increase the foundational understanding that if basic needs are met (nutrition, medical, social/emotional), students can focus engage in higher order thinking skills; and
  5. Help educators recognize personal beliefs and how they can indirectly influence collaboration between school staff and families.

By understanding the effects poverty has on Maine’s children; teachers, principals and other school leaders will be better able to individualize supports and increase learning outcomes for students most at risk.

Schools are strongly encouraged to register 3-member teams representative of classroom teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, and special educators. Time will be provided for individuals to share their learning and to collectively plan for how to with colleagues in their respective schools.

Dinner will be provided during each session which will run 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm. Six contact hours will be provided to each participant over the course of the series.

Cost is $90 per team to attend the 3-part series. Registration requires a credit card.   Event Registration Link

Training Dates:                                             Training Location:
January 14, 2019                                             Educare Central Maine
March 18, 2019                                               56 Drummond Ave
May 13, 2019                                                  Waterville, ME 04901

For further information, please contact Nena Cunningham Ed.D., Head Start State Collaboration Director at 207-624-6601 or nena.m.cunningham@maine.gov

MEA Released Item Workshop Webinars

In November 2018, Maine DOE content specialists provided workshops to help Maine educators utilize the released items associated with Maine’s eMPower English language arts and math assessments and MEA science assessment. For those who were unable to attend, recordings of these sessions are now available.  The recordings can be accessed at the following links:

Educators will find documents related to these sessions in the file boxes included as part of the recordings or via links provided to Padlets incorporated within the recordings. Additionally, educators viewing the recordings will be encouraged to access released item data in the MAARS system.  Access to the released item data requires a user name and password which educators can obtain from their District Assessment Coordinator (DAC).

Please share the recording links with classroom teachers and instructional coaches who might not have been able to attend.

For questions or additional assistance, please contact the appropriate content specialist: