Information regarding special education teachers in NEO and certification

The Maine Department of Education’s Office of Special Services would like to request Directors of Special Education and other school personnel to check the information in the Department’s data system, NEO, to ensure that special education teachers are correctly coded in the system. Please check to see that:

There are no missing codes.
The coding for each teacher is correct.
Teachers who were granted a one-year extension for certificates expiring on July 1, 2017 per Commissioner Hasson’s priority notice dated May 5, 2017 should not be coded as having a waiver.
Special education teachers who teach children with a number of disabilities should not be coded as teachers of children with Multiple Disabilities unless the students are coded with that disability.
Educational technicians should not be coded as special education teachers or teachers.

This is an important correction for SAUs to make since we are trying to determine capacity needed to address the alternate pathways requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Maine’s newly revised certification rule, Chapter 115 which became effective on August 12, 2017.

Log in processes to NEO can be found at the following link: https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/NEO/Accounts/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2fDOE%2fneo%2fAccounts%2fHome%2fHome.

For questions about logging into NEO, contact the Maine DOE Help Desk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-624-6896.

Fostering Artful Early Childhood Classrooms

The Maine Department of Education invites you to be part of an exciting professional development opportunity, “Fostering Artful Early Childhood Classrooms”. Early Childhood Specialist, Sue Reed and Visual and Performing Arts Specialist, Beth Lambert are looking for teachers who want to energize their teaching and learning through focusing on art in the public preschool classroom. Applicants must apply in teams of two: one Public Preschool teacher and one Visual Art teacher from the same district. The Visual Arts teacher must currently teach at the elementary level.

Under the expertise of Early Childhood facilitator, Terri Petnov, and Early Childhood Arts facilitator, Judy Fricke, teams will work on building a collaborative partnership to ensure that preschool students receive an artful learning experience. Public preschool teachers will learn the research as to why art is important in a preschool classroom and how it encompasses Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards and how to include art into their daily routines. Visual Art teachers will learn developmentally appropriate pedagogical approaches to teaching art to our youngest learners. As a culmination of their work, participants will create a presentation to share with their school community.

The training is free and each team selected will receive $500 worth of equipment and supplies for their classroom. These training will be offer in three regions of the state on the following dates:

Northern cohort at the University of Maine, Presque Isle campus (Nov. 17^th, Feb. 15^th, April 12^th)
Central cohort at Educare in Waterville (Nov. 7^th, Feb. 6^th, April 3^rd)
Southern cohort at Southern Maine Community College ( 3^rd, February 9^th, April 6^th)

If you are interested in participating fill out an application using the links listed above. Only one application is necessary per team. If you have any questions contact Visual and Performing Arts Specialist, Beth Lambert or Early Childhood Specialist, Sue Reed.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine students improve on state assessments

The Maine Department of Education is pleased to release the 2016-17 Maine Education Assessment (MEA) results in the content areas of mathematics, English language arts (ELA)/literacy, and science. In all content areas, performance has improved or remained stable.

“I am encouraged with how well our students are performing. In 2016-17, students were assessed for the third time on the rigorous standards Maine adopted in 2011 and while participation rates remained high, students showed consistent improvement,” said Robert G. Hasson, Jr., Maine Department of Education Commissioner. “This is a true testament to the hard work and determination of our students and their teachers.”

With two years of data from the same assessments, this is the first opportunity since 2013 that the State has been able to compare results over two years in mathematics and ELA/literacy. Results are very encouraging.

Highlights include:

In ELA/Literacy 52.58% of Maine students scored at or above state expectations – a notable improvement over 50.58% in 2015-16.
In Mathematics 38.54% of Maine students scored at or above state expectations – a slight improvement over 38.31% in 2015-16.
In Science 61.07% of Maine students scored at or above state expectations – a slight improvement over 60.97% in 2015-16.

The number of students exempted from the state assessment due to special considerations (e.g., serious medical condition) was reduced by about half from 2015-16 to 2016-17.
Participation rates in all subjects were greater than 95%.

The public results can be viewed by school or district and by subgroups, including grade level groups, in the MAARS Public Reports system.

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Maine DOE to release 2016-17 Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) results on 9/25

The Maine Department of Education will release the 2016-17 MEA results on Monday, September 25, 2017, within the Maine Assessment and Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) Public Portal

Users will be able to see both 2015-16 data and 2016-17 data in the content areas of: (1) mathematics; (2) English language arts (ELA)/literacy; and (3) science. In all content areas, the assessments have remained stable, and results can be compared across those two years. This is the first opportunity since 2013 to compare results over two years in mathematics and ELA/literacy.

Mathematics and ELA/literacy results are based on the following assessments:

eMPowerME for most students in grades 3-8
SAT for most students in 3^rd year high school
MSAA for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in grades 3-8, and 3^rd year high school

Science results are based on the following assessments:

MEA Science for students in grades 5 and 8, and 3^rd year high school
PAAP for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in grades 5 and 8, and 3^rd year high school

MAARS Public Reports of assessment results are presented in two ways:

QUICK REPORTS (default) show high level participation and performance data for schools, districts, and the state.
INTERACTIVE REPORTS (click Interactive in the upper left corner) allow users to make specific comparisons across years, subgroups, selected schools or districts.

For more information, please contact charlene.tucker@maine.gov or varun.motay@maine.gov.

Maine DOE to release 2016/17 ESEA Report Cards on 9/25

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires all states to provide an annual report card to inform stakeholders about the progress of students and schools on indicators of student achievement, graduation rates, status of ESEA accountability and information on fully certified teachers – information that is related to student success.

This report card also displays statewide academic achievement results in grades four and eight on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics assessments, as well as the participation rates for students with disabilities and limited English proficiency on the NAEP exam.

The Department of Education continues to support school districts in providing this annual report card to its stakeholders. The 2016-17 ESEA report is for informational purposes only. It had no impact on school accountability status. Title I Accountability status for 2016-17 remained the same as determined based on the 2013-14 school year data. As part of Maine’s submitted ESSA plan approved U.S. Department of Education a new accountability system will be implemented beginning with school year 2018-19.

ESEA report cards will be available in the Maine Assessment and Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) on Monday, September 25, 2017.

In order to expeditiously retrieve pertinent school level ESEA Report Cards for 2016-17, the Maine DOE recommends using the “School” tab to select to download the excel spreadsheet. After locating the applicable school, the ESEA Report Card can be found in the final column. To access the district level ESEA Report Card, select the “District” tab to download the excel spreadsheet. After locating the applicable district, the ESEA Report Card can be found in the final column. Please note, spring 2016 assessment data is used to populate the 2016-17 ESEA Report Card.

Further questions regarding the 2016-2017 NCLB Report Cards should be directed to ESEA Federal Programs and Title I Director Janette Kirk at janette.kirk@maine.gov or call 624-6707 or connect with Director of Assessment and Accountability Charlene Tucker at charlene.tucker@maine.gov or call 624-6827.

Update on launch of Synergy State Edition Student System and access for school administrative units

Progress is continuing toward the full release of Synergy as Department staff have successfully uploaded and created thousands of student IDs. The next phase in the process will begin on Friday morning, September 22, when the Department will begin a “soft roll out”. This process will have a select group of school administrative units testing the process and providing feedback for improvements, to ensure a smoother upload process for all units. Also, a Synergy developer is on site to assist the Department with issues that arise. The Department’s goal is to make available full access for all superintendents and data specialists, as listed in NEO, on Monday, September 25. Access for other requested personnel follow within a few working days. At this time, the upload capability encompasses: New Student IDs, Student Enrollment and Student Personal. Other upload capabilities will be available in the following days and weeks.

The Department fully anticipates that the system will be ready for the October 1 EPS reports that are required to be certified by October 30.

As a result of the delay in getting data into Synergy, the Department will not be requiring all Quarter 1 reports to be submitted or certified and these reports from the DC&R calendar. Additionally, the “Tips and Trick Web session” will be postponed until the system is fully functional. Additional updates on this will be posted via the Commissioner’s Update and noted on the Department’s professional development calendar.

Please continue to check the Maine DOE Newsroom communications via the Maine DOE Update for further communications. Thank you for your patience. If you have questions or we can be of assistance, please contact the helpdesk at (207) 624-6896, medms.helpdesk@maine.gov or Shannon Bartash, helpdesk manager at (207) 624-6799, shannon.bartash@maine.gov

Update about revisions to Rule Chapter 232, expansion of CTE to middle school

Public Law Chapter 171, “An Act To Enable Earlier Introduction of Career and Technical Education in Maine Schools,” was enacted in June to expand career and technical education opportunities by requiring Maine schools to provide access to developmentally-appropriate career and technical education for middle school students (grades 6-8). The expansion of Career and Technical Education (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.

Revision of Department of Education Rule Chapter 232, currently underway in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) process, will provide a framework to develop and implement middle school career and technical education.

CTE centers and regions will collaborate with all schools serving students in grades 6-8 to provide CTE experiences and will be active partners in how these programs are structured and offered in the best interests of middle school students.

The Department is developing a funding plan for 2018-19 to present to the Legislature designed to ensure adequate resources for this expansion.

Once the proposed rules are adopted and the Legislature has taken action on funding, a timeline for implementation, including program approval and funding, will be made available. Schools will not be required to offer CTE for middle school students in the 2017-2018 school year but they are free to do so if they choose.

Questions may be directed to Margaret Harvey, State Director of Career and Technical Education, at 624-6739 or at Margaret.harvey@maine.gov.

FEDES regional grant opportunity info session on 9/26

The Maine DOE is seeking proposals to fund eligible projects through the Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services (FEDES) – RFP # 201708145 and is reminding school district administrators and other interested stakeholders of an online/telephone Informational Session next Tuesday, September 26 at 3 p.m. The session will begin with a brief introduction and overview of the FEDES grant opportunity and then be opened up to questions and answers. Those planning to participate in the Informational Session are encouraged to review the RFP in advance and have questions prepared. The RFP can be downloaded from the Division of Purchases website.

To participate in the session, connect online at: https://zoom.us/j/127875149 or by phone at 1-408-638-0968 or 1-646-876-9923, Meeting ID: 127875149.

The FEDES grant opportunity is part of the Maine DOE’s ongoing EMBRACE initiative which provides new opportunities for regionalization. There is $5 million in funding for FEDES available in 2017, and an additional $5 million will be available in 2018 – at this time a separate application will be available.

For more information about FEDES and regional service centers visit: http://www.maine.gov/doe/embrace/Funding.html

Arts Education Participation and Access Data Needed

The Maine Department of Education is committed to supporting access to and participation in the arts as part of Maine students’ well-rounded education. In order to provide a view of trends, challenges, and successes in PreK-12th grade arts education, the department is asking school district to submit student participation and access data for the 2016-2017 school year. School level data that includes courses and enrollment numbers forms the basis of the data collection. Student names, personal information, and unique student identities are not included in this collection.

The Maine DOE will be reviewing and analyzing this arts education data, conduct in-depth analysis of the information, and align instructional practices and resources to support engaging arts experiences for learners. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, collecting this data will make Maine eligible to apply for arts education grants, resources, and additional supports.

Superintendents should submit their data via the following link: https://mainedoe.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7QyhoMK8B3GhKRf

For further information contact Beth Lambert, Maine DOE Visual and Performing Arts Specialist at beth.lambert@maine.gov.

Repeal and replacement of Chapter 81: Uniform School Bus Standards for Pupil Transportation in Maine

The enacted new regulations that replaced Chapter 81: Uniform School Bus Standards for Pupil Transportation in Maine and became effective on 9/16/17 can be found on the following link: http://maine.gov/doe/transportation/laws/index.html

In order to provide increased clarity and durability to its regulations relating to student transportation, the Department broke the existing Chapter 81 into six shorter regulations, Chapters 81-86. Most of the language of the former Chapter 81, with the exception of specifications, remains; however, minor changes to existing regulatory language were made in order to modernize the regulations with technical, language, and process updates to make it easier for all to understand and use. The enacted new rules include the following updates:

Chapter 81 School Transportation Safety identifies uniform safety requirements that include student riding safety practices training, school bus driver entry-level training, transportation employee in-service safety training, prohibitions, school bus daily inspections, contracts, year-end transportation reports, and records retention.
Chapter 82 School Bus Driver Fitness Determination retains the requirement of an annual physical and adapts to federal changes by moving to use of the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Medical Examination Report Form and National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. Please note annual physical renewal date will remain the same.
Chapter 83 School Transportation Operations Program establishes requirements for access to transportation operations software made available by the Department at no cost to public schools, including public charter schools, and private schools approved for the receipt of public funds.
Chapter 84 School Bus Refurbishment Program contains requirements derived from the existing Memorandum of Understanding between the Department and the Maine Military Authority for participation in the School Bus Refurbishment Program.
Chapter 85 School Bus Purchase Program retains most of the language while modernizing the regulation with technical, language, and process updates.
Chapter 86 Maine Uniform School Bus Specifications updates school bus specifications to align with both state and federal standards by adopting, with exceptions, the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures 2015 as enacted by the National Congress on School Transportation.

Questions should be directed to Pat Hinckley, Transportation and Facilities Administration, at 624-6886 or pat.hinckley@maine.gov .