U.S. Senate Youth Program Application Deadline is Oct. 6

U.S. Senate Youth Program Application Deadline is Oct. 6

The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), established in 1962, is a unique educational experience for outstanding high school students. Each year, two student leaders from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity spend a week in Washington, D.C., experiencing their national government in action. Student delegates hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials from the Departments of State and Defense and directors of other federal agencies. Delegates also participate in a meeting with a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition, each delegate will be awarded a $10,000 college scholarship. All transportation, hotel and meal expenses are provided by the Hearst Foundations.

Maine delegates are nominated by their principal and must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Students are permanent residents of the U.S., and one of their parents or guardians is a legal resident of Maine.
Students are juniors or seniors in a Maine school.
Students must have been elected or appointed to one of the following posts for the current school year:
- Member or officer of student council, student senate or equivalent student government organization
- Class officer – president, vice president, secretary or treasurer
- Student representative on a district-, regional- or state-level civic and/or educational organization

Informational packets and specific instructions were mailed to high school principals and headmasters in August. Each principal may nominate one eligible student for consideration.

Oct. 6 is the deadline for completed applications to be sent via postal mail to: Joe Schmidt, USSYP Coordinator; Maine Department of Education; 23 State House Station; Augusta, Maine 04333.

On Oct. 20 up to 10 finalists will be notified of advancement to the final round, then in November the 10 finalists will convene at the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan for interviews with a selection committee. The two finalists and two alternates will be announced in December.

Find Application materials and more information about the USSYP.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine DOE announces $5 million available for regional grant opportunities

The State of Maine has announced a competitive grant opportunity for the Fund for Efficient Delivery of Educational Services (FEDES) to assist in financing the cost of local and regional initiatives to improve educational opportunity and student achievement through more efficient delivery of education programs and services.

The FEDES grant opportunity is part of the Maine DOE’s ongoing EMBRACE initiative which provides new opportunities for regionalization.

“Our goal is to provide more opportunities to students and increase their chances for achievement and success. We hope this funding opportunity will give districts the chance to get creative in thinking about new possibilities for students in their area,” said Maine Department of Education Commissioner, Robert G. Hasson, Jr.

$5 million in funding is available in 2017. An additional $5 million will be available in 2018– at this time a separate application will be available.

Important information about FEDES:

RFP # 201708145 – Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services can be downloaded from the Division of Purchases website.
An online/telephone Information Session will be held on September 26, 2017 at 3:00pm – connection details are listed in the RFP.

In addition to the FEDES grant, the Maine DOE is also offering other supports for districts who want to form a regional service center. Through a regional service center, districts can share a set of services and get direct funding from the State for the center.

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

For further questions contact Maine DOE Regionalization Project Manager, Jennifer Pooler Jennifer.G.Pooler@maine.gov.

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Maine DOE announces $5 million available for regional grant opportunities

$5 million in funding is available in 2017. An additional $5 million will be available in 2018– at this time a separate application will be available.

Important information about FEDES:

RFP # 201708145 – Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services can be downloaded from the Division of Purchases website.
An online/telephone Information Session will be held on September 26, 2017 at 3:00pm – connection details are listed in the RFP.

For further questions contact Maine DOE Regionalization Project Manager, Jennifer Pooler Jennifer.G.Pooler@maine.gov.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine’s Every Student Succeeds Act approved by U.S. Dept. of Education

In a letter from the United States Department of Education last week, the Maine Department of Education was notified of the approval of Maine’s consolidated state plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Signed by President Obama in 2015, ESSA is a bipartisan measure that reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. Maine’s ESSA plan provides alternative measures for many of the regulations put into place by No Child Left Behind.

“Maine’s ESSA plan is moving away from compliance and regulation toward a model that supports and assists schools and educators, especially in areas where students are at a disadvantage,” said Maine Department of Education Commissioner, Robert G. Hasson, Jr.

Highlights of Maine’s Plan:

Creates a three-tiered system of support for schools based on performance, with the highest level of support offering coaching and mentoring to teach effective strategies for school turnaround, in addition to increased funding for staff professional development.
Plans to reduce the number of non-proficient students in half by 2030.
Leverages requirements across Federal programs and state statute to implement a single comprehensive needs assessment/SAU Consolidated Plan template to assist and support local school districts in the blending and braiding local, state and federal funds to increase the achievement and growth of students.
Provides a collaborative cross Department approach to promote and encourage the integration and alignment between state and local initiatives to support local school districts.

The approval letter, other correspondence, and the final consolidated plan can be found on the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

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Schoolwide Programs and Consolidation of Funds

To facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities in schoolwide programs, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations allow school administrative units (SAUs) to use a portion of the funds they receive under Part B of IDEA to fund schoolwide programs. In accordance with Title I, Part A, as amended by ESSA, schoolwide programs are comprehensive reform strategies aimed at raising the achievement levels of all students.

Those schools that have an approved schoolwide plan in accordance with Title I, part A, and have poverty rates of at least 40 percent, may wish to utilize Part B funds for their schoolwide plans. The amount of Part B funding used for a schoolwide program must be calculated. Those funds may not exceed the amount of Part B funds received by the SAU for that fiscal year, divided by the number of children with disabilities in the SAU, and multiplied by the number of children with disabilities participating in the schoolwide program. Additionally, children with disabilities in the schoolwide funding must receive services in accordance with their IEPs and be afforded all the rights and services guaranteed to children with disabilities under the IDEA.

For more information, contact Janette Kirk, ESEA Director-Title I at janette.kirk@maine.gov,, Jackie Godbout, Title I Consultant at Jackie.Godbout@maine.gov or Janice E. Breton, State Director of Special Services Birth to 20, at Janice.Breton@maine.gov.

Opportunities for Regionalization

As part of Maine’s plan for putting students first, the Maine Department of Education is focused on improving educational services and increasing student achievement through innovative regional partnerships.

As a result of the passage of the biennial budget and the end of the 128^th Legislative Session, new opportunities are now available to provide support for regional efforts that will improve opportunity and access for Maine students by economizing on and maximizing educational services.

The current and upcoming funding options for regionalization:

Fund for Efficient Delivery of Educational Services (FEDES) grant
Regional Service Centers (School Management and Leadership Centers)

Both funding options are explained in further detail in the EMBRACE Regionalization Information Center which can be found on the Maine Department of Education website.

Communications and updates about regionalization opportunities will be forthcoming through the DOE Newsroom and can be found on the EMBRACE Regionalization Info Center.

For further questions contact Maine DOE Regionalization Project Manager, Jennifer Pooler Jennifer.G.Pooler@maine.gov.

Learning Through Technology Update

The Learning Through Technology Team at the Maine Department of Education is committed to helping teachers integrate technology into their classrooms in a way that improves student learning outcomes and achievement. We have three new ways to engage with educators this year that are designed to gather input and build capacity.

Professional Learning Survey

We are looking for input from all Maine educators as we develop a schedule of offerings for professional learning during the 2017 – 2018 school year. We want to know which topics are of most interest to you and the format in which you’d like to see the professional learning offered. The survey should take 5 – 10 minutes to complete. We’ll begin reviewing responses on September 18th! Please complete the survey today and share the link with any other educators in Maine that you know!

Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LTTPL2017

School Visits

We have a new model for school visits. The goal has shifted from looking at MLTI implementation to recognizing the positive efforts of educators who are integrating technology into their learning environments and providing support to schools as they continue to leverage their technology for better student outcomes. Please reach out to Amanda Nguyen, Digital Learning Specialist at the Maine Department of Education (Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov) if you’d like to schedule a school visit.

Link to school visit information: http://maine.gov/doe/mlti/schoolvisit/index.html

Learning Narratives Blog

We have a new blog that captures the stories of Maine educators who are leveraging technology for learning. Stories come from individual educators and also from our new school visits. The goal is to share models with other schools and educators. If you want to share your story, or recommend educators who we could contact to share their stories, please reach out to Amanda Nguyen, Digital Learning Specialist at the Maine Department of Education (Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov).

Link to Learning Narratives blog: https://learningnarratives.wordpress.com

Fostering Music and Movement in Early Childhood Classrooms

The Maine Department of Education invites you to be part of a brand new professional development opportunity, “Fostering Music and Movement in 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 music and movement in the public preschool classroom. Applicants must apply in teams of two: one Public Preschool teacher and one music or performing arts teacher from the same district. The music/performing arts teacher must currently teach at the elementary level.

Under the expertise of Early Childhood facilitator, Ellie Libby, and Early Childhood Arts facilitator, Judy Fricke, teams will work on building a collaborative partnership to ensure that preschool students receive a musical and movement filled learning experience. Public preschool teachers will learn the research as to why music and movement is important in a preschool classroom and how it encompasses Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards and how to include music and movement into their daily routines. Music and performing arts teachers will learn developmentally appropriate pedagogical approaches to teaching music and movement to our youngest learners. Teams will be expected to practice new pedagogy in between sessions and document their experience. 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 $650 worth of equipment and supplies for their classroom. The cohort will meet at Educare in Waterville on October 17^th, January 10^th, March 6^th, and May 15^th 8:30-3pm.

If you are interested in participating fill out an application. Only one application is necessary per team. If you have any questions contact Visual and Performing Arts Specialist, Beth Lambert at beth.lambert@maine.gov or Early Childhood Specialist, Sue Reed at susan.d.reed@maine.gov.

Educational programing on Constitution Day

On September 17, the nation celebrates Constitution Day. Per Constitution and Citizenship Day legislation passed by the United States Congress in 2005, “Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution.”

This year, September 17 falls on a Sunday, so the Constitutional programming should take place on Monday, September 18, as it is the “adjacent weekday”.

For more information about the history of Constitution and Citizenship Day check visit the Library of Congress website. For additional resources visit the Maine DOE – Social Studies resources page or contact Joe Schmidt, Social Studies Specialist for the Maine Department of Education at (207) 624-6828 or joe.schmidt@maine.gov.

Revisions to Chapter 101 – Maine Unified Special Education Regulations Birth to Twenty

The revised Chapter 101 – Maine Unified Special Education Regulations Birth to Twenty (MUSER) and the changes that became effective on 8/25/17 can be found at the following link: http://maine.gov/doe/specialed/laws/documents/Chapter101August272017final.pdf

The enacted revisions amend Section Vii.2.L(2), which concerns the determination by the Individualized Educational Program Team, referred to as “the IEP Team” of the existence of a specific learning disability using a pattern of appropriate assessments by:

Inserting the requirement that the general education interventions under Section III of the rule must be included in the data collected by the IEP Team when the team uses a process based on the child’s response to scientific, research-based intervention; and

Omits the limitation that the psychological processing data from standardized measures to identify contributing factors must be considered only as available and as determined to be relevant by the child’s IEP team.

Questions may be directed to Janice E. Breton, State Director of Special Services, Birth to 20 at 624-6676 or at Janice.breton@maine.gov.