MSAA Test Coordinators

A Survey Monkey to designate district Test Coordinator(s) is available at http://www.maine.gov/doe/paap/administration/index.html. All districts are required to designate the number of Test Coordinators (TCs) needed in each district, according to their individual needs. TCs should hold an administrative position, be available to monitor all Test Administrators through the on-line MSAA System and physically monitor each Test Administrator at least once during student testing.

All surveys must be submitted by January 17^th to be enrolled in the MSAA System. All questions may be directed to Sue Nay at sue.nay@maine.gov, or 624-6774.

Read to ME Challenge Set to Kick-off February 2nd

Year two of the Read to ME Challenge is scheduled to begin on February 2, 2017. Again this year, First Lady Ann LePage will launch the campaign by reading to children of military families at the Blaine House. She will follow up her reading by issuing a challenge to all Mainers to participate in the 2017 campaign. This simple but powerful campaign challenges adults to read to children for 15 minutes, to capture that reading episode via a photo and then post it on social media to challenge others to do the same. The Read to ME Challenge will run for the month leading up to Read Across America Day on March 2, 2017.

Reading aloud to children is one of the most cost effective and highly beneficial methods of building children’s literate abilities. The simple act of reading aloud to a child 15 minutes a day for five years results in 27,375 minutes of language exposure which can put children on the path to high literacy achievement. Reading aloud exposes children to the world around them, helps them see reading as an enjoyable and valuable activity and often strengthens bonds with trusted adults.

Schools and organizations are invited to join the challenge and to encourage community members to do the same. The collective voice of many key partners, leaders and those in respected positions will send a clear message about the vital importance reading to children plays in the social and economic well-being of Maine. Maine DOE also encourages partners to be creative and to use this opportunity to enhance ongoing literacy education outreach efforts.

If your organization is willing and able to promote the Read to ME Challenge, please follow this link to provide us with your contact information: Read to ME Challenge Partner 2017. Read to ME Challenge resources, including a guidance document, public service announcements in a variety of languages, fliers and a list of engaging ways to incorporate the challenge are available on the Read to ME Challenge webpage.

Thanks for your consideration of this opportunity, and don’t hesitate to contact leeann.larsen@maine.gov (624-6628) with any questions.

Chapter 124: Public Preschool Program Standards go into effect July 1, 2017

As you will recall, the Maine Department of Education Regulation, Chapter 124: Public Preschool Program Standards go into effect July 1, 2017 for all SAUs. In order to ensure that your local child count in the public preschool program is included in the NEO system for the 2017-18 school year you will need to complete an application located at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ExistingPublicPreK

The Maine DOE is asking all superintendents to complete this application (unless you are submitting an application for a new program or have had an application approved for the 2015-16 or 2016-17 school year). The information included in the application will demonstrate how the district complies with the new standards and will collect data on potential challenges in aligning programs with Chapter 124 regulation. This information will help the DOE determine the types of support that may be needed in order to assist districts in addressing these issues.

Please make sure you complete the entire application; at the end you will find a list of areas where you can indicate where there are alignment challenges for your preschool program. For more information please contact Sue Reed, Early Childhood Specialist, susan.d.reed@maine.gov 624-6632.

This application is due by March 31, 2017.

**Clarification: Please note that only districts with existing preschool programs need to complete the application. If your district does not have a preschool program, please disregard this notice.

Revisions to Chapter 126/ 261 Regulation:

Immunization Requirements for School Children were adopted on December 21, 2016. These rule changes ensure a safe and healthy school environment for all Maine students by requiring all children attending public or private schools in the State of Maine to receive the required vaccines recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The update to the number of Varicella exclusion days aligns with recommendations issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) and removes outdated implementation language. In addition, these updates of terms more clearly reflect the DHHS Office names and structure, to reduce confusion in following the rules. In recent years, new vaccines against pertussis have been introduced to the routine immunization schedule for children and adolescents, recommended for youths aged 11 to 12 years; specifically Tdap. Pertussis is a highly contagious infection, often causing school or community outbreaks. Maine is one of only three states in the nation without a current Tdap school requirement. Changes to the joint rule include updating the vaccine dosage requirement to include 1 dose of Tdap vaccine for 7^th grade entry, which will align with the CDC and ACIP current recommendations. Additionally, the required number of exclusion dates for Varicella disease will change from 16 days to 21 days to reflect the current US CDC school exclusion guidelines, an oversight from the previous change to this rule. The link to the rule is: http://www.maine.gov/doe/rule/changes/index.html

For further information, contact Jaci Holmes at 624-6669 or by email at jaci.holmes@maine.gov.

Regional school calendars due by May 5

School administrative units and private schools approved for tuition purposes are expected to establish regional school calendars, in coordination with their local secondary career and technical education school, by May 5, 2017.

The Legislature enacted that requirement as part of Public Law 2011, Chapter 686, which expands access to career and technical education in Maine and ensures that students completing career and technical education (CTE) coursework have greater access to post-secondary opportunities. Specifically, the law addresses scheduling conflicts that pose barriers to students by requiring that those school districts and private schools approved for tuition purposes that share a CTE school adopt a regional school calendar with no more than five dissimilar days. Furthermore, implementation of the law is intended to promote collaboration among local school administrative units that may benefit other forms of inter-administrative unit collaboration beyond CTE. The law became effective Aug. 30, 2012, and establishing the regional calendar is a condition for eligibility for state subsidy.

For 2017-18, both regional school calendars and individual calendars for each school administrative unit must be submitted by the director of the local CTE Center/Region to the Commissioner of Education by May 5 for a decision on approval by June 2. Guidance and templates can be accessed electronically at www.maine.gov/doe/regionalcalendar/.

Given the coordination required for fulfillment of this law, the Maine DOE recommends that school districts initiate discussions as soon as possible, including representatives from all affected secondary schools and their associated career and technical education center or region.

For more information including guidance, templates, a waiver process and a link to the complete law, please visit www.maine.gov/doe/regionalcalendar/ or contact Doug Robertson (doug.robertson@maine.gov) at 624-6744 or Margaret Harvey (margaret.harvey@maine.gov) at 624-6739.

Survey to Identify Barriers that Prevent SAUs from Pursuing Shared Programs and Services

The Maine Department of Education staff is seeking input from you on identifying barriers and challenges that prevent School Administrative Units from pursuing shared programs and services. We would appreciate your assistance in identifying these barriers and challenges by completing the survey below. The results will assist the Department with the goal of removing the barriers and challenges to your efforts.

The survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FNBMKYW

Please provide any responses by January 13, 2017.

We will share with you the final results once the survey is completed.

If you have any questions, please contact Suzan Beaudoin at suzan.beaudoin@maine.gov.

MaineCare Seed payment adjustments to be made, report review by January 13, 2017

The 2016-17 subsidy checks for General Purpose Aid for local schools will reflect adjustments in January 2016 for MaineCare Seed payments paid by the Maine DOE on behalf of school administrative units (SAUs) for the following:

2016 Quarter 4 MaineCare payment adjustments

Detailed student reports for Quarter 4 are now available in Infinite Campus (State Edition). Instructions for accessing MaineCare Seed Payment Reports in Infinite Campus are available here.

In January, the 2016-17 State subsidy printouts (ED279s) will be updated reflecting these adjustments and are available at www.maine.gov/doe/eps/.

Reporting issues: To ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy, SAU staff must review student-by-student reports for Quarter 4 and report any issues on these reports no later than January 13, 2016. Any questions regarding these reports should be addressed to denise.towers@maine.gov.

If you disagree that a particular student or time period should be on the report, please provide the reason that you disagree along with supporting evidence and also include the following:

Identify the type of report (Public or Private) and the quarter in which the claims are located
Student’s State Student ID
Service provided dates (to and from)
Total amount of Seed being disputed

Summer services: The Department has found that a number of students are provided services during the summer. If the student was a resident of your SAU during those months, your SAU is still fiscally responsible for the MaineCare Seed as this is considered an extended school year for these students. Students in extended school years must be enrolled during these periods to ensure accurate adjustments.

For more information on MaineCare Seed payments including links to prior communications, accounting instructions and instructions for accessing MaineCare Seed Payment Reports in Infinite Campus, please click here. For more information or technical assistance related to MaineCare Seed, please contact Denise Towers at Denise.towers@maine.gov.

Maine DOE Prepares for Year 2 of Read to ME Challenge Campaign

During February of 2016, the Maine Department of Education’s Literacy for ME initiative organized and promoted the Read to ME Challenge. This simple but powerful campaign challenged adults to read to children for 15 minutes, to capture that reading episode via a photo and then post it on social media to challenge others to do the same. Over 100 Maine schools, community literacy teams and other literacy-related organizations partnered in the 2016 campaign and the Maine DOE is hoping that many more organizations will partner in the 2017 campaign scheduled to kick off the first week of February.

We invite your school or organization to join the challenge and to encourage community members to do the same. The collective voice of many key partners, leaders and those in respected positions will send a clear message about the vital importance reading to children plays in the social and economic well-being of Maine. Maine DOE also encourages partners to be creative and to use this opportunity to enhance ongoing literacy education outreach efforts.

If your organization is willing and able to promote the Read to ME Challenge, please follow this link to provide us with your contact information: Read to ME Challenge Partner 2017. Read to ME Challenge resources, including a guidance document, public service announcements, fliers and a list of engaging ways to incorporate the challenge will be available online in mid-December.

School officials and organizations with inquiries about participating in the Read to ME Challenge should contact Lee Anne Larsen at leeann.larsen@maine.gov or 624-6628.

State Assessment Results for 2015-16 Now Publicly Available

Augusta – The Maine Department of Education today released state assessment results for the 2015-2016 school year.

“We are confident in this year’s test results, and hope parents, teachers, administrators, and other interested parties will value and utilize the data gathered through the assessment process,” said Dr. Charlene Tucker, Maine DOE’s Assessment and Accountability Team Coordinator.

The public may access the results at https://lms.backpack.education/public/maine.

Key results include:

Assessment participation improved substantially in 2015-16.
50.58% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in English language arts/literacy.
38.31% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in mathematics.
60.97% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in science.

For ELA/literacy and mathematics, 2015-16 is a new baseline year and should not be compared to previous years when different assessments were administered. Based on changes made during the 127^th Maine Legislature, the state used a new assessment partner to administer a different state assessment of English language arts/literacy and mathematics in 2015-16.

The new assessments adopted for 2015-2016, eMPowerME (grades 3-8) and SAT (3^rd year high school), measure Maine’s college and readiness standards established in 2011. The eMPowerME assessment was delivered by computer.

Results were released later this year than initially planned due to the time necessary to establish achievement levels and process data for brand new assessments, as well as the time it takes to build a new reporting platform. Maine will use the same assessments and the same reporting system for the 2016-17 year and it is planned for results to be available in the summer of 2017.

Further detailed information on the results is available below.

_______________________________________________________
2015-16 Statewide Results for English Language Arts/Literacy

The general ELA/literacy assessment, eMPowerME, was taken by most students in grades 3-8. Most students in the third year of high school were assessed using the SAT, which has been adopted as Maine’s ELA/literacy high school assessment. Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities were assessed on the Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA). More information about the ELA/literacy assessments can be found here: http://maine.gov/doe/assessment/math-ela/home.html.

2015-16 Participation (ELA/Literacy)
Of the 93,554 students eligible to participate in state assessment of ELA/literacy, 91,208 participated. The participation rate of 97.49% is an improvement over the 2014-15 participation rate of 89.92%. Participation is summarized here:

Eligible to Participate	93,554
Participated General (eMPowerME)	77,443
Participated General (SAT)	12,534
Participated Alternate (MSAA)	1,231
Total Participants	91,208
Participation Rate	97.49%
Percent of Participants Who Took Alternate	1.35%

2015-16 Performance (ELA/Literacy)

	Participants	Well Below State Expectations		Below State Expectations		At State Expectations		Above State Expectations
	Number	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
eMPowerME	77,443	15,656	20.22%	23,779	30.71%	25,346	32.73%	12,662	16.35%
SAT	12,534	2,731	21.79%	2,342	18.69%	5,820	46.43%	1,641	13.09%
MSAA	1,231	345	28.03%	217	17.63%	372	30.22%	297	24.13%
TOTAL	91,208	18,732	20.54%	26,338	28.88%	31,538	34.58%	14,600	16.01%

The Maine Assessment & Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) provides additional information about the 2015-16 ELA/literacy assessment results for each school and each district, as well as for student subgroups.

MAARS is publicly accessible at: https://lms.backpack.education/public/maine.

2015-16 Statewide Results for Mathematics

The general mathematics assessment, eMPowerME, was taken by most students in grades 3-8. Most students in the third year of high school were assessed using the SAT. Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities were assessed on the Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA). More information about the mathematics assessments can be found here: http://maine.gov/doe/assessment/math-ela/home.html.

Participation (Mathematics)
Of the 93,915 students eligible to participate in state assessment of mathematics, 91,541 participated. The participation rate of 97.47% is an improvement over the 2014-15 participation rate of 89.53%. Participation is summarized here:

Eligible to Participate	93,915
Participated General (eMPowerME)	77,741
Participated General (SAT)	12,567
Participated Alternate (MSAA)	1,233
Total Participants	91,541
Participation Rate	97.47%
Percent of Participants Who Took Alternate	1.35%

Performance (Mathematics)

	Participants	Well Below State Expectations		Below State Expectations		At State Expectations		Above State Expectations
	Number	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
eMPowerME	77,741	20,678	26.60%	27,049	34.79%	22,207	28.56%	7,807	10.04%
SAT	12,567	3,292	26.20%	4,885	38.87%	3,370	26.82%	1,020	8.12%
MSAA	1,233	321	26.03%	248	20.11%	367	29.76%	297	24.09%
TOTAL	91,541	24,291	26.54%	32,182	35.15%	25,944	28.34%	9,124	9.97%

The Maine Assessment & Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) provides additional information about the 2015-16 mathematics assessment results for each school and each district, as well as for student subgroups. MAARS is publicly accessible at: https://lms.backpack.education/public/maine.

2015-16 Statewide Results for Science

The general science assessment, MEA Science, was taken by most students in grades 3-8 and in the third year of high school. The science assessment in grades 5, 8 and the third year of high school remained unchanged for 2015-16. The Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) for science and its alternate for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio (PAAP), have both assessed the progress of Maine’s students in science for many years.

More information about the science assessments can be found here: http://maine.gov/doe/assessment/science/index.html.

Participation (Science)
Of the 40,423 students eligible to participate in state assessment of science, 38,568 participated. The participation rate of 95.41% is an improvement over the 2014-15 participation rate of 90.36%. Participation is summarized here:

Eligible to Participate	40,423
Participated General (MEA Science)	38,107
Participated Alternate (PAAP)	461
Total Participants	38,568
Participation Rate	95.41%
Percent of Participants Who Took Alternate	1.19%

Performance (Science)

	Participants	Well Below State Expectations		Below State Expectations		At State Expectations		Above State Expectations
	Number	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
MEA Science	38,107	4,831	12.68%	10,022	26.30%	19,018	49.91%	4,236	11.12%
PAAP	461	74	16.05%	125	27.11%	215	46.64%	47	10.20%
TOTAL	38,568	4,905	12.72%	10,147	26.31%	19,233	49.87%	4,283	11.10%

The Maine Assessment & Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) provides additional information about the 2015-16 science assessment results for each school and each district, as well as for student subgroups.

MAARS is publicly accessible at: https://lms.backpack.education/public/maine.

Comparing 2015-16 Results to Previous Years

For mathematics and ELA/literacy at grades 3-8, direct comparisons should not be made across years. While every effort was made to ensure that the 2015-16 achievement levels are at a similar level of rigor to that of the 2014-15 Smarter Balanced assessment, the tests are different in many ways, and it is unpredictable how different features of the assessments may have impacted the performance of different populations of students.
At the high school level, there is no comparability between the 2015-16 SAT results and the 2014-15 Smarter Balanced results. First, the group of high school students tested in 2014-15 was seriously impacted by an opt-out trend, which was resolved in 2015-16. Second, Maine’s SAT achievement levels were determined by a collaborative process with other states that also used the SAT as their statewide assessment in 2015-16. Utilizing several sources of data, including the input of educators from each state, the consensus across states was to use the College Board’s College and Career Readiness Benchmark as the cut score to define the threshold between Level 2 (Below State Expectations) and Level 3 (At State Expectations). The scores of 530 in mathematics and 480 in ELA/literacy (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) are benchmarks that the College Board has determined predict success in college as follows:
- Students with an SAT Math section score that meets or exceeds the benchmark have a 75 percent chance of earning at least a C in first-semester, credit-bearing college courses in algebra, statistics, pre-calculus, or calculus.
- Students with an SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) section score that meets or exceeds the benchmark have a 75 percent chance of earning at least a C in first-semester, credit-bearing college courses in history, literature, social sciences, or writing classes.
Science results (both PAAP and MEA Science) are fully comparable to years past. MEA Science results over time follow:

Science Trends: Percentage of Students Scoring at Level 3 or 4
Year	Grade 5	Grade 8	3^rd Year High School
2008-09	55.83%	61.99%	41.00%
2009-10	63.82%	71.83%	41.00%
2010-11	64.59%	70.82%	44.00%
2011-12	62.50%	72.10%	44.41%
2012-13	69.54%	69.98%	41.03%
2013-14	62.86%	73.12%	43.77%
2014-15	64.89%	71.06%	43.00%
2015-16	62.88%	72.97%	46.59%

Conclusions

Assessment participation improved substantially in 2015-16. Science participation increased from 90.36% in 2014-15 to 95.41% in 2015-16. ELA/literacy participation improved from 89.92% in 2014-15 to 97.49% in 2015-16. Mathematics participation improved from 89.53% in 2014-15 to 97.47% in 2015-16. Based on federal and state expectations, we strive for 95% participation in our assessment.
For ELA/literacy and mathematics, 2015-16 is a new baseline year and should not be compared to previous years when different assessments were administered.
Alternate assessments are intended for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The 2015-2016 alternate assessment for Maine students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA), was the same assessment administered in 2014-15, known then as the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC). Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the state is expected keep participation in alternate assessment to no more than 1.0% of the students assessed beginning with the 2016-17 assessment administration. Maine’s 2015-16 percentages of 1.19% in science, 1.35% in mathematics, and 1.35% in ELA/literacy exceed the limit under ESSA. The Maine DOE has provided increased training in the proper identification of students who are eligible for participation in alternate asssessments in order to improve that rate in 2015-16.
50.58% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in English language arts/literacy. This is a new baseline from which we will measure the growth of Maine’s students.
38.31% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in mathematics. This is a new baseline from which we will measure the growth of Maine’s students.
60.97% of Maine’s test takers scored At State Expectations (Level 3) or Above State Expectations (Level 4) in science. This is essentially the same as the 61% who scored at Level 3 or 4 in 2014-15.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 provides an opportunity for Maine to rethink how supports to schools are determined and how to provide supports that are proportional to district and/or school needs. The Maine DOE is currently working with a diverse group of stakeholders to design a new accountability/school review system. Further information regarding this process can be located at: http://maine.gov/doe/essa.
The data in this report is assessment data which includes all tested students. It is not intended for accountability purposes. Accountability reporting will follow.

Questions
Media inquiries: jamie.e.logan@maine.gov.

General assessments (eMPowerME, SAT, MEA Science): nancy.godfrey@maine.gov

Alternate assessments (MSAA, PAAP): sue.nay@maine.gov

Assessment policy: charlene.tucker@maine.gov

Navigating MAARS system: varun.motay@maine.gov

Priority Notice: Revisions Made to EF-M-39A and EF-M-39B Reports

The Maine Department of Education has revised the EF-M-39A due July 15^th, and the EF-M-39B report due January 15^th is now a one page report.

The EF-M-39A has been reduced to a one page form. The listing of the actual students has been eliminated, and the form has also been designed so it can be used for both the EF-M-39A and the EF-M-39B submissions. You will not need to download two separate spreadsheets. You will only be asked to provide the number of 16- to 20-year-old resident students who are enrolled in academic courses in adult education somewhere in Maine, and are no longer enrolled in “Regular Education.” Finally, the user is asked to provide the total number of adult education academic courses (not credits) that these same students were taking during this reporting period.

The reporting calendar lists all reports due to MDOE.

Find the EFM39B report here.

It is important to note that subsidy is estimated unless actual numbers are submitted. The accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of the data sent for this report has a direct correlation to the subsidy that your district may receive.

If you have any questions about the new process please contact Travis Wood at travis.wood@maine.gov or call the MEDMS helpdesk at (207) 624-6896.