Maine honored for service to military students

Following the horrific attacks of Sept. 11 now 13 years ago, many Mainers stepped up to serve our country and the cause of freedom around the world. Their children are unsung heroes who face frequent moves, the absence of a beloved mom and/or dad during long deployments and daily uncertainty.

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Maine DOE provides assessment tool for standards-based IEP goals

The Department has created Self-Assessing for Standards-Based IEP Goals as an optional tool to assist school administrative units (SAUs) to self-assess progress in writing standards-aligned IEP goals.

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Department provides answers to proficiency FAQs

As the Class of 2018 enters its first year of secondary school, school leaders are thinking deeply and asking questions about what it means to award a proficiency-based diploma after Jan. 1, 2018. In 2012, Maine enacted landmark legislation making high school graduation starting in 2018 dependent upon the following four requirements:

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Free webinars on science standards scheduled

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is conducting a series of free web seminars in the coming months with the focus of each webinar on a different grade level.  The design of these 90 minute webinars is to deepen teacher understanding of how the three dimensions of the Framework (practices, core ideas and crosscutting concepts) are intended to be blended in classroom instruction. Expectations at each grade level will be examined along with the presentation of sample of teaching and learning. All webinars run from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

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Revisions proposed to Maine School Facilities Program and School Revolving Renovation Fund rule

The enactment of PL 2013, Chapter 506 (LD 1805), authorizes the repeal of several unfunded or burdensome mandates, including the requirement that all school administrative units use State-mandated templates and software to plan facility maintenance and capital improvement plans.

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Resources available to support transition to computerized English language proficiency assessment

In 2015-2016, ACCESS for ELLs 2.0, a computerized assessment, will replace the current paper-based version of ACCESS for ELLs for Grades 1-12. The paper-based assessment will continue to be available as an accommodation and for districts that do not have the technology to administer the assessment online. Kindergarten is not included in the changes and will remain an interactive, paper-based kit for the near future.

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Invitation to participate in NECAP science inquiry task field test

The Maine DOE is recruiting schools to serve as field testing sites to administer the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) Science Inquiry Tasks in grades 5, 8 and 11. The field tests give students the opportunity to engage with science content in non-traditional assessments and students are asked to provide feedback about their experience.

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