Commissioner Bowen to complete Promising Practices Tour with visits to MSAD 54 elementary schools

SKOWHEGAN – Maine Department of Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen will complete his Promising Practices Tour with visits to elementary schools in Skowhegan and Canaan on Friday.

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STEM education-industry collaboration a model to look to

Yesterday, Governor LePage and I celebrated our nationally competitive robotics teams and students who have received recognition at the national level for their accomplishments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – known as STEM.

Maine should be proud of these innovative student leaders who received the Governor’s Promising STEM Awards. Continue reading “STEM education-industry collaboration a model to look to”

End-of-year data training available

The Maine Department of Education will host webinar training opportunities to coincide with the required end-of-year reporting actions. Below are two opportunities to attend training designed to help schools/districts finalize their end-of-year actions, with an additional emphasis on the graduation rate tables in Infinite Campus–State Edition.

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Envirothon state champions headed for international competition

Piscataquis Community Secondary School’s team placed first in the Maine Envirothon Championships.
Piscataquis Community Secondary School’s team placed first in the Maine Envirothon Championships.

Thanks to Piscataquis Community Secondary School for sharing this information with the Maine DOE for publication.

GUILFORD – Five students from Piscataquis Community Secondary School, led by biology teacher Heather Doherty, captured top honors at the Maine Envirothon Championships on May 23 at Bowdoin College.

The initial Envirothon pool included 61 teams from across the state. The PCSS Envirothon team included Jeremy Bell, Emily Northup, Ben Maines, Rebecca Grant and Logan Sargent. Grant and Sargent are four-year veterans.

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Additions made to special education Q&A

The Maine Department of Education maintains an online collection of Frequently Asked Questions about special education. Recently, the Maine DOE has added four new questions and answers to the FAQ. One is about the Advance Written Notice; two are about the Individualized Education Program; and a fourth is about the Written Notice. In addition, one question and answer about the Summary of Performance form has been amended.

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School academies provide customized learning in Belfast

Students share feedback on Troy Howard Middle School's standards-based system with Commissioner Bowen.
Troy Howard students engage in conversation with Commissioner Bowen about the school’s standards-based academy system.
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When I visited Troy Howard Middle School on Thursday as part of the tail end of my Promising Practices Tour, I was impressed by the school’s two-year academy system that puts students first by placing them in one of three academies based on their learning styles.

Under Principal Kim Buckheit’s leadership, the Belfast school implemented the standards-based academy system to give seventh and eighth graders more control over their learning. The Innovation Academy offers a hands-on approach to those who benefit from project-based learning, the International Academy brings a global perspective to students trying to see the bigger picture, and the Ecology Academy combines experiential learning with the practice of ecological sustainability.

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Education Commissioner Bowen to visit Biddeford school Thursday on Promising Practices Tour

BIDDEFORD – Maine Department of Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen will visit Biddeford Middle School Thursday to see the positive impact of a transformational principal.

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Governor LePage, Education Commissioner Bowen to spotlight STEM students, skills in State House ceremony Wednesday

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen will recognize the role STEM education plays in Maine’s economic future at a State House ceremony Wednesday celebrating our nationally-competitive robotics teams.

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Mount Desert Elementary honored with Maine’s first top health excellence award

Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen and USDA’s Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon presented the award at a school assembly Friday and recognized the state as a national leader in creating healthy school environments

Continue reading “Mount Desert Elementary honored with Maine’s first top health excellence award”