Category: News & Views

MaineCare Seed payment adjustments; review reports by May 15

Update, April 30: See Corrected ED279s posted for some districts

Beginning with the April subsidy checks, General Purpose Aid for Local Schools will reflect adjustments for MaineCare Seed payments by the Maine DOE made on behalf of school administrative units in Quarter 1 (July through September 2012) and Quarter 2 (October through December 2012) for students at Special Purpose Private Schools and at public schools (attending school administrative unit).

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More info on school grading system

Over the next few days you will start to receive information about the A-F school grading system, which will be released soon. I will be sharing some of the data with you, and more explanation of how the grading system works. We’ll also be scheduling webinars with superintendents to explain the system and how we plan to unveil it.

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Students compete in trade and leadership contests

More than 800 students from 22 technical schools and two colleges competed in trade and leadership contests at the 2013 SkillsUSA Maine State Championships in March at the United Technologies Center and Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor. Gold medalists from this event will have the opportunity to represent the State of Maine at the national championships in Kansas City.

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Former Maine teacher releases book on senior capstone

Image of book cover - Unleashed to Learn: Empowering Students to Learn at Full Capacity
Linda C. Aronson developed the senior capstone at Hall-Dale High School and recently published this book out of her experience.

Linda Aronson, who taught for six years at Hall-Dale High School initiating and developing the senior capstone, has crafted the book Unleashed to Learn: Empowering Students to Learn at Full Capacity out of her experience. Part case study and part advocacy, Aronson describes her work at Hall-Dale and argues passionately for more learner-led education and performance assessment in schools.

Performance assessment–in which students pursue genuine interests, in real world settings, and in ways that suit their learning styles–is one of the keystones of Maine’s vision of proficiency-based/learner-centered education.  Continue reading “Former Maine teacher releases book on senior capstone” →

Two Maine schools invited to participate in AP STEM Access program

The College Board shared the following news release with the Maine DOE for publication.

AUGUSTA—Hampden Academy and Scarborough High School are among 800 schools across the country invited to participate in the AP STEM Access program, created to increase the number of traditionally underrepresented minority and female high school students that participate in Advanced Placement® courses in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines.

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FEMA seeks young applicants for preparedness council

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Youth Preparedness Council provides an opportunity for young leaders to serve as a member of a distinguished national council; to complete a youth preparedness project for their choosing; to learn about youth disaster preparedness from the leadership at FEMA and other national organizations dedicated to youth preparedness; Continue reading “FEMA seeks young applicants for preparedness council” →

Science standards Maine helped develop are released

AUGUSTA – A new set of science standards that Maine took a leading role in helping to develop were released Tuesday evening. Earlier in the day, the State Board of Education was briefed on the Next Generation Science Standards by Anita Bernhardt, the Maine Department of Education science education specialist. The Board anticipates voting on adoption of the standards later this spring.

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