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.
Category: Priority Notices
Portland schools establish promising practices for all students
When I visited East End Community School and Riverton Elementary in Portland last week as part of my Promising Practices Tour, I was blown away by the measures they’re taking to ensure all students are engaged in learning—not an easy feat in such a multilingual district.
East End and Riverton were both identified as underperforming—one in 2009-10 and one in 2010-11—and applied for and received School Improvement Grants. With the help of those grants and technical assistance from the Department, the schools have initiated a number of promising practices. Last week, these schools showed me they’re doing what it takes to get things done.
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Preparing for A-F grading system
During his State of the State address in February, Governor LePage announced that Maine will introduce a school performance grading system to simplify for parents, taxpayers and others how their schools are doing. Many of you have expressed interest in and concern about how we will generate the grades, and what we will do to support schools that receive low grades.
Governor’s Conference on Ed shares practices, prompts discussion
By all accounts last Friday’s Governor’s Conference on Education: Putting Students First was a great success. Not because everyone agreed with every idea that was presented, but because we were able to hear about innovations and reforms in Florida and elsewhere that have had some real impact on student achievement, and continue our conversation about which make sense for Maine to consider and put into action.
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Lewiston a model for early college program
View more photos from this event.
I had the chance last week to talk with five students at Lewiston High School who are taking advantage of an early college opportunity that will save them money, expose them to the college experience, and could lead them to future careers. I picked LHS for the second stop on my Promising Practices tour because the kids I talked to are among 68 juniors and seniors who are taking college classes for credit at institutions like the University of Southern Maine and Central Maine Community College. It’s encouraging to see students taking initiative when it comes to their futures, and it’s great to meet teachers and administrators who are making that happen.
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Next gen MLTI: tablets or laptops?
Tablets or laptops? For at least two years now we’ve been getting that question, similar to the way in which the focus once was: Mac or PC? As with the last time, Jeff Mao, our Director of Learning Technology, and I try to remind people that we don’t choose a device – we choose a learning solution that will enhance learning in the ways we demand in our request for proposals. It’s up to vendors to show us how their solution will do that, whether it’s a laptop, tablet, smartphone or something else.
Hermon’s Bridge Year Program keeps earning praise
The Bangor Daily News recently featured Hermon High School’s innovative Bridge Year Program as it nears the end of its successful pilot year. By June, 14 juniors will have earned up to 13.5 college credits and will be on their way to completing associate’s degrees in the year after high school graduation. Governor Paul R. LePage’s two-year budget plan calls for $1 million annually to replicate this five-year high school program in other areas of the state.
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Highlighting targeted education support in Lewiston
Today I’ll be at Lewiston High School to talk about some of the targeted education support in Governor Paul R. LePage’s proposed two-year budget. These supports include funding to help districts implement the proficiency-based diploma and teacher evaluation systems; to expand access to college opportunities through five-year high school/associate’s degree programs, dual credit, and Adult Ed transition programs; and to make the kinds of supports and technical assistance that have been available only to Title I schools available to all schools.
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Department welcomes new Chief Academic Officer Tome
I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Rachelle Tome to the position of Maine Department of Education Chief Academic Officer.
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Governor’s Conference on Education scheduled
Governor Paul R. LePage and I are pleased to announce the Governor’s Conference on Education, which will feature best practices and innovative reforms from around the nation.
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Maine DOE Newsroom 