Category: Professional Development & Training

Supporting All Students: How the PBIS Framework is Inclusive for All

During this presentation hosted by the Maine Department of Education’s Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE), Heather George, PhD will focus on how to support all students with a PBIS  (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) framework in schools:

  • PBIS has been shown through research to be effective for a wide range of student outcomes
  • The whole school intervention approach used by PBIS has been shown to establish a safe and predictable environment that increases success for all students including those with disabilities.
  • During the webinar, free resources will be shared to help schools build systems that are inclusive, robust, and supportive of all students.

Date/Time: April 26, 2023 – 3:30-4:30 pm

Audience: General & Special Educators, Administrators, Parents, Caregivers and Community Members Interested in Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) and inclusive classrooms

Cost: FREE Register for Zoom Link Here

Contact Hours: Each attendee will be awarded a certificate for 1 contact hour

About the Presenter: Heather Peshak George, Ph.D. is a Research Professor in the Department of Child & Family Studies at the University of South Florida. She co-directs the National Technical Assistance Center on PBIS, the state-wide Florida PBIS Project, the federally-funded Florida Connect model demonstration grant, and is Past-President of the international Association for Positive Behavioral Support (APBS). ). Over the past two decades, she has secured over $42 million in external funding, published over 30 peer reviewed articles and chapters, including over 100 practice briefs and evaluation reports, and has delivered over 400 invited presentations on PBISShe has extensive experience in providing training and technical assistance in PBIS at the national and international levels and thanks her two teenagers for the daily reminders on the need to bridge the research-to-practice gap. You can learn more about Dr. George at https://www.usf.edu/cbcs/cfs/faculty-staff/peshak-george-h.aspx and follow her on Twitter at @HeatherPGeorge. Shared resources may be available at www.pbis.org and www.flpbis.org.

Reports Open Soon: Quarter 3 Reporting

Attendance, Behavior, Bullying, and Truancy reports for Quarter 3 (January, February, and March) open on April 1st.

These reports are due on Sunday, April 15th.

These reports will need to be reviewed, validated, and certified. Superintendent certification is required for all quarterly reporting, with the exception of Attendance data, which is Validated in Quarters 1, 2, and 3, then certified in Quarter 4.

In preparation for this reporting, please update student data in State Synergy and review data in NEO.

Reporting Resources:

For questions about quarterly reporting contact MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or call 207-624-6896

 

April 1 Enrollment Reporting Webinar Rescheduled for March 21

The Maine Department of Education’s Data Team will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, March 21st from 10-11am. This webinar will review April 1 Enrollment which collects data used to calculate tuition rates.

Use this link to join the April 1 Enrollment Webinar on March 21st at 10:00 am. Registration is NOT required for this webinar.

Report information:

  • Reporting Period: 4/1
  • Report Opens: 4/1
  • Report Due: 4/15

Required to Report: All school administrative units (SAUs) and private schools with publicly funded students should ensure that their enrollment data is current – this includes Charter Schools and Education in Unorganized Territories.

For questions about this webinar or April 1 Enrollment reporting please contact MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or call 207-624-6896.

Paid Professional Learning Opportunity Provided by Maine DOE

The Maine Department of Education is accepting applications from individuals interested in learning more about the competitive grant process. Selected applicants will be trained to serve as peer reviewers who assist the Department in reviewing, assessing, and scoring competitive grant proposals for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st  CCLC) Program. The 21st CCLC program is a federally funded education program that helps schools and communities develop before-school, after-school, and summer educational programs that support students and their families.

This year’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 21st CCLC program was released to the public on January 10, 2023 and is available online here. The Department anticipates receiving proposals from local education agencies, community-based organizations, and other eligible entities seeking awards under this RFP.

Qualifications:

Peer Review applicants will be selected based on their experience in providing effective academic support, enrichment, youth development, and related support services for children and youth. The most qualified candidates will be individuals who have experience in the administration of high-quality youth development programs within schools and communities. Examples of the experienced individuals sought include, but are not limited to:

  • 21st CCLC program directors and site coordinators
  • Teachers and principals
  • College and university staff
  • Youth development workers
  • Community resource providers

Required Tasks:

Selected applicants must be able to participate in an online training and review grant proposals through a web-based system. Applicants will work individually to read each assigned proposal and create detailed, objective, constructive, and well-written comments on approximately 8 proposals based on the criteria established in the RFP. These comments will be submitted to the Department prior to participating in the scheduled consensus scoring sessions. It is anticipated that peer reviewers will have a three (3) week window in which to complete their individual review of assigned proposals.  Following the individual review of proposals, each successful applicant will be required to participate in a series of two (2) online/virtual consensus scoring sessions hosted by the Department. It is during these consensus scoring sessions that the peer review team will score each application.

Selected applicants must complete the following tasks during the following date(s):

Task Date(s) Time(s)
Participate in an online training webinar April 5, 2023 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Review grant applications through a web-based system and provide individual, written comments on each application (which must be submitted to the Department) April 17, 2023 – May 5, 2023 Any Time
Participate in online/virtual consensus scoring sessions with other members of the peer review team May 8, 2023 – May 9, 2023 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Compensation for Services:

Selected reviewers who complete the required tasks will be provided an honorarium of $100 per assigned application.

Previous participants have also found that serving as a member of the peer review team is an excellent opportunity for professional development and growth. It is likely that, if selected, applicants will be exposed to new program models, strategies, and practices. These new concepts may provide ideas and support for ongoing work as well as future grant writing efforts. Most importantly, the time given to this effort will help ensure the funding of quality education programs for the children and families of Maine.

How to Apply:

Interested parties must contact Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov to obtain a copy of the 2023 peer reviewer application and then return the completed application along with a current resume or CV.

Pursuant to Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, peer reviewers may not include any applicant, or representative of an applicant, who has or will submit a proposal in response to the current grant competition.

Deadline:

The Maine Department of Education will continue accepting peer reviewer applications through March 29, 2023, or until the needed positions are filled. Interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Contact:

For more information, contact State Coordinator, Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov or 624-6709.

2023 Spring Wellness Workshops

The Maine Department of Education Schoolsite Wellness team is pleased to host StrengthenME and the Northern Light Health Workforce EAP to provide educators and school staff with FREE wellness workshops.

Join any or all of the following 30-minute wellness workshops every other Thursday at either 7:15 a.m. or 3:15 p.m.

  • March 16 – Staying Grounded When Others are Escalating – Now, more than ever, our ability to stay calm is being put to the test. In this workshop, we’ll explore strategies for de-escalating ourselves and others, putting our minds ahead of our emotions to succeed as individuals and as part of a larger community.
  • March 30 – Asking for Help – It isn’t always easy to ask for help, particularly when you’re used to being the helper. This workshop explores common barriers to seeing help and offers strategies to effectively and mindfully ask for and receive the help you need.
  • April 13 – Letting Go of What We Can’t Control – Holding on to things we can’t control can cause us a great deal of stress and unhappiness. It also keeps us from growing and living our lives freely. This workshop explores strategies for letting go and includes a 10-minute guided mindfulness practice.
  • APRIL 27 – Boundary Setting and Saying No – Setting boundaries is an important part of establishing one’s identity and is a crucial aspect of mental health and well-being. This workshop reviews ways to set healthy emotional boundaries and ways to navigate boundary setting effectively.
  • May 11 – Quieting the Mind – In this workshop, we’ll explore the idea of Monkey Mind and how the demands of life impact our ability to experience a quiet mind. We will review ways to quiet the mind, and practice using mindfulness to slow racing thoughts.

These workshops are all accessible via this Zoom link.

Direct any questions to Ariele Worrall at aworrall@northernlight.org.