Mt. View High School Educators are Leveraging Maine DOE’s ConCEPT Pilot Program to Help Meet their Academic Needs

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction Team is offering a pilot program developed by listening to educators’ needs and creating the opportunity for them to choose their professional learning adventure. In an effort to make this program available to more schools and educators across Maine, we are sharing some examples of the ways that Mt. View High School educators are using ConCEPT to meet their unique needs:

Using Executive Functioning for the SAT – SAT prep courses tend to focus on filling in gaps in learning and practicing how to take the test, but educators at Mt. View High School are taking a different approach. Along with filling in conceptual gaps in math and English, students will be working to understand how to take a test from an executive functioning perspective. By teaching students how to utilize working memory, plan and prioritize the test, organize their time, and reflect, educators can prepare students academically and cognitively for the test.
Developing Student Disposition – Another team will be working to support student engagement and social development through student dispositions. All students can use practice with dispositions like responsibility, communication, or self-reflection, but this program aims to create groups of students that can focus on dispositions that need improvement.
Ownership and Place-based Learning – A group of educators is looking to help students see a connection between taking ownership of their classroom space and the environment. By focusing on empathy, a sense of place, student voice, and reflection, these educators want to support students to see how the skills they use to take care of the small space they use every day can be transferred to the outside world, specifically Maine’s environment.
Applying Academic Concepts to Real-world Problems – A group of math, science, and English teachers are working to create an interdisciplinary, dual-credit engineering class. Through student-focused inquiry in the form of genius hours, students will apply academic concepts to real-world problems. This interdisciplinary class will be designed to cover high school credit requirements in multiple subject areas and as a college credit through the University of Maine.

These programs are supported through the ConCEPT pilot program through the Maine Department of Education. Mt. View educators are excited about this program because it allows them to meet with educators they rarely work with, the professional learning “caters to the needs of educators and students,” and they “feel the support of the DOE.”

If you are interested in learning more about ConCEPT, please visit the ConCEPT web page or e-mail Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Team Coordinator Kathy Bertini at Kathy.bertini@maine.org

Nominations Open for Exceptional English Language Arts and Literacy Teachers; MCELA Conference Set for March 2024

The Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA), an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English, has announced the Claudette and John Brassil Distinguished Educator Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize exceptional English language arts and literacy teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, contributed to the profession, and shown a commitment to the community.

The award is open for nominations until 12/10 to learn more and make a nomination visit MCELA’s nominations webpage.

Mark your calendars for the MCELA Annual Conference, on March 29, 2024
at Holiday Inn By the Bay Portland, Maine. To learn more about the conference visit the MCELA website here.

For further information about these opportunities reach out to The Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA)

Maine DHHS to Offer “WhyTry” Training to Anyone Working with Directly with Children and Their Families

The Maine Department of Education’s Partners at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services are excited to bring additional “WhyTry” training to those working directly with children and their families.

The WhyTry training program is an evidence-based, flexible toolkit, along with structured, interactive modalities to improve one’s ability to engage, motivate, and build resilience and a growth mindset in children within a variety of settings and age groups. The WhyTry Program uses a multi-sensory approach incorporating music, movement, art, and video to engage and motivate children. This unique approach engages children to understand relationships, relevance, and resilience to build positive social skills known as the three R’s. Tools can be utilized with unmotivated children individually or in group settings.

If you work with children who are experiencing adversity, trauma, health, or behavioral challenges, the WhyTry training program is a great resource to add to your toolbox.

Eligible participants will receive full access to the WhyTry training to become a certified WhyTry Facilitator with full access to the WhyTry curriculum. This fun and engaging training overviews resources, lessons, and competencies along with facilitator guidance to effectively use the program. Eligible participants will receive access to the digital toolkit and fidelity tools. A certificate of completion will be provided upon course completion. This is a great opportunity to add a very valuable resource at no cost to you or your agency!

Training is available to Children’s Crisis Providers, Community Mental Health Agencies, Childcare Providers, and all School Personnel.

Check out the video below to learn more:

WhyTry Toolkit Demo short.mp4 from WhyTry Videos on Vimeo.

The online training will be via ZOOM from 9:00 am-1:00 pm each day. Please click on one of the following upcoming training dates to register:

Seats are very limited for each date. Registrants are encouraged to register as soon as possible to guarantee an opportunity to receive this free training.

Please direct any questions about Why Try and this training opportunity to Ellie.Larrabee@maine.gov .

Maine DOE and DHHS to Review Foster Care Guidelines and Connect District Points of Contact with SAU Points of Contact – November 30th

For the past several years the Maine Department of Education (DOE) has shared information to with school administrative units (SAUs’) Foster Care Points of Contact. This year, Maine DOE and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) are adding a new twist to the yearly presentation – DHHS’s Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) regional Foster Care Points of Contact will be included in the presentation and will have breakout sessions to provide an opportunity for regions to connect and to communicate current reality and concerns. For example, the SAU Foster Care Points of Contact in York County will have an opportunity to connect with the DHHS’s Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) District 1 Point of Contact (POC) in a small breakout group conversation.

The backstory: The Every Student Succeeds Act was signed on Dec. 10, 2015, and amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The ESSA contains provisions related to protections for children in foster care and requires the Maine DOE and school districts to collaborate with the OCFS to ensure educational stability for children in foster care. Join Office of School and Student Supports Director Julie Smyth and Regional Associate Director of Child Welfare Services Jean Leonard on Thursday, November 30th via Zoom for a 3:30 Annual Foster Care Training for POCs.

The goal of ESSA is for children in foster care to experience minimal disruption in their education as a result of being placed in foster care and that they are given the same opportunities to develop the necessary skills to be successful as children who are not in foster care.

Under ESSA the Maine DOE and OCFS must work together to ensure:

A child in foster care will enroll or remain enrolled in the child’s school of origin, unless a determination is made that it is not in the child’s best interest to attend that school.
If a determination is made that is not in the child’s best interest to remain in the school of origin, the child will immediately be enrolled in a new school, even if the child and/or his or her guardians are unable to produce records normally required for enrollment; and
The child’s new school must immediately contact the school of origin to obtain relevant records.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting on November 30th.

For questions, please contact Julie Smyth, Director of the Office of School and Student Supports – at 207.592.0949 or julie.a.smyth@maine.gov .

WEBINAR: Media Literacy in the Classroom

Please join Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Humanities Teacher Leader Fellows James St. Pierre and Dorie Tripp for an in-depth discussion of Media Literacy in the Classroom.

There is no denying the significant presence media has in the lives of our students regardless of their age. This webinar is intended to discuss the many ways media permeates their lives and explore how we, as teachers, can help students understand its influence and determine what is true, what is useful, and what is important. We look forward to seeing you there.

Thursday, November 30, 2023
4:00 p.m.
Virtual – Register here

About the Presenters:

James St. Pierre is a national board-certified English teacher with thirty years of teaching experience at Fryeburg Academy where he has taught courses in English and biology and served as English department chair. In addition to his work at the secondary level, he also holds the position of Lecturer at both Granite State College and White Mountains Community College, where he has taught as an adjunct for two decades, one of his specialties being Media Studies. He holds a master’s degree in English Literature from Middlebury College and has presented at state and regional conferences regarding the medium of comics. He is married with two sons and enjoys anything to do with comics, disc golf and soccer.

Dorie Tripp is a national board-certified music teacher with 14 years of experience teaching elementary music in Maine public schools. Over the years, it has been her mission to promote music instruction that is developmentally appropriate, inclusive, diverse, and engaging. In her quest to do this, she has taken on many roles as a learner and leader. Dorie spent two terms as Vice President of the Maine Music Educators Association, contributed to the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative as a Design Team member, was an active member of the Maine Learning Results writing team for the Visual and Performing Arts, and co-hosted a series of PD sessions for educators during the Covid 19 pandemic. In 2021, she was awarded the MMEA Music Educator of the Year Award. In this next step of her journey, Dorie is looking forward to working with the Maine DOE. She’s excited to practice, share, and support unique learning opportunities for Maine students and educators!

Learning Series: Supporting Children, Families, and Communities to Thrive

As a reminder, Maine’s Department of Education’s (DOE) Early Learning Team and Maine’s Office of Child and Family Services are hosting a professional learning opportunity for child care and public-school educators working with children birth-8 years old. This opportunity is funded through Maine’s Preschool Development Renewal Grant.

The Maine Resilience Building Network will be hosting a series of free virtual (via ZOOM) professional development sessions. Supporting Children, Families, and Communities to Thrive: Promoting Positive Childhood Experiences and Resilience will bring together early childhood and PK-3 public-school educators to participate in sessions during the fall of 2023. These sessions will focus on:

How adverse and positive childhood experiences impact children’s development,
ideas for how to support a stronger focus on positive experiences and for building resilience for young children, and
strategies for how educators can address compassion fatigue and build their own resilience.

Descriptions of all 3 available offerings can be found here. Two contact hours are available for each session. Registration is required and links to each session are provided within the table below.

Date/Time	Program and Registration Link
Saturday, 11/4/23 9:00-11:00am	The Impact of Experience: How Adverse Childhood Experiences and Positive Childhood Experiences Impact Healthy Child Development (Part I) https://maineresilience.org/event-5407584
Thursday, 11/9/23 3:00-5:00pm	The Impact of Experience: How Adverse Childhood Experiences and Positive Childhood Experiences Impact Healthy Child Development (Part I) https://maineresilience.org/event-5407589
Saturday, 11/18/23 9:00-11:00am	Addressing Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Strategies in Educators and Caregivers https://maineresilience.org/event-5407625
Monday, 11/27/23 3:00-5:00pm	A Framework for Implementing Positive Childhood Experiences to Support Healthy Child Development (Part II) https://maineresilience.org/event-5407598
Saturday, 12/9/23 9:00-11:00am	A Framework for Implementing Positive Childhood Experiences to Support Healthy Child Development (Part II) https://maineresilience.org/event-5407617
Tuesday, 12/12/23 6:00-8:00pm	Addressing Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Strategies in Educators and Caregivers https://maineresilience.org/event-5407706
Monday, 12/18/23 6:00-8:00pm	Addressing Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Strategies in Educators and Caregivers https://maineresilience.org/event-5407630

Additional questions can be directed to Maine DOE Early Childhood Specialist, nicole.madore@maine.gov.

Book Study: Increasing Student Engagement

Starting in December, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is hosting an asynchronous book study on student engagement based on two books: Reimagining Student Engagement and Teaching Students to Drive Their Learning. Educators will receive a free copy of each book. In this 8-week online book study, educators will:

Examine what research says about student engagement
Reflect on their students’ engagement and classroom management
Design strategies to increase engagement that works for them and their students
Collect data on how the changes have impacted their students’ engagement
Opportunity to collaborate with teachers statewide

During this book study, educators will be assigned weekly readings, post a response, and comment on other teachers’ responses. Teachers will also need to implement one or more engagement strategies and share their resources and/or reflections. Educators completing the book study will receive 10 contact hours. The book study is perfect for individual teachers, as well as teams of teachers, who want to examine research-based practices that can increase and improve student engagement.

Books: Teachers participating in the book study will receive copies of:

Reimagining Student Engagement by Amy Berry
Teaching Students to Drive Their Learning: A Playbook on Engagement & Self-Regulation, K-12 by Fisher, Frey, Ortega & Hattie

Intended Audience: PK-12 Teachers & Administrators
When: December 1-February 2
Where: Maine DOE EnGiNE Platform (There will be optional Zoom sessions to further our discussions and collaboration.)
Contact Hours: 10 contact hours available upon completion
How: Register here

This book study can be done in conjunction with the Maine DoE ConCEPT pilot.  Click here to learn more about ConCEPT.

For more information on this book study, please contact Jaime Beal, Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist at jaime.beal@maine.gov

The Maine DOE encourages all schools and districts across the State of Maine to learn more about interdisciplinary instruction on our website or by contacting the Interdisciplinary Instruction Team Coordinator at Kathy.bertini@maine.gov

Professional Learning: The Rural Experience in America Project

Community Civics through Historical Inquiry (K-12 grade educators)

Funded by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program, NCHE is proud to announce a 3-part colloquium for teachers focusing on Rural America. These free professional learning opportunities will help teachers develop place-based interdisciplinary units that connect students to their rural communities. Additionally, the Maine Department of Education will be hosting a bi-weekly professional learning community to support educators through these NCHE modules. The PLC will incorporate the work developed by the MDOE interdisciplinary instruction specialists.

The program is designed to:

connect teachers with the Library Congress’s collections on rural history and with local rural historical societies so they can situate local history in the larger human experience
support teachers in the design and implementation of works of public value that connect rural students to their community’s history
engage rural teachers in a deep examination of rural history and the impact of change on children, families, and communities
The Right Question Institute will be leading a 4-week session on the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) with a focus on working with rural students

Educators may complete all or part of the 3-part colloquium.

Part A – Self-paced online courses: the Library of Congress’ 6-week module course: Teaching with Primary Sources Basics; the Right Question Institute 4-week module course: Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Primary Source Questions (Dec 1-March 31)
Part B – Participate in three online synchronous Saturday professional development sessions led by historians, educational specialists, and master teachers (March 23, April 20, May 11)
Part C – Apply for a Summer Colloquium. Teachers and community partners will learn from historians and build civic connections to develop a plan for implementing a public history project in their community.
- July 24-26 Washington, DC Travel reimbursement available

Register here for these NCHE events.

When you register with NCHE, you will receive a follow-up from the Maine DOE to register into our Maine PLC.

For more information, please contact Jaime Beal, Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist, at  jaime.beal@maine.gov.

New Learning Cohort Opportunity to Equip Principals in Leading Equity-Based MTSS for Student Supports; Info Session on 10/23

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is thrilled to announce the launch of an innovative training program aimed at empowering school principals to champion equity-based Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for comprehensive student success.

Implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Support is a requirement in Maine schools. The purpose of this learning cohort is to provide training and support to Maine school principals and related personnel with design and implementation of MTSS frameworks that provide them with the knowledge and tools necessary for addressing the diverse needs of students and to promote school and student success effectively. By adopting a schoolwide MTSS, schools can foster a culture of academic, behavior, social/mental health, and attendance support, early intervention, and data-driven decision-making, ultimately leading to improved growth and achievement rates and better outcomes for all students.

Participants in this cohort will:

Build capacity to design and effectively lead schoolwide MTSS across grades PK-12
Develop knowledge and skills to make MTSS a part of the school culture to ensure valuable work in high-leverage student supports can be blended and braided into a cohesive system of school supports that leads to long-time positive impact
Convene relevant stakeholders into MTSS leadership teams that are prepared to utilize research-based strategies for identifying areas of concern/need, assessing identified problems, selecting solutions, create targeted plans, and monitor outcomes that crosses all school domains (reading, mathematics, behavior, social and emotional/mental health, and attendance)
Explore and learn how to use a variety of MTSS implementation tools and resources that are used to assess and build readiness for MTSS implementation, assist principals in aligning initiatives and layering support for maximum impact and long-term sustainability, and facilitate the identification of existing or future barriers that may have a negative impact on the implementation of MTSS and provide action steps for removing barriers to aid in successful MTSS implementation

The MTSS cohort will take place through a hybrid of synchronous and asynchronous learning sessions from November 2023 through June 2024 utilizing both live in-person and virtual sessions including (3) in- person team-based workshop events at a centralized location to be determined and taking place on the approximate timeline of end of November 2023, mid-January 2024, and mid-March 2024. Weekly 1-hour online learning sessions will begin November 12.

For more detailed information regarding the timeline, commitment requirements, and in-person meeting location(s), please attend an online information session on Monday, October 23rd from 3:30 to 4:30.

Applications for participation will open following the informational session and will be reviewed on a rolling basis through November 1^st until all slots are filled. All schools will be notified of their application status no later than November 3rd with virtual learning sessions to begin the week of November 12.

The program is open to PK-12 principals and any of their designated MTSS Team members. To register for the informational webinar, you can visit the Maine DOE Professional Learning Calendar, or click this link to register.

For further questions, you can reach out to Andrea Logan, MTSS Specialist, via email (andrea.logan@maine.gov) or by phone (207-592-2011) Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM through 4:30 PM.

Maine DOE and BMV to Offer Joint Open Office Hours on School Bus Transportation and Licensing

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) are pleased to offer joint Open Office Hours focused on school bus transportation and licensing. Information on how a school administrative unit (SAU) can train new bus drivers will be reviewed. The shortage of school bus drivers is at a critical point. Being able to train in-house is an advantage in recruiting candidates.

The first Office Hours on October 11 will feature Cheryl Brackett, Maine DOE Transportation Coordinator, as well as Christopher Ireland, Maine BMV Director of License Services. Sessions are meant to be a time for transportation directors to come together to ask questions, work together to problem solve, share best practices, and network.

Office hours are offered as part of the Maine DOE’s School Safety Center and are intended to meaningfully support addressing questions and needs. Participants can join for the full hour, for just a part, or only to obtain an answer to a question.

Transportation Office Hour Sessions will be held the second Wednesday quarterly, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., on the following schedule:

Month	Day	Topic
October	11th	Preparing Candidates for a CDL Endorsement
January	10th	Emergency Preparedness – Introduction to Maine DOE Guidelines
April	10th	NEO Transportation Reporting
June	12th	Alternative Transportation

Please use the following Microsoft Teams link to join the meeting on October 11:

Click here to join the October 11th Meeting via Microsoft Teams

Meeting ID: 267 027 044 018
Passcode: sA7sbW

Download Teams | Join on the web

To submit a topic or question prior to a session and/or for more information please email Cheryl Brackett at 207-446-3019: cheryl.brackett@maine.gov.