Category: Professional Development

2019 eMPowerME Assessment Administration Training Workshops

In preparation for the Maine Educational Assessments (MEA) for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy for grades 3-8 eMPowerME assessment administration, the Maine DOE will be holding half-day regional workshop trainings February 12-14, 2019. The intended audiences for the sessions are District Assessment Coordinators (DACs), Technology Coordinators (ITCs), and/or School Test Coordinators (STCs). Morning and afternoon sessions both include topics such as: New Features for 2019; Portal Overview; User Management; Kiosk Overview; and Live Demonstrations. Registrations are limited to two (2) people per district. Should additional space become available, districts will be notified.

Dates & Locations

Morning Sessions 9:00 – 12:00

This is a full, comprehensive overview of all aspects and details of the eMPowerME assessment administration for those who are new to this test, or a full review for those returning.

Afternoon Sessions 1:00 – 3:30

This is a condensed version of the morning session, intended as a refresher with a review of administration processes for eMPowerME, while highlighting new features for 2019.

NOTE: Training sessions will NOT be hands-on and thus do not require participants to bring a personal computing device. For those participants who wish to bring devices (e.g., to ask specific questions about individual school setup), you may consider bringing a personal “hot spot”, as WiFi in training venues can be unpredictable and may be affected by the size of each training group. Morning and afternoon light snacks/coffee/juice available –lunch is not provided.

To Register click here

For questions please contact Eric W. Buckhalter, Maine Department of Education at (207) 624-6770 or Eric.buckhalter@maine.gov

 

Maine DOE Offers Two Opportunities to Participate in a 1% Alternate Assessment Support Webinar

Letters were sent out Friday, December 21st to all districts that have identified more than 1% of their students as alternate assessment students.  Three levels of support are offered to all districts.  Districts assigned to a level of support in Tier 2 and Tier 3 are required to attend one of the 1% Support Webinars listed below.  All other districts are welcome to attend.

The webinar will include an overview of the 1% ESSA regulation – Section §1111(b)(2)(D)(I) for providing alternate assessments, including: the definition of significant cognitive disabilities, meeting the criteria within the Participation Guidelines, how to identify students in Synergy, and how to complete the Action Plan for districts over the 1% participation threshold. Concentration on the Action Plan will look at three levels of support and what that means to districts, how to provide justifications, and a look at disproportionality.

Please contact Sue Nay at sue.nay@maine.gov or Ann Belanger at ann.belanger@maine.gov  with questions.

Integrated Pest Management School Workshop

Registration is now open for the Comprehensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Workshop to be held February 20th at Gardiner Area High School. This workshop is offered by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

View the full workshop schedule (click on Training and Events). All School IPM Coordinators are required to attend this training one time but everyone is welcome to attend. It is an opportunity to network with other Coordinators, see what other schools are doing to prevent and manage pests.

Register for Comprehensive IPM Workshop at Gardiner High School HERE. 

Save the Date: October 29-30, 2019 for our first Rodent Academy! This 2-day workshop, featuring internationally recognized rodent expert, Dr. Robert Corrigan is not to be missed! You’ll learn very practical information about how to recognize and eliminate rodent activity in your schools (and at home too!).

Questions/Comments? Contact kathy.murray@maine.gov Phone: 207-287-7616

Professional Development Opportunity – Poverty: The Multiple Influences and Effects

The Maine DOE is providing a 3-part workshop series with Miriam Dodge, a GoldStar speaker for Communication Across Barriers, that will challenge participants to understand poverty at a deeper level and to think about their own biases and beliefs around poverty. The series will be limited to 20 participants and will focus on the Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten age span. This series will address the following goals:

  1. Increase educators’ knowledge base to understand key concepts of poverty;
  2. Recognize personal biases, thoughts and beliefs around people living in poverty;
  3. Increase understanding of the effect poverty has on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES);
  4. Increase the foundational understanding that if basic needs are met (nutrition, medical, social/emotional), students can focus engage in higher order thinking skills; and
  5. Help educators recognize personal beliefs and how they can indirectly influence collaboration between school staff and families.

By understanding the effects poverty has on Maine’s children; teachers, principals and other school leaders will be better able to individualize supports and increase learning outcomes for students most at risk.

Schools are strongly encouraged to register 3-member teams representative of classroom teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, and special educators. Time will be provided for individuals to share their learning and to collectively plan for how to with colleagues in their respective schools.

Dinner will be provided during each session which will run 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm. Six contact hours will be provided to each participant over the course of the series.

Cost is $90 per team to attend the 3-part series. Registration requires a credit card.   Event Registration Link

Training Dates:                                             Training Location:
January 14, 2019                                             Educare Central Maine
March 18, 2019                                               56 Drummond Ave
May 13, 2019                                                  Waterville, ME 04901

For further information, please contact Nena Cunningham Ed.D., Head Start State Collaboration Director at 207-624-6601 or nena.m.cunningham@maine.gov

MEA Released Item Workshop Webinars

In November 2018, Maine DOE content specialists provided workshops to help Maine educators utilize the released items associated with Maine’s eMPower English language arts and math assessments and MEA science assessment. For those who were unable to attend, recordings of these sessions are now available.  The recordings can be accessed at the following links:

Educators will find documents related to these sessions in the file boxes included as part of the recordings or via links provided to Padlets incorporated within the recordings. Additionally, educators viewing the recordings will be encouraged to access released item data in the MAARS system.  Access to the released item data requires a user name and password which educators can obtain from their District Assessment Coordinator (DAC).

Please share the recording links with classroom teachers and instructional coaches who might not have been able to attend.

For questions or additional assistance, please contact the appropriate content specialist:

Professional Learning Opportunity: #DigCit4ME Challenge and Workshops

The Maine Department of Education will be facilitating a series of opportunities for educators to participate in professional learning related to digital citizenship, as well as interacting in the digital world in healthy and safe ways.

  • Part one of the series is an online game, which is called the #DigCit4ME Challenge. Participants who register for part two of the series (the in-person workshop) will obtain access to play the game. Playing the game is a prerequisite to attending the workshop.
  • Part two of the series is a regional in-person workshop, which is open to all educators to attend. Educators are encouraged to attend in school teams. There are a number of opportunities to attend a workshop in January. More information is below.
  • Part three of the series is an opportunity for health education and physical education educators to engage in this learning at the spring Health/Physical Education Conference.

In-person workshops

In January, there will be in-person regional #DigCit4ME Workshops. Participants will develop a better understanding of the Cross-Curricular Framework for Digital Citizenship from Common Sense Media and its connection to the Maine Learning Results Health Education and Physical Education standards and content areas. Educators will be able to create relevant learning experiences for students to help them incorporate this knowledge and these skills into their daily lives.

Cost: Free to attend
Contact Hours: Earn 6.5 contact hours
Target Audience: Educators who interact with students in grades 5-12
Draft Agenda
9:00am – 3:30pm

  • Welcome and Introductions
  • Digital Citizenship Framework from Common Sense Media with Maine’s Health Education and Physical Education Standards
  • Resources to build educator knowledge, to share with families, and to use in classrooms
  • Lunch (provided)
  • Goals and expectations for afternoon
  • Planning time in small groups
  • Sharing time
  • Announcements and directions to continue with online game

Locations and Registration

Register Here

January 8th, South Portland High School
January 16th, Auburn Middle School
January 25th, University of Maine at Fort Kent
January 29th, Washington Academy (East Machias)
January 30th, Husson University (Bangor)

For more information or answers to questions, please contact: Amanda Nguyen, Digital Learning Specialist, Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov

Using Assessment to Strengthen Instruction in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, K-8

As part of its 2018-19 Assessment Literacy series, the Maine Department of Education will present full-day workshops to continue supporting educators in examining eMPower ELA and math, and MEA science assessment data, connecting that data with locally generated assessment information, and identifying high impact instructional strategies that foster student engagement and achievement of learning standards.

State level assessment provides school systems with a useful lens through which educators can evaluate the effectiveness of curricula and instructional practices. This information can help educators improve programming to increase the number of students meeting expectations for learning standards in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science. The availability of released item data and sample state assessment items, coupled with local level assessment information, enables educators to dig more deeply into what instructional practices are benefiting student learning as well as where adjustments could be made to result in greater positive impact.

Join Maine DOE ELA, Math, and Science specialists as they provide professional learning and resources that:

  • Connect state eMPower and science assessment to instructional practices
  • Delve into the roles cognitive demand and stamina play in instruction and assessment
  • Explore protocols for linking state level data analysis with local level data analysis

Participants will select one of 3 content areas in which to focus their learning during the day: English language arts, mathematics or science.  Schools are strongly encouraged to register teams of 3 so that they will have representation in each of the 3 featured content areas. An alternate option is for educators to come as a team representing one content area (e.g. science teachers from a middle school).  Time will be provided during the day for teams to share their learning across content areas and to collaboratively plan for how to disseminate the day’s content back in their respective schools. Lunch will be provided during each full day session which will run 8:30 am – 3:30 pm. Contact hours will be provided.

Cost is $40 per individual or $100 per 3-person team. Registration requires a credit card.  

Workshop Locations/Registration Links Workshop Dates
Keeley’s Banquet Center, Portland January 15, 2019
Snow Date: February 1, 2019
Jeff’s Catering, Brewer January 24, 2019
Snow Date: January 31, 2019
University of Maine at Presque Isle January 29, 2019
Snow Date: January 30, 2019

For further information, please contact Lee Anne Larsen, Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Learning Systems at 207-624-6628 or leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Resources to Support the Observance of Alcohol Awareness Day

Alcohol is the most frequently used substance by adolescents in Maine. Almost one of every four Maine high school students used alcohol in the past 30 days, and more than one third of those students reported binge drinking (2017 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey). Alcohol consumption by students is impacted by factors such as low perception of harm, low perception of getting caught, and ease of access.

Schools and community organizations are encouraged to work together to address alcohol issues. In alignment with Maine statute, schools across Maine can raise awareness about alcohol use and abuse by observing Alcohol Awareness Day on Monday, December 3 (or another designated day in December). The statute indicates Alcohol Awareness Day shall be observed by studying for at least 45 minutes, a constructive approach toward the use of alcohol and the problems and dangers of alcohol abuse upon the individual, the family and society.

Consider using one or more of the following resources to prepare a message or lesson to enhance your existing health education curriculum:

It is important for Maine students to receive education and awareness about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use as part of comprehensive school health education, Pre-K through High School, and in alignment with the Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction, Health Education Standards.  Selecting Evidence-Based Substance Use Prevention Programs: A Guide for Maine Schools Grades K-12 may help determine the most appropriate program for a school community.

There is also a guide to help schools create, update, and enforce a substance use policy. The guide, “Substance Use Policy: A Comprehensive Guide for School Policy Development” provides practical suggestions for a complete policy, based on research and best practices.

For assistance or additional resources, contact the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tobacco and Substance Use Prevention and Control Program at 287-8901, TTY 711 or email: TSUP.DHHS@maine.gov.  You can order a limited quantity of free alcohol use prevention pamphlets through the Prevention Store http://www.mainepreventionstore.org./

Webinar: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Education and the Workforce

The Maine School Councilor Association (MESCA) is sponsoring a free professional development webinar called, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Education And The Workforce: Building Resilience In Students. Please find the details below.

Description: National statistics tell us that if a child has experienced 4 or more adverse life events, they are 32 times more likely to have behavior problems in school. There is increasing evidence that early life stressors, such as abuse and/or witnessing intimate partner violence, cause enduring brain dysfunction that, in turn, affects health and quality of life throughout the lifespan. The “stress response” can cause the areas of a student’s brain that control fear to become over developed, overpowering other areas of the brain that are required for positive academic learning. Adverse experiences have the power to undermine the development of language skills, attention to classroom tasks, and the ability to remember new information.

The good news is the presence of a supportive adult or environment provides a powerful buffer to students from the intense stress or anxiety that may occur when they are exposed to violence and trauma. This workshop will introduce participants to the impacts of exposure to adverse experiences, will offer examples of how and why this impact manifests itself as behaviors, and will share resilience building strategies.

Presenter: Allegra Hirsh-Wright, LCSW, RYT, Training Manager/Project Coordinator for Department of Clinical Innovation, Maine Behavioral Healthcare

Webinar Date & Time: December  20, 2018 at 12:00 PM

Register here: https://bit.ly/2PXK5nU

This free professional development webinar sponsored by the Maine School Councilor Association (MESCA) will be recorded and stored on the Reach Higher Maine Google Classroom.

PRIORITY NOTICE: MEA Released Items and Individual Student Reports Available

The Maine Department of Education in collaboration with school districts and schools have verified their 2018 Maine Educational Assessments (MEA) results data within the Maine Assessment and Accountability Reporting System (MAARS). All data in the confidential (login credentials needed), and public sites is now available. Individual Student Reports (ISRs) are also available to districts to download.

This year to support Maine educators, the Department is excited to be able to release items from the math, English language arts (ELA) and science assessments at each grade level in which students in grades 3 – 8 take state assessments. School and district users will also be able to incorporate the released item data in their analysis of student performance. Data regarding district, school and individual student responses to released items are available the confidential MAARS site within Interactive Reports. The actual pdf versions of the released items are available on the maine.onlinehelp.measuredprogress.org/released-items site.

Elements for release include:

  1. The student versions consist of one item booklet per grade, 3-8, that contains each assessed content area (Math, Reading, Writing/Language, Essay).
  2. The associated teacher versions consist of one document per grade, 3-8, that contains each assessed content area and which include:
  • Items as seen on student version
  • Standard alignment notation
  • Answer key
  • Scoring rubrics where applicable
  • Scorer training notes and annotations
  • Exemplary responses where applicable
  • Sample student responses
  • Table of released item information

As a reminder to those who registered, the Department will be using these materials during the scheduled workshops to assist educators in navigating MAARS, examining their data, and linking it to instructional practice.

Further questions can be directed to Janette Kirk, Acting Director, Office of Learning Systems at janette.kirk@maine.gov.