Category: Special Education

School Registration Open for Second Annual ‘I Belong’ Youth Summit

Are you ready to open doors to boundless possibilities for your students? Consider registering for the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education’s (OSSIE) second annual ‘I Belong’ Youth Summit, scheduled for Thursday, May 29, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  at Central Maine Community College.

This Summit invites schools across Maine to join a transformative initiative, designed specifically for students with disabilities who are at the age of transitioning from school to their future. This dynamic gathering goes beyond traditional career fairs to offer meaningful exploration, skill-building, and work-based learning opportunities, tailored to each student’s interests and abilities.

Making a Difference Together

By participating in this summit, you become part of a statewide movement to reshape post-secondary pathways for ALL Maine students with disabilities. Your involvement creates ripple effects of opportunity:

  • Students discover career paths they may never have considered, building confidence and practical skills for their future.
  • Educators gain valuable resources, evidence-based practices, and direct connections with industry partners.
  • Businesses develop tomorrow’s workforce, while fulfilling community engagement goals.

Join the Movement

Help your students find where they belong in Maine’s future workforce. The ‘I Belong’ Youth Summit provides a student-centered environment for youth to explore career pathways at their own pace, connect with potential employers, and envision new possibilities for their lives after school.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of something extraordinary! Together, we can create a more inclusive, opportunity-rich future for Maine’s students with disabilities.

Maine middle and high schools are invited to fill out a school interest form, if they are planning to bring students to the second annual ‘I Belong’ Youth Summit. (Registrations for individual students will be sent directly to schools that complete the interest form.)

For more information, please contact Maine DOE Transition Specialist Titus O’Rourke at titus.orourke@maine.gov.

Making Math Meaningful for All: Applications Open for Math4ME Project

Math4ME is a free, three-year, whole-school project, designed to support all educators (i.e., classroom teachers, special educators, ed techs, and interventionists) to strengthen math proficiency for all learners with a specific focus on increased math proficiency for students with math individualized education plan (IEP) goals.

Administered by the Maine Department of Education (DOE), this project focuses on building positive math school communities and classrooms, mathematical content, and pedagogical skills; and supporting inclusionary practices, increased family engagement, and formative assessment, including the Early Mathematics Diagnostic Interview (EMDI).

For more details about the Math4ME project, check out this informational video.

Applications for the 2025-2026 cohort will be open until April 4, 2025. Please use this link to apply.

A virtual informational meeting will be held on Monday, March 24, 2025, at 4 p.m. Please register here in advance.

For questions or more information, please contact Maine DOE Math4ME Distinguished Educator Susan Hogan at susan.hogan@maine.gov or Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist Jen Robitaille at jennifer.r.robitaille@maine.gov.

Invitation to Apply to Be a Maine Inclusive Education Model Pilot School – Making Learning Accessible for All

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) are partnering to support a cohort of Maine public schools in becoming Inclusive Education Model sites for the state. This project is intended to provide participating Maine schools with five years of support to develop and implement sustainable, inclusive, and integrated multi-tiered systems of support for all students.

Maine Inclusive Education Model Schools will:

  • Build leadership and staff capacity through ongoing coaching and professional learning.
  • Implement data-driven decision-making to increase equity, access, and achievement outcomes for the most-marginalized students.
  • Prioritize collaborative and inclusive service delivery.
  • Commit to increasing the amount of time all students with disabilities spend in general education settings.
  • Ground standards-based curriculum and instruction in universal design for learning (UDL) principles.

Who can apply for Cohort 1 (2025-2030)

The Maine DOE and UMF are currently seeking applications from public elementary school leaders serving students in pre-K through grade 5 who are deeply committed to inclusion and are ready to reimagine and realign their schools to better meet the diverse needs of all learners. Secondary schools will be able to apply for subsequent cohorts.

What participating Cohort 1 schools will receive

Pilot schools participating in Cohort 1 will receive five years of support from inclusive education experts to implement pilot project goals. Supports will include:

  • A summer orientation in year one.
  • Access to annual summer inclusion institutes in years two through five.
  • Leadership support and staff professional development from inclusive education experts in years one through five.
  • A network of pilot school cohort leaders and staff.

Commitments for pilot schools include:

  • Leadership development and coaching.
  • Participation in professional development and coaching.
  • Realignment of school schedules and service delivery models to more effectively and inclusively meet the needs of all learners.
  • Hiring or reassigning of a current educator to serve as the school inclusion facilitator to support sustainability.
  • Serving as a model inclusion school (e.g., being available for on-site visits from educators and families, participating in video recordings of classroom practice, doing interviews, etc.)
  • Participating in a research study conducted by Drs. Kate MacLeod and Jessica Apgar of UMF.

Please join the Maine DOE and UMF for a virtual information session on February 26, 2025, from 2-3 p.m. via Zoom to learn more before submitting your materials. You may register here in advance for the meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Applications are welcome from all interested public elementary school leaders in Maine who have started the work of improving inclusive education in their schools.

If you would like to receive an application, please complete this form. Once you’ve completed the form, you will receive the application from Dr. Kate MacLeod (kate.macleod@maine.edu). The application deadline is March 14, 2025.

School finalists will be selected for site visits and interviews, and three elementary schools representing diverse demographic and geographical regions will be accepted into Cohort 1.

For further questions, please reach out to Tracy Whitlock, Maine DOE Special Projects Coordinator for the Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education, at tracy.w.whitlock@maine.gov.

Reminder: Registration Open for Inclusive Education Conference on April 10

Join the Maine Department of Education (DOE) for the state’s first Inclusive Education Conference on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at the Augusta Civic Center. The conference theme is “Reimagining Education: Empowering All Learners, Embracing All Abilities.” It will provide school communities (educators, administrators, families, and students) with the tools necessary to empower every student, particularly those with disabilities, by embracing diverse abilities and ensuring that all students have the support they need to build inclusive, meaningful futures.

The Maine DOE Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education and the University of Maine at Farmington are hosting this conference. The keynote speaker will be Katie Novak, an internationally renowned education consultant, author, graduate instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, and a former Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Massachusetts. Dr. Novak’s keynote address will focus on an introduction to inclusive education practices and structures in schools. She will also hold three sessions on Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

The conference will feature students, families, educators, administrators, university faculty, and Maine DOE staff from across the state, as well, who will share their expertise and experiences with inclusion in schools and communities.

Please gather a team of your school colleagues and meet us in Augusta this spring! The cost of the daylong conference (8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) is $175 and includes lunch, as well as a wealth of information and resources.

Register here. (Please note that technical issues with the event registration website have been resolved.)

For more information, please reach out to Maine DOE Special Projects for Inclusion Coordinator Tracy Whitlock at tracy.w.whitlock@maine.gov. Click here to learn more about the conference and other inclusive programming.

FREE Professional Learning Series: Building Linguistically-Responsive Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for Multilingual Learners

To support educators across Maine who work with multilingual learners with disabilities, the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE) and Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) are collaborating to facilitate a six-session professional learning series entitled, “The Intersection of English Language Acquisition and Individualized Education Programs”.

Designed for Special Education teachers, Case Managers, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers, this professional learning community will foster collaboration and collective efficacy to address students’ linguistic, cultural, and academic strengths through the intersection of language acquisition and disability.

Participants will work toward developing linguistically-responsive Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) through the integration of Individual Language Acquisition Plans (ILAPs) for multilingual students.

Session topics include:

  • Foundational Knowledge: Legal Regulations, Civil Rights, and Data Overview
  • Collaboration and Integration of IEPs and Individual Language Acquisition Plans (ILAPs)
  • IEPs for Multilingual Learners: Section 3 Special Factors
  • Linguistically-Appropriate Goals, Services, and Accommodations
  • Test Participation Guidance and Accommodations

Each session will be artfully facilitated by Leora Byras, Education Specialist, Maine DOE OSSIE, and Melissa Frans, Teacher Leader Fellow for Multilingual Learners with Disabilities, Maine DOE OTL.

Two contact hours per session will be awarded to account for essential pre-work. Participants, including school and district teams, are encouraged to attend all six sessions and, upon completion, will receive a free anchor text: IEPs for ELs and Other Diverse Learners.

“With practical guidance and checklists, this book provides educators with research-based strategies and examples that empower them to write effective IEPs for K-12 EL learners.” (Corwin Publishers, 2017.)

Sessions will be held virtually from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on:

  • Tuesday, January 21, 2025
  • Thursday, February 27, 2025
  • Tuesday, March 18, 2025
  • Tuesday, April 29, 2025
  • Thursday, May 22, 2025
  • Tuesday, June 10, 2025

To register for this event, please use this registration link.

If you have any questions, please contact Leora Byras (Leora.Byras@maine.gov) or Jane Armstrong, Maine DOE ESOL State Specialist (Jane.Armstrong@maine.gov).

 

 

Empowering Students with Diverse Abilities: Nominations Open for Executive Student Transition Committee

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Transition Maine program invites educators to nominate Maine students with individualized education programs (IEPs) to apply for a leadership role on the Executive Student Transition (EST) Committee.

Established by the Maine DOE in early 2022, Transition Maine was created to provide equitable and inclusive post-secondary transition services for students with IEPs to help them ease into adulthood. Since then, the Maine DOE Transition team has been on a mission to amplify youth voices in Maine and beyond. The Executive Student Transition Committee is a big part of that mission.

The Committee is comprised of students with diverse abilities who work to champion their rights and actively shape inclusive transition experiences. As an Executive Student Transition Committee member, a student will engage in initiatives that forge pathways to promoting equitable access to education, employment, and independent living while building leadership and self-advocacy skills.

Committee members independently attend virtual weekly meetings and develop content related to transition topics, like self-advocacy and determination. They also engage in leadership opportunities in community-wide programming, such as taking part in the planning of the Maine DOE’s Annual Transition Maine Youth Summit and representing Transition Maine at local, statewide, or national events.

Along with the nomination form, student nominees will need to prepare a written, audio, or video response to a topical prompt around advocacy and transitions. This can be done independently or with the assistance of an educator.

Executive Student Transition Committee nominees should be students who are passionate about leadership and advocacy. Members

New committee members will help plan and run the 2025 Transition Maine youth Summit in Presque Isle.

of the Committee are compensated for up to 20 hours per month. By joining the Committee, students will be part of a team dedicated to driving positive change and creating opportunities for all Maine students with diverse needs.

Please submit your nomination using this link. If you are a student or want to provide a potential nominee with more information, you can download the file linked here. 

For more information, please reach out to the Maine DOE Transition Specialist Titus O’Rourke at titus.orourke@maine.gov.

Maine Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Conference Registration Now Open!

Join the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education for the 14th Annual Maine PBIS Conference at the Augusta Civic Center on Thursday, November 7, 2024 from 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM. The conference is a chance for Maine Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) leaders and implementers from across Maine and beyond to come together to celebrate, learn, and network together.

This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Ruthie Payno-Simmons, the founder of RPS Educational Impact and serves as the Associate Director at the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center (MAP Center). She leads the coordination, design, and delivery of universal, targeted, and systemic equity-focused professional learning experiences and technical assistance to state and local agencies throughout the MAP Center’s 13-state region. Her keynote address is on, “Enhancing Positive and Supportive School Climate Through Storytelling and Rightful Presence.”

Conference Fees:

  • General (individual)- $195
  • Group (groups of 3 or more attendees)- $165
  • Student (full-time undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in 6 credits per semester for at minimum two semesters per year)- $85
  • Lead Presenter (those accepted to present; only lead presenters are at no charge; co-presenters will be charged the individual rate)- $0

For more information about the conference, to submit a proposal, sign up for a school showcase, and/or to register to attend the conference, visit the PBIS Conference Website.

MADSEC Names 2024 Special Education Honorees of the Year

Every year, the Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities (MADSEC) announces Honorees of the Year, who are individuals who work in the field of Special Education within Maine schools.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) joins MADSEC in congratulating the 2023-24 awardees in addition to thanking all educators within the Special Education division. Congratulations to Angela, Kendra, Scott, and Erin, and read more about them below.

To learn more about MADSEC, these awards, and the honorees, visit their website:

Home (madsec.org)

Inclusive Education Webinar Series: The Way to Inclusion on May 22

The Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education invites you to join us in the first two webinars in our “Inclusive Education Webinar Series” presented by Dr. Kate Macleod, an innovative inclusive educator, researcher, author, and assistant professor of special education at the University of Maine Farmington.

May 22nd : The Way to Inclusion: How We Create Schools Where Every Student Belongs

Grounded in the work of Dr. Kate MacLeod’s latest book, The Way to Inclusion: How Leaders Create Schools Where Every Student Belongs (ASCD, 2023) this webinar will take participants through the inclusive school change process – from creating an inclusive vision, to identifying current successes and barriers to inclusion, reimagining roles of existing staff, and everything in between.  Participants will leave with research-based ideas, practical resources, and advice from leaders who are implementing inclusive change in their schools and districts.

Register here.

For more information, please contact anne-marie.adamson@maine.gov

Inclusive Education Webinar Series: The What, Why & How of Inclusive Schools on May 8th

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education invites you to attend the first two webinars in our “Inclusive Education Webinar Series,” presented by Dr. Kate Macleod, an innovative, inclusive educator, researcher, author, and assistant professor of special education at the University of Maine Farmington.

May 8th: The What, Why & How of Inclusive Schools

In this engaging webinar, Dr. Kate MacLeod will share “what” inclusion is, the many reasons “why” inclusion is critical to the success of our students and communities here in Maine (e.g., research, law, advocacy, social justice, and belonging), and will take participants through research-based key practices for “how” schools can achieve greater inclusion for all students.  Participants will leave with access to resources and practical strategies to implement greater inclusion in their schools.

Register here.

Stay tuned…our next webinar in the series, The Way to Inclusion: How We Create Schools Where Every Student Belongs, featuring Kate Macleod, will be broadcast on May 22nd!

For more information, please contact anne-marie.adamson@maine.gov