Category: Special Education

Governor LePage announces $11.3 million to support at-risk students

The Governor announced the awards from the Maine Department of Education at the Reiche School in Portland alongside the CEO of LearningWorks, one of 15 grantees who will establish or continue 32 community learning centers that provide students extended learning services

PORTLAND – Governor Paul R. LePage announced today that the Maine Department of Education is giving out $11.3 million over the next five years to support extended learning opportunities for at-risk students.

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State awards South Portland’s Kaler Elementary $1.6 million for school improvement

The funding from the Maine Department of Education will help transform the struggling school and increase student achievement, teacher effectiveness and community engagement

SOUTH PORTLAND – A South Portland elementary school will use $1.6 million awarded today by the Maine Department of Education to raise student proficiency in math and reading by 10 percent annually over the next three years. Continue reading “State awards South Portland’s Kaler Elementary $1.6 million for school improvement” →

Guidance on transportation for special education students and equivalent school days

Maine Unified Special Education Regulations (MUSER) §VI.2.L state that “[i]t is the full expectation that children eligible under this Chapter will attend school the equivalent amount of time per day as children without disabilities in the same school and/or program.” MUSER §VI.2.L also provides that an abbreviated school day (defined at MUSER §II.1 as “any day that a child eligible under this chapter attends school or receives educational services for less time than age/grade peers without disabilities within the same school and/or school program”) can only be initiated based upon a child’s individual educational or medical needs.
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Members sought for deaf or hard of hearing commission

The Maine Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened (CDHHLD) is seeking nominations to fill vacancies on the Commission. Students, parents, educators and community members with knowledge and experience related to hearing loss are especially important to the work the Commission does to implement positive changes for Maine’s deaf and hard of hearing citizens.

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Maine DOE offers summer academy for teachers of English language learners

The Maine DOE is accepting registrations for the 4th Annual ESL Summer Academy to be held June 24-26 at the University of Maine in Orono. Administrators and school teams are encouraged to attend the academy, which will feature interactive sessions on working with the academic language demands in content standards.

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Consultation by teachers of the visually impaired

An appropriately qualified teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) who provides consultation to regular education teachers and/or to special education teachers of children from age 3 to 20 under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is providing consultation, as a special education service.   It is a service in itself, not a level of intensity of service.  Also, this consultation should not be confused with “vision services,” which are available under IDEA only to infants and toddlers.

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Authority to make educational decisions for adult students

When a student reaches the age of majority in Maine, at age 18, the student gains the right to make his or her own educational decisions. However, a parent or other adult may obtain authority over those decisions if the parent or other adult (1) obtains guardianship over the student or (2) obtains a valid power of attorney from the student.

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As we enter the home stretch, a thank you

This week’s Commissioner’s Update is landing in inboxes as many of you are hopefully enjoying a well-deserved April vacation.

The days between now and when the school year ends in June will likely be your busiest, and include a flurry of budget preparations, the administration of the SAT and/or Smarter Balanced field tests, the release of the State school report cards, all of the preparations that go into graduation and so much more.

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Maine DOE offers webinar on maintenance of effort and excess cost

A webinar training provided by the Maine DOE’s Office of Special Services earlier this month is now available online as a tool for districts.

The training, led by the Department’s Director of Special Services Jan Breton and Fiscal Analyst Tyler Backus, focused on the Local Entitlement Application for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds for the 2014-15 school year.

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