AUGUSTA – Seven groups informed the Maine Charter School Commission (MCSC) that they plan to submit applications to open public charter schools in Maine. All of the groups hope to open a school in the fall of 2014.
The deadline for delivery of the letters to the Maine Charter School Commission or having them postmarked was this past Tuesday.
Continue reading “Commission receives notice of 7 charter school proposals”
Schools that receive federal Title I funds, have poverty rates of at least 40 percent and have approved Title IA Schoolwide Plans are eligible to use their Title I funds – and funds from other sources – to develop “schoolwide programs.”
Schoolwide programs are comprehensive reform strategies aimed at raising the achievement levels of all students. Continue reading “Annual notification of eligibility for schoolwide programs”
During the last legislative session, the Legislature passed a resolve (H.P.828 – L.D. 1184) directing Maine DOE to amend its rules regarding special education review of school administrative units (SAUs) that do not own, lease or otherwise operate any school. Continue reading “Notice of legislative resolve regarding special education review of SAUs”
Maine school districts are continuously expanding their capacity to identify and teach English learners (ELs)—and the Maine DOE has developed materials to help educators with this task.
On Monday, we announced that the U.S. Department of Education has approved Maine’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waiver.
Maine earned the waiver – which can be viewed at www.maine.gov/doe/accountability – because we developed an ambitious yet achievable plan to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps and increase the quality of instruction. As a result, Maine will cut in half the percentage of non-proficient students at each school over the next six years. Continue reading “What does approved ESEA waiver mean for your school?”
The Maine DOE Office of Special Services is offering regional professional development sessions in evidence-based practices this fall. In addition to ongoing technical assistance, the Department will be providing professional development to each of the nine superintendent regions regarding the instructional usage and Individualized Education Program (IEP) goal alignment of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts and mathematics for children with disabilities. General and special educators are invited to attend.
Continue reading “Educators encouraged to attend Common Core and IEP goal-writing training”
The 26 states of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, of which Maine is one, are on target to administer the first Smarter Balanced assessment in spring 2015. That gives teachers and students the 2013-14 school year and most of the 2014-15 school year to prepare for the new assessments. You and your students (and their parents, too) can try out the practice tests online to experience what the new test will be like. Smarter Balanced will be administered via computer, a change that serves Maine well given the Maine Learning Technology Initiative has helped our students and educators become national leaders in computer readiness.
Non-regulatory guidance
The Department has posted non-regulatory guidance to help schools and other covered educational programs understand the requirements and limitations contained in Rule Chapter 33: Rule Governing Physical Restraint and Seclusion. The guidance document, which is available online, provides information about the rule, describes student behavior scenarios and analyzes potential responses to those scenarios, and provides links to additional resources including tools for managing student behavior.
Continue reading “Restraint and Seclusion updates available”
The U.S. Department of Education has re-opened its Request for Information (RFI) on Native American English learners. The purpose of the RFI is to gather information pertaining to the identification and placement of Native American students who are English learners in language instruction educational programs. The U.S. DOE developed this RFI to help State and local educational agencies, schools, tribes and other interested entities identify, share and implement practices for accurately identifying Native American students who are English learners.
Continue reading “U.S. DOE requests information on Native American English learners”
As a recipient of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds, the State of Maine is required to identify in writing for local educational agencies any special education rule that is a State-imposed requirement and not mandated under federal IDEA requirements. Maine’s yearly application for IDEA, Part B, funding also requires this identification.
Continue reading “Change for youth served by Child Development Services”
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