Job Openings for First4 AmeriCorps Program – Info Session 7/8

Child Development Services (CDS) in collaboration with Kennebec Valley Community Action (KVCAP)/Educare Central Maine are recruiting for the First4 AmeriCorps program. If you know someone interested in working with young children please share the AmeriCorps information found at https://www.flipsnack.com/…/americorps…/full-view.html.

An information session will be held on July 8th at 8:30am – Interested people may register here. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please plan to attend the information session to learn more, meet current members, hear what they do in classrooms, and ask questions.

For further information please reach out to agiallombardo@kvcap.org.

Maine PBIS Announces First Training of Trainers and Coaches Cohort

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the University of Maine System (UMS) are pleased to announce the first Maine PBIS Training of Trainers and Coaches cohort.

Maine schools and districts are experiencing the positive impacts of the Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports’ (PBIS) evidence-based framework with over 75 schools currently implementing PBIS with more being added each year. Additional trainers and coaches are needed to provide support for newly implementing teams.

Please go to https://bit.ly/MEPBISToTInfo to learn how you can become a Maine PBIS Tier 1 Trainer and Coach. If you have any questions, please contact Karen Robbie at karen.robbie@maine.edu .

Maine Dyslexia Screening Project

Maine Revised Statute 20-A M.S.R. § 4701-B requires school administrative units to screen students in kindergarten through second grade who have difficulty in these areas:

phonological and phonemic awareness
sound-symbol recognition
alphabet knowledge
decoding skills
rapid naming skills
encoding skills

Screening measures, by definition, are typically brief assessments of a particular skill or ability that is highly predictive of a later outcome. Screening measures are designed to quickly differentiate students into one of two groups: 1) those who require intervention and 2) those who do not. A screening measure needs to focus on specific skills that are highly correlated with broader measures of reading achievement resulting in a highly accurate sorting of students. (IDA, Universal Screening: K-2 Reading Fact Sheet: For a downloadable PDF, click here.)

The Maine Department of Education Office of Special Services, to support Maine SAUs in the purchase of a high-quality literacy/dyslexia screener, is offering a reimbursement program of up to $4,500.00 for Maine SAUs that select a screener that demonstrates each component of the reimbursement criteria.

In accordance with Maine’s tradition of local control, the Maine Department of Education does not mandate a specific screener. We invite school units to submit information from the appropriate vendor that demonstrates the alignment with the Maine Dyslexia Screening Project Evidence Document.

If an SAU is looking for guidance of screeners that may meet the criteria for reimbursement, there are some states that have done screener reviews based on information submitted but assessment publishers. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Center for Instructional Support has a page dedicated to Early Literacy Screening Assessments that may be helpful.

For more information or to submit your SAU’s evidence document, please contact Anne-Marie Adamson at anne-marie.adamson@maine.gov.

Maine Educators Embark on North Star Journey: FableVision Learning & Maine DOE Launch Year-Long Initiative to Foster Creativity with Educators and Students

Maine’s Department of Education’s State Agency Program Team set sail on a creativity journey to transform teaching practice and classroom outcomes through a unique partnership with Boston-based educational company FableVision Learning, founded by Peter H. Reynolds.

“We were eager to provide equitable access to quality instruction to Maine’s vulnerable youth in therapeutic education settings to enhance special education programming after the difficult times caused by the pandemic, when emotional and social issues have been heightened,” explained Dr. Mary Adley, Coordinator of State Agency Programs. “We wanted to provide staff and students a sense of excitement and creativity to view their world with optimism and we knew FableVision Learning would help us achieve that.”

Adley and her team provide oversight to educational programming for state wards and state agency clients. This includes the General Supervision System of Monitoring for Maine’s approved Special Purpose Private Schools. Her team also offers special education technical assistance, professional development, and support to Maine educators, students, and families for Maine children in the care or custody of the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Corrections, educated in all settings, both in public and private settings and within Maine and placed in out of state settings.

“Our team is delighted that FableVision is embedding the Department’s Maine MOOSE (Maine Online Opportunities for Sustained Education) modules as curricular/content to guide educators in developing creative and specially designed instruction needed to meet each student’s Individual Education Program,” shared Dr. Tracy Whitlock, Coordinator for Special Projects.

This multi-level program of support integrates evidence-based instructional strategies, such as elements of Dr. John Medina’s “Brain Rules,” with intentional focus on social-emotional welfare for both staff and students. Every month, educators from 9 agencies representing 25 schools meet virtually for the Creative Maine workshop and the FableVision Learning team guides discussions and activities around creative instructional design and inspiration to enhance teaching practice. A community of practice is provided on FableVision’s collaborative learning platform The Creativity Circle.

“We are exploring with teachers ways to expand the pathways for students to demonstrate their knowledge and to engage in deep and creative thinking,” explained Sara Smith, FableVision Learning’s creative curriculum developer. “Creativity in the classroom empowers both teachers and students to maximize their talents and make meaning.”

In addition to student projects highlighted in the Creative Maine course, educators are utilizing the FableVision Learning’s The North Star Program to further develop student voice and creativity.

“The essential outcome of education is for students to know who they are and what they can give to the world,” Jane Reynolds, president of FableVision Learning said. “The classroom is where they should be able to explore their strengths, learn resilience, and discover their power to create in a safe and supportive environment.”

Based on the themes in the book “The North Star,” by FableVision founder and New York Times bestselling-author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, The North Star Program is a guide to creating a classroom where students uncover their true potential.

“I have found The North Star Program to be very adaptable. I can integrate it with the existing social skills curriculum as well as adjust lessons to fit the variety of learning levels in my classroom,” explained Teresa Dickson, participating educator from NFI Sidney River Bend.

The program includes best practices for setting up the classroom and establishing a positive, creative climate as well as 18+ weeks of activities and projects that help students develop their strengths, values, and goals that will start laying the path to the future selves they want to be. Activities include teamwork challenges, problem solving projects, social-emotional games and experiences, literature exploration and discussions, and personal reflection writing pieces.

“Since I have begun using The North Star Program, I have watched my students become more confident in their learning and more accepting of themselves and others,” Dickson said. “The lessons can be taught in sequence or be pulled out to target a specific concept or skill. I was able to easily integrate The North Star Program with the Common Core Standards. The North Star Program hits many content areas such as music, art, writing, reading, and poetry.”

In 2022, Maine Department of Education’s State Agency Programs and FableVision Learning will continue the Creative Maine journey as educators continue to explore creative problem solving and creative classroom management.

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About FableVision Learning

FableVision Learning is a Boston-based company founded by Peter H. Reynolds, New York Times best-selling author/Illustrator who has been inspiring teachers for over three decades with his message books for all ages, animated films and creativity software. FableVision Learning’s tools, curricula and programs are informed by the philosophy in Reynolds’ books, which encourages teachers to create bravely on their own creative journeys as they lead the way for their students. Along with its award-winning suite of research-backed learning games and animation software, FableVision Learning also develops custom, in-class/hybrid remote programs for educator/leader PD, after school, CTE, and summer learning, with a focus on storytelling, creativity and SEL.

About Maine Department of Education Office of Special Services

The Maine Department of Education – Office of Special Education is dedicated to improving results for students with disabilities by providing leadership, support and oversight to local education agencies. The Office of Special Services is committed to ensuring the provision of a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment for children with disabilities (ages 3 to 22) as well as early intervention services to infants and toddlers (birth through age 2). Our work is accomplished through collaboration with families, school districts, public and private agencies, and other programs.

Office of Special Services to Host Office Hours on Transition and Extended Eligibility

The Office of Special Services will host regular office hours to access Transition and Extended Eligibility information weekly, 11:00am on Wednesdays, starting on May 11th.

We will cover Transition topics that are important to all IEP (Individualized Education Plan) stakeholders, including student involvement, elements of transition to include in IEPs, adult services and supports after high school, transition programs and portfolios, and diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in transition to adulthood.

The office hours will provide time for participants to share, collaborate, and highlight best practices for transition/extended eligibility and enable them to learn about transition to adulthood topics, including the transition IEP process.

To receive a link to join the office hours, please register here.

For further questions, reach out to Titus O’Rourke at titus.orourke@maine.gov.

Registration for Math4ME is Now Open

The Maine Department of Education Office of Special Services, in collaboration with the Maine Math and Science Alliance (MMSA), is pleased to announce a new Math4ME cohort for the 2022-2023 school year. Math4ME is designed to increase access to mathematics for all learners through teacher professional development. This year, participants will register as a team – an administrator, general educator, special educator and ed tech for hands on in person learning and remote synchronous interactive sessions. To learn more about this math learning opportunity, please view the Math4ME Informational video found here:

To receive an application for the 2022-2023 Math4ME cohort please go to https://forms.office.com/g/PUizY0fmF2.

If you have questions, contact Anne-Marie Adamson at anne-marie.adamson@maine.gov.

Register Now for April 5th Math4ME Interest Session

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Services, in collaboration with the Maine Math and Science Alliance (MMSA), is pleased to announce a new Math4ME cohort for the 2022-2023 school year.

Math4ME is designed to increase access to mathematics for all learners through teacher professional development. This year, participants will register as a team – an administrator, general educator, special educator, and an education technician, for hands on, in-person learning and remote, synchronous, interactive sessions. For a glimpse into this math learning opportunity, please view the Math4ME informational video found here:

To learn even more about the program, please attend the Math4ME information session on April 5th from 3:30- 4:15 pm.

Please register in advance for this meeting and to receive the Zoom link.

Comments Sought on Maine’s IDEA Part B Application

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking comments from the public on its annual application for federal funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which covers services to children with disabilities, ages 3-22.

The application, which covers Maine fiscal year 2023 (starting July 1, 2022) is posted on the Maine DOE’s webpage at https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/specialed/director.

The Part B budget is estimated/projected on the basis of Maine’s award for the State’s current award, pending the State’s receipt of the finalized federal award for the coming year. Both documents will be posted from March 1, 2022 through May 6, 2022.

Written comments will be accepted from March 1, 2022, until 4 p.m. on Friday, April 15, 2022. Please send comments to Erin Frazier at erin.frazier@maine.gov or 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.

Effective Dispute Resolution: IEP Facilitation Program Available to Parents and SAUs at No Cost

The implementation of the Facilitated IEP (FIEP) meeting program allows the Maine Department of Education to provide another cost-free mechanism for stakeholders to utilize in the effective dispute resolution process. A facilitated IEP meeting is one where an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) is developed by a collaborative team whose members share responsibility for the meeting process and results, and where decision-making is managed using facilitation skills. In states that offer Facilitated IEP meetings, data suggests that there is a positive impact on IEP team member communication, and increased levels of trust and collaboration among stakeholders.

The Maine Department of Education has contracted with six impartial individuals to be assigned to facilitate IEP meetings. Facilitators are assigned to cases on a rotating basis, where there is no conflict of interest. These individuals are neither members of the IEP team, nor involved in the determinations of a meeting.

During a facilitated IEP meeting, the facilitator assists the team in keeping the focus on conflict resolution in place of contentious debate and discussion. Meetings are kept on track to ensure equal opportunity for input by all participants and determinations and outcomes are child focused. Districts are responsible for following MUSER regulations and IDEA as is the case for any IEP meeting.

Interested parties (parents/care givers and School Administrative Units) can make a request for an IEP Facilitator. Both parties need to agree to the facilitation. IEP facilitation is provided at no cost to parents and SAUs. Forms and handbooks are available by calling or emailing the Dispute Resolution Office or here: Effective Dispute Resolution.

For more information, contact the Dispute Resolution Office at 207-624-6644 or dueprocess.doe@maine.gov.

REMINDER: Maine’s State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (APR)

As a reminder, the Office of Special Services has released important informational videos to gather feedback from stakeholders on Maine’s State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (APR).

Please access the full collection of videos that relate to the APR indicators here.

Indicators are specific reports that are required by the federal government. Alerts will be sent out as new videos are released. Please complete the survey associated with each indicator video.

The indicators include: