Notice regarding upcoming special education reports EF-S-05 Part I and II

EF-S-05 Part I, Special Education Child Count: School administrative units are advised to verify the “Special Education Students for Federal Count” report in Infinite Campus State Edition (ICSE) and ensure that all student records in ICSE are updated by October 15, 2016. The “Special Education Students for Federal Count” report will refresh automatically between Oct. 1 and the end of the business day on Oct. 15. If changes to any student enrollments are made after Oct. 15, a manual refresh of this report must be requested by calling the MEDMS Help Desk at 624-6896. The “Special Education Federal Count Certification” can be submitted to the Department from Oct. 16 through Oct. 31. Detailed instructions for completing the EF-S-05 Part I can be found here.

Continue reading “Notice regarding upcoming special education reports EF-S-05 Part I and II” →

UMaine 4-H offering new “Follow a Researcher” opportunity for classrooms

The University of Maine is once again gearing up for a Follow a ResearcherTM expedition!  Follow a ResearcherTM is an innovative University of Maine 4-H program that connects youth with a graduate student while the graduate student is conducting field research in a remote location. This October the program is going to Antarctica with Lynn, a PhD student at the University of Maine, to study ice and glacial movement.  Lynn’s project involves Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and lots of modeling and numbers.

Continue reading “UMaine 4-H offering new “Follow a Researcher” opportunity for classrooms” →

Updated College Scorecard available online for researching higher education institutions

The U.S. Department of Education recently released its first annual update of the redesigned College Scorecard — available at CollegeScorecard.ed.gov — to ensure that students and families have the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and reliable information available on colleges, all in an easy-to-understand format. The site allows visitors to sort and filter their search results to easily compare schools and decide which college makes the most sense when considering the typical costs, average student loan amount, students’ ability to repay their loans, and their future earnings.

Continue reading “Updated College Scorecard available online for researching higher education institutions” →

Addition made to MUSER FAQs on diagnostic placements

The Maine DOE has made an addition to the Maine Unified Special Education Regulations frequently asked questions concerning the placement into special education settings, as a general education intervention, of students not identified as eligible for special education.

Continue reading “Addition made to MUSER FAQs on diagnostic placements” →

Maine DOE ACCUPLACER® units discontinued

As of July, Maine DOE discontinued access to ACCUPLACER® for students as part of the State’s testing program. High schools who would like to continue to utilize the ACCUPLACER® as a diagnostic assessment and placement tool for college-bound students are encouraged to establish independent accounts and transfer units from the State account.

Continue reading “Maine DOE ACCUPLACER® units discontinued” →

New Major Capital School Construction Application Cycle Announced

Augusta – Public schools across Maine are invited to participate in the new application cycle for major school construction projects that will begin in October. The announcement that a new application cycle will begin was made at the monthly meeting of the State Board of Education on September 14. A new application cycle enables Maine public schools to apply for state support in order to undertake a major renovation or addition project, or to build a new facility.

The application will be similar to those used in the past. Applications will be posted on the Maine Department of Education’s website by October 15, 2016. An announcement will be made to alert school officials when the applications are posted.

“In consultation with the State Board of Education, the Department has determined that for the first time in six years, the time is right to open a new application cycle. The application, review, and approval process will remain consistent with the past process,” said Deputy Commissioner Bill Beardsley in announcing the new application cycle.

The Department will review completed applications and create a “needs-based” initial priority list, to be followed by the creation of a final priority list and an approved projects list. The entire application and review process is expected to take about two years and is governed by Chapter 61 of Department of Education and State Board of Education joint rules.

School officials who have questions about the process may contact Scott Brown, Director of School Construction, at scott.brown@maine.gov  or at 624-6883.

Media inquiries should be directed to Jamie Logan, Communications Director, at jamie.e.logan@maine.gov or at 624-6747.

District Assessment Coordinators Confirmation

The following Priority Notice was sent to district administrators.

Dear Superintendents,

The Maine Department of Education is ready to start sending out information about the Maine Educational Assessments, and the primary audiences include District Assessment Coordinators (DAC). They will receive information in preparation for the 2016-17 test administration, and they will receive information regarding the results from the 2015-16 test administration.
Continue reading “District Assessment Coordinators Confirmation” →