GED completion by year’s end encouraged, but not necessary

There has recently been widespread national media coverage about the rush for test-takers to complete their GED before a new version of the high school equivalency exam is released in January and their previous scores are deleted.

That news has made some Mainers nervous, but they shouldn’t be.

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Assessing the Guiding Principles

Educators develop performance assessments
Maine educators developed performance assessments at a workshop at Husson University.

As part of its work to support schools in their awarding of proficiency-based diplomas, the Maine DOE is developing sample performance assessments of Maine’s Guiding Principles. The goal of this work is to create a repository of performance assessments that provide student demonstrations of proficiency across a variety of content areas.

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Record number of Mainers earning high school credential

As Maine moves to a new high school equivalency exam, thousands looking to advance their career and post-secondary aspirations are completing the current GED® this year though doing so before 2014 is not required

AUGUSTA – A record high number of Mainers have earned their high school equivalency credential this year in advance of the State moving to a new exam provider starting in 2014.

Already in the first 10 months of 2013, 2,699 Mainers have successful completed their GED®, a significant increase over the 1,878 who did so in 2012 and the 2,258 who did so in 2011.

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Hour of Code campaign comes to Maine

Sixteen Maine schools have already pledged to participate, and Project>Login will host an Hour-of-Code Dojo at the Augusta Civic Center on Dec. 14

More than 5,000 Maine students from 16 schools will join a national campaign to demystify computer science during the Hour of Code campaign in December – and additional schools may register through Nov. 15. The event is scheduled to coincide with Computer Science Week from Dec. 9-15, during which Project>Login will also host Maine’s first statewide Hour of Code Dojo.

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Clarification on advance submission of parent concerns for IEP team meetings

The U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) was recently asked to review one of Maine’s school administrative unit’s (SAU’s) policies that required parents to submit parent-obtained evaluations and written statements of parent concerns at least three days prior to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting in order for them to be considered at the meeting.

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Maine STEM Council names inaugural executive director

Dr. Thomas E. Keller has recently been appointed executive director of the Maine STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Council. The council was established by the Legislature in 2011 to “develop strategies for enhancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics education from prekindergarten through postsecondary education.” The council mandate also includes linking these STEM education strategies to those for workforce development in STEM fields.

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Arts education “leads way” at statewide conference

More than 200 visual and performing arts educators attended the biennial statewide conference, Arts Education: Leading the Way, held at the University of Maine in October. The Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI), established by the Maine DOE in 2011, enlisted its teacher leaders to present 35 professional development workshops at this event.

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