The Maine Arts Commission, in partnership with the First Lady of Maine Ann LePage, is issuing a call for student art for inclusion in the spring 2014 Maine Youth Excellence in Art exhibition in Augusta.
Maine students invited to enter Verizon STEM challenge
Maine middle and high school students can compete to win $20,000 for their school and the latest Samsung tablet as part of an innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) challenge from Verizon.
The Verizon Innovative App Challenge was first launched in 2012 as a collaborative competition to encourage students’ interest in STEM. Verizon believes student achievement in STEM is critical to U.S. economic growth and competitiveness on the global stage. Continue reading “Maine students invited to enter Verizon STEM challenge”
Commissioner’s Update – November 7, 2013
From the Maine DOE
In August, the Department announced that we’d secured federal flexibility for Maine schools in the form of a two-year waiver from some provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
At the heart of Maine’s approved plan is a system of differentiated recognition, accountability and support for Maine’s 380 Title I-served schools.
Notices and Reporting
All Maine schools are our priority
In August, the Department announced that we’d secured federal flexibility for Maine schools in the form of a two-year waiver from some provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
At the heart of Maine’s approved plan is a system of differentiated recognition, accountability and support for Maine’s 380 Title I-served schools. Schools are placed, based on student proficiency and progress, in one of five categories: priority, focus, monitor, progressing and meeting.
Nominate K-6 math and science teachers for national awards
Nominations are now open for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) 2013-14 competition, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Continue reading “Nominate K-6 math and science teachers for national awards”
Change to 2013-14 law books sent to superintendents
The 2013-14 edition of “Maine Education and School Statutes” inadvertently omitted a change to the law enacted by the First Regular Session of the 126th Maine Legislature.
Continue reading “Change to 2013-14 law books sent to superintendents”
Clarification of 1 percent rule for counting proficiency on alternate assessments
Maine students with the most significant cognitive disabilities may take an alternate assessment, known as the Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio (PAAP), based on alternate academic achievement standards. Those standards must be aligned with the State’s academic content standards, promote access to the general curriculum and reflect professional judgment of the highest achievement standards possible (see 34 C.F.R. § 200.1, July 2013).
Continue reading “Clarification of 1 percent rule for counting proficiency on alternate assessments”
Educators engage in evidence-based professional development
More than 200 Maine special educators and representatives of the Maine Departments of Education, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Health and Human Services recently participated in evidence-based professional development for the State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG).
Continue reading “Educators engage in evidence-based professional development”
Literacy for ME reports on accomplishments
The Maine DOE’s Literacy for ME initiative recently hosted a Critical Friends meeting to share its accomplishments and offer guidance for ongoing implementation efforts. This meeting marked the first-year implementation anniversary of Literacy for ME, a statewide initiative intended to bolster literacy learning opportunities across the birth to adult span. Literacy for ME includes a State literacy plan that promotes state-level literacy education efforts as well as the development of community-based literacy teams.
Continue reading “Literacy for ME reports on accomplishments”
Final notice: 2012-13 Educator Quality and Effectiveness Survey past due
The June 15 original deadline and several extended deadlines for the completion of last school year’s annual Educator Quality and Effectiveness Survey have passed. If your school district has not yet completed the survey, please do so without delay to ensure timely collection of this U.S. Department of Education EDFacts Initiative-mandated annual reporting.
Continue reading “Final notice: 2012-13 Educator Quality and Effectiveness Survey past due”
