Highlighting targeted education support in Lewiston

Headshot of Commissioner Stephen BowenToday I’ll be at Lewiston High School to talk about some of the targeted education support in Governor Paul R. LePage’s proposed two-year budget. These supports include funding to help districts implement the proficiency-based diploma and teacher evaluation systems; to expand access to college opportunities through five-year high school/associate’s degree programs, dual credit, and Adult Ed transition programs; and to make the kinds of supports and technical assistance that have been available only to Title I schools available to all schools.

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Notice of public meeting to discuss Baxter Academy

Update: This article was corrected on March 14 to reflect the date and time change of the meeting.

The Maine Charter School Commission will hold a public meeting with the board of Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, a Maine charter school set to open in Portland next fall. The meeting will be held Monday, March 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cross State Office Building (room 104) in Augusta.

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Nominate those who aid at-risk youth for commissioner’s awards

The 2013 Commissioner’s Recognition Awards will recognize five individuals and/or alternative programs that have made a significant contribution to meeting the needs of children and youth at risk in their schools or communities using evidence-based or promising practices.

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Seeking parents for school psychologists advisory committee

The Maine Department of Education’s Advisory Committee of School Psychologists has three open seats to be filled by parents of K-12 children currently attending a Maine school. These children may be in regular education or receiving special education or some combination of both.

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Center for Best Practice releases glossary of proficiency-based learning terms

The Maine Department of Education’s Center for Best Practice has compiled a Glossary of Proficiency-Based Education in Maine to help educators navigate the shift toward proficiency-based/learner-centered education. The lack of consistency in language is one of the major problems that educators face when implementing such a system. One district’s “standards-based” may be another district’s “proficiency-based” or “competency-based” or “standards-referenced.” One district’s “standard” may be another district’s “performance indicator” or “learning target.”

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Boothbay-Tasmania water project on tap

Boothbay Region High School science and environmental science teacher Lauren Graham, second from right, prepares with other teachers from around the country for the water quality pilot project with Tasmania, Australia this month.
Boothbay Region High School science and environmental science teacher Lauren Graham, second from right, prepares with other teachers from around the country for the water quality pilot project with Tasmania, Australia this month.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Simon Costanzo

Thanks to the Boothbay Register for sharing this article, by staff writer Lisa Kristoff, with the Maine DOE for publication.

“I am so beyond excited,” Lauren Graham said last week.

What’s she so jazzed about? How about the fact that Boothbay Region High School juniors and seniors in her ecology and oceanography classes will be participating in an international pilot water quality project: the USAUS-H20 (U.S.-Australia Virtual Environmental Partnership).

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Commissioner’s Update – March 7, 2013

From the Commissioner

Governor Paul R. LePage and I are pleased to announce the Governor’s Conference on Education, which will feature best practices and innovative reforms from around the nation.

One of Gov. LePage’s highest priorities in the legislative session is to improve and expand our children’s educational opportunities. While many good things are going on in Maine’s schools, we can always learn from the success of other states.

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Notices and Reporting

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