Caribou 8th Graders Collaborate with Local Historical Society on Student-Created Podcasts

The Caribou Historical Society hosted Caribou Community School (CCS) 8th-grade podcasters recently, to celebrate the unveiling of student-created podcasts with a listening party and ribbon-cutting ceremony. This event was the culmination of a year-long collaborative project between the two groups.

8th graders began this project when MLTI Ambassadors from the Maine Department of Education visited Caribou Community School to teach students how to use WeVideo to create podcasts. From this learning experience, 8th grade teachers Kim Barnes, Heather Anderson, Troy Barnes, Holly Rhinebolt, and Special Education teacher Twyla Learnard met with Christina Kane-Gibson, director of the Caribou Historical Society to see how 8th grade students might be able to help digitize exhibits at the Caribou Historical Society Museum.

Gibson loaned local school history artifacts for students to examine in their ELA classes. Artifacts included yearbooks, photographs, lesson plan books, report cards, graduation certificates, and even old PA speakers. As they worked, students generated questions they had about the history of education in Aroostook County in order to interview retired teachers to really learn what school was like thirty to fifty years ago. Twyla Learnard, Special Education teacher commented on the impact of the inclusion of all students in this project. Learnard said, “I was astonished to see students who typically struggle academically, delve into the podcast project with such enthusiasm. It allowed them to script, write, story tell, and converse adding a whole new dimension to their learning. The project produced incredible educational dividends!”

Retired Aroostook Teachers assembled at CCS in March to be interviewed. Diane Fitzpatrick, Ellen Cleaves, Phil Caverhill, Margaret Cyr, Ron Willey, Lou Willey, Denise Levesque, John Hedman, and Dwight Hunter served on an interview panel and they answered question students created from their research. Students enjoyed learning about how different school days were from today, how world events, like the Challenger Explosion and 9/11 impacted students in the classroom, but also came to understand that teachers never really retire. The retired teacher panel was definitely a highlight of the year. Teacher Troy Barnes said about the event, “The beauty of the entire event was how the panel was able to encapsulate a wealth of educational experiences and share these in a way that had the students on the edge of their seats with extreme interest. These educators had been out the classroom for some time, but it was evident that they were still teachers at heart.”

From their research and interviews, twenty-five podcasts about various topics from Snow Days in the Ige Age and Lunch and Recess in the Old Days to Title IX: Sports for Girls and World Events in the Classroom were created. Kane-Gibson said this about the project, “It’s so innovative. The students have been working since February to research, write, and record these listener experiences. The podcasts will be accessible by a QR code that visitors can scan with their smartphones.”

These podcasts will continue to be on display for patrons of the museum to enjoy.

8th grade students Jemma Plucker, Michael Chisholm, and DJ Honeycutt enjoying podcasts and museum artifacts at the June 7 Podcast Listening Party at the Caribou Historical Society Museum.

Enjoying podcasts were 8th grade student Dean Gibson and his grandfather Tom Kane.

New School Nurse Orientation Registration Now Open!

If you have hired or will be hiring a new nurse for your school over the summer? Be sure to include this workshop in their new hire work plan. The Maine Department of Education’s New School Nurse Orientation is a specialized program, designed to help nurses transition into the unique specialty of school nursing.

This one-day event will be followed up with a monthly virtual Community of Practice for continued learning, connection, and support.

When: August 16, 8:30 am-3:30 pm
Where: Camp Chamberlain, Maine National Guard Joint Force Headquarters – 23 Blue Star Ave, Augusta, ME 04330
Cost: $25
Register in Advance: http://events.egov.com/eventreg/ME/event.htm?name=newschoolnurseorientation2023

For more information reach out to Emily Poland at emily.poland@maine.gov

ESEA Annual Comprehensive Needs Assessments (CNA) Updates

Another annual process for SAUs is meeting with a variety of stakeholders to update their district and school Comprehensive Needs Assessments (CNA) based on new data. As part of the ESEA application, districts are asked to document the high-needs areas of their districts and schools, as well as the data sources they used to make those determinations, the names of the stakeholders involved, and the dates the updates were conducted.

Members of the ESEA team recently held a joint session with the assessment team to discuss with school administrative units (SAUs) how the change to the Maine Through-Year Assessment will affect the CNA process.

Watch a recording of ESEA & Assessment Teams Joint Information Session:

SAUs must update as much of their CNA as possible before the initial submission of the FY24 ESEA Application (due August 1st) to determine high areas of need and to generate goals—particularly the required non-academic goal(s).

SAUs without alternative assessment data will need to further update their CNA and generate academic goals when state assessment results become available.

For Substantial Approval, math and literacy goal requirements at both the school and district levels will be temporarily waived; non-academic goals will still be required.

SAUs may put placeholder information into the required fields of the application when applicable.

For Final Approval, all district and school goal requirements must be met.

For more information reach out to Maine DOE ESEA Federal Programs Director Cheryl L. Lang at Cheryl.Lang@maine.gov.

Career Advancement and Navigation Specialists Attend Employer Summit

Three out of the four Adult Education-based Career Navigators attended the Employer Summit in Augusta in late May.

The Navigators are part of the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan (MJRP) which has committed $6 million dollars to address the workforce development needs of those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Maine’s Department of Education, Adult Education team is using these funds to help eligible adults and employment sectors recover from the stresses of the pandemic through a variety of academic and job training supports including Career Advancement Navigators and College and Career Success Coordinators.

Kate Points and Karen Morin shared their expertise in connecting with and supporting the re-entry community with employment with employers. Cassie Robichaux shared her expertise in how to create appealing entry-level jobs with flexibility and opportunities to advance.

Here are the four Career Navigators at a meeting in front of the State House in Augusta.

Adult education-based Career Navigators serve primarily in geographic areas of the state with less access to post-secondary and other educational opportunities as well as support services. These areas include the counties of York, Kennebec, Androscoggin, Oxford, Lincoln, Waldo, Knox, and Sagadahoc. Navigators help people in their communities to take the next step in their careers.

To learn more about the Career Navigators and how to contact them click here.

Maine DOE Update – June 23, 2023

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Exiting Student Enrollments Reminder

All students MUST be exited from State Synergy with an exit date on or before 6/30/2023. This includes students attending year-round programs. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Requests for Applications (RFA) for the Maine Transition Regional Interagency Collaborative (MeTRIC) Grants

The Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education at the Maine Department of Education is now accepting applications from school administrative units for the Maine Transition Regional Interagency Collaborative (MeTRIC) grants. The purpose of these grants is to provide students with disabilities the necessary support and resources to seamlessly transition to post-secondary education or employment. | More

Seeking School Leadership Coaches for 2023-2024 School Year

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is looking for experienced school leaders to join the ESEA Federal Programs Team as a part-time contracted School Leadership Coach for the 2023-2024 school year. A School Leadership Coach serves as a thought partner to school leadership teams, is a broker of information and resources, builds capacity with school leaders and school leadership teams, and supports school leaders and school leadership teams on their continuous school improvement journey. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Six Maine Students Awarded Martin Mackey Memorial Scholarship

The Alternative Education Association of Maine has selected six students to receive this year’s Martin Mackey Memorial Scholarship. As they graduate from their respective programs, these six individuals have each been awarded $500. With many trials and triumphs throughout their school experiences, each graduate has an inspirational story and passion for their education that makes them a perfect recipient of this award. | More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development, Training, and Events

Register NOW for Maine DOE’s 2023 Educator Summit

The countdown is on for the start of the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) 2023 Educator Summit, which is being held August 7-10 at the Augusta Civic Center. Last year’s inaugural Summit attracted more than 600 educators from across the state. This year’s theme is Inspiration, Innovation, and Inclusion and participants will have access to more than 140 sessions and professional learning opportunities. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

Exiting Student Enrollments Reminder

All students MUST be exited from State Synergy with an exit date on or before 6/30/2023. This includes students attending year-round programs.

Finding students who need to be exited can be done in the Attending Student Details Report in NEO Student Data, Student Reports. This report can be filtered using the “Exit Date” column, student with blanks in this column need to be exited.

Exit codes for students who are returning, graduating, moving, etc., can be found on the Synergy Instructions tile of the Helpdesk page. The Student Exit Data Dictionary contains exit codes for varying situations. Proper exit codes will help ensure that graduation and dropout data are accurate in the fall.

Students who have concurrent enrollments will need to be exited from their concurrent enrollment before primary enrollments can be exited.

Synergy ’22-’23 will only be open until Tuesday, August 15^th and then will be rolled over to the ’23-’24 school year. This will lock all ’22-’23 data.

If you have any issues exiting your students, please contact MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or call 207-624-6896.

For training in how to exit students please contact our Data Quality Trainer – Alexandra.Cookson@maine.gov or call 207-446-3897

Six Maine Students Awarded Martin Mackey Memorial Scholarship

Recipient Ericka Dunn is graduating from Houlton’s Summit Academy and will continue her education at Southern Maine Community College with plans to become an elementary school teacher. As a second-year Early Childhood Education student, Dunn has been praised for the effort and care she puts into teaching her class. “Ericka is an honest, hard-working student who is one of the most responsible seniors I have ever met,” said her nominator.

Graduating from the Nu Program in Brewer, scholarship awardee Delany Adams has overcome adversity and excelled academically. Through her responsibility with her schoolwork and her impressive attendance record, Adams has been described by her nominator as “a model student for why this program was started.” Adams will be continuing her education at Unity College pursuing studies in animal sciences with hopes of starting an animal rescue one day.

McKayla Geroux is receiving the scholarship after graduating early from Orono High School’s CORE program. While balancing her regular course load, additional college courses, and her job at a local home for developmentally disabled humans, Geroux has been passionate about bringing positivity to her community. “I just want to give as much as I can to others,” said Geroux, who has started a positivity rock garden and created countless fun art projects for her work. After graduation, she plans on attending college to become a dental hygienist.

Awardee Leah Hashem is a graduating senior from Noble High School’s Multiple Pathways program. She will be attending the University of Southern Maine and plans on becoming an elementary school art teacher. While working extremely hard to improve her academic skills in her final years of high school, Hashem has been greatly admired by her peers and teachers for her enthusiastic energy and the effort she puts into her schoolwork. “Leah has an ability to experience joy that is one-of-a-kind,” said her nominator. “Her passion and enthusiasm for learning and life is contagious.”

Graduating from Brewer High School’s Alpha program, scholarship recipient Anna Puckett has been an honors student and a role model for other alternative education students. Puckett has overcome obstacles in her academics and personal life while still maintaining a high standard of grades and attendance. As described by her nominator, Puckett is “a young lady who comes from very humble beginnings and has a very selfless heart for others.” Puckett will be continuing her education at Eastern Maine Community College pursuing studies in social work, as she hopes to one day become a trauma counselor and work with children overcoming traumatic life events.

Dominic Ramirez is receiving the scholarship as he graduates from Sanford High School’s alternative education program. After spending many years transferring schools and feeling disengaged from his learning, Ramirez found an excitement and passion for his education when he began his alternative education program, saying it was the best change he has ever made. His time in the program inspired him to consider community college, and he will be attending York County Community College in the fall to study behavioral health.

The Martin Mackey Memorial Scholarship was established by the Alternative Education Association (AEA) of Maine in 2022 after the untimely passing of beloved education colleague and champion Martin Mackey. The scholarship recognizes Mackey’s dedication to education as a career and especially in remembrance of his passion for working with students on Alternative Education pathways. AEA aims to award as many funds as they can raise to as many students as they can each year. In 2022 they awarded $2,000 to one student and this year they decided to split the scholarships among 6 students because of the excellent applicant pool.

To learn more about the Alternative Education Association of Maine visit their website or reach out to Alternative Education Association of Maine President Lenny Holmes at lholmes@bonnyeagle.org.

Requests for Applications (RFA) for the Maine Transition Regional Interagency Collaborative (MeTRIC) Grants

To qualify, applicants must demonstrate innovative and sustainable partnerships among multiple agencies to provide inclusive transition services such as vocational training, job readiness, financial literacy, and advocacy.

The MeTRIC initiative also encourages inclusive transition opportunities like apprenticeships, work based learning, mentoring, and community college partnerships. Applicants must facilitate a forum for sharing best practices and resources with students and agency participants.

The Maine DOE, Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education applied and received a $$750,000.00 ESSA grant award to develop regional transition collaboratives. Each SAU applying and approved will receive a minimum of $100,000.00 each to establish their seamless and sustainable coordinated set of transition program(s) in their region. The number and size of awards will depend on the number of applications received and available funds. The Department reserves the right to eliminate the lowest scoring application(s) and/or make awards for amounts less than requested, whichever is in the best interest of the State.

Eligible schools interested in the Maine Transition Regional Collaboratives (MeTRIC) Grant Program opportunity may access the application through the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.

A timeline for the RFA process is provided below.

Deadline	Action Steps
Fri – 06/30/23	Questions due date from SAUs emailed to titus.orourke@maine.gov
Mid July	Answers will be posted to the public via Procurement
Wed – 07/26/23	RFA Applications due

All questions related to the Maine Transition Regional Interagency Collaborative (MeTRIC) RFA should be submitted to:

Titus O’Rourke, Transition Specialist, Office of Special Education and Inclusive Education, titus.orourke@maine.gov no later than Friday, June 30, 2023.

Seeking School Leadership Coaches for 2023-2024 School Year

What is a School Leadership Coach?

A School Leadership Coach Supports principals and School Leadership Teams in establishing and reinforcing evidence-based processes that will improve teaching and learning in schools and/or across districts. A highly effective School Leadership Coach meets principals where they are through personalized and individualized support. An effective leadership coach also works toward a Problem of Instructional Practice through guidance and conversations during Leadership Team meetings. Helping schools identify strengths and leveraging those to address the growth areas needing improvement. Effective leadership is central to sustainable school and district improvement. Engaging educational leaders – both individually and as members of School Leadership Teams – in the design and implementation of effective change processes is aimed at strengthening the culture and capacity of schools to improve student outcomes.

Manie DOE School Leadership Coaching Requirements

Candidates for the position of Maine DOE School Leadership Coach are required to have a Master’s Degree in Education and experience in school improvement reform and demonstrated experience in data-driven processes and interventions that were significant contributions to a current or past position. Knowledge of state and federal accountability standards, experience in state and local assessment systems, and strong planning and facilitation skills are helpful. Effective written and oral communication skills and a commitment to utilizing our communication and storage platform tools are required. School Leadership Coaches use the following core tenants to guide their work:

Creating Community

Develop positive, trusting relationships
Model effective interpersonal communication
Identify underlying beliefs and assumptions
Work collaboratively rather than being viewed as an “expert”
Foster a professional learning community

Bringing Focus

Promote the development and use of several goals focused on student achievement
Focus the efforts of all members of the school community on goals
Align programs and practices to identified goals
Be familiar with CNA/SAU Consolidated Plan and school-level CNA (if applicable), for the purposes of alignment, consistency, and fidelity

Leading Change

Understand the theory and practice of organizational and individual change
Assess the extent to which the school culture supports planned changes and know how to improve school culture as necessary

Developing Accountability

Encourage skillful use of data to inform decision-making
Share best practices in student assessment
Provide support in the use of data to improve instructional effectiveness
Promote a culture of distributed accountability

Building Capacity

Encourage the development of leadership team staff
Encourage reflective practice within the leadership team
Assess organizational structures
Develop the capacity of the leadership team to align and balance curricula

Growing Professionally

Keep current on educational literature
Continue collaboration to learn from and with peers in similar roles

If you are interested in applying to become a School Leadership Coach, please contact Cheryl Lang, ESEA Federal Programs Director at Cheryl.Lang@maine.gov or 207-441-8059

Subscribe to the Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Newsletter

Are you looking for ways to enhance your instructional practices and transfer your students’ learning to the next level? Look no further. The Interdisciplinary Instruction team has created a monthly newsletter that you can subscribe to. This newsletter will highlight innovative interdisciplinary classroom resources and upcoming professional learning opportunities.

To subscribe, click the link below, fill in your contact information, and click “Interdisciplinary Instruction” in the “Subscribe me to” section. When we publish a new newsletter, it will automatically arrive in your inbox.

(Please note that if you are already subscribed to Maine DOE publications like the Maine DOE Update or other newsletters we publish when you submit your information, you will be redirected to update your preferences.)

Maine DOE Subscriptions.