3/9 CNA/SAU Consolidated Plan technical assistance session rescheduled (re-registration needed)

Due to the impending snow storm scheduled to arrive late Wednesday, March 7 and expected to continue through the early hours of Friday, March 9, the Department has made the decision to cancel the CNA/SAU Consolidated Plan technical assistance session scheduled for 9 am on Friday, March 9, 2018. The session has been rescheduled for Friday, March 30, 2018. Please re-register at the link provided below.

Those who registered for the March 9 session have been notified directly via email.

Rescheduled Session (please re-register below):

Friday, March 30, 2018
9:00 am
Camden National Bank Ice Vault
203 Whitten Road
Hallowell, Maine

To attended the rescheduled session, please complete the registration below by Monday March 19, 2018.

Re-register here: https://goo.gl/forms/6FVmFR2YmbnTriu43

For further questions contact Janette Kirk, Deputy Director of the Office of Learning Systems for the Maine Department of Education at Janette.Kirk@maine.gov.

Proposed Rules for Chapters 115 and 180 (Credentialing and PEPG)

Revised Rule Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Education Personnel and Rule Chapter 180: Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth Systems have been provisionally adopted and will go to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.

Proposed rules are posted on the Proposed Rule web page of the Maine DOE website – rules can be found in order of chapter number.

Purpose of the rulemaking:

Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Education Personnel

Major Substantive

The changes made the language clear, more concise, logical, and sequential and reduced the number of pages in Part 1 from over 40 to under 30. Some of the specific changes include:

  • Consolidation of the number of credentials available to three: (1) a clearance (formerly known as an approval), (2) a certificate, and (3) a conditional certificate;
  • Changes to the credentialing of educational technicians Is and IIs to provide greater flexibility and discretion to school administrative units;
  • Establishes an educational technician state certificate (for the former educational technician IIIs);
  • Requires superintendents to certify credentials of employees every six months against the chart provided in the rule by Department of Education of the corresponding NEO position codes with the valid endorsements;
  • Updated definitions, including the definition of “teaching experience” so it can now be accrued during long-term substitute teaching;
  • Revised to fine-tune some of the endorsements; and
  • Added a new pathway to bring people into the classroom based on work experience and other qualifications.

Chapter 180: Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth Systems

Major Substantive

Changes are contained in a new Section (11): Peer Support and Feedback, and accomplish the following:

  • Retain a peer level of peer support and feedback for all teachers and principals.
  • Establish a mentor/coach component for all newly hired and conditionally certified teachers.
  • Differentiate peer support requirements to provide greater support for new and conditionally certified teachers.
  • Provide greater, more structured support for conditionally certified special education teachers.
  • Provide the school administrative unit with flexibility in establishing mentor and coach qualifications as well as assigning mentors and coaches to better target educator needs.
  • Sharpen the line between peer support components and evaluation components

The proposed rules will be presented to The Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs in the current legislative session. Committee schedules for Public Hearings and Work Sessions can be found on the Maine State Legislature’s website.

Maine Education Assessments (MEA) Student Test Status Extended 3/16/18

The Department is extending the period to identify a student’s test type as “alternate” or “general” until March 16 in order to allow districts sufficient time to complete their updates.

All students participating in the Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) for mathematics and ELA/Literacy or the Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio (PAAP) for science must be identified in the Synergy Student Information System by March 16.

Students that are not identified in the Special Education Student Services module of Synergy will participate in the grade 3 – 8 mathematics and ELA/Literacy eMPowerME test, or the or the high school mathematics and ELA/Literacy SAT test.

For further information regarding alternate assessment testing contact Sue Nay at sue.nay@maine.gov or 624-6774. For technical assistance with Synergy contact the Helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or 624-6896.

Seeking comments for proposed repeal of Rule Chapter 250: School Approval for Non-Traditional Limited Purpose Schools

Rule Chapter 250: School Approval for Non-Traditional Limited Purpose Schools has been filed to be repealed as the underlying statutory authority has been repealed.

The original statutory language can be found on the Proposed Rule web page of the Maine DOE website.

Comments can be submitted in writing via email to Jaci Holmes at jaci.holmes@maine.gov by March 30, 2018.

Seeking comments for proposed repeal of Rule Chapter 129: Rights and Responsibilities of Educators and Pupils

Rule Chapter 129: Rights and Responsibilities of Educators and Pupils has been filed to be repealed as the underlying statutory authority has been repealed.

The original statutory language can be found on the Proposed Rule web page of the Maine DOE website.

Comments can be submitted in writing via email to Jaci Holmes at jaci.holmes@maine.gov by March 30, 2018.

Seeking comments for proposed repeal of Rule Chapter 51: Child Nutrition Programs in Public Schools and Institutions – regulations already outlined in federal law

Rule Chapter 51: Child Nutrition Programs in Public Schools and Institutions has been filed to be repealed. The routine technical rule is not needed as the federal regulations articulate the responsibilities for the school administrative units to follow.

The original statutory language can be found on the Proposed Rule web page of the Maine DOE website.

Comments can be submitted in writing via email to Jaci Holmes at jaci.holmes@maine.gov by March 30, 2018.

Seeking comments for proposed Rule Chapter 45: Rule for Vision and Hearing Screening in Maine Schools

Rulemaking for Chapter 45: Rule for Vision and Hearing Screening in Maine Schools been filed as a proposed routine technical rule. A hearing date and comment periods has been scheduled. The proposed rule has been posted on the Proposed Rule web page of the Maine DOE website. Proposed rules can be found in order of chapter number.

Purpose of the rule revision: This rule outlines the standards and processes for periodic vision and hearing screenings. The purpose of a screening is to identify potential hearing or vision deficits among school age children and refer for further care. Updates to the rule reflect current national recommendations for hearing and vision screenings. The rule clarifies techniques and acceptable research-based tools for schools to use.

Hearing Date:
March 20, 2018 from 10:30 – 11:30 AM
Room 541 of the Cross State Office Building, 111 Sewell Street, Augusta, Maine

Comment period: ends on March 30, 2018.

Comments may be submitted in person at the time of the scheduled hearing or in writing via email to Jaci Holmes at jaci.holmes@maine.gov.

Seeking comments for proposed Rule Chapter 14: Education of Homeless Students

Rulemaking for Chapter 14: Education of the Homeless Students been filed as a proposed routine technical rule. A hearing date and comment period has been scheduled. The proposed rule has been posted on the Proposed Rule web page of the Maine DOE website. Proposed rules can be found in order of chapter number.

Purpose of the rule revision: This is a revision of the existing rule which defines a homeless student, outlines procedures for identifying and enrolling homeless students and for resolving disputes over their identification and educational placement, and assures access to appropriate educational services for homeless students consistent with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

Hearing Date:
March 20, 2018 from 9:00 – 10:00 AM
Room 541 of the Cross State Office Building, 111 Sewell Street, Augusta, Maine

Comment period: ends on March 30, 2018.

Comments may be submitted in person at the time of the scheduled hearing or in writing via email to Jaci Holmes at jaci.holmes@maine.gov.

Comments sought on Maine’s IDEA Part B application

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking comments from the public on its annual application for federal funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which covers services to children with disabilities, ages 3-20.

The application, which covers Maine fiscal year 2019 (starting July 1, 2018) is posted on the Maine DOE’s webpage at http://www.maine.gov/doe/specialed/idea. The Part B budget is projected on the basis of Maine’s award for the current State fiscal year (2018), pending the State’s receipt of the finalized federal award for the coming year. Both documents will be posted from March 8th, 2018 through May 8th, 2018.

Written comments will be accepted from March 9th, 2018 until 4 p.m. on Friday, April 6th, 2018. Please send comments to Janice Breton at janice.breton@maine.gov or 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME. 04333.

EPS High-Cost Out-of-District Report (EF-S-214) open for reporting on March 1

The EF-S-214 will be open to Maine public schools on March 1 for data entry.  School administrative unit staff responsible for completion of this report should complete the report in NEO as early as possible to allow time for certification by the special service director and the business manager. The Department’s School Finance Team must approve the report by April 15 in order to apply eligible adjustments to the current year subsidy calculation before the end of the fiscal year.

The EF-S-214 report is required to be submitted by all publicly funded school administrative units. Only costs for tuition and board should be included in the report, and only students that have a total cost above $36,229 should be included on the report.  School administrative units should project the costs for the remainder of the fiscal year.  For those school administrative units with no students that will meet that threshold, a “zero” report should be submitted.

Reminder of changes made to the report since the last reporting cycle:

  • The form is to be certified and submitted by the business manger
  • The ability to import out of district placements is now available
  • Students can have multiple lines if they have had more than one placement during the year
  • There is now the option to view a summary sheet which provides a total adjustment amount, if all costs are approved
  • An internal messaging system has been added to communicate questions
  • The form will auto-populate the school administrative unit contact information based on data on file in the Department’s NEO staff module

The EF-S-214 report may be found by logging into NEO at: https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/NEO/Accounts/Account/Login

Please contact Stephanie Clark, Fiscal Review and Compliance Consultant at stephanie.clark@maine.gov