State agency client students in crisis placements

The Maine DOE previously (1/22/14) issued guidance with respect to students in crisis placements. That guidance applies as well to students who are hospitalized as a result of a mental health crisis, i.e., those students remain enrolled in their home SAUs, which SAUs remain responsible for providing educational services to them. In the case of a state agency client student in crisis who is expected to return to the same placement after stabilization, the SAU where the placement is located will continue to have educational responsibility. Where, however, the state agency client student (who is not also a state ward) is not expected to return to the same placement, typically because that facility has discharged the student, then the educational responsibility reverts to the SAU of the student’s parents’ residence. The student will remain a state agency client providing that the intention is to place the student outside the home after stabilization; should the intention become to return the student to the parents’ home after stabilization, the student would lose state agency client status and should be enrolled in the home SAU. For state wards, the SAU where the student resided prior to going into crisis remains educationally responsible until such time as the student is placed in another SAU.

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A message for superintendents in partnership with Head Start, child care and private preschool programs

To date, there has been some confusion around public preschool teachers with Conditional 081 Early Childhood Teacher Certification who have been hired and are employed by a partnering program-e.g. Head Start, child care and/or a private preschool. At this time, the Maine DOE Certification Office offers district leaders two choices:  1) The superintendent must sign the affidavit of Conditional Certification; OR 2) Only teachers with a professional 081 can be hired by the partnering agency.

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Maine DOE offers 2017 performance evaluation and professional growth mini-booster grants to SAUs

In an effort to continue assisting school administrative units (SAUs) in their performance evaluation and professional growth (PEPG) development the Maine Department of Education is offering mini-booster grants of $1,500 for the purpose of continual development and implementation of PEPG systems. The grants will be available to all Maine districts that operate a school.

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NEO Transportation Upgrade and EFT-24 Vehicle Mileage and Operations Report due date extension

The due date for the year-end EFT-24 Vehicle Mileage and Operations Report has been extended to December 31, 2016. MRSA 20-A section 6801-A provides statutory authority to withhold subsidy until reports are received.

NEO Transportation data system upgrades are scheduled to launch mid-October and early-December. The upgrades are designed to make the system easier to use and provide transportation reports.  Districts that have not been able to enter new vehicle inventory data, EFT-24 report data, or both should enter vehicle inventory and EFT-24 data as soon as possible to avoid the end of year rush. Districts that have successfully entered new vehicle inventory data and completed year-end FY16 data in the EFT-24 report do not need to do anything.

For further information about transportation reports and instructions to enter data visit the Maine DOE Reporting Calendar at http://www.maine.gov/doe/reporting/calendar.shtml. Information about school transportation is located on the Maine DOE School Transportation website at http://maine.gov/doe/transportation/.

For policy questions regarding school transportation, contact the Maine DOE’s Transportation and Facilities Administrator Pat Hinckley at pat.hinckley@maine.gov.

For assistance with access to the NEO data system, contact the Maine DOE helpdesk atmedms.helpdesk@maine.gov.

Three Maine schools named National Blue Ribbon Schools by United States Department of Education

Falmouth Middle School, Reeds Brook Middle School in Hampden, and Sea Road School in Kennebunk were among the 329 public and private schools across the country this week named 2016 National Blue Ribbon Schools by U.S. Department of Education Secretary John King.

All three Maine schools were honored as “Exemplary High Performing Schools.”

“To be named a National Blue Ribbon School, schools must meet strict criteria, and these three Maine schools deserve great credit for their dedication to the mission of educating our children. I commend the educators, parents, and students who all work to make these schools such proud examples of excellence in the state of Maine,” said Deputy Commissioner of Education William Beardsley.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students either achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap.  The award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content.

More information about the National Blue Ribbon Schools program can be found at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html.

Maine DOE Update – September 29, 2016

From the Maine Department of Education

Maine school districts begin school year with new teacher and principal evaluation systems

AUGUSTA – As the 2016-17 school year gets underway, Maine schools are undertaking newly revised teacher and principal evaluation systems. This year, for the first time, the majority of teachers and principals will be evaluated based on a professional practice model using a system that incorporates a student growth measure for educators.

This major shift is the result of legislative changes adopted in the 125th Legislature and reflected in the Maine Department of Education’s Rule Chapter 180. Districts across the state have been working for years with stakeholders through development and steering committees to determine the details of each district’s evaluation plan for teachers and principals.

The Maine Department of Education plans to share all teacher and principal evaluation plans from every district on a dashboard available to the public through the Educator Effectiveness webpage in order to give a detailed, comprehensive look at each district’s approach. In doing so, the goal is a continual learning, development, and adjustment process for districts to improve the quality of each plan.

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Notices and Reporting Items

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News & Views

Message from Adult Education Director on Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

With the passage and implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), there has been some discussion about the act’s potential effect on the basic skills instruction provided by adult education. | More

Public invited to submit comment to Blue Ribbon Commission online

Members of the public who wish to submit comments or ideas about public education issues for consideration by the Commission to Reform Public Education Funding and Improve Student Performance in Maine may do so here. | More

Addition made to MUSER FAQs on diagnostic placements

The Maine DOE has made an addition to the Maine Unified Special Education Regulations frequently asked questions. | More

Information regarding homeschool program correspondence

If you have questions about Maine’s homeschool program that cannot be answered by the information on the Maine Department of Education’s website, please direct your query to the Commissioner’s office. | More

Seventh annual PBIS conference to be held November 4

This year’s topic for the seventh annual PBIS conference, hosted by USM, is “Building and Sustaining Multi-Tiered Systems of Behavioral Support.” | More

Reminder of deadline for gifted and talented program approval for FY 2017

The annual gifted and talented program and budget approval is due by September 30. | More

Professional development for public preschool and visual arts teachers

The Maine Department of Education invites you to be part of a new professional development opportunity, “Fostering Artful Early Childhood Classrooms.” | More

Maine identifies the 1% alternate assessment population

Many districts have identified their students participating in alternate assessments in Infinite Campus State Edition, ahead of the October 6 deadline. | More

Poetry Out Loud registration open

Maine high schools are invited to register for Poetry Out Loud, a nationwide program that encourages youth to learn about poetry through memorization and recitation. | More

Over 900 Maine students complete Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge

Preventing summer reading slide is a goal of many Maine educators, as students can lose months of learning gains if their brains do not remain active. | More

Maine schools join others around the nation to recognize National School Bus Safety Week October 17-21

National School Bus Safety Week, scheduled October 17-21 this year, is a public education program that promotes school bus safety. | More

National Attendance Awareness Month: start now and keep celebrating school attendance all year long

An overwhelmingly majority (86 percent) of parents want their kids to achieve in school, but almost half don’t realize the impact of too many absences on their child’s education. | More

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LATEST DOE Career/Project Opportunities

National Attendance Awareness Month: start now and keep celebrating school attendance all year long

An overwhelmingly majority (86 percent) of parents want their kids to achieve in school, but almost half don’t realize the impact of too many absences on their child’s education according to a study by the U.S. Department of Education and the Ad Council.

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Poetry Out Loud registration open

Maine high schools are invited to register for Poetry Out Loud, a nationwide program that encourages youth to learn about poetry through memorization and recitation while helping students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.

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Maine identifies the 1% alternate assessment population

Many districts have identified their students participating in alternate assessments in Infinite Campus State Edition, ahead of the October 6 deadline. The Department populated spreadsheets from each district report last year so an update is all that is needed. If the district’s identified population remains the same, there is no need to contact the Department.

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