Maine school featured for effective, learner-centered instruction

Hall-Dale Middle and High School was one of 18 high-performing schools selected to present at the Ignite ’16 School Showcase in February. Ignite is hosted annually by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the Center for Secondary School Redesign. The national showcase convenes school leaders, teachers, and students from the nation’s top middle and high schools to discuss effective practices, programs and strategies with colleagues from across the country.

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Maine DOE Monthly – March 29, 2016

Welcome to the March issue of the Maine DOE Monthly, which provides a recap of some of the month’s most important updates from the Department.

Commissioner’s Comments

Augusta is great and often all-consuming. Yet, opportunities to travel around the state and to meet children in their schools are a reminder of what it’s all about. These students are tangible evidence of quality learning that is underway in Maine. The following is just a sampling.

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Commissioner’s Update – March 24, 2016

From the Maine Department of Education

Five schools and districts were in Massachusetts last week representing Maine at a regional conference on effective strategies for improving teaching and learning in the twenty-first century.

The schools were: Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, Foxcroft Academy, Nokomis Regional High School, Regional School Unit 2, and Windham High School. They were selected based on their exemplary work and extraordinary commitment to making sure every student has a chance to succeed and to make a positive contribution to the world in which they live.

Christine Hesler, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for RSU 14, and Chris Howell, principal of Windham High School, received 2016 educational Champion awards from the New England Secondary School Consortium for their unique contributions to the effort to raise graduation rates, lower dropout rates, and send more students on to college and postsecondary certification programs in Maine.

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Notices and Reporting Items

More Notices | Administrative Letters | Reporting Calendar

News & Views

Upcoming regional meetings offer continued support for family engagement

Maine DOE’s Title I team will be conducting additional regional roundtable meetings to support and assist districts in analyzing and evaluating current (school and classroom) family engagement strategies. | More

Maine DOE releases learning technology framework

Maine DOE’s Learning Through Technology team has released the Maine Learning Technology Framework. | More

MEA alternate testing window opens

The Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) for mathematics and English language arts/literacy testing window opens Wednesday, March 30. | More

Poetry Out Loud Maine state champion heads into nationals

A Mt. Ararat High School student is off to Washington, D.C. in May for national competition after winning the 2016 Poetry Out Loud competition. | More

More than 50 Maine schools receive 3D printers

The Perloff Family Foundation, in partnership with the Maine Community Foundation, gifted 3D printers to more than 50 schools in Maine. | More

WeatherBlur – Call for schools to participate

The Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA) is seeking elementary and middle schools to become part of its WeatherBlur program. | More

More Dispatches | Press Releases | Priority Notices

LATEST DOE Career/Project Opportunities

More than 50 Maine schools receive 3D printers

The Perloff Family Foundation, in partnership with the Maine Community Foundation, gifted 3D printers to more than 50 schools in Maine. From Brewer and Monmouth, Falmouth and Glenburn, Brooksville and Topsham, to Hampden and Edmund Township (TWP), students’ thinking has come to life and put to use.

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MEA alternate testing window opens

The Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) for mathematics and English language arts/literacy testing window opens Wednesday, March 30 and closes May 13. Maine’s alternate assessment is required for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in grades 3-8 and in the third year of high school.

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2016 District Learning Technology Plan guidelines released

Each Maine school administrative unit (SAU) is required to file with the Department of Education a long-range strategic learning technology plan (Chapter 125, Section 9.03, Item C, and Policy Code IJND), either as an SAU or within a consortium. Plans should cover three years of implementation.

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