From the Maine Department of Education
The Maine Department of Education and the University of Maine at Fort Kent have announced a first-of-a-kind partnership to expand the number of options Maine students have to earn college credit while still in high school. This partnership was celebrated Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 3 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the State House where Governor LePage hosted Acting Deputy Commissioner Rachelle Tome, Program Specialist Abby Manahan, Retired UMFK President Wilson Hess, and UMFK’s Scott Voisine, Dean of Community Education. Maine DOE’s Acting Commissioner Tom Desjardin was also able to join for the event.
“We need to start looking ahead; I don’t want to lose the kids,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “This partnership goes up and beyond the normal status of education in Maine.”
Starting this fall, high school students enrolled in 17 advanced placement (AP) courses throughout the state via the Maine DOE’s online AP4ALL program will have the option to be dually enrolled in those courses via UMFK’s Rural U program.
Dual enrollment is defined as the opportunity to earn college credit for a high school course with an approved course syllabus meeting college course standards and a teacher approved as a college adjunct instructor. By adding the dual enrollment option to eligible AP4ALL courses, high school juniors and seniors can choose to earn credit by passing the final AP exam and receiving a grade for the course from UMFK, becoming part of an official college transcript.
Notices and Reporting
- Maine Schools Update, due Sept. 28 (Reminder)
- Gifted & Talented Annual Program Approval, due Sept. 30 (Reminder)
- School Bus Purchase Report (EF-T-20: Quarter 1), due Sept. 30 (Reminder)
- School Revolving Renovation Fund Application, due Sept. 30 (Reminder)
More Notices | Administrative Letters | Reporting Calendar
News & Views
Numbers of CTE students earning postsecondary credit increases
Approximately 250 high school students enrolled in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program will earn nearly 3,000 postsecondary credits during the 2015-16 school year. | More
New resources for professional learning
The Cross Discipline Literacy Network (CDLN) has archived 63 webinars searchable by specific topic or content. | More
Inclusion support for preschool children with disabilities
Children with disabilities and their families continue to face significant barriers to accessing inclusive high-quality early childhood programs. | More
Educator training on teaching suicide awareness and prevention
NAMI Maine, the Maine Suicide Prevention Program’s training contractor, is offering a Combination Lifelines and Middle School Lessons training session on Wednesday, Sept. 30. | More
Registration open for ACTEM conference
The Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine (ACTEM) will be holding its annual statewide conference Oct. 15-16 at the Cross Center in Bangor. | More
High schools invited to register for Poetry Out Loud
Maine high schools are invited to register for Poetry Out Loud, a nationwide program that encourages youth to learn about poetry. | More
Healthy, active conference coming up
The Maine Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD) annual conference will be held Nov. 1-3 at the Samoset Resort. | More
It’s not rocket science, a conference focusing on engineering education
The Maine Science Teachers Association annual conference will be held Oct. 9 in Gardiner. | More
Upcoming arts education conference
The Maine Arts Leadership Initiative is hosting the Biennial Statewide Arts Education Conference on Oct. 9. | More
More Dispatches | Press Releases | From the Commissioner
LATEST DOE Career/Project Opportunities
- Education Specialist II – Consultant for Children with Disabilities
- Request for Proposals: COOP – Alternate Assessments based on Alternate Achievement Standards
- Request for Proposals: Maine Educational Assessment Mathematics & English Language Arts/Literacy
- Request for Proposals: Annual Conference and Meeting Management
- View current Child Development Services employment opportunities here
Maine DOE Newsroom 