Maine DOE accomplishments for the first half of the year

The first six months of 2015 saw great success for the Maine DOE including these highlights:

  • Successful passage of legislation supporting Maine schools;
  • recognition for the State’s success in the transition to a computer-based assessment aligned with Maine’s updated college and career readiness standards;
  • the opportunity for Maine students to earn college credits while in high school; and
  • a steady increase in graduation rates, and more.

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Reminder to districts: protocol for reviewing invoices for special education services

A reminder, as of July 1, 2015, all of Maine DOE’s contracts with agencies and persons providing special education services to state agency clients stipulate that invoices for those services be sent to the school administrative unit (SAU) responsible for the student. The SAU is responsible for reviewing those invoices to determine whether they are properly payable as described, and will then forward to the Maine DOE any invoice which the SAU found to be properly payable.

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Professional standards for food service

As part of the Federal Hunger Free Kids Act that went into effect July 1, local food service directors or the individual completing director’s duties must now meet the minimum hiring requirements for the director position. The standards have several options available to local districts. The new federal law also requires local food service staff to meet training standards.

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Maine educators encouraged to apply for certification scholarship program

Maine educators are encouraged to apply to and enroll in the certification program offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization. This is courtesy of State law, 20-A MRSA Section 13013-A subsection 5 & 6; as amended by PL 2012 c. 702, which established the National Board Certification Scholarship Fund.

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Maine Teacher of the Year candidates nearing end of reviews

Eight teachers in the running for the 2016 Maine Teacher of the Year title presented to and answered questions from members of the State review panel last week. The teachers were selected from the 2015 County Teachers of the Year named in May at a ceremony at the State House Hall of Flags. Maine DOE’s Acting Deputy Commissioner Rachelle Tome and the 2015 Maine Teacher of the Year Jenn Dorman from Skowhegan Area Middle School were among the seven member review panel.

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Pilot training of a kindergarten entry assessment

Fifteen Maine kindergarten teachers spent three days last week learning how to pilot a Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) with support from a grant to the Maine DOE. The KEA has been created with input from kindergarten teachers from the start and Maine teachers’ feedback on the benefits of KEA will guide its development.

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Horatio Alger Scholarship for Maine students now open

Maine students are invited to apply for the 2016 Horatio Alger Association Scholarship Program, one of the nation’s largest privately-funded college scholarship programs specifically designed to assist high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives.

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