The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) recently announced their popular game, Claim Your Future® (formerly known as Get a Life), is now available to all Maine middle schools free of charge. Claim Your Future is a classroom and web-based resource that was created for middle school students to encourage them to explore education after high school, future careers and money management.
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Maine FFA Association (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America”) is the leadership organization representing students enrolled in secondary and middle school agriculture and natural resources classes ranging from agriscience to ecology, forestry and horticulture. Student-run, with over 500 members in Maine and over 600,000 at the national level, FFA prepares its new officers in the spring and summer for the many presentations, events and competitions they will conduct for the membership in the coming year.
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The Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) invites educators to attend its 2015 Summer Institute scheduled July 21-23 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. This is an opportunity you do not want to miss as you learn new techniques and strategies that will help address proficiency-based learning, teacher accountability and higher order thinking skills.
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The following applications and year-end reports for the Maine DOE Office of Special Services are now available on the Department’s Reporting Calendar.
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As part of the implementation of Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth (PEPG) systems, Rule Chapter 180 and Maine Revised Statute Title 20-A, Chapter 508 require that School Administrative Units (SAUs) test-run or pilot their PEPG systems for principals and teachers during the 2015-16 school year. In order to ensure that districts are on track for a pilot next year, the law requires each SAU to submit a “plan describing the intentions of its pilot project” by July 15.
In an effort to minimize the amount of time that such a submittal might entail for districts, the Department has developed a relatively short survey, which will serve as the mechanism for submitting pilot plans. The Department expects 100% of SAUs to respond to the survey by July 15, even if not all are fully ready to pilot. The data we collect will in fact help the Department to determine which districts are in need of targeted supports.
More Notices | Administrative Letters | Reporting Calendar
The Maine DOE, in partnership with Educate Maine, recently named eight teachers as semi-finalists for Maine’s 2016 Teacher of the Year. | More
The Department’s Literacy for ME initiative has launched a webpage to provide families with resources to support summer reading and other activities that enhance typical summer experiences and prevent the summer slide. | More
The Maine DOE recognizes that, due to their limited English language proficiency, determining eligibility for special education services for English learners (ELs) may be challenging. | More
The Maine DOE will be offering an evidence-based practice IEP Goal Writing for College, Career and Community Readiness workshop in October 2015. | More
The Maine DOE and the Educational Plant Maintenance Association of Maine invite superintendents, facilities directors, business managers, maintenance teams and custodial staff to the 47th Annual School Facilities Conference. | More
The following applications and year-end reports for the Maine DOE Office of Special Services are now available on the Department’s Reporting Calendar. | More
Due to recent questions regarding offering school lunch on half days, the Maine DOE’s Office of Child Nutrition is clarifying the National School Lunch Program Agreement to Participate. | More
We need your leadership and assistance to let every family whose children and teenagers need meals this summer know how to find a summer meals site in their community. | More
More Dispatches | Press Releases | From the Commissioner
The Maine DOE will be offering an evidence-based practice IEP Goal Writing for College, Career and Community Readiness workshop this fall in four locations across the state. This workshop is designed for special education teachers who need assistance aligning IEP goals to standards.
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Due to recent questions regarding offering school lunch on half days, the Maine DOE’s Office of Child Nutrition is clarifying the National School Lunch Program Agreement to Participate.
As the school year comes to an end, many of us are thinking about long hot days and fair weather fun. We may not be thinking about how much literacy learning our children gained during the school year or how much could be lost during the break from school. This loss is often called the “summer slide” and can be avoided with a little planning and support from the Maine DOE and Maine Public Libraries.
Continue reading “Maine DOE’s Literacy for ME launches summer reading resources”
The Maine DOE recognizes that, due to their limited English language proficiency, determining eligibility for special education services for English learners (ELs) may be challenging. These challenges, however, should not result in ELs failing to be properly evaluated for eligibility for special education and related services. Maine DOE recommends that school administrative units (SAUs) with EL populations review the proportion of ELs in their unit identified for special education in comparison to the SAU’s overall special education identification rate.
Continue reading “Maine DOE provides special services eligibility guidance for English learners”
The Maine DOE, in partnership with Educate Maine, recently named eight teachers as semi-finalists for Maine’s 2016 Teacher of the Year. They were chosen from this year’s 16 County Teachers of the Year who were named in May at a celebration at the State House Hall of Flags.
Continue reading “2016 Maine Teacher of the Year semi-finalists announced”
Maine DOE Newsroom 