LD 131 “An Act To Amend the Laws Related to Public Funding of Charter Schools” was signed May 8, 2015 by Governor LePage. Under the new law Maine DOE will make monthly payments directly to approved public charter schools starting in FY16, the same way the Department has long distributed funds to traditional public school districts.
Continue reading “Governor LePage signs charter school funding fix”
The Maine DOE is seeking feedback on Maine’s proposed Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Waiver Renewal application. The application, with documented changes to the original application, demonstrates how the State’s current accountability and improvement system is implemented to serve Maine’s students and schools while outlining future implementation of the ESEA Flexibility Waiver over the next three years.
Continue reading “Department seeks feedback on ESEA waiver renewal”
The deadline to submit the National Center and State Collaborative Alternate Assessment (NCSC), used to assess students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in mathematics and English language arts is this Friday, May 15.
Continue reading “Alternate assessment for math, ELA closing May 15”
If your school submitted an application for the 30th Annual Maine Schoolsite Health Promotion Program “Wellness” Conference to the Maine DOE but has not yet received a confirmation email with a congratulatory letter, team registration form and Spring Team Leaders’ Meeting information, please contact the Department’s Susan Berry at susan.berry@maine.gov.
Last week the Maine DOE was represented along with hundreds of library supporters in Washington, D.C. to speak with their legislators about the importance of libraries.
The 2016 Maine Teacher of the Year will be selected from the 16 honorees and named at a surprise all-school assembly this fall
AUGUSTA – First Lady Ann LePage and Acting Education Commissioner Tom Desjardin marked Teacher Appreciation Week by announcing the top teacher from each Maine county at a State House ceremony today.
The funding will allow the Orono-based Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research to improve outcomes for the thousands of children in the state with autism spectrum disorder
AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education is committing over $150,000 to continue the work of the state’s first autism institute.
The Maine DOE will continue school site visits into June to provide targeted technical assistance for proficiency-based extension options five and six.
Visits to schools that were granted an extension five or six are providing valuable information about the types of supports needed by districts to sustain the transition to proficiency-based education and reflects the deep commitment of districts to student-centered learning.
The Maine DOE will release information about the 2015 renewal process for extensions soon. Last year’s extension applications provided a clear picture of the status of districts implementation of proficiency-based education to date. District extension applications can be viewed on the Maine DOE website. The Maine DOE anticipates a dramatically streamlined renewal process for spring 2015.
The Maine DOE plans to convene extension option six schools as a group in June to provide targeted supports for the implementation of proficiency-based diplomas. This convening is in lieu of a second site visit. More information about this event will be sent to districts in the coming weeks.
More Notices | Administrative Letters | Reporting Calendar
Nominations are open for the Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD) Teachers of the Year awards. | More
The Association for Computer Technology Educators of Maine (ACTEM) announced their REBOOTED and REIMAGINED awards, open to innovative educators at all grade levels that have a direct impact on student learning. | More
Schools that have been granted schoolwide program status under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) are required to submit a budget showing funding sources for their activities. | More
Under MUSER §IV.4.E(3), the Maine DOE is responsible for the costs of special education services provided to state agency clients and pays those costs directly to the providing agency or person. | More
More Dispatches | Press Releases | From the Commissioner
Under MUSER §IV.4.E(3), the Maine DOE is responsible for the costs of special education services provided to state agency clients and pays those costs directly to the providing agency or person.
The Maine DOE, however, is not in the best position to assess whether invoices for such services are properly payable, i.e., they request payment for services of a kind and in an amount specified in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).
Beginning July 1 all of the Department’s contracts with agencies and persons providing special education services will stipulate that invoices are to be sent to the school administrative unit (SAU) responsible for the student. The SAU will review those invoices to determine whether they are properly payable as described, and will forward to the Maine DOE any invoice which the SAU finds is properly payable.
The special education administrator will sign each such invoice signifying that the invoice has been reviewed and approved for payment. Invoices should be scanned and emailed to Beth Vieta at beth.vieta@maine.gov.
Any questions concerning an invoice should be resolved by the SAU with the agency or person submitting the invoice.
For more information or if you have questions about this issue, please contact Jonathan Braff at the Maine DOE at jonathan.braff@maine.gov or 624-6671.
Schools that have been granted schoolwide program status under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) are required to submit a budget showing funding sources for their activities. Sometimes schools choose to include IDEA Part B funds. If a school’s NCLB application indicates IDEA Part B funding for a schoolwide program, the 2016 IDEA Part B application will need to include a project and budget.
For more information contact Maine DOE Director of Special Services Jan Breton at janice.breton@maine.gov or 624-6676.
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