From Maine Education Commissioner Jim Rier
It’s been said that the first step to success is showing up and nowhere is that more true than in our schools.
Chronic absenteeism – defined as missing 10 percent of the school year (18 days here in Maine) – increases achievement gaps and decreases student outcomes. Absences add up quickly. In fact, students who are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to read proficiently by the end of third grade and are more likely to have poor attendance in later grades. By middle and high school, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign that a student will not graduate on time or even at all. Chronic absenteeism especially hurts children with disabilities or from low income families who are both more likely to miss school and who often lack the resources to make up for lost time in the classroom.
This September marks the second annual Attendance Awareness Month. This nationwide event brings attention to the connection between school attendance and academic achievement while mobilizing schools and communities to promote the value of good attendance and take concrete steps toward reducing chronic absence.
Notices and Reporting
- Request for Special Education Contract Approval (EF-S-03), due Oct. 15
- NCLB Title IA Carryover Percentage Certification, due Oct. 15
- EF-M-240 Year End Report of Private Schools, due Oct. 15
- National Board Salary Supplement, due Oct. 15
- EPS October 1 Enrollment Reporting, due Oct. 31
More Notices | Administrative Letters | Reporting Calendar
News & Views
Maine DOE welcomes new Higher Education Specialist Angel Loredo
Angel Loredo has joined the Maine DOE as its Higher Education Specialist. | More
Superintendents asked to complete survey of public preschool programs
The Maine DOE is committed to supporting and expanding high-quality public preschool programs. The Legislature passed two bills, now Public Laws, which focus on public preschool programs for children four years of age. | More
Maine DOE releases social studies webinar highlighting inquiry-based resources
The Maine DOE has created a free webinar to help educators better understand where Maine students are when it comes to developing evidence-based arguments and how to support them in improving those skills. | More
2015 Maine Teacher of the Year finalists in the final stages of the determination process
Finalists for Maine’s 2015 Teacher of the Year will participate in their final interview with panel members this week–the last step of the determination process. | More
Maine high schools awarded three-year grant for computer science instruction
The National Science Foundation has awarded a three-year $469,369 grant to improve access to computer science instruction for Maine high school students. | More
Portland principal nominated for $100,000 award
Casco Bay High School principal Derek Pierce has been nominated for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation’s 3rd Annual Larry O’Toole Award. | More
Maine teachers spend summer volunteering at Maine State Aquarium
While some teachers were taking advantage of the summer to relax, others spent the better part of one week volunteering at the Maine State Aquarium in West Boothbay Harbor. | More
More Dispatches | Press Releases | From the Commissioner
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