Clarification of 1 percent rule for counting proficiency on alternate assessments

Maine students with the most significant cognitive disabilities may take an alternate assessment, known as the Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio (PAAP), based on alternate academic achievement standards. Those standards must be aligned with the State’s academic content standards, promote access to the general curriculum and reflect professional judgment of the highest achievement standards possible (see 34 C.F.R. § 200.1, July 2013).

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Educators engage in evidence-based professional development

More than 200 Maine special educators and representatives of the Maine Departments of Education, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Health and Human Services recently participated in evidence-based professional development for the State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG).

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Literacy for ME reports on accomplishments

The Maine DOE’s Literacy for ME initiative recently hosted a Critical Friends meeting to share its accomplishments and offer guidance for ongoing implementation efforts. This meeting marked the first-year implementation anniversary of Literacy for ME, a statewide initiative intended to bolster literacy learning opportunities across the birth to adult span. Literacy for ME includes a State literacy plan that promotes state-level literacy education efforts as well as the development of community-based literacy teams.

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Final notice: 2012-13 Educator Quality and Effectiveness Survey past due

The June 15 original deadline and several extended deadlines for the completion of last school year’s annual Educator Quality and Effectiveness Survey have passed. If your school district has not yet completed the survey, please do so without delay to ensure timely collection of this U.S. Department of Education EDFacts Initiative-mandated annual reporting.

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Prepare for December’s Alcohol Awareness Day

Note: This is a joint announcement from Acting Commissioner of Education Jim Rier and Guy Cousins, director of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services in the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.

Community groups and schools across the state will be conducting activities to raise awareness about alcohol use and abuse throughout Maine’s Alcohol Awareness Week, Dec. 2-6, which includes Alcohol Awareness Day on Monday, Dec. 2.

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STEM distinguished educator fellowship program seeks applicants

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program seeks experienced and distinguished K-12 educators in fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to serve an 11-month fellowship appointment in a federal agency or U.S. Congressional office.

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Governor LePage’s trade mission to Colombia promotes Maine schools

The following is a news release from the Governor’s Office.

Education leaders meet with Colombian parents, students

AUGUSTA — Representatives from two Maine high schools and one university met with Colombian parents and students on Thursday night as the State of Maine trade mission, led by Governor Paul R. LePage, continued in Bogota, Colombia.

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Commissioner’s Update – October 31, 2013

From the Maine DOE

Improving educator effectiveness is the single most important action we can take for our students. Study after study shows that students who are assigned to effective teachers make noticeably more academic progress than those who are not.

Knowing this, Maine DOE is committed to supporting our state’s school administrative units to ensure there is an effective educator in every single classroom. Earlier this month we named longtime English teacher Mary Paine as our first-ever Educator Effectiveness Coordinator.

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Notices and Reporting

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Ensuring an effective educator in every Maine classroom

Improving educator effectiveness is the single most important action we can take for our students. Study after study shows that students who are assigned to effective teachers and school leaders make noticeably more academic progress than those who are not.

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Prepare for Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards

In order to implement additional mandates by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently published the Smart Snacks in School standards for all foods sold in school outside the school meals programs. These are practical, science-based standards for foods sold in vending machines and à la carte lines — standards that make the healthy choice the easy choice for students.

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