The Maine Department of Education will host webinar training opportunities to coincide with the required end-of-year reporting actions. Below are two opportunities to attend training designed to help schools/districts finalize their end-of-year actions, with an additional emphasis on the graduation rate tables in Infinite Campus–State Edition.
State science fair winners compete for international STEM awards
Three students represented Maine high school at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, Ariz., where 1,600 of the top Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students in the world competed for awards and top honors from May 12-17.
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Envirothon state champions headed for international competition
Thanks to Piscataquis Community Secondary School for sharing this information with the Maine DOE for publication.
GUILFORD – Five students from Piscataquis Community Secondary School, led by biology teacher Heather Doherty, captured top honors at the Maine Envirothon Championships on May 23 at Bowdoin College.
The initial Envirothon pool included 61 teams from across the state. The PCSS Envirothon team included Jeremy Bell, Emily Northup, Ben Maines, Rebecca Grant and Logan Sargent. Grant and Sargent are four-year veterans.
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Additions made to special education Q&A
The Maine Department of Education maintains an online collection of Frequently Asked Questions about special education. Recently, the Maine DOE has added four new questions and answers to the FAQ. One is about the Advance Written Notice; two are about the Individualized Education Program; and a fourth is about the Written Notice. In addition, one question and answer about the Summary of Performance form has been amended.
Governor LePage, Education Commissioner Bowen and business leaders recognize Maine’s nationally competitive robotics teams, STEM students at State House ceremony
AUGUSTA – Maine’s nationally recognized robotics teams and STEM student leaders were honored by Governor Paul R. LePage and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen this morning in a ceremony that reinforced the need for students to better develop the skills that will make them – and Maine – competitive in a global economy.
School academies provide customized learning in Belfast
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When I visited Troy Howard Middle School on Thursday as part of the tail end of my Promising Practices Tour, I was impressed by the school’s two-year academy system that puts students first by placing them in one of three academies based on their learning styles.
Under Principal Kim Buckheit’s leadership, the Belfast school implemented the standards-based academy system to give seventh and eighth graders more control over their learning. The Innovation Academy offers a hands-on approach to those who benefit from project-based learning, the International Academy brings a global perspective to students trying to see the bigger picture, and the Ecology Academy combines experiential learning with the practice of ecological sustainability.
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New Center for Best Practice case study features RSU 20
The Center for Best Practice has released its fifth case study showcasing districts successfully implementing proficiency-based practices. The schools of RSU 20 (Belfast/Searsport area) figure prominently in the history of the state’s move toward learner-centered education. Both Troy Howard Middle School and Searsport District High School were enthusiastic early adopters and promoters of reforms around standards-based reporting, interventions and formative assessment. Simultaneously, many of the elementary schools of the district moved in that direction as well.
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Education Commissioner Bowen to visit Biddeford school Thursday on Promising Practices Tour
BIDDEFORD – Maine Department of Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen will visit Biddeford Middle School Thursday to see the positive impact of a transformational principal.
Governor LePage, Education Commissioner Bowen to spotlight STEM students, skills in State House ceremony Wednesday
AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen will recognize the role STEM education plays in Maine’s economic future at a State House ceremony Wednesday celebrating our nationally-competitive robotics teams.
Mount Desert Elementary honored with Maine’s first top health excellence award
Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen and USDA’s Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon presented the award at a school assembly Friday and recognized the state as a national leader in creating healthy school environments
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