I had the chance to speak with future teachers at the University of Maine Wednesday. It was great to witness their passion for education and the student-centered direction the profession is moving in.
Maine grad rate improves again
AUGUSTA – For the second year in a row, the graduation rate in Maine has improved by a statistically significant amount. The percentage of students graduating within four year of entering high school for 2010-11 was 83.79 percent, up nearly a full percentage point compared to the previous year.
USM offers Ph.D. geared to education leaders
The University of Southern Maine will host an information session for a new doctoral program focused on educational leadership and policy on Tuesday, June 19.
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Commissioner’s Update – June 14, 2012
Congratulations to Maine schools for completing another academic year, and thanks to all of you for the work you do year-round on behalf of students.
There’s a lot of end-of-the-year reporting due this month and over the summer. Completing these helps ensure that schools have accurate data for records such as graduation rates, which are much harder to correct after the fact. In fact, we had a significant delay in calculating last year’s grad rates (they’re coming in the next few days) in part because of delayed submission and the need for corrections. Data is also necessary to our work in calculating GPA for next year. It is important for the state and for districts that student reporting is completed before June 30 and other year-end financial reporting be completed by the specified deadlines.
Bowen meets with future teachers at University of Maine
AUGUSTA – Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen met with future teachers at the University of Maine Wednesday to talk about how they are preparing for the profession and about new approaches to education.
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Camden Hills teacher receives Presidential Award
AUGUSTA – Ken Vencile, an honors and advanced placement biology 
teacher at Camden Hills Regional High School, was named this week as one of 97 mathematics and science teachers nationwide to receive the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
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Online bomb threat reporting form available
UPDATED: Pat Hinckley is the new Maine DOE contact for all issues related to bomb threats. Please see her contact information below.
In the instance of a bomb threat, public schools and private schools in which at least 60 percent of students are enrolled at public expense are required by law to notify the Commissioner of the threat within two business days.
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Five-year HS a reality at Hermon
Governor LePage and I had the opportunity on Monday to attend Hermon High School’s kick-off ceremony for the Bridge Year Program, a pilot project set to launch 15 students on the path toward associate’s degrees starting in July.
New options available for high school assessment
This notice is to inform school districts of changes to next year’s testing at the high school level. These changes include new options and opportunities, some of which require immediate action in order to take advantage of them.
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Beware of suspicious invoices
Some Maine schools (and schools in other states) have recently reported suspicious invoices for tech services that were not provided. As always, we advise that you review invoices carefully to be sure that they describe specific services that were rendered.
Maine DOE Newsroom 