ADMINISTRATIVE LETTER #  18

 

POLICY CODE:  IHBEA

 

TO:                 Select Superintendents of Schools and Principals of Private Schools

 

FROM:             J. Duke Albanese, Commissioner

 

DATE:             January 29, 2001

 

RE:                 Submission of Form EFI-283

 

This letter serves as a reminder and follow-up to Administrative Letter # 8 circulated to all Maine schools on October 31, 2000.   That letter included instructions for submission of FORM EFI 283, Survey of Language Minority Children.  The form remains due in to the Department on February 28, 2001.

 

I must emphasize that the February 28, 2001 date is an absolute deadline for submission of that form.  Your efforts in completing the form sooner would also be greatly appreciated.  The Department must be in a position to report on the collection of that data, particularly local costs for the education of limited English proficient students, to the Education Committee of the Legislature on short notice, particularly as this statute sunsets this year.  Therefore, we will be unable to grant extensions past February 28.  After that firm deadline, schools enrolling students of limited English proficiency will not be eligible for funds authorized by the Legislature in 1999 to help defray locally funded ESL and bilingual education personnel costs as described in 20-A MRSA §15603, sub-§28-A.   All schools must complete the form, even if no limited English proficient students are enrolled.

 

Please be sure to complete this form by February 28, 2001 and return to Barney Bérubé, Ph.D., Maine Department of Education, 23 Station, Augusta, ME  04333.  You may contact Dr. Bérubé for further information or assistance in meeting this requirement.  Although you already have been sent this form and accompanying attachments in October, another set is enclosed.  The forms may also be found at www.maine.gov/education/esl.  Click on Federal/State Data Collection Requirements to access these forms.  To access the above-referenced statute, click on Funding for ESL/Bilingual Education Instruction.  You may also call Dr. Bérubé at 624-6787 to receive hard copies of either of these.  He may also be reached at barney.berube@state.me.us

 

If you have already completed and returned that form, you may disregard this notice.  Your understanding of the importance of meeting this requirement is appreciated.

 

Enc.