No Child Left Behind Act Title IID “Enhancing Education Through Technology" Training Offered

INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO: 079
POLICY CODE: DDA

TO: Superintendents, Principals, Curriculum Coordinators, Technology Coordinators, and Other Interested Parties
FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner
DATE: February 5, 2008
SUBJECT: No Child Left Behind Act Title IID “Enhancing Education Through Technology” Training Offered

On July 1, 2007, the Maine Department of Education was awarded a grant of $1,317,349 under the No Child Left Behind Act Title IID, Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed Tech). The State is permitted to retain 5% of the award amount to provide technical services and administer the grant program. The remaining amount of the award is divided in two. Half of the amount was distributed to School Administrative Units in a formula grant program at the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year. The remainder, $625,741.00, will be used to provide technology integration training free of charge to selected SAUs.

The requirements of Title IID direct that SAUs be ranked according to the number of students from families whose annual income qualifies the students for free or reduced cost lunch programs. This free professional development is being offered to the upper fifty percent of those SAUs that have the largest percentage of qualifying families. A link to the list of qualifying SAUs appears on the NCLB page of the Department’s website. A letter is being sent directly to each superintendent of a qualifying SAU.

The technology integration professional development is designed to increase the capacity of teachers to assist students in achieving Maine’s Learning Results and reaching school goals for numeracy and literacy. The professional development will be delivered by MLTI/eMINTS regional trainer/mentors and other professional development providers at no charge.

SAUs choosing to participate in the professional development initiative will be required to develop a multi-year professional development action plan using an evidence-based planning process. The Department will provide training for members of the SAU leadership team to aid the development of the plan. The planning process will include a needs assessment to identify SAU and school learning goals. A Memorandum of Understanding will be submitted to the Department by participating SAUs identifying the team of teachers who will be participating in the professional development. It is anticipated that the professional development program will be composed of approximately eight multi-hour sessions presented over the course of the 2008-2010 school years and will include the opportunity for participation in the MLTI Spring and Summer Teacher Leader Institutes.

An SAU can express an interest in participating in the professional development program by signing the letter sent by the Department and returning the letter to Bob McIntire, the Project Manager, by February 14, 2008. His contact information appears below. A positive response to this letter does not obligate the SAU to participate. The letter of interest will be used to determine the possible professional development regions.

Bob McIntire
Technology Team
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
207-624-6778
e-mail address bob.mcintire@maine.gov

The Department will prepare a request for proposals (RFP) to provide regional fiscal agent services for the project. The RFP will be sent to those SAUs expressing an interest in the professional development program. One fiscal agent will be selected by RFP for each training region serving the SAUs participating in the professional development initiative. Once a proposal for fiscal agent services for a region has been accepted by the Department, Memoranda of Understanding from SAUs interested in the professional development will be requested. It is anticipated proposals will be accepted by May 1, 2008, but the exact date is subject to change.

Information on the Title IID ED Tech grants can be found on the Department’s web site http://www.maine.gov/education/nclb/tiid/index.html or on the United States Department of Education website http://www.ed.gov/programs/edtech/legislation.html?exp=0