In 2012, the Maine DOE launched Education Evolving, a strategic plan intended to begin and remain faithful to putting students first in public education, even as shifts in pedagogy, research, and policies continually occur. When Commissioner Robert G. Hasson Jr. was appointed, he sought not only to identify the next steps the Department should take in order to build on the work that has been done but also to deepen our understanding of what it really means to put students first. Within the Department, the Commissioner engaged a dedicated and energetic staff in conversations, reflection, and learning. Outside the Department, Commissioner Hasson traveled the state on a conversation tour, seeking to learn about our students’ most urgent needs, and the achievements that schools are celebrating. The overarching goal was to learn how we can help school communities build new opportunities for a changing population and workforce. We believe that the priorities and goals described in this document will guide us well in supporting our public schools empowering students to provide for their own success in work, study, and life.
Effective, Learner-Centered Education, Early Childhood Through Adult
Goals
- Students personally invested in their own learning as preparation for career and life
- Engaging learning experiences that develop aspirational mindsets
- Approaches to education that prioritize integrated, real-world contexts for learning and gaining career and life skills
- Early identification of learning gaps and timely, effective interventions
- Comprehensive assessment systems that provide timely, accurate evidence of student progress that can inform practice
- High quality, integrated adult learner programs serving individuals and communities
Key Objectives
- Identify resources and develop policies that provide students with awareness of and access to all pathways
- Develop a plan for supporting integrated, real-world learning experiences that a standards-based system can afford
- Develop a plan to build capacity among school units in using the multi-tiered system of supports to provide timely, effective academic and behavioral interventions
- Review criteria for a state assessment system and implement the Department’s scheduled three-year review of the Maine Educational Assessment
- Implement a plan for cohesive delivery of professional development, resources, and policy that build assessment and data literacy
- Develop monitoring and adjusting mechanisms for ensuring that the Maine Learning Results reflect the content and progressions Maine students need to prepare for their futures
- Implement strategies, funding models, and policies to ensure equitable access for all students to CTE, Gifted and Talented, and Post-secondary options (dual enrollment, Aspirations, Advanced Placement, etc.), and other such programs
- Develop mechanisms for seamless learning pathways grade 9 to adult
Multiple Pathways for Learning and Achievement
Goals
- Guidance and mentoring that supports students in exploring their own pathways
- Authentic, real-world educational experiences that engage students in setting and pursuing career and life goals
- Meaningful diploma for all students
- Equitable access to career pathways that allow applied learning
Key Objectives
- Develop mechanisms, such as funding, staffing, and professional development that help integrate pathways for students
- Strengthen the systems of supports for integrated, evidence-based approaches to instruction and learning
- Use the Comprehensive Needs Assessment to ensure that students are provided equitable access to multiple pathways regardless of location
- Develop a formula for the equitable distribution of funding for Adult Education
Great Teachers and Leaders
Goals
- Excellent teachers and administrators for all students throughout Maine
- A modern system that ensures accurate and efficient educator credentialing
- Performance evaluation and professional growth (PEPG) systems that achieve their purpose
Key Objectives
- Review and update Maine’s Plan to Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent Educators for All Students
- Implement high impact strategies that will attract, support, and retain teachers and administrators throughout Maine
- Provide resources and support for teacher and principal leadership initiatives that can guide the continuous improvement of schools and the teaching profession
- Implement a fully online credentialing system
- Refine certification policies and requirements in order to meet the emerging needs of Maine students and the field
- Implement mechanisms for monitoring PEPG systems statewide to determine needs for support, resources, and policy
Comprehensive School and Community Supports
Goals
- Services and programs that ensure that all students are ready to learn
- Schools that provide the conditions necessary for the safety, security, and achievement of students
- A culture of ongoing improvement for all schools
- Collaborative partnerships that advance the quality and purpose of education
Key Objectives
- Implement steps to ensure that the needs of 3- 5-year-olds are met through increased collaboration with school units
- Develop a plan to implement the Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community (WSCC) framework for a collaborative approach to learning and health
- Develop a plan to implement a relevant school accountability system with clear criteria and timelines that drives school improvement
- Develop tools and resources for the development of collaborative partnerships between schools, post-secondary institutions, community, industry, and business
Coordinated and Effective State Support
Goals
- All schools engaged in ongoing improvement based on data
- Responsive, transparent funding models that inform local decision-making
- Robust, enduring regionalization efforts that will lead to significantly improved educational experiences of students across the state
- Ease of access to accurate, timely data and information that can inform decision-making
Key Objectives
- Use with fidelity Maine’s tiered differentiated model of support to maximize Department resources
- Integrate ESEA Federal funds to comprehensively meet the needs of school communities
- Provide resources that make the EPS formula and 279s accessible and understandable
- Implement the new CTE Funding model, which supports development of new programs for students
- Work in partnership with school leaders and school communities to build upon initial efforts under the E.M.B.R.A.C.E. initiatives and develop new opportunities for collaborating regionally to better serve students
- Identify a pilot project that will support seamless integration of educational programs from grade 9-16 on a regional scale
- Increase collaboration between the Department and school districts regarding the implementation of new data collecting and reporting systems
- Procure a new data warehouse that will meet the data needs of schools and other stakeholders in education