FACTS: The Newsletter of LEARNS, The Statewide Systems Change Initiative for Inclusive Education
Kudos and Resources for Hard Working Maine Educators
By Bonnie Reidman & Betsy Enright
There is much cause for celebration here in Maine! As a state, Maine has in many ways led the way in creating high quality learning standards with educational opportunities for all students as a core belief. Our successes include the development of a comprehensive system of assessment that when completed, will balance student achievement on state measures while maintaining the time honored tradition and importance of local control.
Maine has distinguished itself in focusing on the importance of linking curriculum, instruction and assessment and in the use of multiple methods of assessment so that all students have opportunities to demonstrate their learning. Maine has been a leader in providing access to the World Wide Web for all schools and libraries. This Internet access has made resources, materials and tools available for teachers to use in daily instruction.
Maine has also been a fore runner with the laptop initiative for Middle School students, consistently made positive showings on the NAEP, used CSRD grants for school improvement, focused on Promising Futures for our Secondary Schools, developed and learned from the Maine Portfolio Assessment Project, continued the evolution and improvement of the MEA and dedicated time and professional support to the development of (PAAP) a personalized portfolio system for alternate assessment of the MEA for students unable to participate through standard administration or accommodations.
Along with raising standards and accountability, quality professional development has been recognized in Maine as a key component of support for educators. Teachers all over Maine are actively involved in refining practices to enhance each and every student’s chances to achieve at increasingly higher levels. It is important to reflect upon and validate the many effective practices already taking place in Maine schools. Maine has developed and encouraged numerous quality resources and supports for these efforts. Many of these resources developed in Maine are available on the web.
As we move to a standards based system of learning and assessment, multiple layers of resources have been provided in Maine to support districts and educators and parents in understanding and meeting the needs of all of our students.
Below you will find quick access to a number of web resources that provide information pertaining to Maine resources, and other initiatives and topics of current interest.
Assessment
Maine’s Comprehensive Assessment System MECAS
http://www.state.me.us/education/lsalt/compassess.htm
The Maine State Legislature adopted the Learning Results in 1996 and it also required that system for assessing student progress be established. Maine’s Comprehensive Assessment System (MECAS) has both State and local components. The State component includes the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) is given to students in grades 4, 8, and 11. The local assessment component includes a variety of assessment types designed to measure the depth and breadth of each content area.
The Comprehensive Assessment System is designed to serve these purposes:
inform and guide teaching and learning;
monitor and hold educational units accountable in achieving the Learning Results; and
certify achievement of Maine’s Learning Results.
Maine Comprehensive Assessment System Technical Advisory Committee
http://www.state.me.us/education/lsalt/TAC.htm
Maine Comprehensive Assessment System Policy Advisory Committee
http://www.state.me.us/education/lsalt/PAC.htm
Maine Educational Assessment (MEA)
http://www.state.me.us/education/mea/meahome.htm
The Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) is designed to measure student and school progress in achieving Maine’s Learning Results. All students in Maine are evaluated on their knowledge as set out in the Maine Learning Results. There are only three ways to participate: standard administration along with regular classmates, administration with accommodations, or alternate assessment using the Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio. This site gives links with information about materials, forms, test construction, digital requirements, and support materials.
Maine Educational Assessment Accommodations (MEA)
http://www.state.me.us/education/lsalt/accommodations.htm
This site contains the approved policies and procedures for accommodations for the MEA. They are designed so that all students with unique learning needs have a fair opportunity to demonstrate what they know and are able to do on the MEA. Accommodations decisions are made by a team documented in the students file and are consistent with the accommodations used in the student’s daily instruction.
Maine Educational Assessment -Alternate Assessment for the Personalized
Alternate Assessment Portfolio (PAAP)
http://www.state.me.us/education/lsalt/paap/
The PAAP is the alternate assessment component of Maine’s Comprehensive Assessment System. It is intended to measure progress and achievement in Maine’s Learning Results for students who, even with accommodations cannot participate in the MEA. The student PAAP is a yearlong collection of evidence of student work, teacher observations, charts showing progress, videotapes, etc. This portfolio is scored using rubrics (Scoring guides) in each of the subject areas. (This portfolio process has also been approved a model for alternate assessment for local tasks.)
Maine Educational Assessment and Local Assessment Alternate Assessment Rubrics
(PAAP)
http://www.mecas.org/paap/rubrics/
Rubrics aligned with Maine’s Learning Results have been developed in the content areas of English & Language Arts, Math, Science &Technology, Social Studies, and Health & Physical Education. The rubrics provide entry points for access to the Learning Results for students with significant disabilities, as well as a method of scoring individual student progress on a Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio (PAAP): Level one - grade span PK, 2, Level 2 -grade span 3-4, Level 3 and 4. All of these rubrics can be viewed or downloaded from this site. Many educators are using the rubrics as well in the development and review of IEP goals.
Maine Alternate Assessment Task Bank
http://www.maine.gov/education/lsalt/paap/taskbank/index.html
Maine Educational Assessment - Maximizing Accommodations for Students with
Unique Learning Needs
http://www.state.me.us/education/mea/masuln.htm
In order to maximize the number of students who participate in the MEA it is important to recognize that some students will need accommodations. These approved accommodations to do change the content of what is being assessed and are needed as part of the student’s regular instruction. This is particularly true for students whose learning; processing and/or response strengths are not a match for the traditional assessment response structure. Many of these students benefit from accommodations on locally developed assessments as well.
Maine Local Assessment System – LAS Guide
with embedded components for Accommodations and Alternate Assessment LAS Guide
www.maine.gov/education/lsalt/laa/index.html
A comprehensive guide to the development of local assessment systems is available at this site. This guide includes criteria for the adoption of local assessment systems as well as the components for accommodations and alternate assessment at the local level. The guide is available in PDF format and can be downloaded and printed.
Maine’s Comprehensive Assessment System for All Learners MECAS Brochure -
MECAS Brochure
http://www.state.me.us/education/lsalt/mecas_ip/mecas_brochure.pdf
Maine Local Assessment -Accommodation Options for Local Assessments
http://www.mecas.org/LAS/
Included with in the LAS Guide (above) is a listing of accommodations that are allowed for locally developed assessments. This list is different than the MEA accommodations list. Included as well is a procedure for determining if a student needs accommodations for local assessment and a local assessment accommodations appeals process. (See pages 50-53 of LAS.)
Local Assessment Development- LAD Tasks
http://www.state.me.us/education/lsalt/LAD/
Local Assessment Development (LAD) supports schools in developing local assessments systems. This site provides Maine teachers, schools, and districts with valid, reliable assessments, aligned with Maine’s Learning Results, offered as options or choices for the development of Local Assessment System Development. Assessment tasks have been field-tested and are available in the content areas of English & language Arts, Math, Science & Technology Health & PE and Social Studies.
Maine Assessment Portfolio
http://www.maptasks.org/
The Maine Assessment Portfolio (MAP) supports teachers in assessing student achievement of Maine's Learning Results. This website offers educators access to standards-based task sets and the opportunity to participate in online discussions and online scoring training exercises.
Measured Measures
http://www.state.me.us/education/g2000/mm.htm
This document provides local districts with the technical considerations needed when developing local assessment systems.
State of Maine Learning Results
http://www.state.me.us/education/lres/homepage.htm
"The Learning Results identify the knowledge and skills essential to prepare Maine students for work, for higher education, for citizenship, and for personal fulfillment. This document defines only the core elements of education that should apply to all students without regard to their specific career and academic plans.
"The overriding purpose of the Learning Results is to provide teachers and parents with guidance to improve an existing education system that is already working well for many students in most Maine communities. The adoption of common standards and an accompanying mix of measures that assess learning is widely regarded as the most important next step in improving the quality of public education for all students." (from Preface, State of Maine Learning Results)
Universal Design for Learning and Assessment New England Compact (Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) Enhanced
Assessment
http://www.necompact.org
The NE Compact is a forum for sharing and expanding a base of knowledge and resources to assist in implementing NCLB. A specific project of the NE Compact is the Enhanced Assessment Grant, which intends to address the needs of students with disabilities and English language learners to ensure that assessments are accessible. The work is pursuing the use of Glee’s (grade level expectations and, in Moines’s case, the Learning Results), universal design, and technology to create test accommodations with the long term goal of identifying ways to improve links between student needs, IEP goals, and accommodations that truly make a difference. The grant is further considering ways that AYP can more appropriately indicate school progress for these students.
Literacy
Adolescent Literacy Support Framework
http://www.knowledgeloom.org/adlit
Links research with practice. The Center for Resource Management, partnering with the LAB at Brown University, developed this framework to: address student motivation to read and write, implement research based strategies for teaching and learning, integrate reading and writing across the curriculum, and ensure support through organizational structures.
Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement
www.ciera.org/
International Reading Association
www.reading.org
Provides a versatile website on topics and issues in reading
Learning to Read – Resources for Language Arts and Reading Research
http://www.toread.com
The purpose of this web page is to improve the quality of reading instruction through the study of the reading process and teaching techniques. It will serve as a clearinghouse for the dissemination of reading research through conferences, journals and other publications. Click on the following links to search for developments in literacy, professional materials, research and critical issues.
Maine Department of Education, Center for Inquiry on Literacy
http://www.state.me.us/education/cil/cil.htm
Seeks to support to schools exploring literacy issues, and reflective examinations of literacy practices. It provides resources in research based literacy practices and professional development opportunities.
National Center on Educational Outcomes
http://www.education.umn.edu/nceo/
The Center provides national leadership in the participation of students with disabilities in national and state assessments, standards-setting efforts, and graduation requirements. It provides as in-depth look at issues related to assessment of students with disabilities. This center is recognized as an authority on assessment of students with disabilities. Includes an online bibliography of accommodations, research articles, and a host of issues to consider regarding the effects of various accommodations. Explores critical aspects of the decision making process related to selecting and using accommodations.
National Council of Teachers of English
www.ncte.org
This site provides information on a wide variety of topics Adolescent Literacy; Excellent Reading Teachers; Using Multiple Methods of Beginning Reading Instruction; The Role of Phonics in Reading Instruction
National Institute for Literacy -Put Reading First:
http://www.nifl.gov
To disseminate information on scientifically based reading research pertaining to children, youth, and adults as well as information about development and implementation of classroom reading programs based on the research.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) -Early Reading First
http://nclb.riverdeep.net/sfs_erf.jhtml
The overall purpose of the Early Reading First Program is to prepare preschool age children to enter kindergarten with the language, cognitive, and early reading skills necessary for reading success, thereby preventing later reading difficulties.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) -Reading First
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/reading/readingfirst.html
As part of NCLB Reading First Grants are a comprehensive state grant program which promotes the use of scientifically based research to provide high-quality reading instruction for grades K-3, in order to help every student in every state become a successful reader.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) -The Partnership for Reading
http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/pfr.html
A national reading research dissemination project authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110). The Partnership for Reading's mission is to make scientifically-based reading research more accessible to educators, parents, policymakers, and other interested individuals. The Partnership for Reading efforts include a diverse set of public awareness, professional development, and program replication activities.
Technology
Apple Learning Interchange
http://www.ali.apple.com/
A site dedicated to digital teaching and learning. It features a wealth of resources to guide you from leadership, professional development and digital learning events and teaching.
CAST - Universal Design for Learning
http://www.cast.org/
CAST is a non-profit research and development organization that uses technology to make education and learning more accessible for all students, including those with disabilities. They have been leaders in the development of the Universal Design for Learning model as an approach to all aspects of teaching and learning.
Learning Magazine’s Listing of Assessment Websites
http://www.turningpts.org/websites.htm
Info Zone
http://www.assd.winnipeg.mb.ca/infozone
A website with a vast variety of resources and topics suitable for students completing web based research.
Maine Learning Technology Initiative – Laptops
http://www.state.me.us/mlte/
This site describes the Maine laptop initiative and also provides curriculum resource, videos and samples of student projects.
Maine Learning Technology Initiative – Technology Enhanced middle school
mathematics
http://main.edc.org/Mosaic/Mosaic8/maine.asp
Journal article explores the use of technology as an avenue for extending learning beyond what we traditionally thought possible; highlights the Maine Learning Technology Initiative
National Center for Accessing the General Curriculum
http://www.cast.org/ncac/
Building on a collaborative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Programs (OSEP), CAST has established the National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum which provides a vision of how new curricula, teaching practices, and policies can begin to create practical approaches for improving access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities.
Source of Digital Text -Catalog of Electronic Texts on the Internet: Alex
http://www.infomotions.com/alex/
Source of Digital Text - Children’s Literature Web Guide (University of
Calgary)
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/
Source of Digital Text - Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.net/
Project Gutenberg features literature works such as Aesop’s Fables, Peter Pan in a format that can be downloaded
Source of Digital Text – Searchebooks
www.Searchebooks.com
Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning
http://www.CAST.org/TeachingEveryStudent/
CAST has a text: Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning, which explores the concept of universal design related to learning and can be explored in more depth by going to CAST’S Teaching Every Student (TES) Website. There is an online version of the text in addition to many resources, interactive exercises, and sharing opportunities for educators implementing the Universal Design for Learning framework.
Other Resources in Maine
All Tech
http://www.alltech-tsi.org/
Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/
Center for Inquiry on Secondary Education – Promising Futures http://www.maine.gov/education/cse/cse.htm
Children's Cabinet of Maine
http://www.state.me.us/cabinet/homepage.htm
Disability Rights Center
http://www.drcme.org/
Learning Disabilities Association of Maine
http://www.ldame.org/
Learning Systems Assessment Leadership Team
http://www.maine.gov/education/lsalt/
Partnership of Partners –POP
http://www.mainesupportnetwork.org/pop/contactinfo.htm
Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities- MADSEC
http://www.madsec.org/
Maine Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities
http://www.maine.gov/education/speced/macecdhome.htm
Maine Cite
http://www.mainecite.org/
Maine Math and Science Alliance
http://www.mmsa.org/
Maine Parent Federation/SPIN
http://www.mpf.org/
Maine Support Network – MSN
http://www.mainesupportnetwork.org/
Maine Transition Network/ Committee on Transition
http://me.nami.org/mtn.htm
Rural Schools Partnership
slovett@mainecenter.org
Southern Maine Parent Awareness
www.somepa.org/
Southern Maine Partnership
gcrocker@usm.maine.edu
Technical Exploration Center
eccentr@midmaine.com
21st Century Learning Centers
http://www.mainecshp.com/AfterSchool.html
University of Maine at Farmington -
Assistive Technology Resource Center
lspencin@maine.edu
Very Special Arts of Maine
http://www.vsartsmaine.org/
Western Maine Partnership- WMP
http://departments.umf.maine.edu/~wmp/