Interplay Between Mediation and Offer of Judgment Rule Sanctions

Published in cooperation with the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolutio

PreK Special Education Inclusion Practices in Maine: And Exploratory Study of Three Districts

This study was conducted amid growing national and state concerns about the support for inclusion of students with special education needs in PreK education programs

PreK Special Education Inclusion Practices in Maine: An Exploratory Study of Three Districts

The question of how to best meet the social and emotional needs of PreK students in Maine has been a legislative focus in recent years, including two attempts to convene legislative task forces to restructure the provision of special education services for children aged 3 to 5. This Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) study sought to address the research gap on PreK special education inclusion. Specifically, this study sought to learn more about current practices and views regarding the inclusion of special education students in public PreK programs, what challenges schools and teachers face in serving these children, and what additional resources such as training, equipment or personnel are needed to serve these students effectively. Research questions guiding this study included: (1) What are the school\u27s current practices regarding PreK special education inclusion; (2) What challenges are there in identifying and serving students with challenging behaviors or special needs within the PreK program; (3) What additional resources do schools need to identify and serve the needs of students with special needs in their PreK programs; and (4) What impacts do schools perceive from their participation in Maine\u27s Public Preschool Inclusion Cohort Training and Technical Assistance program? This small exploratory study used qualitative research methods including interviews with district and school administrators and PreK teachers and coordinators from four schools and three districts participating in the MDOE\u27s Public Preschool Inclusion Project. A total of eight interviews were conducted involving 12 individuals in fall 2018. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data analysis included case summaries of each school around the research questions, and identification of themes and patterns across the four participating schools. Findings are described in this report related to the broad research questions framing this inquiry While this study may not have identified the full range of PreK education practices nor all challenges schools face, the authors feel confident that the findings are fairly representative of experiences and concerns shared by other schools in the state. Interview questions for the study are appended

Bounded Model Checking of State-Space Digital Systems: The Impact of Finite Word-Length Effects on the Implementation of Fixed-Point Digital Controllers Based on State-Space Modeling

The extensive use of digital controllers demands a growing effort to prevent design errors that appear due to finite-word length (FWL) effects. However, there is still a gap, regarding verification tools and methodologies to check implementation aspects of control systems. Thus, the present paper describes an approach, which employs bounded model checking (BMC) techniques, to verify fixed-point digital controllers represented by state-space equations. The experimental results demonstrate the sensitivity of such systems to FWL effects and the effectiveness of the proposed approach to detect them. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first contribution tackling formal verification through BMC of fixed-point state-space digital controllers.Comment: International Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering 201

Recommendations and Resources for Evaluating Community School Programs

The legislative definition of “community schools” is intentionally broad and anticipates the possibility that community schools might vary significantly in their locally-developed goals and intervention programs. The needs of students and their families may vary by community, as does the array of existing resources available in the surrounding area. This leads to a broad set of possible strategies that may imply different expected outcomes and evaluation processes. The grant program requires pilot schools to meet certain application criteria. Applications require schools to submit an audit or needs assessment, a community resources assessment, an outline of plans and goals based on the needs assessment and developed in collaboration with community partners, and a budget. Schools that receive awards will be required to develop an evaluation plan and to submit program evaluation reports to the Maine Department of Education (MDOE). This report is intended to assist schools in developing an evaluation plan that is feasible, cost efficient, and useful for informing whether their programs are providing expected results

Allocation of Federal Title IA Funds Under ESSA: Issues and Recommendations

This report highlights some issues the Department may wish to consider in those future analyses and discussions. Concluding with suggestions for options to test out when more years of current assessment data are available, in addition to other suggestions from the ESSA Advisory Group that are already planned for future consideration

The Every Student Succeeds Act: A Summary of Federal Policy and Implications for Maine

Part I summarizes key topics of federal education policy articulating accountability requirements for state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs, or school districts). In that section we describe major goals of the legislation and which components are the same or changed in the federal law. The findings are grouped into nine topic areas, so that readers may more easily find information on areas of particular interest. We also provide short excerpts from key sections of the law for reference at the end of each topic section. Part II describes specific goals and changes in both the structure of federal funding programs and anticipated funding levels for selected programs. That section is organized by the numbered entitlement programs. Funding for some initiatives has been shifted from one block grant program to another and, in other areas, states will have more flexibility to choose how federal funds are spent