Maine\u27s Superintendents\u27 Perceptions of Proficiency-based Education and Proficiency-based Diploma Systems

Maine superintendents were invited to participate in an online survey to provide their perceptions about various policies and practices related to Maine’s proficiency-based diploma legislation

Preparing for Changes in Teacher Preparation Program Accountability: Evaluating the Factors that Influence Job Placement of Teacher Preparation Program Graduates

Teacher preparations programs are facing increased pressure to report on the outcomes of their graduates, including their job placement rates. Prior research on job placement for teachers establishes that a variety of factors are related to whether or not individuals apply for and receive jobs. This research study explored these factors through quantitative analysis of three cohorts of teacher preparation program completers within the University of Maine system, using logistic regression to identify the individual and contextual characteristics that are most predictive of job application and hiring

Study of Maine School Administrative Units\u27 Capacity to Support Preschool Education

The purpose of the survey was to determine districts’ awareness of ongoing policy conversations about transferring responsibility for preschool special education services from Child Development Services to School Administrative Units (SAUs), and to explore their current capacity to adequately oversee those programs

An Examination of the Features of Evidence-based Teacher Credentialing Systems

The first section provides background and context related to teacher preparation pathways, accountability and quality assurance at the state and national levels. This is followed by a brief description of the methods used for gathering evidence related to teacher credentials and quality teachers and teacher education. The remaining report sections provide an overview of the findings from the research literature and other published reports about the evidence base related to teacher and teacher preparation program quality. To aid in organization, the reviewed components are grouped into sections: teacher content knowledge, the clinical preparation of teachers, alternative teacher certification, and teacher candidate testing and assessment. Each section summarizes the available evidence base for the included topics, and concludes with an analysis of how the evidence relates to current practices, policies, or questions in Maine

An Examination of Using Social Impact Bonds to Fund Education in Maine

As resolved in H.P. 285 - L.D. 418 (Chapter 52) and requested by the Maine Legislature\u27s Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) has conducted a study with the purpose of examining current policies and investigating the feasibility of using Social Impact Bonds as a funding mechanism for public education programs in Maine

Implementation of Response to Intervention Programs in Maine

This current study was commissioned to assess the extent to which schools are implementing Response to Intervention in keeping with the 2012 state requirements

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

Math Pathways Reforms in Maine

This study of the math pathways movement is designed as a mini-case study to document the status of the reform in progress

Preliminary Examinations of the Relationships Between the Use Levels of Maine Learning Technology Initiative Devices and School-Level Poverty

As MLTI extends into its second decade of operation, a number of questions have emerged that require increased attention to ensure that the needs of students and teachers are being met. For example: Is there evidence of a second “digital divide”—one of skills and use—across the state of Maine? Does the socioeconomic status of students and schools in Maine influence the level of technology integration? The purpose of the present Brief was to explore these questions. To accomplish this, we examine how students’ use of technology varies by schools’ free and reduced priced lunch (FRPL) by analyzing data from student surveys that documented how devices were used for educational tasks inside and outside of their classrooms

Spring 2013 Teacher Survey: MEPRI/MLTI Middle and High School Technology Report

In the spring of 2013, the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) at the University of Southern Maine administered the annual Statewide Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) teacher survey. In addition to gathering data on continuing trends of Maine teachers’ technology implementation, new goals were identified to respond to the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) preferred solution initiative in the spring of 2013. The MDOE opted to select a preferred solution which allowed schools the autonomy to choose from among four other approved bids. In anticipation that a number of schools would choose to provide an alternative technology solution to students and teachers, MEPRI tailored the annual teacher survey to collect data for two purposes. The first purpose was to collect baseline data for schools and to inform them on their technology use to date in an individualized school profile. These individual school profiles were provided only to eligible schools for their internal use and were not published or provided to the MLTI staff. The second was a summary report that continued collecting information regarding teacher implementation of technology statewide and for State of Maine reporting purposes. This Brief includes the Summary Report and information on how survey responses were analyzed