Education Commons^™

Teacher Judgment Accuracy In The Domain Of Spelling, April Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated first and second grade teachers’ understanding of their students’ skill in spelling words of varying difficulty. Specifically, teachers judged their students’ item- by-item performance on a twelve-item spelling test adapted from a commercially available developmental spelling inventory. Results showed that teachers’ judgments were accurate 77% of the time, a figure similar to accuracy levels reported in previous teacher judgment research in the area of literacy. The study also included an error analysis task that was designed to assess teachers’ knowledge of developmental spelling. Results revealed a significant relationship (r = .42) between teacher judgment accuracy and performance …

Learning Ideas - Understanding Accessible Educational Materials (Aem) And Their Use: Tips For K-12 Educators, University Of Maine Center For Community Inclusion And Disability Studies

Professional Development

Students arrive in classrooms with a variety of skills, interests and needs. For many learners, the typical curriculum—including instructional methods, classroom materials, and assessments of knowledge—may contain barriers to educational participation and achievement. Students who are unable to access print materials face particular challenges. Accessible educational materials reduce barriers and provide rich supports for learning. By using accessible educational materials, educators enable all learners to gain knowledge, skills and enthusiasm for learning.

Educational Videos About Restraint And Seclusion, Jodie Hall

Poster Presentations

The Coalition Against Restraint and Seclusion (C.A.R.S.) is a group of stakeholders whose mission is to prevent the overuse of restraint and seclusion within the educational setting. As part of Jodie Hall’s training with the New Hampshire-Maine LEND Program, she worked with C.A.R.S. to update their resources and parent education materials. This poster presentation reports on the outcome of her work and the development of a series of short informational videos which may be accessed via the internet.

The Hidden Nature Of Whiteness In Education: Creating Active Allies In White Teachers, Megan E. Lynch

Journal of Educational Supervision

Norms of whiteness are pervasive throughout schooling in the United States (Tanner, 2017). Critical whiteness studies (Kincheloe, 1998) and second-wave White teacher identity studies (Jupp & Lensmire, 2016) provides relevant insight into the thoughts and experiences of White preservice and in-service teachers. This paper draws on the literature to explain the author’s varied personal experiences with whiteness in education. It is the author’s hope that the experiences shared will resonate with readers and complicate and/or support racialized experiences in education. The goal of this paper is also to put forth the argument that in order for teacher supervisors to develop …

Proficiency-Based High School Diploma Systems In Maine: Educator Perceptions Of Implementation, Amy Johnson, Erika Stump

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

No abstract provided.

Exploring Innovative Models For School_Leadership In Maine, Janet C. Fairman, Ian M. Mette

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

No abstract provided.

Proficiency-Based High School Diploma Systems In Maine Educator Perceptions Of Implementation, Amy F. Johnson, Erika Stump

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

In 2012, the Maine legislature passed a bill requiring public school districts to implement proficiency-based high school diploma requirements. Amendments were passed in subsequent years, and several additional bills related to this policy were introduced in the most recent 128th Legislative Session in early 2018. These bills were considered by the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, but have not yet had final action by the full Maine legislature at the time of this report's publication. Beginning in 2012, the Maine Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs has annually requested that the Maine Education Policy …

A Multiple Case Study Of Secondary School Teachers' Understanding Of Learning Relationships In Virtual Schools: Implications For Teacher Identity, Linda M. Fuller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is now a strong presence of virtual schools in the United States serving K-12 students, along with increased opportunities for brick-and-mortar students to take virtual courses (Ash, 2011; Luo, Hibbard, Franklin, & Moore, 2017). Research into the human impact of virtual education is not keeping pace (Gulosino & Miron, 2017; Rice et al., 2014). This study focused on the experiences and insights of virtual teachers in terms of their relationships with learners as well as on potential changes in their sense of professional identity as they moved from one setting to the other. During a series of three individual, …

Teacher Performance Evaluation And Professional Growth In The Era Of "Educator Effectiveness" In Maine, Jonathan E. Doty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maine is one of many states that undertook reform to teacher supervision and evaluation in the wake of public attention (e.g., Waiting for Superman) and federal pressure (e.g., NCLB Flexibility Waivers). The Maine Legislature passed An Act to Ensure Effective Teaching and School Leadership (2012), shifting from local discretion to greater state influence on the functions of formative supervision and summative evaluation. As school districts created systems to meet the state’s mandates, they combined growth and employment functions and navigated persistent challenges described in the literature on evaluation and supervision.

The purpose of this study was to examine perspectives …

Deciphering Climate-Driven Changes In Planktonic Diatom Communities In Lake Superior, Amy Kireta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is affecting lake systems throughout the world, including Lake Superior, the world’s largest lake by surface area. Climate-driven physical changes in Lake Superior are well documented, but there is still substantial uncertainty of how recent biological changes are related to climate change. This research addresses these uncertainties using a variety of approaches to understand the effects of modern climate-driven changes on Lake Superior diatom communities. First, I developed models for environmental variables related to diatom abundance using 10 years of summer monitoring data. Second, I investigated changes in fossilized diatom relative abundances before, during, and after the Medieval …

Teacher Turnover In Maine: Analysis Of Staffing Patterns 2005-06 To 2016-17, Lisa Morris, Amy Johnson

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

There have long been anecdotal reports that some Maine districts have difficulty filling vacancies and retaining teachers. This is a common lament for schools in rural areas, and for schools across the state in hiring teachers for certain subject areas-namely math, science, special education, and foreign languages. Current policy initiatives in Maine such as the push for proficiency-based high school diplomas are raising the stakes for schools to employ high-quality teachers in all content areas. There is a concern that schools facing persistent teacher shortages may struggle to provide a comprehensive educational program, resulting in inequitable learning opportunities for their …

A Review Of Standardized Testing Practices And Perceptions In Maine, Janet C. Fairman, Amy Johnson, Ian M. Mette, Garry Wickerd, Sharon Labrie

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

The Maine Legislature requested the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) to conduct an assessment of standardized testing in Maine schools to understand the amount, cost, and usefulness of it. This report summarizes the resulting effort, which included a literature scan, document analysis, and surveys of two groups of school practitioners (testing administrators and teachers) to analyze the amount of time Maine students spend on testing, the types of tests administered, and whether the results are perceived as useful for school practitioners. The scope of the study did not include viewpoints from policymakers who use test results for accountability purposes, …

Educational Videos About Restraint And Seclusion, Jodie Hall

Poster Presentations

The Coalition for Restraint and Seclusion (C.A.R.S.) is a group of stakeholders whose mission is to prevent the overuse of restraints and seclusion within the educational setting. As part of my training with the New Hampshire-Maine Leadership in Education in Neurodevelopmental Related Disabilities Program (LEND), I have been working with C.A.R.S. to update their resources and parent education materials. We created a series of short informational videos which will be accessed via the internet, in order to provide materials which are easily digestible and accessible for parents. My poster will provide descriptions of the content included in each of the …

Mobility In Maine Schools: Impact On Student Performance And Proficiency, Craig A. Mason, Shihfen Tu

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

No abstract provided.

Proficiency-Based High School Diploma Systems In Maine: Getting To Graduation, Erika K. Stump, Bernadette Doykos, Maria Rios Branche

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

In the 127th Maine State Legislative Session, "An Act to Implement Certain Recommendations of the Maine Proficiency Education Council" (S.P. 660 -- L.D. 1627) was passed into law as Chapter 489. This amended the chaptered law passed in 2012, "An Act to Prepare Maine People for the Future Economy" (S.P.439 -- L.D.1422), requiring public school districts to implement proficiency-based high school diploma requirements and standards-based education systems. Beginning in 2012, the Maine Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs has annually requested that the Maine Education Policy Research Institute's (MEPRI) work plan include empirical research studies designed to …

Study Of A Regional Approach For Delivering Special Education Programs And Services In Maine, Janet C. Fairman, Mary Ellen Seymour

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

No abstract provided.

Proficiency-Based High School Diploma Systems In Maine: Getting To Graduation, Erika Stump, Bernadette Doykos, Maria Rios Brache

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

No abstract provided.