Policy Background

• See Reaching the Tipping Point and the Snapshot of Maine (2016)
• Legislation

In 2012, the Maine legislature passed a significant education policy, L.D. 1422, that outlines expectations for children in Maine and enables proficiency-based high school diplomas.  Beginning with the class of 2015, students must demonstrate proficiency in English, math, science, social studies and health/physical education. A student may graduate at 16 years old, and stay in school until age 20. By 2018,  graduates must master additional core subjects, including career and education development, world languages, and visual and performing arts. (From American Youth Policy Forum's trip report and resources about Maine) 

Preliminary Implementation of Maine's Proficiency-based Diploma, a report by the Maine Education Policy Research Institute, provides insights into the stage of development of their personalized, proficiency-based system.  The characteristics that are outlined in the report can be helpful to districts and states that are involved in planning or early implementation.  The second part of the report, Implementation of a Proficiency‐Based Diploma System in Maine: Phase II - District Level Analysis was released January 2014. Here is link to third part of the series. The fourth part of the series Proficiency-based High School Diploma Systems in Maine was released April 2016.  Here is the link to the fifth report on special education and CTE.

Legislation

In 2016 Maine revisited the graduation requirements. Here is an article explaining. Here are final changes.

Strategic Direction 

Maine has developed a strategic plan, Education Evolving: Maine's Plan for Putting Learners First. The plan is shaped around five priority areas that address the elements of building an education system focused on the needs of all learners:

• Effective, Learner-Centered Instruction
• Great Teachers and Leaders
• Multiple Pathways for Learner Achievement
• Comprehensive School and Community Supports
• Coordinated and Effective State Support

Many schools are implementing proficiency-based learning in an effort to customize learning.

Creating Common Structures and Understanding

• Maine Dept. of Education glossary of definitions

Higher Education

• Maine is in the process of aligning K-12 and higher education around proficiency-based pathways. Districts have been in discussion with all admission directors, a workshop was held by DOE for deans of colleges of education, and a summit was held for all college presidents to discuss key issues with the commissioner. Maine is now seeking formal statement/pledges from higher education institutions to ensure that a proficiency-based diploma will not disadvantage any applicant from Maine schools being admitted to their institution.

           Further Reading

• Will Maine Stay the Course?
• Maine: At the Forefront of Proficiency-Based Learning

Districts may use proficiency- or time-based credits. Beginning in 2017, all high school diplomas must be proficiency-based (students will earn credits, but those credits will be issued primarily based on proficiency). (CFAT 50 State Scan of Course Credit Policies 2013)

Possible change in graduation requirements? Feb 2016 bill submitted for math, ELA and two domains of student choice.

Video by CCSSO

Networks

• Member, ACHIEVE Competency-based Pathways State Partnership network, 2014
• Maine Cohort for Customized Learning
• CCSSO Innovation Lab Network
• New England Secondary Schools Consortium 

Resources 

• Innovation Lab Network
• Maine's Center for Best Practice
• Youtube videos and case studies 
• Educate Learning Management System: 28 school districts are using Educate to monitor progress

• Personalized Learning -- Maine Style, Educational Leadership, Summer 2014 

• Implementation of a Proficiency-Based Diploma System: Early Experiences in Maine

• Preliminary Implementation of Maine's Proficiency-Based Diploma Program

• MEPRI Proficiency Diploma Report 2015 (This is the technical report. A public report will be released fall 2015.)

• Educate Maine's Education Indicators (2015)

Districts and Schools

• Auburn - article 2017
  

• Biddeford School District: Never Unpack Alone (Nov 2015)

• Creating a Peer Coaching Program to Grow Student-Centered Learning (Part 1)

• Creating a Peer Coaching Program to Grow Student-Centered Learning (Part 2) 

• Portland
• King Middle School
• Casco Bay - Four part series on CompetencyWorks Nov 2015. Part One for Tips and Takeaways, Part Two for Learning as Exploration, Part Three for the What and How of Learning and Part Four  Tips and Takeaways. Also highlighted in Making Mastery Work and also Inside Mastery Based High Schools: Profiles and Conversations by Springpoint. 
• Sophomore Precalculus standards
• Sophomore Algebra standards
• ELA Standards + example of performance task with rubric
• Lewiston High School - article PBL wasn't going well now better? (Jan 2016)

• Regional School Unit 2, Hallowell -- full K-12 is PBE (RISC network) - highlighted in Inside Mastery Based High Schools: Profiles and Conversations by Springpoint. 

• Preparing to “Turn the Switch” to a Proficiency-Based Learning System 

• Regional School Unit 3, Unity (RISC network)
• MSAD 6 - Noble High School.
• Noble High School: Creating Timely, Differentiated Supports 
• Click here for rubrics
•  RSU 9 - developing infrastructure of learning 8/15
• Regional School Unit 12, Sheepscot Valley Regional School (RISC network) 
• Regional School Unit 14, Windham Raymond School District – Windham (RISC network)
• RSU Students Now Proficiency Based
• MSAD 15 Gray -New Gloucester (See Making Mastery Work and webinar) (RISC network)
• MSAD 25 Washburn -- policies including close up to habits of work (added 2017)
• Regional School Unit 18 (RISC network)
• Regional School Unit 20, Searsport District High School   
• RSU 24: Sally Leighton has agreed to be interim principal at the Peninsula School in Gouldsboro. She was hired because of her depth of knowledge on PBE.
• RSU 25: Bill Tracy has been hired as principal at Bucksport High School (May 2015) -- part of the reason given was that he was one of the first teachers to fully adopt it in his classroom. 
• Regional School Unit 57, Waterboro Elementary
• Auburn School Department, Auburn
• Video prepared by students
• Sanford School Department, Sanford 
• MSAD 35 - Berwick, article (Jan 2016)

Higher Education

• UMPI 
• Article 2017 on helping grow economy
  
• Article on UMPI using PBL to improve graduation rates (2017)

In the News

• NPR on Oak Hill Physical Education (2017)
• Article on diploma and students in special education (2017)
  
• Five more Maine HS on list of best high schools -- 
  
• Maine Chamber of Commerce in support of proficiency-based learning (May 15)
  
• Online school adds new twists to public education in Maine, July 2014
• Why can Maine students still graduate high school without knowing basic skills? March 2014
• University of Maine at Presque Island moving to proficiency-based system, Feb. 2014 
• Maine schools using the model, April 2013
• Learning in a new light, March 2012
• Following the movement, March 2012
• Student choice at center of proficiency-based learning, March 2012
• A transformation for teachers, March 2012
• New England embracing new standards, March 2012
• Data on new system limited, March 2012
• Rushed or cautious? March 2012
  
  

Blog Posts by Maine educators or about Maine

• Must Watch: Maine DOE Videos on Customized Learning
• A Powerful Letter of Reflection and Gratitude
• Assessment at the Center
• Measure What Matters
• Three Big Takeaways From Maine
• Student-centered Learning at Michigan's Education Achievement Authority
• ReInventing Schools at the District Level

Road Trip to Maine Series 

• Biddeford School District: Never Unpack Alone
• Casco Bay High School: Tips and Takeaways
• Casco Bay High School: Learning as Exploration
• Casco Bay High School: The What and HOW of Learning
• Casco Bay High School: We Will Shape our School by our Learning
• Noble High School: Creating Timely, Differentiated Supports
• Deer Isle-Stonington High School: Turning Around the Culture
• Deer Island-Stonington High School: Breathing Life into the Standards
• Deer Isle-Stonington High School: Takeaways and Burning Questions
• RSU2: Entering a New Stage in Building a High Quality Proficiency-Based District
• RSU2: Continuous Improvement at Richmond Middle and High School
• RSU2: Moving Beyond Grade-Driven Learning
• RSU2: Moving Beyond the Test Score with Hope
• Wells High School: The Timeline to Transformation
• University of Maine at Presque Isle: Moving at the Speed of Light
• UMPI: Faculty Perspective
• University of Maine at Presque Isle: Eliminating Remediation
• Northern Maine Education Collaborative: High Aspirations

Collegiate Support and the Proficiency Pledge

• Central Maine Community College
• Eastern Maine Community College
• Husson University
• Kennebec Valley Community College
• Maine Community College System
• Northern Maine Community College
• Southern Maine Community College
• Thomas College
• Unity College
• University of Maine
• University of Maine at Augusta
• University of Maine at Farmington
• University of Maine at Fort Kent
• University of Maine at Machias
• University of Maine at Presque Isle
• University of Maine System
• University of Southern Maine
• Washington County Community College
• York County Community College