Current through 2024-13, March 27, 2024
3.1 These
procedures are to be used with the standards found in Section
2, for the review and approval of
programs preparing professionals for all categories of certification.
"Educational personnel" encompasses all categories of professional personnel
certified for service in Maine schools.
3.2 Educator Preparation Programs
a) A preparation program for educational
personnel will meet the state-adopted standards and will allow an accredited
degree-granting unit to recommend its graduates for certification. The
applicant program will identify the professional roles for which the program is
designed. The graduates recommended by the Dean or director of the program will
receive certification which reflects the nature of their preparation and
program recommendation.
b)
Candidates who graduate from units without state approved programs, including
alternate routes certification, shall access initial certification by the
process of transcript analysis through recognized coursework status set forth
in section 3.9 or upon graduation from programs accredited by nationally
recognized accreditation agencies as set forth in section 3.8. Such units will
work with Department personnel to move to approved program status.
c) All units preparing professional educators
for certification, including alternate routes to certification, shall have
approved programs. Program approval recommendation will be the avenue by which
those persons who successfully complete the approved program will be
recommended for certification in the appropriate categories for which the unit
is approved.
3.3
Addressing Program Standards
a)
The request for program approval should be directed to the Commissioner, who in
turn will notify the State Board of Education of the intent to seek approval of
a new or existing program. The request for initial program approval shall be
made at least six four (4) months prior to the proposed on site
inspection.
b) The request shall
contain a brief and explicit description of the programs. The request shall be
signed by the Executive Officer of the unit involved. Such signature shall be
the assurance that the governing body of the applicant unit has approved the
request for program approval. In the case of a consortium, the governing body
of each unit, through the chief Executive Officer, shall indicate its approval
of the program approval request. The request shall identify a program liaison
person who will serve as the contact person and in a coordinating role for the
request on behalf of the program.
3.4
Preparation of the Self
Assessment
a) The unit shall address
the program approval standards through a self assessment. The applicant will
describe its goals and objectives within the program components and will
identify the extent to which its goals and objectives have been achieved. The
Program Approval Handbook will provide the applicant with additional
information and guidance.
b) The
self assessment shall provide information, evidence, and data descriptive of
the request in terms of the six (6) program standards. The self assessment
document may also include other relevant information and data as may be
necessary to support the program request.
c) Innovative Practices. The unit shall work
cooperatively with P-12 school administrative unit personnel in establishing
technical assistance services for the implementation of innovative
instructional practices for Maine's Learning Results Standards the use of
technology and innovative ways to address diverse populations. Those field
experiences shall reflect the following:
1)
Planned technical assistance is provided by the unit through local
collaboratives which focus on curriculum, instruction, and staff
development.
2) Comprehensive
field-based programs are promoted in which the unit assists local schools with
the implementation of innovative school improvement and development
strategies.
3) The unit in
collaboration with local schools conducts field-based research regularly. The
focus of this activity is to promote effective practices in the classroom,
building and district.
d) The unit shall have two (2) options by
which the program approval visit will be conducted. The options are as follows:
1)
On-Site Visit: The On-Site
Review Team will consist of 4-5 team members, plus the MDOE consultant and a
State Board of Education Observer. The size will depend on the context and
complexity of each professional education unit.
i. An on-site visit by the State Board
approved review team will commence mid-day on a Sunday and will end by mid-day
on a Wednesday when the unit's candidates and faculty will be on campus.
ii. Prior to arrival on the unit's
campus the review team will read and weigh the unit's self assessment against
the applicable candidate and program standards contained in this rule.
iii. During the on-site visit the
review team will look to affirm that the unit meets the applicable standards
and is committed to continuous improvement. This process will involve
examination of the unit's exhibits, as referenced in the self assessment
document; individual and group interviews, both on-and-off-campus; observation
of educator preparation classes; observation and interaction with candidates
and cooperating teachers in clinical practice settings.
iv. Through Team consensus building meetings
it will be determined whether the unit has met the applicable standards.
v. During an Exit Conference the
Team's findings and next steps in the review process will be shared with unit
representatives. With the exit conference the on-site visit is brought to a
close.
The on-site review process, which will depend on the context
and complexity of each professional education unit, is outlined below:
Schedule
| Unit submits self study report |
Initial: 4 months before the onsite visit Renewal: 2
months before on-site visit |
| Review Team formed and State Board approved |
Up to 1 month following submission of Unit's self study
|
| Pre-visit conducted with applicant Unit Head and other
unit representatives |
By Review Team Chair and Department's liaison consultant
30 days prior to Review Team's on-site visit |
| Review Team conducts on-site visit |
Team visit from Sunday noon to late morning Wednesday
when students, faculty, administration and cooperating teachers and
administrators are available |
2)
Off-Site and On-Site Visit:
Approved by the State Board to provide formative feedback to
professional education units before the on-site visit, an Off-Site Team will
review the Unit's self assessment report, exhibits, Title II data, and
appropriate other reports.
i. The Off-Site
Review Team will consist of 4-5 team members, plus the MDOE consultant and a
State Board of Education Observer. The size will depend on the context and
complexity of each professional education unit. The Off-Site Review Team and
the On-Site Review Team members will be the same throughout the review
process.
ii. The off-site review
will be conducted electronically approximately 1-3 months after the Unit's self
study has been submitted to the Higher Education Specialist at the Maine
Department of Education.
iii. The
electronic meeting of the Offsite Review Team will be conducted via conference
call or some other medium. All team members must have access to the MDOE's
limited access site and the Unit's electronic exhibits during the meeting. The
meeting will be scheduled for four (4) hours and adjusted as needed for each
review.
iv. The Off-site Team will
review the Unit's self study and supporting evidence by standard and discusses
areas of concern related to each standard.
v. The Unit head should be available to
answer inquiries from the Offsite Review Team as needed during the team's
electronic meeting.
Off-Site Review Team Feedback Report
The Off-site Review Team will prepare a Feedback Report that
provides the following information for the Unit as it prepares for its on-site
visit. (The Unit will have the opportunity to respond to any areas of concern
in a self study Addendum that should be available to the Onsite Review Team one
to two months before the onsite visit.)
a. Statement about the evidence.
i. Does the evidence make the case that
standards continue to be met?
ii.
What, if any, key evidence was not available to the Team?
b. Comments on the Unit's progress toward
meeting the target level on one or more standards.
c. Feedback on correcting previous areas for
improvements.
d. List of areas of
concern related to continuing to meet a standard.
e. List of evidence for the On-site Review
Team to validate during the onsite visit.
The Off-Site, On-Site review process, which will depend on
the context and complexity of each professional education unit, is outlined
below:
Schedule
| Unit submits Self Study Report |
6 months before the onsite visit |
| Offsite Review Team meets electronically |
1-3 months after Unit's Self Study is submitted |
| Review Team's Feedback Report is posted on MDOE
(available on limited access site) |
Generally within 1-2 weeks after Offsite Review Team
meeting |
| Unit submits self study Addendum, which responds to the
Review Team's Feedback Report |
On-site pre-visit with the Review Team Chair and the
MDOE consultant - 30 days before the onsite visit, self study Addendum must be
available |
| Review Team conducts on-site visit |
Team visit from Sunday noon to late morning Tuesday -
students, faculty, administration, cooperating teachers and administrators must
be available |
Staff Support to the Offsite Review Team
The MDOE consultant will provide Offsite Review Teams
advice, give guidance, and explain how other teams have handled similar
situations.
The MDOE consultant may provide additional information
to the Offsite Review Team, including explanations of problems related to
standards that a Unit may be experiencing.
Training of Offsite Review Team Members
Review Team members will receive appropriate training
on the process which may include web seminars.
3.5
Identification and Preparation of the Visitation Team
a) The Commissioner shall select the Review
Team members and shall submit these names to the unit for its approval to
ensure that no selected member presents a conflict of interests. The list of
potential members of a visitation team shall be submitted to the State Board
for approval prior to the visitation. The size of the team will depend on the
context and complexity of each professional education unit. For each program
approval visit a member of the State Board of Education will be designated by
the Board Chair to serve on the review team as a Board Observer. Team
membership shall be broadly representative of those areas affected by the
program and shall include one or more classroom teachers, when possible, and
one or more education faculty members. Team members will receive training
appropriate to the conduct of their role.
b) The Review Team chair, shall be designated
by the Commissioner and approved by the State Board. The Review Team
chairperson and the Department liaison person shall ensure that team members
have the materials necessary to conduct the review.
c) Before the on-site visit, the Department
shall conduct a preliminary visit to:
1) gain
information about the program so that the assignments of team members can be
made;
2) develop a schedule
identifying the major commitments, interviews, and team meetings
3) request work space and equipment;
and
4) set the dates of the
visitation with the number of days based upon the scope of the request. The
duration of each visit will be appropriate to the size of the unit.
3.6
The Team
Visitation
The purpose of the visitation is to review the self
assessment document in the context of the six standards and develop the
information and database upon which a team recommendation of approval status
can be made to the State Board of Education. Information and data for the
review and in support of the recommendations are to be developed through the
interviews, study of facilities, curricula and other relevant reports and
information, and observations the team members make during the visitation. A
Summary Review session shall be conducted with team members and program staff
members present so that both parties are aware of the conclusions that have
been reached and the approval status to be recommended to the State Board of
Education by the team. It is also an opportunity for both program staff and
team members to question and to identify any items which should be the subject
of some further clarification and to identify the specific steps which should
be completed before the Chairperson drafts the final team
report.
3.7
The Team
Report
a) Following completion of the
visitation, it is the responsibility of the chairp to write a draft of the
final team report and share it with the team members for comment and
suggestions. The chair shall send a copy of the final draft of the team report
to the applicant unit for only corrections of factual errors.
b) The final team report shall respond to
each of the six (6) program standards. Each of the six (6) sections shall be
organized into two sub-sections.
1) a
sub-section narrative which identifies the validation activities and
observations of the team members with reference to the specific areas of the
self assessment validated and/or not validated; and
2) a sub-section which identifies specific
program commendations and the recommendations governing program adjustments and
program modifications in accordance with the State Program Approval Standards
and in the context of the self assessment.
c) The final section of the report shall
contain a specific team recommendation as to the approval status to be
recommended by the team to the State Board of Education.
d) The final team report shall be completed
by the chairp within 60 days of the conclusion of the visitation. Upon
completion of the final team report, copies will be furnished to the director
of the applicant program, to the Commissioner and to the members of the
team.
3.8
Joint
Program Approval
1)In lieu of meeting
the standards for approval contained in Standards two (2) through six (6), in
Section
2 of this rule, preparation programs
may obtain approval for purposes of Maine Department of Education Regulation
115 under the following circumstances:
a) The
applicant unit is nationally accredited by the National Council for the
Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Teacher Education Accreditation
Council (TEAC), or the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
(CAEP).
b) The applicant is
accredited by another national accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.
S. Department of Education and whose standards have been approved by the State
Board of Education. The method of State participation includes the
following:
c) A joint visitation by
State representatives and the accrediting authority will provide the basis for
decisions of both state program approval and national accreditation. This
process will result in a recommendation to the State Board and a report to the
accrediting authority.
2)
The State Board policies
establishing team composition and procedures are:
a) use team members selected by the
Commissioner and approved by the unit ensuring that no team members present a
conflict of interest. These team members shall be submitted to and approved by
the Board prior to visitation;
b)
use team members who are broadly representative of those areas affected by the
program and shall in all cases include one or more classroom teachers, when
possible, and one or more education faculty members;
c) use team members who have been trained and
have knowledge of the process of program evaluation according to State Board
and accrediting authority standards
d) seek to achieve a balance in committee
membership to include representatives from units of higher education, public
schools, state education agencies, subject matter personnel and practitioners;
and
e) assign appropriate and
adequate teams for the size of the unit, the scope and the tasks necessary.
1) Each State team member and State team
chair will be approved by both the State Board and the accrediting
authority.
2) The State team
members will be trained in the application of the accrediting authority unit
Standards and accrediting authority team members will be trained in the
application of the State Board standards set forth in standards one (1) through
six (6 ) of Section
2 of this rule.
3) The curriculum for educators must be in
compliance with Maine Department of Education Regulation 115.
4) Upon completion of the visitation, the
joint team shall send the Department full copies of all reports issued by it to
the unit under review, plus any response submitted by the unit, any rejoinder
by the joint team, and any further reports and correspondence relating to the
merits of the review;
f)
The Commissioner shall forward the materials received from the joint team to
the State Board along with a recommended disposition. On the basis of the
documents and information received from the Commissioner, and any other
pertinent information, the State Board shall approve, approve with conditions,
or deny approval to a preparation program. This final decision rests solely
with the State Board.
3.9
Recognized Coursework Status
Coursework taken at a unit not approved under this rule may
be recognized for purposes of certification by individual evaluation under
Maine Department of Education Regulation 115 if:
a) The unit is accredited pursuant to Maine
Department of Education Regulation 115; and
b) The unit has demonstrated compliance with
Subsection
2 (Standard 2.1 Initial Teacher
Candidate Performance, Standard 2.3 - Field Experiences and Clinical Practice,
Standard 2.5 - Faculty Qualifications, Performance and Development, Standard
2.6 - Unit Governance and Resources) with respect to each certificate as to
which recognized coursework status is sought. Evidence of compliance submitted
by the unit shall be reviewed by the Department liaison person rather than by a
visitation team as provided in section 3.2 of this rule. However, the
Commissioner's designee, with the assistance of such additional personnel as is
required, may visit the unit to review the evidence
submitted.
3.10
Introduction of New Programs and/or Major Revisions to Existing
Programs
Units with approved programs may seek approval for new
programs or for major revisions to existing programs during the term of an
approval cycle. The procedures for seeking approval in either situation are as
follows:
a) Introduction of new
programs. In the event that a unit introduces a new program,
| . . . (in an application for State program
approval) the unit shall provide documentation that the new program
demonstrates compliance with Subsection
2 (Standard 2.1 - Initial Teacher
(Educator) Candidate Performance, Standard 2.3 - Field Experiences and Clinical
Practice, Standard 2.5 - Faculty Qualifications, Performance and Development,
Standard 2.6 - Unit Governance and Resources) with respect to each endorsement
and/or certificate as to which approval is sought. |
Evidence of compliance shall be reviewed by the
Commissioner's designee rather than by a visitation team as provided in section
3.2 of this rule. However, the Commissioner's designee, with the assistance of
such additional personnel as are required, may visit the unit to review the
evidence submitted.
b)
Major revisions to existing approved programs. In the event that a unit makes
major revisions to an existing approved program the unit shall provide
documentation that the program revisions are in compliance with the standards
utilized for the current approval status. Evidence of compliance shall be
reviewed by the Department liaison person rather than by a visitation team as
provided in section 3.2 of this rule. However, the Department liaison person,
with the assistance of such additional personnel as (s)he requires, may visit
the institute to review the evidence submitted.
3.11
Action by the State Board of
Education
a) The Commissioner shall
direct the preparation of the State Board of Education presentation on the
unit's request. The presentation shall include the self assessment document for
initial approval or the Status Report for renewal, the final Review Team report
and any supplemental information and evidence relevant to the applicant
program. The review Team chairperson and the unit liaison person, or their
designees, shall represent the Review Team at the State Board of Education
meetings and hearings relevant to approval.
b) The applicant program may file with the
Review Team chairperson and the Commissioner additional information or a
clarifying statement with reference to the Review Team report and its
recommendations at least fifteen (15) days prior to the action of the State
Board of Education on the request.
c) Final action of the State Board of
Education shall be based upon submission and review of the program approval
request, the self assessment document and the final Review Team report,
included in the Presentation described in Section 3.7(a), above.
d) Approval shall be granted by the State
Board of Education in one of the following categories:
1)
Seven (7) year approval. To
be approved in this category the unit must be nationally accredited by NCATE
(the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education); by TEAC (the
Teacher Education Accreditation Council); by the Council for Accreditation of
Educator Preparation (CAEP); or any successor national accrediting entity that
is recognized by the US Secretary of Education. [In the prior version of
Chapter 114 this item appeared as 2) - it has been moved to 1].
2)
Five (5) year approval. If
approved in this category, the unit must submit an annual program update, not
to exceed five (5) pages, summarizing yearly data, changes, additions and
deletions using a template provided by the Department. This update must be
submitted by April 7th of each calendar year. [In
the prior version of Chapter 114 this item appeared as 1) - it has been moved
to 2].
3)
Two (2) year
approval. If approved in this category, the unit must submit a report,
which addresses the weaknesses identified in the Team Report the date to be
determined by the Board, that addresses the standard(s) found to be in need of
improvement in the Review Team Report. The Interim Report will serve as the
basis for either: full program approval or a re-visit by the Review Team to
determine eligibility for full program approval status. Depending upon the
severity and/or the continuation of the weaknesses identified in the Interim
Report, a conditionally approved unit may be required to develop and submit a
full self assessment before a re-visit by a Review Team is conducted. The unit
report will serve as the basis for the Board's decision to extend the current
approval period to five years or to determine whether a re-visit to the unit
needs to be conducted by a Board approved review team.
4)
Approval denied for cause.
Units denied approval may not reapply for one year following such action by the
State Board of Education.
e)
Requests for extensions for existing
approval, due to extraordinary circumstances, may be granted at the
discretion of the State Board of Education; however, such extensions shall not
extend the date when the subsequent approval is due. The Board will only
consider such requests in emergency situations.
3.12
Annual Program Update
Approved programs must submit an annual program update to the
Commissioner by April 7th of each year. The program
update should not exceed five (5) pages in length and will summarize yearly
data, changes, additions, trends and deletions. The program update is to be
submitted on forms provided by the Department.
3.13
Savings Clause
a)
Programs. All programs
approved by the State Board of Education shall retain their approved status
until expiration of the approval or accreditation cycle currently in effect
except when conditions warrant reconsideration of prior approval. These
conditions include discontinuance of instruction or designation as a
low-performing program.
b)
Students. Students matriculated in an approved program are
eligible upon graduation to apply for initial certification under Maine
Department of Education Regulation 115 as long as the program remains approved
at time of graduation.
3.14
Costs Supported by the Department
of Education
The following costs of the program approval process shall be
the responsibility of the Department of Education:
a) The expenses required to create, maintain,
administer, and train a cadre of State Board approved qualified individuals to
serve on Review Teams.
3.15
Costs Supported by the Unit
In addition to all materials preparation and documentation
costs, the following costs of the program approval process shall be the
responsibility of the unit:
a) Travel,
meals, and overnight expenses of the members of the Review Teams in accordance
with the same guidelines as apply to the unit;
b) On-site costs of secretarial and clerical
help to be used for activities related to the review such as: photocopying,
faxing and other related services.
c) Travel and overnight expenses of the State
Board Observer will be covered by the State Board of
Education.
3.16
Appeals
a) The applicant unit has
three appeal routes:
1)
Administrative
- Procedural Appeal
At any point through the completion of the final Review Team
report, the applicant unit may file an appeal of any procedural matter governed
by sections 3.4, 3.5, 3.6 and 3.7 of this rule in writing directly to the
Commissioner of Education. Such appeal must be made within five (5) days of the
time of the action in question. At the discretion of the Commissioner, the
processing of the request for approval may be delayed pending resolution of the
issue in question. When the processing is delayed, every effort shall be made
to resolve the question within ten (10) days. In all cases, requests and
decisions must be made in writing but in no case shall any procedural appeal be
made a part of the report for action by the State Board of Education except at
the request of the applicant unit.
2)
Substantive Review
In cases when the applicant unit wishes to question formally
the recommendation(s) of the Review Team prior to action of the State Board of
Education, it may do so by filing a description of its concern. The applicant
unit must indicate its intent to take this action within ten (10) days of the
receipt of the final Review Team report and have its description of concern on
file with the Department within fifteen (15) days of the statement of intent.
All such information then becomes a part of the record for review by the State
Board of Education.
3)
Appeal of State Board of Education Action
The applicant unit may, in all cases when it does not accept
the action of the State Board of Education, request a hearing before the State
Board of Education at which time any new or additional information and evidence
may be presented for the consideration of the Board. The State Board of
Education shall then take action again on the request in one of the three
approval categories as described in Section 3.11 (d, 1-4 of this rule), and
such action will constitute final agency action.
