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Education in Maine consists of public and private schools in Maine, including the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System, private colleges, and secondary and primary schools.
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The Maine Department of Education (DOE) administers public education in the state. It is run by a commissioner appointed by the governor. It concerns itself with academics. It does not concern itself with what public school staff does to their students. Local municipalities and their respective school districts operate individual public elementary and secondary schools but the DOE audits performance of these schools. The DOE also makes recommendations to state leaders concerning education spending and policies. [1]
Education is compulsory from kindergarten through the twelfth grade, commonly but not exclusively divided into three tiers of primary and secondary education: elementary school, middle school or junior high school and high school.
The state is participating in a 30-state Common Core State Standards Initiative and assessment of students to replace the New England NECAP test. The state intends to use the new standards by 2015. The test will be given in grades 3-8 and at the end of grade 11 (junior year). [2]
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Maine has four types of school departments: the first is a local school, one which serves only one municipality, and is headed by a superintendent. Usually, it serves kindergarten through grade 12, although some only go to grade 8. Usually, independent school districts which do not have a high school are not totally independent; they are part of a school union, the second type of school district.
A school union is two or more school departments that share a superintendent but nothing else; each town has an independent school board. Usually, only one of the schools in the school union has a high school, but unlike MSADs (discussed below), students in the whole school union are not compelled to attend that school. School union students are given a choice of neighboring school districts, and the school union pays for the student's tuition.
The third type is a MSAD (Maine School Administrative District). This is a regional school district that incorporates two or more towns into one school department with one high school and middle school. These towns do not have independent school boards, but instead have one central board governing the entire district. Students are obligated to attend the central high school. Usually, a MSAD comprises one larger town and one or more smaller towns. The larger town is equipped with a high school and middle school, while the surrounding towns have elementary schools as well, but no secondary schools. The elementary schools usually cut off after grade 5 or grade 6. Sometimes, towns in a MSAD do not have an elementary school but possess a high school and/or middle school, whereas the surrounding towns have the elementary schools.
The last type of school district is a CSD (Community School District, sometimes called a Consolidated School District). This usually (but not always) exists in school districts with such a small student population between several towns that the school district cannot justify an elementary school outside the largest town in the district. In rare cases a CSD refers to only a high school of a school union. Sometimes, in towns geographically isolated (such as island towns) the entire student population attends one school grades PK–12.
Students can choose to attend a school in another district if the parents agree to pay the school tuition. Vocational centers are usually regional, so one school department will administer a technical center but other school districts will transport their students there to take classes.
Private schools are less common than public schools. A large number of private elementary schools with under 20 students exist, but most private high schools in Maine can be perceived as "semi-private." This means that while it costs money to send children there, towns will make a contract with a school to take children from a town or MSAD at a slightly reduced rate. Often this is done when it is deemed cheaper to subsidize private tuition than build a whole new school when a private one already exists.
In addition to the many private elementary schools, there are several well-known private high schools and K-12 schools including Fryeburg Academy, Waynflete School, Berwick Academy, and Cheverus High School.
Maine has one major magnet school: The Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone. Another specialty public school exists in Portland: the Maine School of Performing Arts.
The University of Maine System is the largest educational enterprise in the state, comprising seven universities across various campuses. It has an annual enrollment of nearly 30,000 students and significantly impacts the state's economy. The system is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) and offers a wide range of degree programs both onsite and online. [3]
The Maine Community College System includes seven colleges with a total enrollment of approximately 17,500 students. The system has seen increased enrollment due to initiatives like the Free College Scholarship program, which allows recent high school graduates to pursue two-year degrees or certifications without tuition fees. [4] This program has significantly boosted enrollment numbers beyond pre-pandemic levels. [5]
Education in Quebec is governed by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. It was administered at the local level by publicly elected French and English school boards, changed in 2020 to school service centres. Teachers are represented by province-wide unions that negotiate province-wide working conditions with local boards and the provincial government of Quebec.
In the United States, education is provided in public and private schools and by individuals through homeschooling. State governments set overall educational standards, often mandate standardized tests for K–12 public school systems and supervise, usually through a board of regents, state colleges, and universities. The bulk of the $1.3 trillion in funding comes from state and local governments, with federal funding accounting for about $260 billion in 2021 compared to around $200 billion in past years.
A college-preparatory school is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher education.
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary or secondary schools or both in various countries.
Secondary education is the last six or seven years of statutory formal education in the United States. It culminates with twelfth grade. Whether it begins with sixth grade or seventh grade varies by state and sometimes by school district.
A state school, public school, or government school is a primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-funded schools are global with each country showcasing distinct structures and curricula. Government-funded education spans from primary to secondary levels, covering ages 4 to 18. Alternatives to this system include homeschooling, private schools, charter schools, and other educational options.
A student council is an administrative organization of students in different educational institutes ranging from elementary schools to universities and research organizations around the world. These councils exist in most public and private K-12 school systems in different countries. Many universities, both private and public, have a student council as an apex body of all their students' organisations. Student councils often serve to engage students in learning about democracy and leadership, as originally espoused by John Dewey in Democracy and Education (1917).
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment system, commonly abbreviated as MCAS, is Massachusetts's statewide standards-based assessment program developed in 1993 in response to the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of the same year. State and federal law mandates that all students who are enrolled in the tested grades and who are educated with Massachusetts public funds participate in MCAS testing.
Regional School Unit 68, formerly known as Maine School Administrative District 68 or MSAD 68, consists of two public schools in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. The district serves the towns of Dover-Foxcroft, Monson, Sebec, Charleston, and smaller communities. Students are often bussed in from these outlying towns. It is the largest of four school districts in Piscataquis County. Dover-Foxcroft has since become a hub for MSAD 68, as Monson was the final town outside Dover-Foxcroft to have a school in the district until the end of the 2008–2009 school year, when Monson Elementary was closed due to declining enrollment. The building that once housed Monson Elementary has now become the Monson Center.
Burlington High School is a four-year comprehensive high school located at 123 Cambridge Street in Burlington, Massachusetts. It is credited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
The Wells-Ogunquit Community School District provides education for students of all ages in the coastal southern Maine towns of Wells and Ogunquit.
Education in Missouri is provided by both public and private schools, colleges, and universities, and a variety of public library systems. All public education in the state is governed by the Missouri State Board of Education, which is made up of eight citizens appointed by the Governor of Missouri and confirmed by the Missouri Senate.
Billerica Memorial High School (BMHS), formerly Howe High School, is a public secondary school in the town of Billerica, Massachusetts. It is the only high school under the purview of the Billerica Public Schools district, and serves approximately 1,600 students between grades 8 and 12. The school is supervised by a district superintendent who reports to an elected school committee for the town. As of January 2023, Thomas Murphy, an alumnus of BMHS, is the school's principal. The administration consists of assistant principals responsible for a specific grade-year. In athletics, Billerica's arch-rival is Chelmsford High School. The colors of BMHS are green and white, and the school's emblem is the Indian Head.
Education in Vermont consists of public and private schools including the University of Vermont, the Vermont State Colleges, private colleges, and secondary and primary schools in the U.S. state of Vermont.
Iowa School for the Deaf is a pre-K to 12th grade school for deaf and hard-of-hearing students located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It serves students who live in Iowa and Nebraska.
Groton-Dunstable Regional School District is a school district in the US state of Massachusetts which serves the towns of Groton and Dunstable.
Lawrence High School is a public secondary school located in Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Lawrence Public Schools. Its campus consists of several buildings and was completed in 2005.
Kennebec Valley Consolidated Schools or Alternative Organizational Structure 92 was a school district with the superintendent based in Waterville, Maine, and with another office in Winslow, Maine. The district served Waterville, Winslow, and Vassalboro.
High school or senior high school is the education students receive in the final stage of secondary education in the United States. In the United States most high schoolers are ages 14–18 but some ages could be delayed due to birthdays. Most comparable to secondary schools, high schools generally deliver phase three of the ISCED model of education. High schools have subject-based classes. The name high school is applied in other countries, but no universal generalization can be made as to the age range, financial status, or ability level of the pupils accepted. In North America, most high schools include grades 9 through 12. Students attend them following graduation from middle school.
The Andover Public Schools district is the public school district for the town of Andover, Massachusetts. Overseeing 10 educational facilities, ranging from pre-kindergarten to the 12th grade, the district is administrated by superintendent Magda Parvey, who reports directly to an elected school committee, consisting of five residents of the town elected for three-year terms.