Relocation to Maine

Educational Services 

When the Maine State Legislature adopted the Learning Results in 1996, it established learning standards for all Maine students educated at public expense.

These grade span (PK-2, 3-4, 5-8, and 9-12) standards in career preparation, English language arts, health and physical education, mathematics, modern and classical languages, science and technology, social studies, and visual and performing arts identify the knowledge and skills essential to prepare Maine students for work, for higher education, for citizenship, and for personal fulfillment.

In addition, grade level expectations in reading and mathematics for grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 were developed in 2003-2004 and guidelines for early childhood were published in March of 2005.

How Students Performed on State Reading and Math Tests

These state test results show how well students in Maine public schools have mastered reading and math skills in comparison to state standards. State test results alone do not convey a complete picture of academic achievement, and should be viewed with other performance and demographic information.

How Students Performed on National Reading and Math Tests

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as "the Nation's Report Card," is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what American students know and can do in reading and math.

Access all Maine Educational Information via the state's web site.

Maine Learning Results Defined

Maine’s Learning Results serve as the focal point for state and local efforts to improve student learning, define professional development needs, update local curriculum and instructional practices, and assess student achievement.

The Learning Results identify the knowledge and skills essential to prepare Maine students for work, for higher education, for citizenship, and for personal fulfillment. This document defines only the core elements of education that should apply to all students without regard to their specific career and academic plans.

The primary purpose of the Learning Results is to provide teachers and parents with guidance to improve an existing education system that is already working well for many students in most Maine communities. The adoption of common standards and an accompanying mix of measures which assess learning is widely regarded as the most important next step in improving the quality of public education for all students.

Maine's Commitment to Higher Education

Maine has no department or commission of higher education or post-secondary education. Rather, the Maine Department of Education has been configured to serve as a pre-kindergarten through grade 16 agency concerned with the progression of learning from the earliest years through the baccalaureate experience.

Both the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System are autonomous entities with all policy, procedures and administrative oversight vested in their respective boards of trustees.

Similarly, Maine’s private higher education institutions are governed by their own oversight boards. State oversight of the activities of public and private schools, colleges, and universities primarily centers upon degree-granting authorizations, educator preparation program approvals and renewals, and private-for-profit proprietary school licensure.