Code of Maine Rules › 05 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION › 071 - EDUCATION - GENERAL › Chapter 125 - BASIC APPROVAL STANDARDS: PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS › Section 071-125-5 - OTHER MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
This Section establishes minimum requirements in areas
				  required under
				  20-A M.R.S.
				  §4502(5).
5.01
Instructional Time, Including a
				Minimum School Day and Week
A. A school
				week is the five days Monday through Friday. Exceptions occur when schools are
				closed because of holidays, inclement weather, or other extenuating
				circumstances.
B. A "school day"
				means a day in which school is in operation as either an instructional day as
				defined in this Section, or a non-instructional day that may be used for
				in-service education of teachers, administrative meetings, parent-teacher
				conferences, records' days or similar activities.
C. "Instructional day" means a school day
				during which both students and teachers are present, either in a school or in
				another setting, and engaged in instructional time.
D. "Instructional time" means that portion of
				a school day devoted to the teaching-learning process, but not including
				extra-curricular activities, lunchtime, or recess. Time spent on organized
				field trips related to school studies may be considered instructional time, but
				the instructional time counted for extended field trips shall not exceed a
				normal school day for each day of the field trip. Alternative education
				programs, multiple pathways, extended learning opportunities, and other
				innovative programs may allow students to attend outside of the regular
				instructional day, as outlined in the SAU Comprehensive Education
				Plan.
E. An instructional day for
				grades K-12 must be a minimum of three hours in length, and for grades 1-12
				must average five hours in length over any consecutive two week period. Plans
				to use school days of varying length must be reflected in the Comprehensive
				Education Plan submitted by the school administrative unit pursuant to
				20-A M.R.S.
				§4502(1). The
				instructional day may be extended for students who need more than the minimum
				day to meet the content standards of the system of Learning Results.
F. Instructional days that are canceled must
				be rescheduled to meet the minimum school year requirements contained in
				20-A M.R.S.
				§4801.
G. School administrative units may not
				schedule make-up instructional time on days identified in
				20-A M.R.S. §4802.
				Acceptable methods of rescheduling cancelled instructional days include:
1. Rescheduling or shortening scheduled
				vacation periods;
2. Postponing the
				scheduled closing date of school;
3. Providing up to 25 one hour extensions of
				the instructional day to equal a maximum of five 5-hour make-up instructional
				days in a school year in accordance with a plan approved by the
				commissioner;
4. Conducting classes
				on the weekend; and/or
5.
				Developing other ways to make up school days missed due to weather or emergency
				closures not included above, which will be incorporated into a plan approved by
				the Commissioner.
H. If
				an instructional day must be shortened due to circumstances that involve
				student health or safety, the day is considered a full day if school has been
				in session for at least 2.5 hours.