Code of Maine Rules › 05 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION › 071 - EDUCATION - GENERAL › Chapter 114 - PURPOSE, STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES FOR THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF PREPARATION PROGRAMS FOR EDUCATION PERSONNEL › Section 071-114-4 - PROCEDURES FOR RENEWAL OF PRIOR PROGRAM APPROVAL

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
4.1
Overview
As educators prepare for renewal of a prior approved program,
				  they are encouraged to view the relationship with staff of the Department of
				  Education as one of partnership. Both unit representatives and departmental
				  staff have a shared interest in assuring quality programs that are successful
				  in the development of highly qualified educator candidates.
4.2
Request for Renewal - The Status
				Report
A request for renewal of a prior program approval must be
				  initiated with the Commissioner at least six (6) months prior to the site visit
				  by a Review Team. The unit must develop and submit to the Commissioner a Status
				  Report that may not exceed twenty-five (25) pages in length (including plus
				  electronic appendices). The Status Report must clearly demonstrate that the
				  teacher education unit continues to meet the performance-based unit and program
				  standards. The Status Report must address unit capacity, compliance with state
				  priorities and initiatives, and changes that have occurred since prior
				  approval.
A unit preparing for continuation of prior program approval
				  must include an overview of its conceptual framework in the application for
				  renewal in accordance with Section
				  2 of this rule. This overview must
				  include a description of the framework(s), its development, and changes since
				  the previous visit, including the relationship of these changes to updated
				  standards and assessments of the unit, to the profession, and/or to new state
				  initiatives. The unit must also report on any evaluations of the conceptual
				  framework(s) and resulting changes in the application
				  materials.
4.3
Site
				Visit by Review Team
A Review Team, approved by the State Board of Education, will
				  conduct a site visit, not to exceed three (3) days except by agreement of the
				  parties, for the purpose of verifying the conditions set forth in the Status
				  Report. The Team Report must contain the Review Team's findings and
				  recommendation(s) to the Board on continued program approval.
4.4
Action by the State Board of
				Education
Approval by the State Board of Education may be in any 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.