TO:  ALL SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS

The following message is being sent at the request of the Commissioner.
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***** Please forward to Assistant Superintendents, Curriculum
Coordinators, and Principals *****

Note:  The Administrative and Informational Letters are available on our
website at the following address:
http://www.maine.gov/education/edletrs/homepage.htm


INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 31

POLICY CODE:  ILBA


TO:             Superintendents of Schools (please forward to Assistant
Superintendents, Curriculum Coordinators, and Principals)

FROM:   Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner of Education

DATE:   October 8, 2003

RE:             Guidelines for the Implementation of K-12 Career
Preparation Education, Modern
                                and Classical Languages, and Visual and
Performing Arts


        Title 20-A MRSA, Chapter 222: Standards and Assessment of
Student Performance specifies that each school administrative unit shall
address in its Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP) how it will implement
Career Preparation, Modern and Classical Languages, and Visual and
Performing Arts for all students, including interim targets for partial
implementation. As stated recently in Informational Letter No. 23
(Timelines for Chapter 127 and Essential Programs and Services), full
implementation of these three content areas and their inclusion in a
unit's local assessment system are linked to full implementation of
Essential Programs and Services (EPS) funding.  Once the result of this
November's referendum is known, the precise timelines for these three
areas will be resolved and announced to the field.  In anticipation of
that announcement, I encourage you to begin an implementation process in
2003-2004.

        To assist you in this endeavor, the Department has developed
Guidelines for Implementation in each of these three content areas.  The
Guidelines include introductory sections on purpose, rationale, and plan
development and certification, as well as a nine-step planning and
implementation process.  The Guidelines are available on the
Department's Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP) website:

        <http://www.state.me.us/education/compedplan/index.htm>

        For further assistance, please contact the following people at
the Department.

Career Preparation:             Lora Downing, [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>, 624-6740
Modern and Classical Languages:  Don Reutershan,
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>, 624-6826
Visual and Performing Arts:     Valerie Seaberg,
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>, 624-6834