University of Southern Maine

News Releases

The Condition of K-12 Public Education in Maine 2005

April 7, 2005

As education writers and the public try to understand public school budgets, why Gov. Baldacci has eliminated six content areas in the Maine Learning Results, and what's behind Connecticut's court challenge to President Bush's No Child Left Behind, there is a resource available to explain public education in Maine.

Now available in print and online, the ninth annual "The Condition of K-12 Public Education in Maine 2005," was researched and published by the Maine Education Policy Research Institute, a nonpartisan organization funded by the Maine State Legislature, the University of Southern Maine, and the University of Maine. David Silvernail, director of USM's Center for Education Policy, Applied Research and Evaluation (CEPARE), is the author.

This year's report will show that during the '03-'04 school year:

* The percent of time teachers spent each week teaching the original eight Maine Learning Results content areas.

* Special education enrollments in Maine have shown a steady increase over the past 10 years, while overall enrollments decreased (except for Cumberland, York and Sagadahoc Counties).Ê

* 4,699 Maine students are home schooled, the highest amount ever recorded.

* More students than ever (63.8 percent) spoke a total of 89 different heritage languages and needed specialized bilingual or English as a second language instruction.

Reporters can receive their own copy of the report by contacting USM's Office of Public Affairs at 780-4200, or it can be viewed online at usm.maine.edu/cepare//cme.htm

>more news releases