About
The Agency of Education created the weekly field memo to keep subscribers up-to-date with current education policy, state-wide education initiatives, and official messages from the AOE. The Weekly Field Memo contains education-related posts from the Agency of Education (AOE), other State of Vermont agencies, federal agencies or Vermont's congressional delegation.
Contents: October 11, 2023
- Best Practices for School Radon Testing
- Vermont Department of Libraries
- Civic Education Opportunity: We the People
- Vermont Presidential Scholars Program
- Vermont Data-Use Resources
- Vermont Multi-tiered System of Supports Survey Summary 2022-2023
- Early Childhood Special Education Live Webinar: High Quality Preschool Environments and Indicator 6
- Early Childhood Special Education Community of Practice 1
- ARP ESSER Summer Grant Application Round Two
Best Practices for School Radon Testing
Audience: Superintendents and Facilities Managers
All schools are required to test for radon by June 30, 2025 (see Act 166, Section 10). Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that has no color, smell, or taste. Breathing air with radon increases the risk of getting lung cancer. Unless you test for it, there is no way of knowing if radon is present in a building. For most school children and staff, the second largest contributor to their radon exposure is likely to be their school. Resources to help schools follow best practices for radon testing and mitigation, including template letters that can be used to communicate with families and staff, are available from the Health Department. Learn more about best practices and resources.
Contact: Michelle Thompson, radon@vermont.gov
Vermont Department of Libraries
Empowering Elementary Education: Maximizing Vermont Online Library's Gale Resources
Audience: Educators
Join us on Thursday, November 16, 2023 from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. for an engaging webinar as we explore how Vermont Online Library's Gale resources can support elementary grades in their educational journey. Discover a treasure trove of age-appropriate articles and multimedia content that will captivate young learners. Learn how to seamlessly integrate these resources into your curriculum to enhance reading comprehension, foster critical thinking, and promote information literacy skills. From science to social studies, language arts to personal finance, the Vermont Online Library's Gale resources offer a wealth of opportunities for engaging and enriching elementary education. Don't miss this idea inspiring webinar where we'll share practical strategies, inspiring examples, and answer your questions. Register to attend or receive the recording online.
Contact: April Shaw, april.shaw@vermont.gov
Encouraging Curiosity and Inquiry: Supporting Secondary Grades with Vermont Online Library's Gale Resources
Audience: Educators
Join us on Thursday, November 28, 2023 from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. for an enlightening webinar as we delve into the ways in which Vermont Online Library's Gale resources can support secondary grades in their academic journey. Explore a vast collection of articles, authoritative references, and multimedia content that will inspire critical thinking and enhance research skills. Discover how to seamlessly integrate these resources into your curriculum to foster deeper understanding across various subjects, from history to science, literature to social sciences. We’ll also cover your new VOL resource, Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep. Unleash the power of Vermont Online Library's Gale resources to empower secondary students in their pursuit of knowledge. This webinar will provide practical strategies, real-life examples, and an opportunity to have your questions answered. Register to attend or receive the recording online.
Contact: April Shaw, april.shaw@vermont.gov
*Please note corrected date: November 28, 2023.
Civic Education Opportunity: We the People
Audience: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, High School Principals, High School Educators
The Agency of Education is interested in supporting SU/SDs that are considering complementing their regular high school curriculum by providing students an innovative course of instruction on the history and principles of U. S. constitutional democracy through the Center for Civic Education’s We the People program. If your high school is interested in using the program, please submit an email of interest to Martha Deiss. We are gauging the level of interest and potential capacity to hold a state-level competition, in addition to the national competition already in place. Please respond prior to October 18, 2023.
Contact: Martha Deiss, martha.deiss@vermont.gov
Vermont Presidential Scholars Program
Nominations for Presidential Scholars in the Arts
Audience: Students, Principals, Guidance Counselors, Academic, Arts and CTE Teachers, CTE Center Directors
The Vermont Presidential Scholars Program in the Arts recognizes outstanding students who demonstrate a strong commitment to the Arts. Students are selected based on nominations from teachers, administrators, and themselves. There is no limit on the number of nominees from each school. Nominations are due November 9, 2023. The award ceremony will be held at the State House on January 22, 2024. Only nominations submitted via electronic applications will be accepted.
Contact: Lisa Bresler, lisa.bresler@vermont.gov
Nominations for Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education
Audience: Students, Principals, Guidance Counselors, Support Staff, Academic and CTE Teachers, CTE Center Directors
The Vermont Presidential Scholars Program in Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a statewide recognition of academic, service, and leadership excellence. CTE students can be nominated by teachers and administrators. Students may also nominate themselves with endorsement of a qualified adult. All high school seniors who are participants of a CTE program graduating between January and August of 2024, who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent Vermont residents and who attend public, parochial, or independent schools, as well as those who are home-schooled, are eligible. Apply online by November 9, 2023.
Contact: Douglas Webster, doug.webster@vermont.gov
Vermont Data-Use Resources
Audience: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, Principals, and PreK - 12 Educators
The Data Use Resources for Vermont Educators Padlet, moderated by Demonstrated Success, contains a variety of useful resources related to Continuous Improvement, Research Supported Interventions for Literacy and Mathematics, Assessment Information, District Data Team Functioning, and Protocols for Looking at Data. You are also invited to add to this resource bank. Resources will be reviewed and then posted by Demonstrated Success.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons, pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov
Vermont Multi-tiered System of Supports Survey Summary 2022-2023
Audience: Superintendents, Principals, MTSS and EST Coordinators
The 2022-2023 Vermont Multi-tiered System of Supports (VTmtss) Survey measures principals’ use of systemic and comprehensive approaches within the VTmtss Framework to fulfill requirements stated in statute 16 V.S.A. § 2904. The 2022-2023 VTmtss Survey Summary highlights key findings from data provided by 276 Vermont principals. There are resources provided for all 30 indicators within the report, and leadership teams are encouraged to consider this data for improvement planning purposes.
Contact: Caitlin Chisholm, caitlin.chisholm@vermont.gov
Early Childhood Special Education Live Webinar: High Quality Preschool Environments and Indicator 6
Audience: ECSE Coordinators, ECSE Educators, Special Education Coordinators
The second ECSE topical webinar - Indicator 6: High Quality Preschool Environments will be held Friday, October 13, 2023 at 1 p.m. We will cover IDEA mandate, least restrictive environment (LRE), and collecting and reporting Indicator 6 data. Participants are encouraged to review their FFY22 Indicator 6 data beforehand. An open question and answer period to clarify and dive deeper into Indicator 6, LRE, and inclusion, will follow. There is no prior registration, and all participants can join via the Microsoft Teams link on the event webpage. Certificate hours of attendance will be available upon request.
Contact: Katie McCarthy at katie.mccarthy@vermont.gov
Early Childhood Special Education Community of Practice 1
Audience: ECSE Coordinators, ECSE Educators, Special Education Coordinators
The first ECSE Communities of Practice (CoP) call will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2023 1-2 p.m. CoPs give the opportunity for special education professionals who work with children with delays and disabilities to pose problems, discuss solutions, and share resources with one another. Topics will be determined by the attendees and monitored by Katie McCarthy, IDEA 619 Coordinator and Amy Murphy, Early Childhood Inclusion Coordinator. There is no prior registration, and all participants can join via the Microsoft Teams link on the event page.
Contact: Katie McCarthy at katie.mccarthy@vermont.gov
ARP ESSER Summer Grant Application Round Two
Audience: All
A Second Round of the ARP-ESSER Summer Grant Application is coming in the GMS system. This $660,000 grant program is a part of the Agency's larger education recovery and revitalization work. Funding is available for the creation of new or the expansion of existing summer programs. All LEAs will be eligible to apply. More information about this grant and previous rounds is available on the AOE website. Applications are due January 4, 2024 and awards will be announced February 1, 2024. Interested parties can sign up to our non-binding contact form to receive updated information about training and technical assistance in the coming months.
Contact: Johannes Haensch, johannes.haensch@vermont.gov