Group of ten adults posing indoors with an orange banner reading Turner Elementary School and Maine Inclusive Education Project.

The Maine Inclusive Education Project 

Creating and Sustaining Joyful, Equitable, and Inclusive Schools Across Maine

The Maine Inclusive Education Project is a statewide initiative created in partnership between the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) and the Maine Department of Education (Maine DOE) Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education. Our mission is to create and sustain joyful, equitable, and inclusive schools across Maine.

Our project develops statewide vision, collaborative networks, professional development, model school sites, implementation resources and tools, and ongoing research to support inclusive education.

Handwritten pink-ink poster promoting an inclusive school community, with emojis and the hashtag #WeAreBangor.
Group of adults around a conference table with laptops and notebooks in a meeting room; whiteboard with orange writing on a stand.
People seated on the floor around a large white poster, writing with markers, while a projector screen showing University of Maine Farmington is in the background.
Group of adults mingling in a bright conference room; orange banners on the wall and an American flag in the corner nearby.
Group of smiling adults around a round table at a conference or event, taking a selfie together; name badges, blue napkins, canned drinks and papers visible on the table.
Five smiling women wearing name badges posing for a group photo at an indoor event, with arena seating and banners in the background.
Four women smile at a table with a bowl of wrapped candies in a bright room with blue walls and a poster behind them.
A crowded workshop space with many people seated at round tables, chatting and working on laptops and papers.
Crowded room of adults seated at orange tables during a workshop, with large windows and greenery outside.
Group of adults seated around a round table in a meeting room, engaging in a workshop or discussion with papers and a laptop visible.
Large room full of attendees seated at round tables with laptops and cups during a conference or workshop.
Two women converse in a casual setting, one facing forward with a light cardigan while the other has back to camera against a red wall.

Maine’s Inclusive Education Definitions

Inclusive School System

In an inclusive school system, all aspects of diversity are natural and valued parts of the community. All students are recognized as general education students, and all students have the right to a sense of belonging in the general education classroom, school, and community. Diverse and individualized student needs are met in ways that support belonging, foster meaningful relationships with peers and staff, and provide equitable access and active participation in the general education curriculum and all other aspects of the school community.

Inclusive Education

An inclusive education happens when all students experience belonging and are presumed capable of learning and worthy of a high-quality, challenging, and equitable education. All students are valued and celebrated members of a school community, academically and socially. Inclusive education prepares all students to learn and grow together in ways that lead to meaningful and inclusive post-secondary lives.
Child’s drawing of a school hallway with two open doors, a student waving at the right door, a handwritten message in the center: 'all teachers are welcome every day,' and a row of small animal doodles along the top.

Maine State Inclusive Education (MSIE) Framework

At the core of our work is the Maine State Inclusive Education (MSIE) Framework. The MSIE Framework was developed with the support of school leaders, educators, students, families, higher education faculty, Maine DOE representatives, and other state and national organizations. The framework grounds our state efforts to develop shared understanding and supported implementation of the critical pillars and indicators of inclusive education.

Leadership Development

Annual Inclusive Education Leadership Symposium

A dedicated annual gathering for school system leadership teams to learn, connect, and work to advance inclusive education in their systems.

Inclusive Leadership Network

A connected network for school system leaders to learn, collaborate, solve problems, and share experiences and effective practices and approaches.
Join the Network

Inclusive Education Higher Education Network

A connected network for higher education teacher preparation faculty to learn, collaborate, solve problems, and share experiences and effective practices and approaches

Professional Learning

Annual Inclusive Education Conference

State-level conference bringing together educators, leaders, families, and partners to build tools and momentum for creating inclusive schools

Inclusive Education Webinar Series

Ongoing online learning focused on instructional practices strategies, inclusive instruction, Universal Design for Learning and MTSS alignment. Coming soon.

Communities of Practice

A connected network for educators to learn, collaborate, solve problems, and share experiences and effective practices and approaches.

Micro-Credentials

Creating Inclusive Individualized Education Programs Micro-Credential

Sesign standards-aligned IEPs that break down barriers, ensuring every student has a seat at the table in a general, inclusive classroom.

Inclusive Education PreK-12 Micro-Credential

Nurture and advocate for all students by gaining the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to help create and sustain more inclusive schools.

Inclusive Education Model Schools

The Maine Inclusive Education Model School Project is a transformative multi-year project that partners with public schools to build sustainable inclusive multi-tiered systems of support for all learners. Through a system equity review, dedicated leadership coaching, staff professional development, and alignment with MSIE Framework, Model Schools have committed to an inclusive vision and are developing inclusive school culture, systems, schedules, structures, and practices. 

Model Schools are proud to have inclusive leadership teams, a shared vision that every student belongs in general education classrooms and the broader school community, dedicated time for general and special education teachers and specialists to collaborate and co-teach, a school-wide commitment to supporting students and families, and ongoing professional development and support from the Maine Inclusive Education Project.

Model Schools Serve as Demonstration and Learning Sites for the State

Model Schools open to scheduled leadership and educator visits, host UMF student teachers, share best practices with the field at conferences and events, and participate in ongoing research to inspire equitable, statewide systems change.
Group of adults in a meeting room holding an orange banner with a heart for the Inclusive Education Project.

Leeds Central School PreK – 6

Four women stand indoors, smiling, while holding an orange banner that reads Downeast School Maine Inclusive Education Project,

Downeast PreK – 3

Group of ten adults posing indoors with an orange banner reading Turner Elementary School and Maine Inclusive Education Project.

Turner Elementary 3-6

Project Leadership

Directors
Kate MacLeod, University of Maine at Farmington
Tracy Whitlock, Office of Special Services & Inclusive Education, Maine Department of Education


Associate Directors
Jessica Apgar, University of Maine at Farmington
Anne-Marie Adamson Office of Special Services & Inclusive Education, Maine Department of Education

Project Oversight
Erin Frazier, Maine State Director of Special Services, Maine Department of Education
Implementation Partners
Danielle Saucier, Office of Special Services & Inclusive Education, Maine Department of Education
Jennifer Robitaille, Office of Special Services & Inclusive Education, Maine Department of Education
Susan Shapiro, Independent Consultant
Michael McSheehan, Evolve & Effect
CAST
David Rose

Advisors
Maine State Steering Committee
TIES Center

External Evaluators
Kim Schroder, Kansas University
Four women stand together, smiling for a photo in a beige-walled room.

Contact Us

Contact the Maine Inclusive Education Project team today to learn how your school or district can get involved.

Kate MacLeod, PhD
Director of the UMF/Maine DOE Inclusive Education Project
University of Maine at Farmington
207.778.7099
kate.macleod@maine.edu