AUGUSTA

Public schools need more flexibility to try new methods and place more emphasis on real-life learning experiences, digital learning and independent study, a report released Tuesday by Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen says.

The report, presented at the Capital Area Vocational Technical Center, seeks to refocus the state education system on students rather than on tests and rigid time limits to get students through school.

“There are no big, new programs, no great increases in spending. We’re not launching a whole bunch of new initiatives, we don’t have the resources we need to do that,” Bowen said.

The 35- page report also includes no new mandates for schools, although it seeks to nudge them in the direction of accepting a single, clear set of standards for graduation. It also prompts schools to encourage students to use skills and interests they bring into the classroom to advance their studies.

Several students attending the presentation were called to the podium to tell how some of the ideas in the report are already working and can serve as models for other schools.

Auburn Middle School eighth-grader Gareth Robinson, who’s been using technology “since I can remember,” completed a social studies project with some classmates in which they used the iMovie software application to make a newscast of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Morgan Horn of Sumner Memorial High School in Sullivan developed a personal learning plan that includes job shadows, college classes and an internship as she aspires to a career in medicine. She’s a junior and plans to graduate in January of her senior year.

Bowen said too much emphasis has been placed on fixed time limits to get students through school and grouping students according to age.

His department’s report, which stems from discussions and forums during Bowen’s statewide tour of nine school districts last year, finds other weaknesses in the state’s education system, such as a high school graduation rate that remains low and test-based accountability efforts that don’t work.

In general, Bowen said, schools are based on a century old model that’s in need of updating to reflect new technology and new needs in the workplace.

The report says more internships and apprenticeships are needed. It says students should have more say in planning their learning activities and that they should be given more free rein to allow them to move at their own pace. It also calls for better teacher evaluation systems and more flexibility in how students can demonstrate their proficiency in subjects.

If a student demonstrates understanding of an algebra concept in an automotive class at a technical center, “why would we make the student go back to his or her regular high school and sit in an algebra class to learn the same thing?” Bowen asked.

The report also proposes more “anytime, anywhere” education, including expanded access to online learning, a growing trend nationally.

The Maine Education Association, the union that represents thousands of Maine teachers, is studying the report but shares the general goal of improving public education in the state, said MEA President Chris Galgay. He said the union has been in discussions with state officials about improving the teacher evaluation process.