PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES

WHY MIGRANT EDUCATION?

The Purpose of the Migrant Education Program, otherwise known at Title I, Part C, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), is to assist the states to:

Support high-quality and comprehensive educational programs for migratory children to help reduce the educational disruptions and other problems that result from repeated moves;
Ensure that migratory children who move among the States are not penalized in any manner by disparities among the States in curriculum, graduation requirements, and State academic content and student academic achievement standards;
Ensure that migratory children are provided with appropriate educational services (including supportive services) that address their special needs in a coordinated and efficient manner;
Ensure that migratory children receive full and appropriate opportunities to meet the same challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards that all children are expected to meet;
Design programs to help migratory children overcome educational disruption, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, various health-related problems, and other factors that inhibit the ability of such children to do well in school, and to prepare such children to make a successful transition to postsecondary education or employment; and
Ensure that migratory children benefit from State and local systemic reforms.

This is only Section 1301 of the Act. To see the entire Act, click here:
http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg8.html

To access the Draft Non-Regulatory Guidance for Title I, Part C, click here:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/mep/mepguidance2003.doc

MIGRANT EDUCATION HOTLINE

The Migrant Education Hotline: 1.800.234.8848

Migrant farm workers and their families have a phone number to call for referrals to education and other services. Call the hotline when you move to get help enrolling your children in school or summer school. This call is free and accessible from anywhere in the United States.

Trabajadores de agrícultura migrantes y sus familias tienen un número telefónico al que pueden llamar para solicitar información de educación y otros servicios.

AIM - ACTION, INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION

AIM is a program designed to enhance graduation and academic achievement for middle and high school youth. The purpose of the program is to reach migrant children/youth before they become at risk of dropping out of school. The program is run by the individual local education agency (LEA) migrant education programs, and there are active clubs in nine LEAs.

Five Components of the AIM Program:

Counseling/Consulting
Self-Esteem/School Performance
The Mentor
Role Models
Goal-Setting and Problem Solving

AIM Clubs engage in many activities, both after school and on weekends. They include:

Workshops on education and career planning
Community participation and service learning
Study sessions
Social functions and field trips related to group identity and cultural awareness

FAMILY LITERACY

Research shows that parents who cannot read tend to have children who struggle academically and pass those struggles on to their own children. Therefore, programs that support parents will, in turn, help them encourage their children as developing readers. Family literacy, in which parents and children discover the wonders of reading together, is an important initiative in many Migrant Education programs in the state.

http://www.parentsasteachers.org/site/pp.asp?c=ekIRLcMZJxE&b=272091
http://www.famlit.org/site/c.gtJWJdMQIsE/b.1205483/k.C84E/About_Us.htm

OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH (OSY)

Between forty and fifty percent of the migrant student population in North Carolina is made up of Out-of-School Youth. These students may be either Pre-K students who are not enrolled in formal programs or older adolescents who have left school. This latter group is often difficult to serve because they stay in the area only a short time and tend to work such long hours that intensive academic intervention is not possible. However, when surveyed, these students indicate a strong desire to learn English and to develop the skills they need to advance themselves. NC Migrant Education is trying out several options for English classes, including classes in the fields and workplaces, audio-based learning, and job-oriented ESL.

The following links may give some ideas and inspiration for teaching farm workers:
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9220/migrant.htm
Booklet for teachers of students who are farm workers

Another critical need among these students is health care. Again, mobility and distance from the medical resources often found in urban areas makes these students vulnerable. While the basis of the Migrant Education Program is education, it is critical to deliver or assist others in the delivery of basic health care so that our students are healthy enough to learn. Many of the Migrant Education Programs in North Carolina collaborate with local health care providers to deliver basic health care education and services to youth.
http://www.ncfh.org/
http://www.migranthealth.org/
http://www.migrantclinician.org/migrant_info/health_problems.php

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

The goal of parent involvement is to actively engage migrant parents to have a voice in the education of their children. Each local agency defines the procedures, activities, and composition of their Migrant Parent Advisory Committee according to their unique population and season. The mission of the MPAC, in general, is the same throughout the state. Parents will plan, develop and evaluate the goals, design, and implementation of the Migrant Education Program. They will make suggestions and recommendations based on locally determined concerns that directly affect the services provided to their children. Members of the Migrant Parent Advisory Committee ensure that our students are receiving a high-quality educational program.

http://www.ncpie.org/AboutNCPIE/GovernmentAgencies.cfm
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/761.html
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9220/lives.htm

MEP COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Under No Child Left Behind, Migrant Education programs are to conduct a Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) to identify the "…special educational needs of migratory children…." A North Carolina CNA committee looked at the needs of its population through a comprehensive review of data from a variety of sources. The data included disaggregated academic assessment information, attendance and graduation rates, and survey results from staff, parents, and students (especially Out of School Youth). Various committees worked to compile, review, analyze information, and formulate solutions and strategies that guided the development of the North Carolina MEP Service Delivery Plan. A Comprehensive Needs Assessment is a living document that undergoes frequent updating, using information gathered by the State MEP staff and by the individual LEA-based programs.

An important outgrowth of the CNA has been the organizing of "Expert Groups" who consist of MEP local and State staff, other agency staff, and other members with expertise in a given area. Currently three such groups are meeting to review literature in their focus areas and compile research-based instructional and intervention strategies. The focus areas for the groups are School Readiness, Limited English Proficient MEP students in grades 3-5, and Out of School Youth/High School Supplemental Services. Their literature reviews and strategies will appear on this website as they are completed.

North Carolina Migrant Education Program