Interstate Collaboration: Migrant Education Program NCACE October 29-31, 2008 José Viana

2 Migrant Education Program The Migrant Education Program (MEP) is authorized by Part C of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) reauthorizes ESEA. The MEP provides formula grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) to establish or improve education programs for migrant children. These grants assist States in improving educational opportunities for migrant children to help them succeed in the regular school program, meet the challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards that all children are expected to meet, and graduate from high school.

3 MEP Services The program provides migrant students with supplemental services to enable them to meet high academic challenges and performance standards that are expected for all children. Examples of services: tutorial, after school programs, summer programs, supportive services.

4 MEP Families The legislation targets migrant families because a migratory lifestyle of moving within and across school and state district boundaries has a distinct impact on childrens opportunities to be successful in school. Children of migrant families often have poor school attendance, poor nutrition, inadequate housing, language barriers and health problems, all of which cause school interruptions and put them at risk of failing or dropping out of school.

5 Migrant Student According to sections 1115(b)(1)(A) and 1309(2) of the statute and section (d) of the regulations, a child is eligible for the MEP if: The child is younger than 22 and has not graduated from high school or does not hold a high school equivalency certificate. The child is a migrant agricultural worker or a migrant fisher or has a parent, spouse, or guardian who is a migrant agricultural worker or a migrant fisher. The child has moved from one school district to another within the preceding 36 months in order to obtain or to accompany a parent, spouse, or guardian to obtain (or seek), temporary or seasonal employment in qualifying agricultural or fishing work.

6 Primary home-base is in Southern Florida –Sending state States along the Eastern seaboard –Receiving states Other Streams: –Mid-continent Stream (South Texas) –Western Stream (California) East Coast Migrant Stream

7 Immokalee, FL Seminole, My Home Collier County 70% Hispanic Agriculture (Oct.-May): –Oranges –Potatoes –Tomatoes –Beef/Cattle

8 Henderson County, NC 631 Migrant Students Agriculture (May-Oct.): –Apples, Tomatoes, Beans, Peaches…

9 National Migrant Education Conference National Association of State Directors of Migrant Education (NASDME) Orlando, FL (Apr , 2008) Harvest of Hope Non-Profit 501 (c) foundation $582,000 distributed as of 2007 President Phillip Kellerman

10 Accomplishments Family Visits –Build and solidify relationships –Describe services available in NC –Broadcast on the local radio station Credit/Record Transfer –Start school (NC), testing (FL) –Exceptional Children (codes) College Preparation –American College Testing Program (ACT) Service Ideas –Parent Advisory Committee –Reading Recovery Programs –University/College Orientations –High School Credit Study –One Laptop Per Child Program (OLPC) –Migrant Resource Centers

11 Examples of Interstate Collaboration Israel Cortez, GA & Roxanne Taylor, NC –Family picking blackberry in Valdosta, GA had moved to Shelby, NC (apples) Evelyn Arevalo, GA & Paul Strop, NC –Migrant workers living in Macon Co., NC but working in GA Minerva Aviles, PA & Melissa Bailey, NC –OSY in Greene County, NC had moved to Gettysburg, PA Service Delivery Plan ConQIR – Consortium for Quality and Consistency in ID&R Regional Identification & Recruitment –Georgia –Oregon –Kansas Future Collaborations Audience Participation

12 Questions? Jose A. Viana – Websites –Harvest of Hope - –Henderson Co. MEP - –Collier Co. MEP - –ConQIR - –DPI MEP -