Part C: Education of Migratory Children

The purpose of the Migrant Education Program is to design and support high-quality and comprehensive educational programs that provide migratory children with the same opportunity to meet the challenging state academic content and student achievement standards that are expected of all children. In addition, the Migrant Education Program works to ensure that all migrant students graduate with a high school diploma (or complete a General Education Diploma) that prepares them for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment. Federal funds are allocated by formula to states based on each state’s per pupil expenditure for education and counts of eligible migratory children, age 3 through 21, residing within the state.

The objectives of Virginia’s Migrant Education Program are:

1. Identify, enroll, and serve all eligible migratory students in the commonwealth;
2. Support high-quality and comprehensive educational programs for migratory children to help reduce the educational disruptions and other problems that result from repeated moves;
3. Ensure that migratory children who move among the states are not penalized in any manner by disparities among academic content and student academic achievement standards;
4. Ensure that migratory children are provided with appropriate educational services (including support services) that address their special needs in a coordinated and efficient manner;
5. 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;
6. Design programs to help migratory children overcome educational disruptions, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, various health-related problems, and other factors that inhibit their ability to do well in school, and to prepare them to make a successful transition to postsecondary education or employment; and
7. Ensure that migratory children benefit from state and local systemic reforms.

Program services are provided to migratory students around the state through seven local and regional programs. Priority for services goes to migratory children who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL), and whose education has been interrupted during the regular school year. Strategies for providing services to meet the needs of the population vary throughout the state depending upon the availability of other programs and services and upon the fiscal resources of the Migrant Education Program. Based on the number of migratory students in a school division, programs are either offered year-round and/or during the summer. Supplemental services may include, but are not limited to: English as a Second Language instruction; computer literacy instruction; family literacy; general education diploma (GED) preparation; and outreach/advocacy work to increase the quality of nutritional, health, and dental care.

• MEP Contact Information (PDF)

The US Department of Education (USED) has developed criteria to define an eligible migratory child, which must be used when certifying children to be served in the Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program.

The Virginia Department of Education is responsible for the identification and recruitment of all eligible migratory children in the state. Local migrant coordinators and recruiters implement recruitment strategies based on program needs as defined through the Virginia Department of Education Recruiter’s Manual (PDF). The manual outlines how to prepare for and conduct recruiting, how to identify migrant students, and how to determine eligibility.

The Virginia Department of Education is required to document every migrant child's eligibility for the Migrant Education Program on the National Certificate of Eligibility (COE) (PDF) created by the US Department of Education (USED). The COE serves as the official record of the state's eligibility determination for each individual child. The second page of the national COE has been changed to collect additional information required by other state and federal collections. 

Through the Virginia Migrant Student Data Collection (MSDC), school divisions are able to enter and maintain the migrant student data. The application also provides facility to transmit the data to the federal Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) as required by USED. The MSDC can be accessed through the Single Sign-on for Systems (SSWS) Web application.

The US Department of Education (USED) implemented the Migrant Student Information Exchange Initiative to ensure the appropriate enrollment, placement, and accrual of credits for migrant children. The Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) allows all states to share educational and health information on migrant children who have student records in multiple states' information systems. MSIX works in concert with the existing migrant student information systems that states use to manage their migrant data. MSIX downloads the migrant data from states’ existing migrant student information systems and makes it available to other state migrant personnel through a secure log in.

• Access MSIX
• MSIX training information
• Email for MSIX account help

Memoranda from Virginia State Superintendent to school division superintendents:

• Title I, Part C – Education of Migratory Children Allocations under Provisions of the ESEA of 1965 – Superintendent's Memo 229-16

Memoranda from Virginia State Superintendent to school division superintendents:

• 2015-2016 Title I, Part C, Education of Migratory Children, Allocations under Provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) – Superintendent's Memo 239-15

Memoranda from Virginia State Superintendent to school division superintendents:

• Revisions to 2014-2015 Title I, Part C – Education of Migratory Children Allocations under Provisions of theElementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) – Superintendent’s Memo 289-15
  
  
• 2014-2015 Title I, Part C – Education of Migratory Children Allocations under Provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) – Superintendent’s Memo 311-14
  
  

For listings of all Superintendent's Memoranda, see For Public Education Administrators.

Memoranda from Virginia State Superintendent to school division superintendents:

• Revisions to 2013-2014 Title I, Part C – Education of Migratory Children Allocations under Provisions of theElementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) – Superintendent’s Memo 319-14
  
  
• 2013-2014 Title I, Part C (Migrant Education), Allocations under Provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) – Superintendent’s Memo 291-13
  
  

For listings of all Superintendent's Memoranda, see For Public Education Administrators.

Sections 1304(b) and 1306(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), require each state to conduct a Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) (PDF) for the Migrant Education Program. The CNA identifies the most significant and pressing needs of the state’s migrant students. Virginia conducted a Migrant Education Program CNA during the 2007-2008 school year. The CNA process provided an opportunity to analyze data, determine program needs, and make recommendations to meet the needs of migrant students in Virginia.

Virginia’s Comprehensive State Plan for Service Delivery (PDF) describes the strategies that Virginia will pursue on a statewide basis to achieve the state’s measureable outcomes and meet the state’s performance targets. The Service Delivery Plan (SDP) summarizes the findings from the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (PDF) and provides a framework for implementing strategies to address the needs of Virginia’s migratory children. The SDP also outlines measures for monitoring implementation and evaluation outcomes. The Virginia SDP specifically addresses the following: 1) performance targets; 2) measurable program outcomes; 3) needs assessment; 4) service delivery; and 5) evaluation.

Section 1304(c)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) requires states to conduct a program evaluation for the Migrant Education Program. The purpose of conducting an evaluation of the Virginia Migrant Education Program is to examine program effectiveness and results of implemented program activities.

The Virginia Department of Education is responsible for ensuring migrant students participate in the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments as stipulated in the Virginia Board of Education’s Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook. (PDF)

Virginia Standards of Learning & Instructional Resources

• Mathematics: Strategies for Teaching Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students – A Supplemental Resource to the K-12 Mathematics Standards of Learning Enhanced Scope and Sequence (PDF)
• English: Strategies for Teaching Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students – A Supplemental Resource to the K-12 English Standards of Learning Enhanced Scope and Sequence (PDF)

English Language Proficiency Standards

• WIDA English Language Proficiency (ELP) PK-12 Standard
• WIDA ELP Standards Instructional Videos
• English as a Second Language

Virginia School Report Card

• The Virginia School Report Card provides information about student achievement, accountability ratings, attendance, program completion, school safety, teacher quality, and other topics by schools, school divisions, and the commonwealth. Reports may be viewed and downloaded as PDF files or Microsoft Excel files.

• Title I, Part C Division Contact List (PDF)
• Title I Applications
• All ESEA Title applications, the Local Consolidated Application, OMEGA video modules, and technical assistance documents can be found on the Applications for Federal Funds page.

The Virginia Department of Education is responsible for evaluating migrant education programs in the state through submission of an application for funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The following criteria are used to evaluate the migrant education program applications: (1) effectiveness of program services/activities to increase student achievement, and (2) progress of schools and school divisions serving migrant children toward meeting the student performance targets as defined in the Virginia Board of Education’s Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook (PDF).

Section 1304(6) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) requires states and local migrant programs to establish Migrant Parental Advisory Councils (PAC). Additionally, each local Migrant Education Program (MEP) must plan and operate the MEP in a manner that provides for the same parental involvement as required in section 1118 of ESEA. State level Migrant Parent Advisory Council Meetings are held annually. Migrant parents interested in attending a PAC meeting or viewing notes from a meeting may contact Chris McLaughlin, Title I specialist, at chris.mclaughlin@doe.virginia.gov or 804-225-2901.

• US Department of Education's Office of Migrant Education
• USED Non-Regulatory Guidance for MEP (Word)
• Definitions for Eligibility

Ensuring Equitable Services to Private School Students

• See Title VIII: General Provisions