Migrant Students Migrant Students and Their Needsand Their Needs

Sonja Williams, Migrant Education Consultant

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

AgendaAgenda

A Profile of Migrant StudentsA Profile of Migrant StudentsService Delivery through the Migrant Service Delivery through the Migrant

Education ProgramEducation ProgramIdentification and Recruitment of Identification and Recruitment of

Migrant StudentsMigrant StudentsDiscussion of Ways McKinney-Vento Discussion of Ways McKinney-Vento

and Migrant Education Programs can and Migrant Education Programs can work togetherwork together

Questions and Responses Questions and Responses

The NC Migrant Education The NC Migrant Education Program is federally funded Program is federally funded as part of the Elementary as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education and Secondary Education Act, and is regulated by Title Act, and is regulated by Title I, Part C.I, Part C.

Migrant Education, in a Migrant Education, in a NutshellNutshell

MISSION: The mission of the MISSION: The mission of the North Carolina Migrant North Carolina Migrant Education Program is to Education Program is to help migrant students and help migrant students and youth meet high academic youth meet high academic challenges by overcoming challenges by overcoming the obstacles created by the obstacles created by frequent moves, educational frequent moves, educational disruption, cultural and disruption, cultural and language differences, and language differences, and health-related problems.health-related problems.

We do this by supporting locally-based Migrant Education Programs that--

Identify and recruit migrant students;

Provide high quality supplemental and support services;

Foster coordination among schools, agencies, organizations, and businesses to assist migrant families;

Collaborate with other states to enhance the continuity of education for migrant students.

Locations of NC Migrant Education Projects-2008-09

““The hands that feed us are often The hands that feed us are often invisible hands, hands of people who invisible hands, hands of people who work in the shadows of a multibillion-work in the shadows of a multibillion-dollar industry without enjoying its dollar industry without enjoying its rewards.”rewards.”

"The Human Cost of Food""The Human Cost of Food"

Needs of Migrant Needs of Migrant StudentsStudents

Areas of ConcernAreas of Concern, as designated by the , as designated by the US Department of Education Office of US Department of Education Office of Migrant Education:Migrant Education: HealthHealth Educational ContinuityEducational Continuity Instructional TimeInstructional Time English Language DevelopmentEnglish Language Development School EngagementSchool Engagement Educational Support in the HomeEducational Support in the Home Access to ServicesAccess to Services

HealthHealthWorking ConditionsWorking Conditions

Pesticides—Pesticides—

April 2003, April 2003, Journal of Journal of Public HealthPublic Health article found article found that 64% of the pesticide-that 64% of the pesticide-related acute illnesses in related acute illnesses in youth were among youth were among agricultural workers.agricultural workers.

Dr. Thomas Arcury and Dr. Thomas Arcury and his colleagues went to the his colleagues went to the workers’ homes and workers’ homes and tested the floors, tested the floors, children’s toys and the children’s toys and the children’s hands to see children’s hands to see where the pesticides—where the pesticides—both agricultural and both agricultural and residential—were coming residential—were coming from and where they were from and where they were ending up. “Ninety-five ending up. “Ninety-five percent of households had percent of households had pesticides on the floor, pesticides on the floor, about 71 percent of the about 71 percent of the toys had pesticides, and toys had pesticides, and with hands, it went to 55 with hands, it went to 55 percent.”percent.”

Agriculture is considered the Agriculture is considered the 4th most dangerous 4th most dangerous occupation, following occupation, following mining, fishing, and mining, fishing, and construction. construction. Between 1995 and 2002, 907 youth died on farms, or 43 deaths for every 100,000 children.

It is legal for a child of It is legal for a child of 12 to work in 12 to work in agriculture.agriculture.

Living ConditionsLiving Conditions

Generally Generally substandard substandard housing, often w/o housing, often w/o plumbing, plumbing, heating, cooling, heating, cooling, safe electrical safe electrical systems; problems systems; problems with ventilation, with ventilation, lighting, mold, lighting, mold, asbestos, lead.asbestos, lead.

Health conditions, cont’dHealth conditions, cont’d

The average farmworker spends approximately six months per year doing seasonal work, eight weeks doing nonagricultural work, eight weeks on the road, and is unemployed ten weeks. Mobility and long days often threaten their health and pose a significant barrier to accessing health care.

Lack of access to sources of Lack of access to sources of nutritious foodnutritious food

Malnutrition is associated with poverty. Malnutrition is associated with poverty. A survey of Florida migrant workers A survey of Florida migrant workers (Shotland, 1989) found that 30.6 percent (Shotland, 1989) found that 30.6 percent of the respondents had experienced a of the respondents had experienced a period during which they ran out or had period during which they ran out or had a shortage of food; and that 43.8 percent a shortage of food; and that 43.8 percent of them had seasonal food shortages.of them had seasonal food shortages. Families living in camps must often rely Families living in camps must often rely on local convenience stores for food, on local convenience stores for food, since they may have no regular means since they may have no regular means of transportation.of transportation.

Educational ContinuityEducational Continuity In North Carolina, nearly half of migrant students In North Carolina, nearly half of migrant students

have moved from one district, one county, one state, have moved from one district, one county, one state, or one country to another during the last year.or one country to another during the last year.

Time since last move, 2008-2009

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

0-12 months 13-24 months 25-36 months

time

Nu

mb

er

of

stu

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nts

Children who move often are two and a half times more likely to need to repeat a grade than children who do not move.

Instructional TimeInstructional Time

Work in the fields (Estimates of child Work in the fields (Estimates of child farmworkers, ages 12-17, in the U.S. run from farmworkers, ages 12-17, in the U.S. run from 300,000 to 800,000)300,000 to 800,000)

Late enrollments and difficulty in enrollingLate enrollments and difficulty in enrolling

Lack of transportation to and from Lack of transportation to and from remediation/intervention programsremediation/intervention programs

English Language English Language DevelopmentDevelopment

In 2008-2009, 52% of NC Migrant In 2008-2009, 52% of NC Migrant Education PK-12 students were Education PK-12 students were considered LEP. This is an considered LEP. This is an underestimate, since many pre-K are underestimate, since many pre-K are not formally assessed for English not formally assessed for English Language Proficiency.Language Proficiency.

School EngagementSchool Engagement

Need to workNeed to workRepeated Repeated

retentionsretentionsNewnessNewnessIsolationIsolationCredit AccrualCredit Accrual

Educational Support in Educational Support in the Homethe Home

BooksBooksTechnologyTechnologyParental Parental

Involvement/Involvement/Engagement Engagement

with studentswith studentsTimeTimeSupportSupport

Access to ServicesAccess to Services

IsolationIsolationTransportationTransportationLanguageLanguage““Newness”Newness”Immigration Immigration

issuesissuesNeed to work…Need to work…

What are some of the What are some of the strategies that the strategies that the

North Carolina Migrant North Carolina Migrant Education Program is Education Program is

using to respond to the using to respond to the needs of migrant needs of migrant

children? children?

Pre-K ChildrenPre-K Children

Pre-K Students:Pre-K Students: Focus on access to pre- Focus on access to pre-K programs and family literacy programs.K programs and family literacy programs.

Elementary Grades Elementary Grades Limited English Proficient Limited English Proficient

StudentsStudents• Elementary (Grades Elementary (Grades

3-5) Students:3-5) Students: Focus on tutoring Focus on tutoring and summer and summer programs to increase programs to increase time spent on English time spent on English Language Language Development. Development. Migrant students Migrant students need to receive need to receive supplemental ESL supplemental ESL instruction.instruction.

Secondary StudentsSecondary Students

Focus on Focus on reading and reading and math math instruction instruction using SIOP; use using SIOP; use technology to technology to advance skills.advance skills.

High School Students High School Students and and

Out of School YouthOut of School YouthIncrease Increase

possibilities possibilities for credit for credit recovery/ recovery/ accrual, and accrual, and increase increase educational educational and support and support services to services to Out-of-School Out-of-School Youth.Youth.

Parent InvolvementParent Involvement

Gerardo Lopez, an assistant professor at Gerardo Lopez, an assistant professor at the Indiana University School of the Indiana University School of Education in Bloomington, has stated that Education in Bloomington, has stated that most educators view parent involvement most educators view parent involvement as coming to school, meeting the teachers as coming to school, meeting the teachers and working with them for the benefit of and working with them for the benefit of their child. "I challenge this view, because their child. "I challenge this view, because many migrant parents whose students are many migrant parents whose students are successful don't even visit the schools; successful don't even visit the schools; their involvement is in the home.”their involvement is in the home.”

Parent InvolvementParent InvolvementThere is a clear need to There is a clear need to

continue to develop continue to develop programs that can meet programs that can meet and work with parents in and work with parents in their homes.their homes.

Examples include: family Examples include: family literacy, health literacy, health initiatives, parent initiatives, parent advisory committees advisory committees that meet at parents’ that meet at parents’ homes, and using homes, and using technology to improve technology to improve communication.communication.

For all MEP students, even For all MEP students, even in counties where the LEA in counties where the LEA does not have a program….does not have a program….

Identify, locate, or provide the support Identify, locate, or provide the support services that will help students have services that will help students have greater success in school. A hungry or greater success in school. A hungry or sick child cannot learn.sick child cannot learn.

Facilitate enrollment in school nutrition Facilitate enrollment in school nutrition programs and WIC programs.programs and WIC programs.

Advocate for students and their families.Advocate for students and their families.

MEP and McKinney-MEP and McKinney-VentoVento

It is estimated by some MEP It is estimated by some MEP Directors in North Carolina that Directors in North Carolina that over 90% of their Migrant over 90% of their Migrant Education Program students are Education Program students are eligible for McKinney-Vento eligible for McKinney-Vento programs….programs….

Help Strengthen the Help Strengthen the Relationship Between Relationship Between

Homeless Education and Homeless Education and Migrant EducationMigrant Education

– Identify and recruit migrant students; – Provide high quality supplemental and

support services; – Foster coordination among schools,

agencies, organizations, and businesses to assist migrant families;

– Collaborate with other states to enhance the continuity of education for migrant students.

Help Strengthen the Help Strengthen the Relationship Between Relationship Between

Homeless Education and Homeless Education and Migrant EducationMigrant Education

If a Migrant Education Program If a Migrant Education Program exists in your county, get to know the exists in your county, get to know the MEP staff.MEP staff.

Let MEP know if you find children Let MEP know if you find children who meet the following criteria:who meet the following criteria:

Eligibility for Migrant Eligibility for Migrant Education ProgramsEducation Programs

Children and/or their parents Children and/or their parents have made a move within the last have made a move within the last three yearsthree years

--to work in agriculture, food --to work in agriculture, food processing or fisheries (even if they processing or fisheries (even if they are not working in that at present)are not working in that at present)

--and the work is/was of a seasonal --and the work is/was of a seasonal or temporary nature.or temporary nature.

Helping the Migrant Helping the Migrant Education Program serve Education Program serve

more students….more students….Join state advisory committees or expert Join state advisory committees or expert

groups.groups.

Keep abreast of changes in the reauthorization Keep abreast of changes in the reauthorization of ESEA that affect migrant students.of ESEA that affect migrant students.

NC Migrant Education NC Migrant Education ProgramProgram José Viana, Identification José Viana, Identification

and Recruitment and Recruitment Coordinator, (919)807-Coordinator, (919)807-4069. 4069. jviana@dpi.state.nc.us

Sonja Williams, Program Sonja Williams, Program Consultant, (919)807-Consultant, (919)807-3958 or (919)218-7371. 3958 or (919)218-7371. swilliams@dpi.state.nc.us

Loreto Tessini, Loreto Tessini, Technology Support Technology Support Analyst, (919)807-3961. Analyst, (919)807-3961. ltessini@dpi.state.nc.us

On the web at On the web at http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/mep/