MEP
Service
Coordination
A major component and responsibility of the MEP is to coordinate ALL services for migratory students and their families. By doing this in a systematic and comprehensive manner, migratory students can successfully navigate through the academic, social, emotional, and physical challenges they must overcome in order to:
- Complete graduation requirements for a high school diploma
- Transition to postsecondary education
- Enter the military and/or
- Begin a career
Every Student Succeeds Act , Section 1301 has outlined that one of the purposes of the MEP must be to “ensure that migratory children are provided with appropriate educational services (including supportive services) that address their special needs in a coordinated and efficient manner.”
The Office of Migrant Education (OME) has also explained the importance of MEP service coordination in their Non-Regulatory Guidance for the Title I, Part C Education of Migratory Children as it states in the introduction that one of the statutory purposes of the MEP is to “help migratory children overcome educational disruption, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, various health-related problems, and other factors that inhibit their ability to succeed in school.”
What is MEP service coordination?
What is meant by “service”?
According to the Non-Regulatory Guidance, MEP “services” are a subset of all the activities that the MEP provides through its program and projects. Although the SEA and local operating agencies may spend MEP funds on many types of allowable activities, some of these activities do not constitute a “service” (e.g., identification and recruitment or parental involvement activities).
“Services” are distinct in that they are the educational or educationally related activities provided to migratory children to enable them to succeed in school. Because student success is the overarching goal of the MEP, services are a vital aspect of the program.
There are two types of services MEP funds may support:
- Instructional services (e.g., educational activities for preschool-age children and instruction in elementary and secondary schools, such as tutoring before and after school); and
- Support services (e.g., educationally related activities, such as advocacy for migratory children; health, nutrition, and social services for migratory families; necessary educational supplies; transportation; etc.)
NOTES
- Services for eligible migratory children must be supplemental. MEP funds may be used to provide a service when the same kind of service is not available from other funding sources. For more information, review the Supplement, not Supplant Handbook.
- In providing MEP-funded services, it is required that the needs of migratory PFS students are addressed before those of other migratory students.
What is meant by “coordination”?
The term “coordination” refers to different yet related aspects of the MEP. These aspects include:
- Planning and carrying out programs and projects in coordination with other local, State, and Federal programs, such as Title I – Part A, Title III, and Special Education and/or Section 504 if they qualify for those programs;
- Interstate and intrastate coordination between States and local operating agencies to ensure the continuity of services for children who migrate from one State or school district to another, including but not limited to, the transfer of student records; and
- Grants or contracts provided under section 1308 to improve coordination activities among educational programs that serve eligible migratory children.
OME Common Areas of Concern
In compiling all of the data collected to determine the most important needs, the CNA committee concluded there was a tremendous need to coordinate resources and services for migratory students and families under three of the MEP Seven Areas of Concern, “#5-Education Support in the Home,” “#6-Health,” and “#7-Access to Services.”
ESSA Consolidated Program Guidelines
The ESSA Consolidated Program Guidelines provide guidance on how MEP funds may be used to ensure the coordination of activities with other agencies, both within the state and with other states nationwide, as long as they are supplemental.
Non-Regulatory Guidance Title I, Part C Education of Migratory Children (p. 70)
A. Coordination with Other Programs
A1. What does the statue require with regard to coordination of the MEP with other programs?
- Sections 1304(b) and 1306(a) of the statute require SEAs to identify and address the special educational needs of migrant children by providing them a full range of services from appropriate local, State, and Federal educational programs. In providing these services, SEAs must plan jointly with local, State, and Federal programs and must integrate the MEP with services provided by other programs.
A2. Why should SEAs coordinate MEP services with other programs?
- By coordinating with other programs, SEAs ensure that the needs of migrant children are met through a variety of sources in a way that leverages other program funds and optimizes the use of MEP funds for the unique needs of migrant children.
A3. How does an SEA meet the requirement of providing a full range of services to migrant children?
- The SEA must determine the children’s needs and identify all the available services that address these needs. The SEA should then coordinate with those programs and agencies that provide services that meet the identified needs and help ensure that migrant children have access to appropriate programs and services.
Texas Comprehensive Needs Assessment
Migratory parents, as vital MEP stakeholders, were surveyed by the Texas Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) Committee during the 2015-16 Statewide CNA process and they determined that migrant service coordination was an integral part of the MEP program. Following are some of the essential needs that migratory parents addressed in the survey in order of importance. The percentages of all migratory parents surveyed that expressed the particular need are also included:
- School supplies for their children (57%)
- Clothing for their children and family (40%)
- Dental, vision, and health care services (28%)
- School and community resources (24%)
- Parenting education programs (18%)
- Information about children’s health issues (18%)
- Family literacy and language instruction (17%)
How does the Title I, Part C program support MEP service coordination?
Identify Needs
Identify Needs
Assess the immediate needs of each member of the family which may be done when the family is first identified as an eligible migratory family.
Guidance from the Texas Manual for the Identification and Recruitment of Migratory Children
After a family has been determined to be eligible, a recruiter must follow up with the family to determine if needs exist for a migratory child. Depending on which MEP staff is charged with making necessary referrals and coordinating services, the MEP staff may also be responsible for directing the child/family to available resources to meet the existing need(s).
In order to determine the migratory child’s needs for instructional and support services, the MEP staff may want to ask pertinent questions to determine if the needs are related to e.g., financial aid, legal assistance, HEP/CAMP resources, as well as those listed on the Sample Preliminary Family Needs Checklist linked below.
OSY
For Out-of-School Youth (OSY), the recruiter should determine whether the youth has dropped out of school and, thus, should be referred to a drop-out recovery program; or a High School Equivalency Program, if not currently enrolled in an accredited program. The recruiter may also need to assist the school district in gathering and providing additional information related to the OSY.
Coordinate Referrals
Coordinate Referrals
Once a specific need is identified and the MEP staff is aware of different agencies, programs, services, etc. available in the community, it is important for the MEP staff to assist the migratory student and family in making the connection with the appropriate agency/program in the community who can address the need. When referring a family to an organization, include the following information of the organization:
- Location/hours of operation
- Contact person and phone number (one contact for each service area in the case of a multi-service agency.)
- Program eligibility criteria
- Services provided
- Whether there are bilingual staff and/or materials available in the native language
Ensure Access
Ensure Access
After a referral is made, it is critical that the recruiter and/or MEP staff who made the referral follow-up with the migratory family to increase the likelihood that the family will access the services they need, as well as to develop stronger relationships with the community agencies.
It is highly recommended that the MEP staff:
- Contact the person/agency to whom the family was referred
- Inform the person/agency of the family’s name, why they were referred, when the referral was made, what to do if the family does not contact them, and any other pertinent information
- Contact the family after enough time has passed for them to have acted on the referral
Document Referrals
Document Referrals
MEP staff across the United States are dependent on the accuracy of TX-NGS data in order to either offer needed services not yet provided or to continue services already initiated for migratory students and families.
It is important that MEP staff enter the received service accurately as a referral into TX-NGS as per the timelines and descriptions outlined in the TX-NGS/MSIX Manual.
Suggested data entry services which may help migratory students:
- Encode all supplemental academic and support services received by migratory students and parents for each individual migratory student.
- For any child age 3-5 not enrolled in A Bright Beginning, Pre-kindergarten, or Kindergarten but who is enrolled in any other early childhood program, write the name of the program in which they are enrolled in the comments section of the student’s record.
- Note any services or programs each OSY student is enrolled in, such as a High School Equivalency Program, in the comments section of each student’s record.
- Generate, print and distribute all reports to the designated MEP, district, or campus staff member as per guidance from the MEP coordinator and/or director.
Service Coordination Events
Service Coordination Events
The MEP may coordinate with other departments within their district to host a community service fair, inviting local clubs, agencies, businesses, and colleges/universities. This centralized event would provide parents information about services offered by each program. MEP staff may promote parent participation in local community fairs coordinated by other entities, such as the Chamber of Commerce, health agencies, medical/dental/vision practices, churches, or institutions of higher education.
Many districts in our state conduct events specifically for their parents of migratory students to provide service coordination information. Two examples of this type of event are:
- Host a service coordination event. Invite district departments, community organizations, local businesses, and higher education institutions to share information with your migratory families early in the school year.
- Donna ISD offers a social services fair to introduce migratory parents and students to different agencies and services in the community.
Parent Workshops
Parent Workshops
ESC MEP staff and/or local district staff may offer informative parent meetings and parental engagement workshops throughout the year on a variety of topics to help parents learn about services and programs in their communities and how to access those services.
These meetings may be offered at the ESC facility, on a school campus, or in a local multipurpose community center. It is highly suggested that the presentations at these meetings be provided in the native language of the majority of the parents or in a bilingual setting. It is also important to note that by providing childcare and a light snack, parents are more easily able to attend the event and participate fully.
If you would like more info and ideas for hosting parent sessions and events, view this training video on the TMEP portal.
Suggested Topics/Ideas
District Collaboration
District Collaboration
MEP staff may assist migratory students and parents by collaborating with other departments, programs, and services within their own school district. This can be done by having the MEP district director and/or staff collaborate with appropriate administrative staff to assess and coordinate services for each migratory student.
By having these coordinated discussions on the academic, social, and/or emotional needs of students and how they can successfully progress in each area, they are ensuring that the student feels that he/she has a support group at school as well as at home.
After the student is assessed, it is important for the MEP staff to meet with the student and parents to share the information gathered.
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) ISD conducts a similar collaboration meeting between MEP staff, campus principals, counselors, and district program coordinators every year to help migratory families.
Another way MEP staff can help to facilitate the process of making referrals to other departments, programs, and services within the district on behalf of a migratory student at any level is by providing a letter which explains how a parent can collaborate with school staff to access resources their child may need within the school system.
A Sample Letter for Middle School found in the Texas Manual for the Identification and Recruitment of Migratory Children is a great example of this kind of resource. This letter also includes a form with contact information easily accessible to parents in English and Spanish.
Develop Relationships
Develop Relationships
When the MEP staff attempt to help migratory students and parents access services and resources to meet their needs, it can be intimidating because businesses, medical practices, agencies, etc. are constantly changing.
However, the most important recommendation to MEP staff is to develop and maintain healthy relationships with different leaders and staff of all types of programs and agencies.
By doing so, the MEP staff will learn about the changes within each program first-hand in order to be better equipped to provide accurate information to migratory students and their families.
Community Resources
Community Resources
The Texas MEP has created a generic list of some types of community resources often available for referrals in the Texas Manual for the Identification and Recruitment of Migratory Children; however, this list is by no means exhaustive and should only be a starting point. It is highly recommended that all MEPs create and maintain an updated database of service providers in their community to have readily available.
Local Community Resources
SAMPLE
Local Resources List
General MEP Resources
General MEP Resources
The TMEP portal Parents and Families section includes information and links to many different agencies/programs available to support their needs.
Instructional Support
Resources for Parents
TMEP Portal
Academic Support
Resources for
Out-of-School-Youth
TMEP Portal OSY
Non-Instructional
Support Resources
TMEP Portal
Family Support Resources
Importance
Importance of Documentation
The TX-NGS/MSIX data entry specialist has an important role in assisting migratory students and families by ensuring that all data is accurately entered into the statewide TX-NGS database in a timely manner. MEP staff across the United States are dependent on the accuracy of the TX-NGS data in order to either offer needed services not yet provided or to continue services already initiated for migratory students and families.
TX-NGS Data
TX-NGS Data
Ensure the following activities are addressed accurately as per the timelines and descriptions outlined in the TX-NGS/MSIX Manual:
- Encode all supplemental academic and support services received by migratory students and parents for each individual migratory student.
- For any child age 3-5 NOT enrolled in A Bright Beginning, Pre-kindergarten, or Kindergarten but who is ENROLLED in any other early childhood program, write the name of the program in which they are enrolled in the comments section of the student’s record.
- Note any services or programs each OSY is enrolled in, such as a High School Equivalency Program, in the comments section of each student’s record.
TX-NGS/MSIX data entry specialists should generate, print, and distribute all reports to the designated MEP, district, or campus staff member as per guidance from the MEP coordinator and/or director.
For more information about these reports and TX-NGS Data in general, visit the AIIMS topic page for TX-NGS Data.
Additional Info for ESCs
ESC Responsibilities
Serving Non-Project Districts
Prior to using the ESC ESSA Title I, Part C Basic Services grant funds to provide direct instructional and/or support services to eligible migratory students identified in Non-Project Districts, the ESC must first do the following:
- Complete and document all other ESC program requirements outlined in the ESC ESSA Title I, Part C Basic Services program guidelines
- Document all efforts made to obtain the service for the student from other resources first. The ESC will do this by collaborating with the district of enrollment/residence to determine whether the district or other entities can provide the service(s) needed for the student.
Example Scenarios
- Example 1: A migratory student in a Non-Project District has an identified need for glasses. The ESC contacts the local Lions Club and discovers that the Lions Club provides free eye exams and glasses. Because the Lions Club provides this service for free, the ESC does not use its ESC ESSA Migrant Basic Services grant funds to provide this service to the migratory student.
- Example 2: A migratory student in a Non-Project District has an identified need for school supplies. The ESC contacts the LEA to find out whether the LEA or any other entities in the community provide school supplies to students, and neither the LEA nor any of the entities in the community do. The ESC may then use its ESC ESSA Migrant Basic Services grant funds to provide school supplies to the migratory student.
Providing Services to Migratory Students in Non-Project Districts
ESCs can provide supplemental services through direct instructional and/or support services to migratory students in Non-Project Districts. For a full listing and definitions of instructional and support services, please refer to the Supplemental Program Section of the Texas Data Management Requirements Manual for TX-NGS & MSIX.
Examples of these services include the following:
- Direct instructional services: Includes activities such as tutoring in core content areas, statewide student assessment tutorials, reading instruction by a teacher, math instruction by a teacher, Project SMART, and A Bright Beginning (ABB) for early literacy.
- Support services: Includes activities such as providing clothing, school supplies, vision, and/or hearing screenings, as well as offering student leadership programs approved by the State MEP.
