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Student Services » Migrant Education

Migrant Education

What is the Migrant Education Program?

The Migrant Education Program (MEP) is a federally funded program, authorized by Part C of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  The Office of Migrant Education (OME) in the U.S. Department of Education is responsible for the Migrant Education Program.

The MEP provides supplemental services to migrant students 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.

Who Qualifies? 

Children and youth whose families have moved to Perquimans County within the last three years in search of work in agriculture.  The MEP serves youth ages 3-21 who have not yet completed high school.

What does the word “migrant” mean?

A person who comes to Perquimans County seeking temporary or seasonal work in agriculture. This includes planting, picking, cultivating, harvesting, or packing agricultural products or working on a dairy farm or nursery.

Why does this Program exist?

Migrant work is by definition temporary or seasonal, creating difficulties for migrant families who move frequently. Students face significant barriers to education and healthcare, including:

  • Interrupted schooling due to frequent moves
  • Unfamiliarity with the U.S. or local educational system
  • Limited English proficiency 
  • Parents can't help with school assignments
  • Does not know where to go for help with social services and medical issues

What does the program offer eligible students?

  • Home visits to explain the program and connect the family to community resources
  • Interpreters for parent-teacher conferences and school or community events
  • Parent meetings to discuss ways to help students succeed in school
  • Academic help - which may include summer programs, tutoring and follow-up on student progress
  • School supplies and backpacks
  • Help finding health resources and transportation to medical appointments
  • Assistance in transferring records to new schools

Whom do I call to refer a family to the MEP or for more information?

Kanika Griffin, Chief Academic Officer of Student Services - (252)426-5741

MEP Goals

  • Support high-quality and comprehensive educational programs for migrant children in order to reduce the educational disruption and other problems that can result from repeated moves.
  • Ensure that migrant children who move among the states are not penalized in any manner by disparities among the states in curriculum, graduation requirements, state academic content, and student academic achievement standards.
    Ensure that migrant children are provided with appropriate educational services (including supportive services) that address their special needs in a coordinated and efficient manner.
  • Ensure that migrant 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 migrant children overcome educational disruption, 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 post secondary education or employment.
  • Ensure that migrant children benefit from state and local systemic reforms.

Metas del Plan de Educación Migrante

  • Apoye programas educativos integrales y de alta calidad para niños migrantes a fin de reducir la interrupción educativa y otros problemas que pueden resultar de movimientos repetidos.
  • Asegúrese de que los niños migrantes que se mudan entre los estados no sean penalizados de ninguna manera por las disparidades entre los estados en el currículo, los requisitos de graduación, el contenido académico estatal y los estándares de rendimiento académico de los estudiantes.
  • Asegúrese de que los niños migrantes reciban servicios educativos apropiados (incluidos servicios de apoyo) que aborden sus necesidades especiales de manera coordinada y eficiente.
  • Asegúrese de que los niños migrantes reciban oportunidades completas y apropiadas para cumplir con el mismo contenido académico estatal desafiante y los estándares de rendimiento académico estudiantil que se espera que todos los niños cumplan.

  • Diseñe programas para ayudar a los niños migrantes a superar las interrupciones educativas, las barreras culturales y de idioma, el aislamiento social, diversos problemas relacionados con la salud y otros factores que inhiben su capacidad para salir bien en la escuela, y prepararlos para hacer una transición exitosa a la educación post secundaria o empleo.
    Asegurar que los niños migrantes se beneficien de las reformas sistémicas estatales y locales.

Identification and Recruitment

  • Determining the location and presence of migrant children. 
  • Making contact with migrant families, explaining the Migrant Education Program. 
  • Determining proper and timely identification and recruitment of all eligible children. 
  • Recruiting children who are most in need of program services.
  • Providing supplemental services to enable migrant children to meet high academic challenges and performance standards that are expected for all children and youth.

Child Eligibility

According to sections 115(b) (1) (A) and 1309(2) of the statute and section 200.81(d) of the regulations, a child is eligible for the Migrant Services (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 within the preceding 36 months in order to obtain (or seek) or to accompany (or join) a parent, spouse or guardian to obtain (or seek), temporary or seasonal employment in qualifying agricultural or fishing work; and such employment is a principal means of livelihood.
  • The child has moved from one school district to another; or in a state that is comprised of a single school district, has moved from one administrative area to another within such district; or
  • Resides in a school district of more than 15,000 square miles and migrates a distance of 20 miles or more to a temporary residence to engage in fishing activity. (This provision currently applies only to Alaska)

Referral Information

The Migrant Occupational Survey is used by Perquimans County Schools staff to obtain pre-information on new potential migrant students.

Identificación y reclutamiento significa:

  • Determinación de la ubicación y presencia de niños migrantes.
  • Ponerse en contacto con familias migrantes, explicando el Programa de Educación Migrante.
  • Determinar la identificación y el reclutamiento oportuno y adecuado de todos los niños elegibles.
  • Reclutar a los niños que más necesitan servicios del programa.
  • Brindar servicios complementarios para que los niños migrantes puedan cumplir con los altos desafíos académicos y los estándares de desempeño que se esperan para todos los niños y jóvenes.

Elegibilidad infantil

De acuerdo con las secciones 115 (b) (1) (A) y 1309 (2) del estatuto y la sección 200.81 (d) de las regulaciones, un niño es elegible para los Servicios para Migrantes (MEP) si:

  • El niño es menor de 22 años y no se ha graduado de la escuela secundaria o no posee un certificado de equivalencia de la escuela secundaria.
  • El niño es un trabajador agrícola migrante o un pescador migrante o tiene un padre, cónyuge o tutor que es un trabajador agrícola migrante o un pescador migrante.
  • El niño se ha mudado dentro de los 36 meses anteriores para obtener (o buscar) o acompañar (o unirse) a un padre, cónyuge o tutor para obtener (o buscar) un empleo temporal o estacional en trabajos agrícolas o pesqueros calificados; y ese empleo es un medio principal de sustento.
  • El niño se mudó de un distrito escolar a otro; o en un estado que se compone de un solo distrito escolar, se ha mudado de un área administrativa a otra dentro de dicho distrito; o
  • Reside en un distrito escolar de más de 15,000 millas cuadradas y migra una distancia de 20 millas o más a una residencia temporal para participar en actividades de pesca. (Esta disposición actualmente solo se aplica a Alaska)

Información referencial

El formulario de recomendación de migrantes es utilizado por el personal de las Escuelas del Condado de Perquimans para obtener información previa sobre nuevos estudiantes migrantes potenciales.

MEP Resources

Migrant Occupational Survey