Program Goal
The goal of the Migrant Education Program is to ensure that all migratory children reach challenging academic standards and graduate with a high school diploma (or complete a HSED) that prepares them for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment.
Funds support high quality education programs for migratory children and help ensure that migratory children who move among the States are not penalized by disparities among States in curriculum, graduation requirements, and challenging State academic standards. Funds also ensure that migratory children not only are provided with appropriate education services that address their unique needs but also that such children receive full and appropriate opportunities to meet the same challenging State academic standards that all children are expected to meet. Federal funds are allocated by formula to State educational agencies (SEAs), based on each state's per pupil expenditure for education and counts of eligible migratory children, age 3 through 21, residing within the state.
Types of Projects
State MEP grantees and local/regional MEP subgrantees carry out a range of activities and services to support the needs of migratory children, including identifying and recruiting migratory children, providing instructional and support services that help bolster and sustain the educational progress of migratory children, and collaborating with other organizations and programs that serve migratory children (e.g., Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, the College Assistance Migrant Program, or the High School Equivalency Program). MEP grantees and subgrantees vary in how they carry out these tasks. For example, MEP grantees and subgrantees may identify and recruit migratory children directly or assign this task to others. They also have flexibility to provide a range of services, including direct academic instruction, online courses, graduation-planning assistance, health and dental care, clothing, transportation, and other supports that help migratory children progress and succeed in school.
Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX)
The Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) is the technology that allows States to share educational and health information on migratory children who travel from State to State and who as a result, have student records in multiple States' information systems. MSIX works in concert with the existing migrant student information systems that States currently use to manage their migratory child data to fulfill its mission to ensure the appropriate enrollment, placement, accrual of credits and participation in the MEP for migratory children nationwide. View more information in the MSIX tab.
SEAs apply to the Department for funds using either a Title I Migrant-specific application, or a consolidated application through which States submit a single application for funds for a number of Federal education formula grant programs. (Consolidated applications/plans are authorized under Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to promote coordination among programs and reduce paperwork.) These applications are submitted at the beginning of each reauthorization cycle and remain in effect until the next reauthorization. However, States are expected to amend their applications, as needed, to reflect any changes in how the program is implemented.
The consolidated state application package and related information are available online.
The U.S. Department of Education allocates Title I, Part C Migrant Education Program funds to States through a statutory formula based primarily on the State's migratory child count, the number of migratory children who receive summer or intersession services, and the cost of education in each State.
For general budget information, visit the budget news.
2023
Appropriation : $375,626,000
2022
Appropriation: $375,626,000
2021
Appropriation: $375,626,000
2020
Appropriation: $374,751,000
2019
Appropriation: $374,751,000
Note: Of these amounts, the Department of Education may reserve up to $10 million each year (under ESEA section 1308) to conduct Migrant Education Coordination Activities.
Legislation
- The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ,Title I, Part C, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015- The Every Student Succeeds Act, which was signed into law on December 10, 2015, contains the major statutory provisions that apply to the Migrant Education Program. The new law supersedes the previous law.
- View the most up to date information on the new law on the Every Student Succeeds Act page.
- Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - FERPA is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99). The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
- Department of Education's General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), Section 427 - Section 427 requires each applicant for funds (other than an individual person) to include in its application a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its federally assisted program for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs.
Regulations
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued on a quarterly basis. The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) is not an official legal edition of the CFR, but is a continuously updated online version of the CFR and provides enhanced features that are not part of the published CFR.
- ESEA Title I Regulations ( 34 CFR Part 200)
- The current regulations that apply to the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Program begin in Section 200.81.
- A number of the sections of the Title I, Part A regulations affect migratory children (e.g., standards and assessments, schoolwide programs, and participation of eligible children in private schools.
- ESEA General Provisions (34 CFR Part 299): This part of the Department's regulations establish uniform administrative rules for programs in ESEA Titles I through VII. As indicated in particular sections, certain provisions apply only to a specific group of programs.
- Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR): 34 CFR Parts 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 97, 98, and 99 apply to the MEP.
- The Office of Management and Budget's Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR Part 200): This part contains cross-program requirements that are applicable to the MEP.
All of Title 34 of the CFR and other pertinent regulations can be found on the Department of Education's legislation, regulations and guidance pages.
- National certificate of eligibility (COE) form and instructions to be used by all States to document the basis of their determinations of the eligibility of a migratory child.- On August 4, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extended its approval of the information collection requirements associated with the National COE, for use through August 31, 2026. States have been given certain flexibility in meeting the requirements of the national COE and therefore should read the instructions carefully as they implement the requirements. The national COE is comprised of three parts:
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- Required Data Elements, which States can organize according to State preference and need. Required Data Elements must be worded as they appear in the instructions, and cannot be changed or shortened, with specific exceptions noted;
- Required Data Sections, which States can place according to State preference and need, but that must be maintained in whole and unaltered, with specific exceptions noted; and
- State Required/Requested information, where space is available, that States can use to collect other data. State-specific required/requested information may be placed anywhere on the COE, except inside any of the Required Data sections. States may choose their own header (e.g., State name) on the COE, as long as it identifies the form as the Certificate of Eligibility. States may also include their State logos or seals.
Note: States must maintain any additional documentation the SEA requires to confirm that each child found eligible for the program meets all of the eligibility definitions. State responsibilities for documenting the eligibility of migratory children are found in 34 C.F.R. § 200.89(c).
- National COE template and instructions (PDF, 227KB)
If you have any questions about the national COE requirements, please contact your MEP program officer.
Policy Guidance
- Non-Regulatory Guidance for Title I, Part C, Education of Migratory Children (March 2017) -This document is designed to help SEAs and LOAs use MEP funds to develop and implement supplemental educational and support services to assist migratory children. View all of the Department of Education's major policy guidance on the policy guidance page.
- MEP Non-Regulatory Guidance MS WORD (32 KB)
MEP Program Performance Reports
The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 was enacted by Congress to provide for the establishment of strategic planning and performance measurement in the Federal Government (made up of an annual performance plan and an annual performance report).
In December 2010, the Office of Migrant Education initiated a collaborative process to develop a focused set of Migrant Education Program (MEP) Program Performance Measures, formerly GPRA measures (GPRAs) that align closely with the program goal. The office consulted with the Data Quality Initiative, the MEP Coordination Workgroup, the Interstate Migrant Education Council, and the National Association of State Directors of Migrant Education during this collaborative process, which concluded with four MEP Performance Measures in December 2012. The MEP Program Performance Measures are:
- The percentage of MEP students who scored at or above proficient on their state's annual Reading/Language Arts assessments in grades 3-8,
- The percentage of MEP students who scored at or above proficient on their state's annual Mathematics assessments in grades 3-8,
- The percentage of MEP students who were enrolled in grades 7-12 and graduated or were promoted to the next grade level, and
- The percentage of MEP students who entered 11th grade that had received full credit for Algebra I or its equivalent.
View the MEP's past performance:
FY 2021 Program Performance Measures
FY 2022 Program Performance Measures (coming soon)
Grantee Performance Reports
Consolidated State Performance Report — Grantee Performance Reports are collected through Part I and Part II of the Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR). The CSPR is the required annual reporting tool for each State, the Bureau of Indian Education, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as authorized under Section 8303 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). The data collected provide the Department with information on: the number of eligible migratory children; student characteristics (e.g., mobility, English language proficiency, etc.); student participation in MEP-funded services, staffing levels, and on the academic achievement of migratory students. For more information about the CSPR visit the Resources tab.
Select MEP CSPR data are included in the Department's ED Data Express (https://eddataexpress.ed.gov/), a Web site designed to improve the public's ability to access and explore high-value state-level education data collected by the Department.
Monitoring Materials
Description of Monitoring — A monitoring review is an examination of a State's administration and implementation of a Federal education grant, contract, or cooperative agreement administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). OME's monitoring activities are designed to examine the implementation of the MEP. Monitoring addresses:
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- general context within which the program operates,
- overall organizational structure and design of the program,
- results achieved by the program,
- basic program operations (especially compliance with program requirements), and
- resolution of prior findings from audits or program monitoring.
- In addition to program-specific monitoring, OME may monitor the MEP as part of consolidated monitoring with other ESEA formula grant programs. The Office of State Support and Accountability maintains a catalog of protocols and reports from recent Performance Reviews.
Audit Materials
- Description of Audits — At the federal level, ED's Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an independent entity that is responsible for identifying fraud, waste, abuse, and criminal activity involving ED funds, programs, and operations. OIG conducts independent audits and other reviews and criminal and civil investigations and recommends actions to address systemic weaknesses and improve ED programs and operations. OIG also recommends changes needed in Federal laws and regulations. The Government Accounting Office (GAO) is the supreme audit institution for the United States. Federal and state auditors look to GAO to provide standards for internal controls, financial audits, and other types of government audits. Both OIG and GAO are authorized to conduct audits on usage of MEP and other program funds. The OIG conducts three types of audits: 1) external audits of grantee or contractor operations; 2) internal audits of ED administration and management; and 3) national audits of issues or problem areas having national significance and requiring corrective action at the federal level. At the State and local levels, The Single Audit Act, as amended, establishes requirements for audits of States, local governments, Indian tribes, institutions of higher education (public or private nonprofit colleges and universities), and nonprofit organizations that expend a certain amount in Federal awards during its fiscal year (currently set at $750,000). The Single Audit Act amendments are implemented through Subpart F—Audit Requirements of Title 2 of C.F.R., Chapter II, Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR part 200).
- Federal Audit Single Audit Clearinghouse — All completed audit packages for audits conducted in accordance with Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200, (which superseded the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-133 in 2013,) must be submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. The primary purposes of the Clearinghouse are:
- To disseminate audit information to the public and federal agencies.
- To support OMB oversight and assessment of federal award audit requirements.
- To assist federal cognizant and oversight agencies in obtaining OMB Circular A-133 data and reporting packages.
- To help auditors and auditees minimize the reporting burden of complying with Circular A-133 audit requirements.
- Audit Compliance Supplement — The Compliance Supplement lays out key requirements for many Federal programs, including the Title I Migrant Education Program. The Supplement outlines each program's objectives, procedures, and key compliance requirements as well as audit objectives and suggested audit procedures for determining compliance with these requirements. The Compliance Supplement is reviewed annually and updated when necessary.
Migrant Education Program Coordination Website: RESULTS
Visit RESULTS.ed.gov to access technical assistance resources, a map with State contact information, a calendar of events, and more. The website includes legislation and policy documents, as well as an extensive list of policy Q&A's. RESULTS also contains manuals and orientation materials, including but not limited to, Identification and Recruitment (ID&R), the prospective re-interviewing process, new Director's orientation, etc. Additionally, the site houses toolkits for conducting a Migrant Education Program (MEP)-specific comprehensive needs assessment (CNA), designing a MEP service delivery plan (SDP), and developing an evaluation for your State MEP. RESULTS also contains Office of Migrant Education (OME) webinars and presentations from events like the annual National Association of State Directors of Migrant Education (NASDME) Conference, the ID&R Forum, and OME's Annual Directors' Meeting (ADM).
Fact Sheet: Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 While Serving Migratory Children
In response to multiple requests from grantees and other stakeholders, the Department developed the Fact Sheet: Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 While Serving Migratory Children. This Fact Sheet provides information to assist State educational agencies (SEAs) and local operating agencies (LOAs) in determining how to continue to identify eligible migratory children and provide services to address their needs, while taking into consideration the health, safety, and well-being of staff and migratory families. To access the Fact Sheet along with additional information and guidance related to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please see: https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus.
Data, Evaluations, Studies and Surveys
The U.S. Department of Education collects data annually from State Educational Agencies (SEAs) concerning the operation of the Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP). The data are collected through Part I and Part II of the Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR). The data provide the Department with information on: the number of eligible migrant children; student characteristics (e.g., mobility, English language proficiency, priority-for-services); student participation in MEP-funded services, staffing levels, and on the academic achievement of migrant students.
Select MEP CSPR data are included in the Department's ED Data Express (https://eddataexpress.ed.gov/), a Web site designed to improve the public's ability to access and explore high-value state-level education data collected by the Department. The site is designed to be interactive and to present the data in a clear, easy-to-use manner, with options to download information into Excel or manipulate the data within the Web site. The site currently includes data from EDFacts, CSPR, State Accountability Workbooks, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), the College Board, and the Department's Budget Service office.
Migrant Achievement Data, collected in the CSPR Part I, is located within ED Data Express. The data, expressed as percent proficient in the content areas of Reading, Mathematics, and Science, may be viewed by Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Grade Four, and Grade Eight.
MEP Eligibility and Participation data, collected in the CSPR Part II, is also located within ED Data Express, and may be viewed by groups, sub-groups, and data elements. The data may be selected by "group," and migrant groups include Migrant Students Eligible for Services, Migrant Students Participating in Services — Performance Period, Migrant Students Participating in Services — Regular School Year, and Migrant Students Participating in Services — Summer/Intersession. Moreover, the data may be selected by "sub-group," and include Eligible Migrant Students, Limited English Proficient Students, Priority for Service Students, Students with Disabilities, Total Migrant Participation, Participation in Instructional Services, and Participation in Support Services. Finally, data may be selected by data element, which includes the age/grade categories of Ages 3-5, Grades K-3, Grades 4-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Out-of-School Youth, and Total Population.
The Common Core of Data (CCD)- The CCD is a comprehensive, annual, national statistical database of information concerning all public elementary and secondary schools (approximately 91,000) and school districts (approximately 16,000). The CCD is produced by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) - The NAEP, also known as "the Nation's Report Card," is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Since 1969, assessments have been conducted periodically in reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography, and the arts.
Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) - SASS is the nation's largest sample survey of America's public and private schools, districts, principals, teachers, and library media centers.
General Demographic Information on Migrant Workers and Agriculture
National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) - The U.S. Department of Labor is the only national information source on the demographics and working and living conditions of U.S. farmworkers. Information has been collected from over 25,000 farm workers since the NAWS began in 1988. The survey samples all crop farmworkers in three cycles each year in order to capture the seasonality of the work. The NAWS locates and samples workers at their work sites, avoiding the well-publicized undercount of this difficult-to-find population.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Agricultural Statistics Survey (NASS), Census of Agriculture - The census of agriculture is a complete accounting of United States agricultural production. It is the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every county in the Nation. The census includes as a farm every place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold or normally would have been sold during the census year. The census of agriculture is taken every five years covering the years ending in "2" and "7."
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Child Nutrition Programs — USDA is responsible for providing a safety net for millions of Americans who are food-insecure and for developing and promoting dietary guidance based on scientific evidence. USDA works to increase food security and reduce hunger by providing children and low-income people access to food, a healthful diet and nutrition education in a way that supports American agriculture and inspires public confidence. Child Nutrition programs administered by FNS provide healthy food to children through programs that include the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.
During summer months, USDA works with community sponsors to serve millions of meals to low-income children through the Summer Food Service Program. This program helps fight hunger and obesity by reimbursing organizations such as schools, child care centers, and after-school programs for providing healthy meals to children.
Migrant Student Records Exchange Initiative
The primary goals and objectives of the MSIX Initiative are to:
Goal 1 – Maintain an effective electronic exchange for the transfer of migratory children’s education and health data among the States.
- Objective 1.1 – On an ongoing basis via enhancements, improve the MSIX system and its functionality to advance the facilitation of school enrollment, placement, and credit accrual to ensure MSIX remains a high-quality resource as measured by ratings of overall quality in the annual MSIX Customer Satisfaction Survey.
- Objective 1.2 – Ensure States follow appropriate cybersecurity guidelines for their MSIX users, that include annual cybersecurity and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) training; and maintain and update, as necessary, their Interconnection Security Agreements (ISAs) and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs).
- Objective 1.3 – Strategically promote MSIX trainings to national, State, and local stakeholders, and communicate how MSIX can be used as a resource to meet statutory requirements for interstate coordination.
Goal 2 – Ensure submission of timely, accurate, and complete data.
- Objective 2.1 – Ensure States upload all required minimum data elements (MDEs) that are applicable to a child’s age and grade level in accordance with MSIX regulations.
- Objective 2.2 – Promote the use of the MSIX data quality reports by States to improve data quality and ensure accuracy of data submissions.
- Objective 2.3 – Promote the use of the MSIX Child Count Reconciliation report by States to identify data quality issues in student records that may cause differences in child counts between MSIX and State systems.
- Objective 2.4 – Support States to electronically link their migratory student records systems with their respective State longitudinal data systems, if applicable, in order to meet regulatory requirements in a timely and efficient manner.
Goal 3 – Promote the use of the MSIX to facilitate timely school enrollment, appropriate grade and course placement, accrual of secondary course credits, and participation in the Migrant Education Program (MEP).
- Objective 3.1 – Provide technical assistance to States regarding required MDE submissions.
- Objective 3.2 – Provide technical assistance to States to promote the use of the Consolidated Student Record by counselors and registrars for enrollment, placement, and credit accrual.
- Objective 3.3 – Provide technical assistance to States regarding the use of MSIX for identification and recruitment (ID&R) purposes.
Goal 4 – Provide stakeholders with data on national and state migratory population, generate accurate migratory child counts, and meet other reporting requirements.
- Objective 4.1 – Produce annual data for States to use in evaluating and managing their individual programs.
- Objective 4.2 – Use MSIX as the primary source for determining the number of migratory children in each State.
- Benjamin Starr, MSIX Lead
- 202-245-8116
- Benjamin.Starr@ed.gov