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Welcome to the Interstate Migrant Educa-tion Council (IMEC) Newsletter! As we move for-ward in 2012, I felt it important to share with you my thoughts on reauthorization. IMEC has been working on its recommendations since before October 2006. There has been much discussion about the need to re-write, revise or re-direct the provisions within the cur-rent law the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) which is now in its tenth year of implementation. Historically, IMEC has been asked to provide input on reauthoriza-tion efforts which resulted in IMEC’s Recommenda-

tions for Amendments to The Education of Migratory Children, Title 1, Part C of the Ele-mentary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). These recommendations included areas such as simplifying eligibility definitions, expanding preschool services, supporting summer school programs, revising the priority for services, increasing graduation rates, attention to out-of-school youth, equity for migrant parents and a few technical amendments. Rather than ad-dressing these areas in detail in this newsletter you can go to IMEC’s website at www.imec-migranted.org for a more detailed description of IMEC’s recommendations. The House Education and Workforce Committee introduced the Student Success Act (HR 3989) http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr3989ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr3989ih.pdf and the Senate has their version of draft language of Title 1, Part C-Education of Migratory Children http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/ROM117523.pdf included within the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act. I would like to point out that in both versions there are substantive changes we need to think about since they will impact the Migrant Education Program (MEP). Some proposed language that could have serious implications on the MEP includes the 3 year averaging of stu-dent counts for funding purposes (House and Senate), defining “food processor” and commercial sale (Senate), and a clause under authorized activities (construction) that allows districts to use categorical funds (such as MEP funds) as they see fit by serving similar non-migrant students with similar needs in the same educational setting (House). Cont.-

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S CORNER……………………..

Summer 2012 IMEC NEWSLETTER

IMEC Mission ***

The mission of IMEC is to advo-cate policies that ensure the high-est quality educa-tion and other needed services for the nation’s migrant children.

Inside this Issue Page 1: Executive Director’s Corner Welcome from our Chair Page 2: Spotlight on Pat Hayes Page 3: Hawaii’s Migrant Education Program Page 5: Ohio’s Migrant Education Program Page 7: 2012 Board of Directors

It is a pleasure to share with you IMEC’s Newsletter! While infor-mation technology moves forward and we have easy access to information we still find a need to offer a newsletter on-line and by hard copy if needed. It is with this thought in mind that The Interstate Migrant Education Council (IMEC) staff has put together a Newsletter about IMEC activities and other activities as they relate to the education of migrant children. I am excited to welcome you to our first Newsletter for 2012 with the plan to follow up with a quarterly one. Enjoy and when you have time, share a story with us so that others may hear it. -Welcome, Gary Schmucker, Chair

WELCOME FROM OUR

CHAIR

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SPOTLIGHT ON PAT HAYES - CHAIR-ELECT FOR 2012 Pat Hayes has been an active member of the Interstate Migrant Education Council (IMEC) since 1995 and served in 2001 as the chair of the organization. The membership has elected Pat to serve as its chair-elect for 2012 and then chair for 2013-2014. Pat began her career as a registered nurse, later when her children Mary, John, Joseph and Jim were in school she served on the Cherry Creek Schools Board of Educa-tion in Colorado. Pat went on to hold various advisory volunteering positions in educa-tion. From 1985 thru 1999 Pat served on the Colorado State Board of Education and served as its chairman for 1993-1995. During her tenure as a board member from Colo-rado Pat also served as the National Association of State Board of Education president in 1996. In 2003 she was elected to serve on the University of Colorado Board of Regents where she also served as the chair of the board. Pat is active as a member of various edu-cation and civic boards.

Just to mention a few more points both the House and the Senate are proposing a 90% hold harmless from the previous years which helps states adjust to the new funding levels as a re-sult of the new child counts. It is also important to note that both versions will be looking at the transfer of student information and the number of migrant students as determined by in-formation provided by the Migrant Student Exchange (MSIX) data. The Senate version calls for an evaluation and study to determine the impact of the MEP which includes a “pilot study” on the feasibility of using the national assessment of educational progress (NAEP) http://

nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ for assessment and reporting on the academic achievement of migratory children in grades 4 and 8 in reading and math. While the House version maintains the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) and Service Delivery Plan (SDP) they do include stronger language by providing stronger measurable outcomes. What is the outlook for reauthorization in 2012? The Senate has no plans to bring the bills to conference unless the House presents them with a bipartisan bill which both the Republicans and Democrats on the house side can agree to. In the meantime on February 28th the House Education and Work-force Committee marked up the ESEA bills of which HR 3989 Student Success Act was included and passed through committee on a party line vote. The committee is looking for floor time this year. Note that along party lines means that the majority of the committee (Republicans) voted along party lines to pass the bill and the minority (Democrats) opposed the bill. Once again, a troubling piece which would effectively dismantle the MEP is that it “allows states and districts to use federal funds across programs to address their own unique needs”. It seems to me that given the atmosphere in this Congress chances are slim that reauthorization will actually occur during this 2012 session. Add the fact that it is an election year and you have less of a chance of getting a bill. Our work is not done but just beginning. Everyone involved in the education of migrant children needs to stay informed (review the bills) about reauthorization and make your voices heard so that migrant children are provided equal access to the best education available to them. After all, in this global economy and political world they are our future. -Francisco Garcia, Executive Director, IMEC

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S CORNER (CON’T)

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Most people think of it as a place uniquely situated to get the overworked away from work – way away - not find it. But with the speed of mainlanders ditching cell phones, powering down laptops, and schlepping into flip flops and swim trunks to play, migrant laborers are arriving to look for– and find – work in Hawaii. While the steady stream of retirees, honeymooners, and eco-tourists rolling up their sleeves to catch some rays in Pacific paradise guarantees one aspect of the island’s economy, an international workforce rolling up their sleeves to catch some paychecks bolsters another. The laborers are either lured by the steady harvest of avocados and bananas, coconuts and coffee, or the rising aquaculture of fish and oyster farms. Their countries of origin read like a United Nation’s roll-call with new hands arriving from the U.S. mainland and from as far away as the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia, all part of the Compact of Free Association, otherwise known as COFA. The result is a culturally diverse migrant education program with unique challenges, according to Sol Kaulukukui, Hawaii’s Migrant Education State Director. “Part of the draw to Hawaii from Pacific Islanders is due to COFA’s agreement allowing free movement between the countries without visa restrictions,” said Kaulukukui in a presenta-tion to IMEC members in January. The COFA, last renewed in 2003, defines the relationship between the three sov-ereign states and the United States and includes economic, military, and health provisions. “Some COFA numbers are also moving to Arkansas to work for Tyson Chicken,” he said.

“The islands are divided by the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’, the wealthy are very wealthy, and the poor are very poor,” he said. “The very poor are the ones coming through the COFA. We send nuclear warheads to the Marshall Islands, he said, and now we receive workers from those islands.” A pie-chart in his power point lists the 2009-10 migrant eligibility as

Hawaii’s Migrant Education Program by Terry Richard

Sol Kaulukukui, Hawaii MEP Director

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Pacific Islanders, 43%, Hawaiian 24.7%, and Spanish 32.3%. A 38% rise in the Hispanic population is noted in a January 2012 Honolulu Star Bulletin article, with the big island increasing by 52%. And although Hispanics only com-prise 12% of the state’s total populace, that number, too, is growing. “The vast majority of the Hawaiian Hispanics are born in the United States, and are younger than the average Hawai-ian resident”, he said. “A large number are employed in our coffee and macadamia nut businesses.” The qualifying ac-tivity list charts the shift over the last ten years from macadamia nuts, one of the highest activities in 2002-03, to fish-ing for subsistence, coffee, and ranching, ranked in order for 2009-10. Amidst good-natured joking about hula dancers, surfers, and the often repeated and often endorsed suggestion for future national conferences to be hosted there, Kaulukukui presented a comprehensive look at his state’s migrant pro-gram with its complexities and challenges. For starters, try developing an Identification and Recruitment plan for eight islands - the number that makes up the chain known as Hawaii. At first glance, it would seem difficult to find a qualifying move here, since there is one State Education Agency and one local education agency. Kaulukukui explained that the two islands which are served are divided into the com-plexes. The Big Island is divided into the complexes of Hamakua, Kealakehe, Konawaena, Naalehu, and the island of Kauai is divided into the complexes of East/Central Kauai, and West Kauai. “A qualifying move is one that crosses complexes and is allowed by the Office of Migrant Education,” he said. “We’re only able to service two of the islands, the Big Island (Hawaii) and Kauai, of the eight island chains. We have 1,914 students and currently serve 26 schools out of a total of 257 regular schools – 220 of which are Title I schools. The migrant program receives $833,732 from the Office of Migrant Education, but there are no state funds for the program. The MEP staff includes a state director, a state resource teacher who functions as ID&R Coordinator, a secretary, a data coordinator for the MIS 2000 data system, and seven recruiters, Kaulukukui said. “We are one of four that re-ceived funding for the Learn2 Succeed Consortium under the Consortium Incentive Grants.”

Hawaii’s Migrant Education Program by Terry Richard -Con’t-

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A STATE PROFILE: OHIO’S MEP PROGRAM BY DR. JOSÉ SALINAS Ohio offers two main types of temporary and seasonal work for migratory farm-workers. The most popular qualifying work takes place in the Northwest Ohio region. Families flock to this corner of the state for the harvesting of various fresh fruits and vegeta-bles including cucumber and tomato, which are picked in the summer. Many families also stay for the apple and pumpkin harvest in the fall. The second most popular qualifying ac-tivity involves temporary work with green houses and nurseries in several locations around the state. Ohio’s migratory farmworker population has been on a slow decline for several years. There are many reasons for their decreasing numbers including crop damage result-ing from inconsistent weather conditions. Some summers have recorded rainfall while other summers have offered significantly little rain. These extreme weather conditions have a direct impact on the quality of the regional crops harvested throughout the state. Never-theless, many migrant farmworkers continue to return each year in search of qualifying work and bring with them school-age children who will participate in one of our summer migrant education programs. Ohio is a receiving state, therefore making it primarily a summer-impacted state. Most of the funding and services go towards summer instructional programs for students who largely come from Flor-ida, Texas, and Georgia. There are 11 MEP sites in Ohio where children are bussed for summer instructional services. Each child’s language is assessed at the beginning and at the end of the program using the IPT assessment series from Ballard & Tighe. The IPT measures the Oral, Reading and Writing skills of children and codes them as a non-English Speaker, limited English speaker, or fluent English speaker. Each year, the raw scores have consistently shown evidence of growth in all of these three areas. Students in the summer MEPs are also exposed to various opportunities not often available to them during the regular school year. For example, middle school and high school migrant students are bussed to The University of Toledo once a year for an overnight college experience where they learn firsthand what it is like to live on campus. Students also get to ask questions about the various academic majors and find out how the college registration and financial aid process works.

José Salinas, Director Ohio Migrant Education Center

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The 11 summer MEP sites attempt to serve the entire migrant population in the state. Unfortunately, there are small pockets of migrant children who live too far from the nearest summer MEP. To address this problem, we developed a program called Improving Migrant Academic Gains Educationally (IMAGE). This program hires highly qualified teachers in these isolated regions of the state to deliver direct instructional services in the home of eligible families. School-age children as well as pre-school children are assessed using the San Diego Quick Assessment. The IMAGE program primarily focuses on reading & language arts with an emphasis on family literacy, but IMAGE teach-ers can also tailor their instructional approach to address specific academic needs of children. It takes a special teacher to work in the IMAGE program. They work out of their car and travel to places that are sometimes difficult to reach. But those who have worked in IMAGE have found it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of their lives. One more instrumental program offered in Ohio that receives a lot of praise from the migrant community is the migrant health fair. A mobile health team coordinated through the Maumee Valley Presbytery travels to each MEP site to conduct health screenings. Any child identified to have acute dental problems receives follow up care by a den-tist free of charge. Vision is also a major concern, so any child experiencing vision problems is seen by an optometrist. Migrant students requiring glasses to enhance their vision receive a new pair at no cost. To make sure that our stu-dents are truly prepared to enter the new school year ready to learn, we work on addressing their most basic health needs in the summer. We believe that wellness is just as important to academic success as the educational instruction students get in the MEP classroom. Ohio’s migrant education programs have a long and successful track record. Our families have come to know us for the quality services we provide and the unique educational experiences children discover in the classroom of every summer MEP. If you want to learn more about what Ohio migrant education has to offer, please visit our web site at www.omec.treca.org/.

A STATE PROFILE: OHIO’S MEP PROGRAM BY DR. JOSÉ SALINAS -Con’t-

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2012 Board of Directors

Mr. John L. G. Bynoe, III Associate Commissioner of Education The Center for Student Support Career and Education Services Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Ms. Sue Henry Migrant Education Specialist Nebraska Department of Education Mr. Solomon Kaulukukui Director, Migrant Education Program Hawaii Department of Education Mr. Jose Morales Director, Migrant Education, California Region 5 Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office Bakersfield, CA Mr. Roberto Reyes State Director, Title I and Community Services New York State Education Department Mr. Jose Salinas Director, Ohio Migrant Education Center Freemont, OH Mr. Gary L. Schmucker, Chair Interstate Migrant Education Council Migrant Education Consultant Nebraska Department of Education

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IMEC Interstate Migrant Education Council

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Washington, DC 20001 (202) 336-7078 Ph/Fax

Advocacy, Legislation , Education……...

Since 1983 the Interstate Migrant Education Council, (IMEC), has been advocating for policies that make a positive impact for the education of migrant children in our nation. IMEC has a two-pronged approach to making recommendations for the migrant education program . The first focuses on the legislation, regulations and non-regulatory guidance governing the pro-gram; the second is related to critical academic issues that IMEC identifies and analyzes for im-provement of migrant students academic achievement. Due to IMEC’s success, IMEC has received requests from Congressional offices on issues re-lated to migrant education including reauthorization of the Migrant Education Program (MEP). The Interstate Migrant Education Council is the premiere organization representing and advocating on behalf of our nation’s migrant children so that they may have a better future.