Migrant Education
Migrant Education Program
Who is a Migrant student?
Eligible students are children from ages 0-21 who have moved on their own or with their parents within the past three years to seek or obtain temporary or seasonal work as a principal means of livelihood in activities related to: agriculture, packing/warehouse, forestry, dairy farming, poultry farming, commercial fishing, beef industry and/or shellfish industry.
The goal of the Migrant Education Program is to ensure that all migrant students reach challenging academic standards and graduate with a high school diploma (or complete a GED) that prepares them for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment.
Migrant Education Seven Areas of Concern
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Educational Continuity
Because migrant students are often forced to move during the regular school year, students tend to experience a lack of educational continuity. Migrant students experience differences in curriculum, academic standards, homework policies and classroom routines.
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Instructional Time
Mobility impacts the amount of time students spend in class and their attendance patterns. Such decreases in the time students spend engaged in learning leads to lower levels of achievement. Ways to ameliorate the impact of family and mobility and delays in enrollment procedures is essential.
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School Engagement
Migrant students are frequently faced with adjustments to new school setting, making new friends, and social acceptance challenges, which are generally grouped as behavioral, emotional and cognitive.
4. Culturally Linguistically Diverse Education
Culturally Linguistically Diverse Education (CLD) is critical for academic success. In the school setting, ELD focuses on the literacy skills applicable to learning the content area.
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Educational Support in the Home
Home environment is often associated with a child’s success in school. Many migrant parents value education for their children. However, they may not always know how to support their children. Efforts to inform families are crucial.
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Health
Good health is a basic need that migrant students often do not attain. They are at greater risk. They are more likely to be uninsured and have difficulties with health care access.
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Access to Services
Since migrant families are not viewed as permanent residents, services become more difficult to obtain.