1965: Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to provide financial assistance to LEAs with concentrations of children from low-income families. The goal was to expand and improve educational programs to help meet the special education needs of educationally deprived children.
1966: The MEP program was established to help alleviate the problems faced by migratory families. It was initially designed to serve the children of the migratory farmworkers, but later amendments included migratory fishers and dairy workers.
1968: The first National MEP Conference was convened.
2001: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) passed. As a result, the Department of Education (ED) was required to link existing state MEP database to electronically transfer health and education information nationally. In response, ED implemented the Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX). Its primary mission is to ensure the appropriate enrollment, placement, and accrual of credits for migratory children. The MSIX allows States to share education and health information on migratory children who travel from one state to another and who, as a result, have student records in more than one State’s information system.
2015: The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reauthorizing the ESEA was passed after the production of The History and Purpose of the Migrant Education Program video, and with the passage of ESSA there have been a few key changes in legislation impacting migratory children and youth. Changes included key definitions (see Module 6 Level 1) as well as the removal of the requirement of intent or purpose of the move.

These changes have been incorporated into the curriculum and are highlighted in this module only when the information in this otherwise accurate and informative video conflicts with the current legislation (as noted above).

Trainer’s Notes

Discussion Points