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New Directors' Orientation Tutorial
The New Directors' Orientation Tutorial is made up of 14 self-paced modules to assist in learning basic program requirements. Each module is designed to be utilized based on a Director’s specific needs; there is not a set sequence for the tutorial to be completed. We encourage Directors to jump to the module that best fits their needs. Select a module below to view or download the corresponding materials.
Modules
12. Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX)
Module 12. Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX)
All Module Materials
Overview
Supporting Materials
Section 1: Getting Started
Getting Started
In This Section
• Tutorial Objectives
• How to Use the Tutorial
• Icons to Guide You
• Key Readings and Resources
3
Tutorial Objectives
Module 12 will enable new state directors to
1. understand the functionality of MSIX,
2. understand the roles and responsibilities of MSIX users,
3. understand the impact of poor data quality,
4. review current policies and procedures of state MSIX
implementation, and
5. develop strategies for improving MSIX implementation.
4
How to Use the Tutorial
For optimal benefit from the tutorial, you should
• allow sufficient time to read the slides, reflect on the information, and
complete all activities on the slides or on the Quick Resource and
Reflection Sheets (QRRS) that can be downloaded as worksheets;
• read each slide as well as the information referenced in the slides;
• engage with the “What Do You Think?” slides to facilitate interaction
with the information (Answers will be provided directly following each
of these slides.);
5
How to Use the Tutorial
For optimal benefit from the tutorial, you should (continued)
• pause to reflect on your state program at the “Check-in” slides
(A QRRS document will typically accompany these.);
• complete the “Pop Quiz!” slides to reinforce key concepts;
• review your state’s Migrant Education Program (MEP) documents and
reports as directed;
• develop an action plan using the worksheets provided;
• add actionable items to your MEP planning calendar (QRRS 14.2); and
• contact your OME Program Officer for follow-up questions.
6
Icons to Guide You
The following icons will guide you in making the best use of this tutorial:
What Do You Think?
Check-in
Pop Quiz!
Quick Reference and Reflection Sheet (QRRS)
Action Planning
Calendar Item
7
Key Readings and Resources
You should have these documents readily available while completing
the module, as the module will refer to these documents for more
complete information on various topics.
• MEP Guidance on the Education of Migratory Children under Title I,
Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
• MSIX website
• MSIX User Guide on the Minimum Data Elements
• Records Exchange Leading Practices Guide
8
Section 2: Overview of the Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX)
Overview of the
Migrant Student
Information
Exchange
In This Section
• What is MSIX?
• Why is MSIX Needed?
• Migrant Student Record Exchange
Goals
9
Why Migrant Student Records Exchange?
In Section 1308(b) of Title I, Part C of ESEA, as amended, Congress
requires the Department (ED) to assist States in developing effective
methods for the electronic transfer of student records and in
determining the number of migratory children in each State. Further,
Section 1308(b)(2)(A) of the statute requires ED to ensure the linkage
of state migrant student record systems in order that health and
educational information about all migratory students may be
electronically exchanged among the States. To implement these
requirements, ED has implemented the Migrant Student Information
Exchange Initiative, whose primary mission is to ensure the appropriate
enrollment, placement, and accrual of credits for migrant children.
10
What is the Migrant Student Information
Exchange?
The Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) is the technology that
allows states to share educational and health information on migrant
children who travel from state to state and who as a result, may have
student records in multiple states' information systems. MSIX works in
concert with states’ own existing migrant student information systems
to fulfill its mission of helping to ensure the appropriate enrollment,
placement, and accrual of credits for migrant children nationwide.
11
Why is MSIX Needed?
Because of the highly mobile lifestyles of migrant families, schools
often see migrant students enter and exit with little or no notice.
• Without timely and accurate data, migrant children may experience
o A delay in enrollment,
o Incorrect grade or course placement,
o Credit accrual issues,
o Unnecessary duplication of immunizations, and/or
o Disruption of MEP services.
12
MSIX Goals
MSIX is a collaborative effort to assist ED and states to:
• Establish standards for the minimum education and health data that
each state must collect and maintain in its own existing electronic
state migrant student records system;
• Develop an electronic exchange to link all states’ migrant student
record systems, facilitating the consolidation of migrant students’
education and health information.
• Create a web-based, consolidated, migrant student record that can be
used by authorized school personnel to facilitate school enrollment,
grade and course placement, and the accrual of secondary school
course credits; and
• Produce useable information on the migrant student population.
13
Section 3: Purpose and Functionality of MSIX
Purpose and
Functionality of MSIX
In This Section
• MSIX Goals
• MSIX Purpose
• MSIX Functionality
• MSIX Data
• MSIX Data Flow
• Minimum MSIX Data Elements
• MSIX Student Data Reports
• MSIX - Use a Common Language
14
MSIX Goals
The goals of MSIX are to:
1. Create an electronic exchange for the transfer of migrant student
education and health data among the states;
2. Ensure the use of the consolidated migrant student record for the
purposes of enrollment, placement, and accrual of credit of
migrant students in school and migrant education projects; and
3. Produce national data on the migrant population.
15
MSIX Purpose
MSIX is designed to link existing state migrant data record systems in
order to collect, consolidate, and make critical education data available
to staff of school and LEAs in which migrant students enroll.
See QRRS 12.1 – What do you know about MSIX?
16
MSIX Functionality
The following graph is a conceptual design of how MSIX system works.
U.S. Department of Education (Deloitte Consulting LLP). Migrant Student Information Exchange Train-the-Trainer Regional User Conference.
Accessed from: https://msix.ed.gov/msix/trainingCorner/UserConferencePresentation/UserConf4_Presentation.pdf
17
MSIX Functionality
MSIX does
MSIX does
not
Leverage available information provided
by the states to
ED’s Education Data
Exchange Network (EDEN)
Replace existing state data record
systems
Contain the minimum
data elements
(
MDE) necessary for the proper
enrollment, grade and course placement,
and accrual of credits for migrant
children
Produce a consolidated
record for each
migrant child (in the system) that
contains information from each
(participating) state in which the child
was enrolled
Provide for the exchange of migrant
student data and records in a secure
uniform format
Review the table below for information on what MSIX is designed to do.
18
MSIX Data
Data in MSIX comes from four categories of information already
collected through state migrant-specific databases.
1. Demographics
2. Enrollments
3. Course History
4. Assessments
19
MSIX Data
MSIX
Data
Enrollments
Course
History
Assessments
Demographics
COE, health forms,
school information,
school/district
databases
Certificate of
Eligibility (COE)
Student forms, school
information,
school/district
database
Student forms,
school database
The graphic below illustrates the types of data MSIX is designed to
collect.
20
MSIX Data Flow
In addition to the state’s migrant-specific database, health and school
information may come from the state’s general education student
information system/state database (see slide 19).
• The flow of information through electronic data systems avoids time-
consuming manual data entry or re-entry that can delay the timely
transfer of accurate data to the MSIX system.
o The lack of access to the state system by the migrant-specific
database seems to be the biggest barrier.
o In order to get access to the state’s general education student
information system, the state MEP office needs buy-in from key
stakeholders at the SEA.
o If there is a conflict of information in the different systems, the
state MEP office should be the authoritative source of migrant
student data in all systems.
21
MSIX Data Flow
Info is collected
from family,
school, local and
state databases
Info is entered into
state’s migrant-
specific database
State’s migrant –
specific database
uploads data to
MSIX
MSIX creates a
CONSOLIDATED
STUDENT
RECORD for MSIX
users to view and
use in order to
place students in
correct grade and
classes
Data transferred from the states’ migrant databases into MSIX are
used to generate a Consolidated Student Record to assist school staff
in:
• Placing students in the correct grade or courses,
• Verifying student immunization history, and
• Providing a record to give to parents or guardians of migrant
students upon school withdrawal.
22
Minimum MSIX Data Elements
• MSIX does not replace state MEP data systems.
• States’ systems regularly transfer files to MSIX using a predefined
format that groups the Minimum Data Elements (MDEs) to be
transferred to MSIX for each migrant child in a relational format.
o MDEs are data fields that states must collect and maintain in their
migrant student databases for each of their eligible migrant
children in order to make those data available to other states via
MSIX.
For a list of the current MDEs, refer to the MSIX website.
23
Minimum MSIX Data Elements
States transmit all applicable MDEs from their state migrant-specific
databases when:
• Information on newly identified migrant students is collected, and
• Updated information for previously identified migrant students is
collected.
24
MSIX Student Data Reports
MSIX generates reports related to student information and mobility,
including:
• MSIX Student Data Count – counts distinct students, near matched
students, and those with records in multiple states;
• Student Demographics – counts students by age, gender, birth
location, and Consolidated Student Record (CSR) flag;
• Student Enrollments by MDE Type – counts grade, enrollment type,
various enrollment flags, and MEP project type;
• Student Enrollments in Multiple States – counts of students in the
state who have enrollments in other states;
• Grade Retention Counts – counts students who were retained in the
same grade for two academic years;
25
MSIX Student Data Reports
• Missed Enrollment – counts of missed enrollment identified following
a student’s qualifying move;
• Student Assessments - counts of assessment records by assessment
type;
• Student Course History – counts of course history records by course
type;
• Child Counts Data – counts of Category 1 and Category 2 students for
the current or previous school year as defined by the CSPR criteria;
• General Move From – counts of student moves out of the state; and
• General Move To – counts of student moves into the state.
For more information, see the MSIX Report Manual
26
MSIX – Use a Common Language
Cohesion of purpose and accuracy of implementation can be facilitated
by ensuring that everyone involved with the state MEP migrant-specific
database and MSIX share a common language.
• Don’t make assumptions about staff’s understanding of acronyms
and key terms.
• Establish a glossary of key terms, and use terms consistently.
• Don’t treat the glossary as a static document.
o As the need to clarify terms arises, add definitions to the glossary.
27
Section 4: Implementing MSIX
Implementing MSIX
In This Section
• Establishing MSIX Policies and
Procedures
• Roles and Responsibilities
28
Establishing MSIX Policies and Procedures
States need to have a Policy & Procedures document in place to guide
MSIX implementation and practices. At a minimum, SEAs will want to
consider including the following information to:
• Establish a staffing plan;
• Define roles and responsibilities;
• Define MSIX Rules of Behavior;
• Ensure timely activation/deactivation of user accounts;
• Ensure proper access of records;
See QRRS 12.2 – MSIX Policies and Procedures Handbook
29
Establishing MSIX Policies and Procedures
• Update state MEP data systems that feed MSIX in a timely manner;
• Manage accuracy of state MEP data;
• Manage student move alerts;
• Conduct worklist maintenance (e.g., response and resolution times,
delegation of worklist items, and escalation process);
• Ensure MSIX data is used properly for timely enrollment and accurate
placement and credit accrual;
• Communicate with parents regarding student records; and
• Establish common language.
30
Roles and Responsibilities
The ESEA requires SEAs to promote interstate and intrastate
coordination by providing educational continuity through the timely
transfer of pertinent school records (including health information) when
children move from one school to another, whether or not the move
occurs during the regular school year.
• The MSIX consolidated student record is available to use for migrant
student enrollment, placement, and credit accrual.
31
Roles and Responsibilities
Typically, the SEA will have an MSIX data administrator to coordinate
and oversee the implementation of the statewide MSIX efforts. The
MSIX data administrator works with the MEP state director and state
data staff to:
• Establish policies and procedures,
• Define statewide roles and responsibilities,
• Coordinate the transfer of state migrant data to MSIX,
• Establish quality control processes and procedures, and
• Serve as the state MSIX liaison to the federal MEP MSIX.
32
Roles and Responsibilities
MSIX is intended to significantly help front-line educators who need
access to current migrant student records to aid in enrollment,
placement, and credit accrual. Front-line educators are typically:
• Guidance counselors,
• MEP data entry staff,
• Recruiters,
• School registrars, and/or
• Teachers.
33
Roles and Responsibilities
• Primary users have access to MSIX to initiate changes in student
records within the system, while secondary users may only view the
records that MSIX maintains.
• State User Administrators and State Data Administrators are located
at the SEA level.
• Depending on the size of the migrant student population within a
state and/or the way the SEA organizes its administration of the MEP,
states may have also primary users and data administrators at the
regional and/or local levels.
• See the chart on slide 35 to see the functions assigned to each MSIX
role.
34
Roles and Responsibilities
The chart below illustrates some typical responsibilities associated with
each identified role. As previously noted, the primary and secondary
users will usually be school and district staff.
35
Roles and Responsibilities
• MSIX is for official use only.
• The SEA must ensure that all users adhere to the Rules of Behavior
established to maintain the security of the system and student data.
SEAs should establish procedures for communicating and monitoring
implementation of the Rules of Behavior, including
o MSIX system monitoring,
o MSIX security controls,
o user credentials,
o protection of MSIX information, and
o other security considerations.
36
Roles and Responsibilities
• MSIX is a U.S. Department of Education computer system and is
subject to Department monitoring and auditing.
• Users do not have aright of privacy when using the MSIX system.
37
Section 5: Student Privacy
Student Privacy
In This Section
• Student Privacy Basics
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act
• Federal Information Security
Management Act
• MSIX and Student Privacy
38
MSIX and Student Privacy
MSIX is developed in accordance with federal requirements designed to
safeguard the privacy and security of education data. MSIX only collects
the MDEs necessary for:
• Correctly identifying the migrant student, and
• Enrollment, placement, and credit accrual purposes.
o Only authorized personnel may access the MSIX system.
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)
Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA)
39
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 protects
the privacy of student education records.
• Except as FERPA otherwise permits, SEAs, LEAs, LOAs, and schools
generally must have written permission from the parent or eligible
student to release information from a student’s education record.
o For exceptions relative to disclosure of records to implement MSIX
and for disclosure of the MSIX Consolidated Student Records for
“routine uses,” see slides 42-44.
• Parents or eligible students have the right to review the student’s
records.
• Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school
correct records.
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)
40
Federal Information Security Management Act
The Federal Information Security Act (FISMA) was enacted as part of the
E-Government of 2002.
• FISMA requires federal agencies to implement a mandatory set of
processes and system controls designed to ensure the confidentiality,
integrity, and availability of information maintained in Federal
electronic systems.
o The processes and systems controls each federal agency uses
must follow Federal Information Processing Standards, National
Institute of Standards and Technology standards, and other
requirements pertaining to federal information systems, such as
the Privacy Act of 1974.
41
MSIX and Student Privacy
FERPA permits SEAs, LEAs, and LOAs to use MSIX to exchange
personally identifiable information contained in education records on
migratory children without written parental consent as long as the
information is used only for official MEP purposes and is in accordance
with the Rules of Behavior set forth in the Student Records Exchange
Polices and Procedures Manual.
ED Memorandum to State Directors of Migrant Education on FERPA and MSIX
FERPA (General Education Provisions Act, Sec. 444)
34 CFR § 99.35
72 FR 68572-76
42
MSIX and Student Privacy
• Information from MSIX records may be disclosed for “routine uses” to
facilitate a student’s:
o Participation in the MEP,
o Enrollment in school,
o Grade or course placement,
o Credit accrual, and
o Unique student match resolution.
43
MSIX and Student Privacy
• Generally, no other disclosures of a student’s name or other
personally identifiable information may be made from MSIX without
the prior written consent of the parent or student.
ED Memorandum to State Directors of Migrant Education on FERPA and MSIX
FERPA (General Education Provisions Act, Sec. 444)
34 CFR § 99.35
72 FR 68572-76
44
MSIX and Student Privacy
Under FERPA, parents and eligible students have the right to access
student records.
• As part of the state’s Student Records Exchange Policies and
Procedures Manual, each SEA should outline procedures for districts
that address:
o Student or parent requests for access to student records, and
o Student or parent disputes of student records.
45
MSIX and Student Privacy
Below is a process chart for steps to be taken if the migrant student or
parent expresses that the MSIX Consolidated Student Report has an
error in their child’s information.
U.S. Department of Education (Deloitte Consulting LLP). Migrant Student Information Exchange Train-the-Trainer Regional User Conference.
Accessed from: https://msix.ed.gov/msix/trainingCorner/UserConferencePresentation/UserConf4_Presentation.pdf
46
MSIX and Student Privacy
• Student data should be protected, and access should be permitted
only for those who are authorized and who are acting on behalf of the
student.
• Procedures for activating and deactivating MSIX user accounts are
crucial to the continued security of student data.
• SEAs should establish procedures for clarifying responsibilities related
to:
o Approving user accounts for local staff and setting access level,
o Administering user account id and passcode,
o MSIX user verification,
o Deactivating/deleting user accounts within a set time period after leaving
MSIX, and
o Action to be taken for violation of rules of behavior.
47
Section 6: MSIX Best Practices
MSIX Best Practices
In This Section
• Parent Communication
• Quality and Timeliness of Data
• Implementation Challenges
48
Parent Communication
Having a statewide plan in place for districts and schools to use to
inform parents of migrant students about the benefits of MSIX can
facilitate their involvement in obtaining and providing student records
each time their children transition between school systems.
• Use recruiters and school and migrant employer sites to provide
parents brochures about MSIX.
MSIX brochure (English version)
MSIX brochure (Spanish version)
49
Parent Communication
• Include information about MSIX in SEA and LOA PAC meetings.
• Assuage privacy concerns by providing information on FERPA and
FISMA regulations.
• Provide parents with their child’s MSIX ID number.
• Provide parents or guardians with their child’s Consolidated Student
Record upon school withdrawal.
• Assuage privacy concerns by providing information concerning FERPA
and FISMA (see slides 39-47).
• Establish a process for allowing students and parents to review MSIX
data.
50
Pop Quiz!
If a parent informs you that the family is leaving the area, what can you
do?
a. Send an email notification through MSIX to the new school.
b. Let parents know that they should tell the new school their child is in
MSIX.
c. Provide parents with the MSIX ID and a copy of the MSIX
Consolidated Student Record.
d. All of the above.
51
Pop Quiz! – Response
All of the above responses are correct.
• Through the MSIX Student Move Alert system, schools can notify one
another of impending student movement.
• If the enrolling school knows that a child is in the MSIX system, the
school can access his/her MSIX records to expedite enrollment and
placement.
• Providing parents with their child’s MSIX Consolidated Student Record
will give them an artifact of their student’s educational record and
provide the enrolling school with information that will expedite
enrollment and placement.
52
Quality and Timeliness of Data
To facilitate proper decisions about migrant students’ enrollment and
placement in classes, courses, and MEP support programs, it is
important that data collection is timely and accurate. When establishing
procedures for data quality:
• Establish timelines and key dates for the timely entry of student data
into the state MEP data system, such as those for:
o Enrollment,
o Placement in classes, courses, MEP support programs,
o End of grading period and other key assessment dates, and
o School enrollment and withdrawal;
53
Quality and Timeliness of Data
• Customize communication and training to specific MSIX user
responsibilities.
o Training on collecting information about students’ history,
academic performance, and health needs will be different
than training for data entry.
o Even if there are instances when the same staff need training
for both, consider not lumping all information together.
Highlight the importance of the role played by the data
collector and the data entry staff separately.
54
Quality and Timeliness of Data
• Establish processes, timelines, and responsibilities for cleaning
data regularly to ensure:
o Accuracy,
o Timeliness of data transfers, and
o Resolution of discrepancies among records.
• Convene a data quality team charged with periodically reviewing
procedures to promote data accuracy; and
55
Quality and Timeliness of Data
• Minimize differences in interpreting courses, assessments, and other
Minimum Data Elements. States that exchange students in large
numbers should consider mechanisms for:
o Establishing contacts across states,
o Collaborating to develop a course description mapping
mechanism that provides uniformity among the courses, and
o Having staff in the affected SEAs negotiate placement of students
when data interpretations differ.
56
What Do You Think?
• What are the challenges to obtaining accurate data?
• What are some factors that contribute to errors in data entry?
• What is the impact of inaccurate or incomplete data?
See QRRS 12.3 – Data Quality
57
What Do You Think? – Reflection
Identify which of the challenges you identified are addressed in the
following two slides.
58
Implementation Challenges
In 2011, the Records Exchange Advice, Communications and Technical
Support (REACTS) Team conducted a workgroup session consisting of
18 state MEP representatives with varying degrees of MSIX experience
to identify challenges that state MEPs face and to formulate some
common solutions. The result was the document, Records Exchange
Leading Practices.
See QRRS 12.4 – Do You Know What the Common Challenges to
Implementing MSIX in Your State Are?
59
Implementation Challenges
The Records Exchange Leading Practices addresses 11 identified
challenges.
1. Students and families provide inconsistent data.
2. MEP staff incorrectly enter data into state migrant-specific
database.
3. States interpret data elements differently.
4. States have difficulty resolving incorrect date of birth.
5. Staff incorrectly flag students as migrant.
6. State MEPs have limited access to state student record systems.
7. MEP staff do not enter information in a timely manner.
60
Implementation Challenges
8. State MEPs do not have a way to verify employment of MSIX users.
9. State MEPs do not have a plan for effectively rolling out MSIX.
10. Some potential users do not see the value of MSIX.
11. Parents and students are not aware of MSIX.
61
Section 7: Wrapping Up
Wrapping Up
In This Section
• Key Concepts
• Action Planning
• For More Assistance
• Resources
62
Key Concepts
• Migrant students often enter and exit schools with little or no notice,
due to the highly mobile lifestyles of migrant families.
• SEAs are required to promote interstate and intrastate coordination by
providing educational continuity through the timely transfer of
pertinent school records (including health information) when children
move from one school to another.
• MSIX is designed to link existing state migrant data record systems in
order to consolidate and make migrant student education data
available.
• Data transferred from the states’ migrant databases into MSIX are
used to generate a Consolidated Student Record that can assist
school staff in timely enrollment, and accurate placement and credit
accrual.
63
Action Planning
• In what phase of MSIX implementation is your state?
• What strategies can be implemented to improve data quality issues?
• To what degree are schools accessing MSIX to generate an MSIX
Consolidated Student Record when new migrant children arrive to
enroll?
Add any actionable items to your MEP planning calendar.
See QRRS 12.5 – MSIX Action Planning
64
For More Assistance with MSIX
For questions about planning and implementing your state-wide MSIX,
contact
•
Migrant Record Exchange Initiative
Email: Patricia.meyerholen@ed.gov
For MSIX Help Desk support, contact
• Technical or General MSIX Information
Email: msixsupport@deloitte.com
Phone: (866) 878-9525
65
Resources for MSIX
• MEP Guidance on Education of Migratory Children under Title I, Part
C, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 –
Explanation of guidelines to implement the laws and regulations
related to the MEP
• MSIX Website – Access to MSIX login, user manuals, and training
materials
• MSIX User Guide on the Minimum Data Elements – A comprehensive
tool to assist MSIX users in understanding the MDEs, in terms of
origin, business rules and use.
• Records Exchange Leading Practices Guide – A reference guide for
state MEP representatives regarding data correction and consistency,
data collection, creating a records exchange program, and
communication and training as it relates to MSIX and records
exchange.
66
