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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.

Module 9. Coordination

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 9 will enable new state directors to
1. understand the legislative requirements for coordination across
programs,
2. understand the legislative requirements for coordination across and
within states,
3. increase cross-program coordination,
4. ensure the timely transfer of student records across school district
and state lines,
5. understand the provisions in the Family Education Rights and Privacy
Act (FERPA) pertaining to sharing student records, and
6. develop an action plan for improving coordination.
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
8

Section 2: What is Required

What is Required
In This Section
Coordination with Other Programs
Interstate and Intrastate
Coordination
Grants or Contracts to Improve
Interstate and Intrastate
Coordination
Transfer of Student Records
9
Coordination with Other Programs
Each SEA must have and implement a plan for describing how the state
and its local operating agencies (LOAs) will ensure that the special
educational needs of migrant children are identified and addressed
through:
A. The full range of services that are available through local, state, and
federal educational programs,
B. Joint planning among educational programs serving migrant
children,
C. The integration of services among educational programs, and
D. Measurable program goals and outcomes.
Section 1304(b)(1) of the ESEA, as amended
10
Interstate and Intrastate Coordination
Each state must have and implement a plan for how the state will use
funds to promote the interstate and intrastate coordination of services
for migratory children
Section 1304(b)(3) of the ESEA, as amended
11
Grants or Contracts to Improve Interstate and
Intrastate Coordination
The Secretary may make grants to, or enter into contracts with, state
education agencies (SEAs), local education agencies (LEAs), institutions
of higher education, and other public and nonprofit entities to improve
the interstate and intrastate coordination among the agencies and
educational programs available to migrant students.
Section 1308(a)(1) of the ESEA, as amended
See Module 13 for information on these grants.
12
Transfer of Student Records
The state must promote interstate and intrastate coordination by
providing for educational continuity through the timely transfer of
pertinent school records, including information on health, when children
move from one school to another, whether or not such moves occur
during the regular school year.
Section 1304(b)(3) of the ESEA, as amended
13

Section 3: Coordination with Federal Programs and National Agencies

Coordination with
Programs Funded
by the U.S.
Department of
Education
In This Section
Some applicable U.S. Department
of Education Programs
14
U.S. Department of Education Programs
In general, MEP funds are to be used to address the needs of migratory
children that are not addressed by other Federal, and non-Federal
programs.
Section 1306(b)(2) of the ESEA, as amended
Title I, Part A
Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as
amended (ESEA), is designed to meet the educational needs of low-
achieving children in schools with the highest levels of poverty by
aligning high-quality assessments, systems of accountability, teacher
preparation, curriculum, and instructional materials with challenging
state academic standards.
15
U.S. Department of Education Programs
Title I, Part A
(continued)
LEAs must ensure that eligible migrant children receive Title I, Part A
services on the same basis as other eligible children in schoolwide
programs and targeted assistance schools.
LEAs must coordinate and integrate Title I, Part A services with
programs that serve migrant children.
16
U.S. Department of Education Programs
Title III
Title III of the ESEA, as amended, is designed to help ensure that
children who are limited English proficient (LEP), including immigrant
children and youth, attain English proficiency, develop high levels of
academic attainment in English, and meet the same challenging state
academic content and student academic achievement standards as
all children are expected to meet.
If the LEA receives a Title III subgrant from the SEA, migrant children
who are LEP must be selected to receive Title III services on the same
basis as all other LEP children.
17
U.S. Department of Education Programs
The McKinney Vento Act -- Education for Homeless Children and
Youths
The McKinney-Vento Act is intended to help ensure that children
experiencing homelessness have access to the same free, appropriate
public education and related services as their permanently housed
peers so that they have an equal opportunity to meet the same
challenging academic standards as other students.
Migrant children and youth who fit the McKinney-Vento definition of
homeless are entitled to rights and services to which all homeless
children and youth are entitled.
18

Section 4: Strategies for Increasing Cross-Program Coordination

Strategies
for Increasing
Cross-Program
Coordination
In This Section
Cross-Program Coordination Basics
Additional Cross-Program
Coordination Strategies
Identifying the Coordination
Landscape
19
What Do You Think?
Not only is cross-program coordination required in the law, but it has a
number of important benefits. Can you think of three ways that
coordination can improve the MEP?
1.
2.
3.
20
What Do You Think? - Reflection
Following are some of the key benefits of cross-program coordination:
1. Expansion of program capacity through access to resources,
2. Greater awareness of the needs of migrant children and youth in
other programs,
3. More efficient use of resources across programs, and
4. Greater community awareness and political clout through
partnerships.
21
Cross-Program Coordination Basics
Despite the benefits of cross-program coordination, coordination is
labor intensive and time consuming, and poses challenges for busy
people.
How do you make coordination manageable?
22
Cross-Program Coordination Basics
Coordination Basics for Busy People:
Be intentional and have a clear purpose in mind.
Select programs and agencies that have the greatest potential for
assisting migrant children (do not spend time with those that do not).
In creating a partnership, be attuned to what is needed and what can
be expected at each stage of the partnership so that your efforts are
not wasted.
23
Cross-Program Coordination Basics
Think of coordination as a hierarchy of activities; note where a potential
partnership is in the hierarchy in order to guide your approach.
24
What Do You Think?
Read the following scenario and consider the best way to initiate a
partnership.
Up to this point, there has been no coordination between the MEP and
Mc-Kinney-Vento (education program for homeless students). You would
like meet with the Mc-Kinney-Vento state coordinator to discuss ways to
ensure that migrant students experiencing homelessness can be
identified for McKinney-Vento services. What level of interaction would
be appropriate? How would you approach the state coordinator?
25
What Do You Think? - Reflection
Following are some strategies to consider for a creating a new
partnership:
The first contact should be building awareness ensure that the
program administrator understands the needs of migrant children and
how these needs might fit in with the mission and work of his/her
program;
Discuss the mutual benefits of coordination for both programs; and
Identify a basic coordination task that is easy to accomplish to “test
the waters” (e.g., cross-training each program, developing a joint
memo, or agreeing to serve on a task force together).
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Additional Cross-Program Coordination
Strategies
Include other program coordinators on the development teams for the
Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) and/or Service Delivery
Plan (SDP).
Conduct joint trainings with other programs.
Identify common goals and identify ways that each program can
contribute toward these goals.
Include coordination with specific programs in the SDP, with
Measurable Program Outcomes (MPOs) to ensure accountability for
the coordination.
27
Identifying the Coordination Landscape
It is important to know basic information about programs with which the
MEP can coordinate.
Key questions:
1. With which programs should the MEP collaborate?
2. What can these other programs contribute to the MEP?
3. What can the MEP offer to other programs?
4. What is the history of collaboration?
5. Who are the appropriate program contacts?
See QRRS 9.1 Identifying the Coordination Landscape
28
Identifying the Coordination Landscape
The MEP cannot offer funds to another program unless the funds will
directly benefit migrant students in proportion to the benefits they
receive. However, contributions do not necessarily have to be
monetary. For example, the MEP could assist with identifying whether
migrant children are eligible for a partner’s program who (and vice
versa) or the MEP could offer their staff expertise for a joint training or
advisory committee that would benefit both migrant students and
those participating in the another program.
29

Section 5: Interstate and Intrastate Coordination

Interstate and
Intrastate
Coordination
In This Section
Interstate Coordination
Intrastate Coordination
Examples of Interstate and Intrastate
Coordination Services
30
Interstate Coordination
Interstate coordination refers to collaborative activities undertaken by
two or more states to improve the education of migrant children who
are common to both states. Ideally, this term refers to the collaborative
activities that two or more states assume to improve the education of
migrant children who move between or among those states.
MEP Guidance, Chapter VI, B3
31
Intrastate Coordination
Intrastate coordination refers to efforts involving two or more LOAs
within a state to improve educational services to migrant children
common to those LOAs.
The SEA may facilitate these efforts among LOAs, or the LOAs may
conduct them directly.
MEP Guidance, Chapter VI, B4
32
Examples of Interstate and Intrastate
Coordination Services
Developing academic credit accrual and academic credit exchange
programs
Collaborating in the development of a summer-term project curriculum
Exchanging teachers and teaching materials
Implementing a dropout prevention program in two or more states
Meeting with other states to discuss issues related to the MEP
MEP Guidance, Chapter IV, B5
33
What Do You Think?
Instructions: Review the following scenario and list three interstate
coordination activities that would enhance services for migrant
students.
A receiving state often finds that high school students from the sending
state do not have courses and credits that align with their requirements
for graduation. What are three coordination strategies to enhance
secondary school credit accrual for migrants students who come to
your state?
1.
2.
3.
34
What Do You Think? - Reflection
Strategies to enhance coordination between the sending and receiving
state:
The receiving and sending state curriculum specialists and migrant
state directors meet to identify course areas that do not align between
the two states, and the two states develop a memorandum of
agreement of course adjustments the sending state will make and
adjustments in acceptable credits the receiving state will make;
The receiving state provides school counselors who work with migrant
students in the sending state with information on required courses for
graduation so that the counselors can help students enroll in these
courses before they move;
35
What Do You Think? - Reflection
Strategies to enhance coordination between the sending and receiving
state (continued):
Curriculum specialists in the receiving school district agree to review
course schedules of migrant students in the sending school before
the students actually transfer to advise on any needed requirements
in the course offerings; and
The sending school district assists students with accessing online
courses offered in the receiving school district.
36

Section 6: Timely Transfer of Student Records

Timely Transfer of
Student Records
In This Section
Ensuring Educational Continuity
Strategies for Timely Transfer of
Records
Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act (FERPA)
37
Ensuring Educational Continuity
Timely transfer of student records can reduce educational disruption of
migrant students when they must transfer from one school to another.
School officials will be able to make appropriate decisions regarding a
student’s enrollment in school, grade placement, academic planning,
and credit accrual and exchange.
MEP Guidance, Chapter VI, D2
38
Strategies for Timely Transfer of Records
School staff and staff of non-district LOAs are provided information
and training on how to access migrant student records in the state
records systems, and in the national database, Migrant Student
Information Exchange (MSIX) (See Module 12).
Schools staff and staff of non-district LOAs contact the sending school
and request records by fax or email.
The state MEP develops a policy for all LEAs that outlines procedures
for timely transfer of student records.
39
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
FERPA establishes the rights of
parents to examine the content of
their children’s school records and
restricts transfer of school records
without parental permission.
40
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Some exceptions to the need for parental permission:
o An LEA may transfer records to other school officials within the
LEA (whom the LEA has determined to have legitimate educational
interests), and
o an LEA may transfer records to officials of another school, school
system, or institution of postsecondary education, where the
student seeks or intends to enroll.
The second exception above applies only if the LEA notifies parents
annually of this policy.
Visit the ED website for more information on FERPA.
41

Section 7: Wrapping Up

Wrapping Up
In This Section
Key Points
Action Planning
Resources
42
Key Points
1. Cross-program coordination takes many forms, from basic awareness
building to sharing resources and policy development.
2. Interstate and intrastate coordination can increase efficiency in
serving migrant students who move from one state to another or one
school district in a state to another.
3. Timely transfer of student records can reduce the effects of
educational disruption on migrant students.
43
Action Planning
Consider the following questions to assist with planning cross-program
coordination and interstate and intrastate coordination:
1. With which programs is the MEP is currently coordinating?
2. With which programs does the MEP need to strengthen connections?
3. To what extent does the SDP include program coordination?
4. What program administrators serve on the planning teams for the
CNA or SDP?
5. What procedures and processes are in place to facilitate the timely
transfer of student records?
6. How familiar are you and the LEAs or LOAs with FERPA regulations?
Add any actionable items to your
MEP planning calendar.
See QRRS 9.2 Coordination
Action Plan
44
MEP Resources for Coordination
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
MEP Officers List of OME contact information
(https://results.ed.gov/about/contact)
Glossary of Terms Alphabetical listing of key terms applicable to
migrant education (see Module 1) (https://results.ed.gov/idr-
manual/section/glossary/glossary)
45