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Webinars & Meetings

2018 Annual Directors’ Meeting

The 2018 Annual Directors Meeting took place on March 5-7, 2018 in Washington, D.C.
Presentations and handouts from the various sessions are available for download below.

Presentations & Handouts


OME Updates

Presenter: Lisa Gillette, Acting Director, OME

Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) Updates

MSIX, a national records exchange, allows State educational agencies (SEAs) to upload required minimum data elements (MDEs) from their own existing State student record systems into a single data repository where information on each migratory child is maintained, organized and compiled in order to facilitate school enrollment, grade and course placement, credit accrual and participation in the MEP for migratory children. Since the deployment of a Responsive Web Design (RWD) in February 2017, the MSIX Team has steadily released updates and fixes. The MSIX Project Manager and MSIX Technical Lead will brief you on the very busy year we've had, the improvements we've made to the system with user input and the continuous improvements we have planned for the upcoming year and beyond.

Presenters: Maria Hishikawa & Patricia Meyertholen, OME

Consortium Incentive Grant Feedback Session

This session will provide an update on the current CIG (Consortium Incentive Grant) program, discuss changes to the program and provide participants an opportunity to provide feedback. The primary purpose of this session is to provide a forum for participants to share their ideas and feedback on the CIG program.

Presenters: Steven Carr & Jennifer Rodriguez, OME

A Collaboration to Address the Needs of Out of School Youth (OSY) and College Going MEP Students

The High School Equivalency Program (HEP) helps migrant and seasonal farmworkers obtain the equivalent of a high school diploma (HSE) and gain employment, go to an institution of higher education, the military, or other postsecondary education or vocational training. The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) assists migrant and seasonal farmworkers in their first year of college. This presentation will explore opportunities and potential models for MEP programs to collaborate with HEP and CAMP and create opportunities to maximize resources of the programs to better address the needs of migratory students. There will also be a discussion on HEP services for out of school youth (OSY) and how MEP programs can best support OSY to prepare and be successful HEP students and case studies on MEP programs starting and implementing adult education classes, specifically around HSE prep.

Presenters: HEP/ CAMP Association
Emily Hoffman, Massachusetts MEP/ EDCO Collaborative
Erin Shea, Vermont MEP/ University of Vermont Extension

Collaboration Session: Operational Management

Members of the Coordination Work Group will lead discussions on select MEP operational management topics. This interactive session will give new and veteran directors an opportunity to collaborate to find solutions to common challenges.

Presenters: Coordination Work Group Members

Eligibility Scenarios & Identification and Recruitment (ID&R) Models

This session will address questions that may arise in determining and documenting eligibility of migratory children. Presenters will use fictional scenarios to illustrate eligibility questions ranging from straightforward to more complex, and participants will have an opportunity to work with their colleagues in formulating responses to the scenarios.

Eligibility scenarios will be used as a launching point for discussion among participants about how changes to program eligibility, combined with changes in agricultural work and migratory patterns, have impacted States’ ID&R processes and procedures. Participants will be asked to share with their colleagues promising practices and specific tactics to address recent challenges in ID&R.

Presenters: Sarah Martinez & Patricia Meyertholen, OME

MEP Improvement: “Family Feud”

The Data-Evaluation Team will use a popular television game format to explore effective data analysis, evaluation, and program improvement strategies with MEP directors in an interactive setting.

Presenters: Preeti Choudhary & Edward Monaghan, OME

Monitoring for MSIX

The MSIX regulations, in effect since June 2016, require that each SEA collect, maintain, and submit MDEs within required time frames to facilitate timely school enrollment, grade and course placement, accrual of secondary course credits, and participation in the MEP for migratory children. In fiscal year 2018 the OME is incorporating these regulations as a key requirement in monitoring MEP grantees. The presenters will discuss what to expect if and when your State is monitored by OME regarding compliance to the MSIX regulations as well as the process for reconciling child counts with MSIX. The MSIX Team will be present to answer questions regarding data collection, file submission and child count reconciliation processes.

Presenters: Maria Hishikawa & Patricia Meyertholen, OME

Using Remote Technology to Engage Students and Families

Resource sharing breakout sessions are MEP Director led. Each session provides Directors an opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues on a selected topic. Directors should be ready to share best practices, challenges and/or ask thought provoking questions.

This content contains information from a non-government organization that may be useful to you. Inclusion of this information does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product or services offered or views expressed.

Facilitated by Jonathan Fernow (OR) & Betty Garcia Mathewson (NY)

Every Right for Every Child

Participants will learn about the different issues facing our nation’s most marginalized youth and new strategies to ensure every child receives a quality education that prepares them for college and career opportunities. There will be a discussion of ways to advocate for homeless youth, foster care youth, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) students, and immigrant children and families.

Presenter: Frances Frost, Family Ambassador, ED

Study of the Implementation of the MEP- Update

OPEPD will brief the MEP Directors on the status of the national MEP implementation study.

Presenter: Joanne Bogart, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development

Priority For Services: State Implementation

This session will focus on how States prioritize migratory children who meet specific criteria, in providing MEP-funded services— i.e., the “priority for services”, or PFS, requirement. The primary purpose of this session is to provide a forum for participants to share their own reasonable interpretations of the PFS criteria, how the State identifies migratory children who meet those criteria, and the impact of PFS on program design and delivery of services.

Presenter: Sarah Martinez, OME

MSIX Promising Practices

This interactive informational workshop is a forum for States to share and discuss MSIX success stories as well as to learn how to overcome challenges related to data collection and communication across States. The OME team will facilitate information sharing among attendees. Be prepared to talk about how MSIX is integrated into your State MEP processes. The MSIX team will be present to answer questions regarding data collection processes and using MSIX email notification and data request functions.

Presenters: Maria Hishikawa & Patricia Meyertholen, OME

Service Delivery Plan Implementation: Utilizing Partnerships to Serve Migratory Children

Resource sharing breakout sessions are MEP Director led. Each session provides Directors an opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues on a selected topic. Directors should be ready to share best practices, challenges and/or ask thought provoking questions.

This content contains information from a non-government organization that may be useful to you. Inclusion of this information does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product or services offered or views expressed.

Facilitated by Veronica Aguila (CA) & Terry Garrett (WA)

State Plan Analysis

The Office of State Support (OSS) will provide an update and overview of the consolidated state plan review and approval process and highlight key provisions within consolidated state plans.

Presenters: Jessica McKinney & Melissa Siry, Office of State Support

DISCLAIMER: This content contains information from a non-government organization that may be useful to you. Inclusion of this information does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product or services offered or views expressed. The event may also give information that contains hyperlinks and URLs created and maintained by outside organizations and provided for the audience's convenience. The Department is not responsible for the accuracy of this information.

New Directors' Orientation


The New Directors’ Orientation (NDO) is intended to prepare Directors for beneficial collaboration and comprehension throughout the meeting. Those who have become MEP Directors in the last three years were strongly encouraged to attend.

Lessons Learned as a New MEP Director

Presenter: Christina Nava, ID

  • Lessons Learned as a New MEP Director
  • OME Resources

    Presenters: Lindsay Booth, OME & RTI International

    MEP Mentoring Initiative Kick Off

    Presenter: Mary Frances Haluska, Mentoring Initiative Coordinator, RTI International


    Meeting Objectives


    The objectives of this meeting were:

    1. to facilitate opportunities for Directors to network and share promising practices and resources;
    2. to provide Directors with information pertinent to the State administration and operation of the Migrant Education Program (MEP);
    3. to promote understanding of, and coordination with, other U.S. Department of Education (ED) initiatives and programs; and
    4. to provide Directors and Office of Migrant Education (OME) personnel with opportunities to coordinate on issues important to the successful design and implementation of programs and services that benefit migratory children.