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Webinars & Meetings

2021 ANNUAL DIRECTORS' MEETING & NEW DIRECTORS' ORIENTATION

The 2021 New Directors’ Orientation (NDO) and Annual Directors’ Meeting (ADM) were entirely virtual events this year, the ADM took place on March 23-26, 2021 and the NDO sessions were on February 18, 23, & 25. Presentations and handouts from the various sessions are available for download below.


2021 Virtual Annual Directors' Meeting

Download the agenda for the Annual Directors’ Meetings.

Welcome and U.S. Department of Education Updates – Opening Session

Following a brief icebreaker activity and overview of the week’s agenda, OME leadership will share timely updates from the new Administration and the Department of Education on issues relevant to MEP. Participants will be provided several opportunities throughout the session to raise questions and reflect on the topics covered.

Presenters: Lisa Gillette and Patricia Meyertholen, OME

Consortium Incentive Grant (CIG) Spotlight: Instructional Services for Out-of-School and Secondary Youth (iSOSY)

This session is an opportunity to share information about the activities, tools, and resources that are being developed by the iSOSY consortium. They will also discuss the ways in which the consortium has overcome challenges associated with implementing their project’s goals and objectives in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facilitator: Michael Meltzer, OME

Breakouts - Director Roundtable: Successful Partnerships to Identify and Serve Migratory Children During the Pandemic

This breakout session is an opportunity for participants to share how they have formed partnerships within their State and with other States during the pandemic for the improvement of identification and recruitment efforts, connecting with out-of-school youth, and engaging families of migratory children. Participants will join breakout rooms that will be preassigned by CWG Region, with one OME staff member per breakout room.

Facilitators: All Staff, OME

Consortium Incentive Grant (CIG) Spotlight: Identification and Recruitment Consortium (IDRC)

This session is an opportunity to share information about the activities, tools, and resources that are being developed by the IDRC consortium. They will also discuss the ways in which the consortium has overcome challenges associated with implementing their project’s goals and objectives in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facilitator: Michael Meltzer, OME

Promising Practices for Remote Learning and Services

This panel discussion is an opportunity to explore models and resources for remote learning that participants can potentially apply within their own States as they design and implement programs and services for the benefit of migratory children. Panelists include: 1) Dr. Sandra Kofford – Senior Director, ICOE-MEP Region 6, 2) Dr. Fernando Rodríguez-Valls – Professor, California State University, Fullerton, 3) Dr. Chloe Latham Sikes – Deputy Director of Policy, IDRA EAC-South, 4) Dr. Barbara Mundy – Director, Federal Programs-Hendry County Schools, and 5) Ms. Amy Bae – Education Program Specialist, U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs.

Facilitator: Jessenia Guerra, OME

Breakouts - Director Roundtable: Looking Ahead to Summer 2021

This breakout session is an opportunity for participants to share lessons learned from last summer and how they will apply these lessons as they plan for summer 2021. Participants will join breakout rooms that will be randomly assigned, with one OME staff member per breakout room.

Facilitators: All Staff, OME

Feedback Session: Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) Child Counts for State Allocations

The purpose of this session is for participants to provide feedback to OME on its proposed long-term plan for transitioning from EDFacts/CSPR to MSIX as the data source for migratory child counts used for State allocations.

Presenters: Patricia Meyertholen and Sarah Martinez, OME

Program Evaluation to Improve Services

This presentation will use the Continuous Improvement Cycle to frame our discussion regarding how this cyclical process can help improve services for migratory learners, specifically given an environment or contextual constraint. State Directors should come prepared to share any changes made to their comprehensive needs assessment, any changes made (or anticipated changes) to your MEP (given the COVID-19 pandemic) that impacts program implementation, and type(s) of data your MEP uses to inform decisions about program implementation.

Presenter: Christopher D. Hill, OME

Consortium Incentive Grant (CIG) Spotlight: Inspire and Innovate: Migratory Parent Coalition (I2MPACT)

This session is an opportunity to share information about the activities, tools, and resources that are being developed by the I2MPACT consortium. They will also discuss the ways in which the consortium has overcome challenges associated with implementing their project’s goals and objectives in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facilitator: Michael Meltzer, OME

Breakouts - Director Roundtable: Effective Oversight and Support for Subrecipients During the Pandemic

This breakout session is an opportunity for participants to share their knowledge regarding subrecipient oversight (formal and informal monitoring) and support during the pandemic, and how they have adapted methods/strategies given the unique challenges presented. Participants will join breakout rooms that will be preassigned by State size, with one OME staff member per breakout room.

Facilitators: All Staff, OME

Consortium Incentive Grant (CIG) Spotlight: Migratory Parent Empowerment Consortium (MPEC)

This session is an opportunity to share information about the activities, tools, and resources that are being developed by the MPEC consortium. They will also discuss the ways in which the consortium has overcome challenges associated with implementing their project’s goals and objectives in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facilitator: Michael Meltzer, OME

Live Q&A

This session is an opportunity for participants to raise questions that were not addressed during sessions earlier in the week. OME may also share responses to questions that were raised during the week in breakouts or one-on-one communications that would be of interest to all Directors.

Presenter: Sarah Martinez, OME

Closing Remarks

Presenters: Christian Rhodes, Chief of Staff, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) and Lisa Gillette, OME


2021 New Directors' Orientation Webinars

Download the agenda for the New Directors’ Orientation Webinars.

Thursday, February 18, 2021 - 1:00-2:30 PM EST

This is the first time that OME is providing a presentation for new Migrant Education Program (MEP) State Directors on MEP data collections and their purposes. Because MEP data collection is such a large topic, the presentation has been divided into two parts. The first presentation, scheduled for February 18, provides an overview of the data collected on behalf of the MEP and the instruments used to collect the data, providing an in-depth look at data collected via EDFacts and the Consolidated State Performance Report. States will have an opportunity to share among themselves their promising practices, as well as their challenges in collecting data for the MEP. Since these presentations were created as two parts of a whole, participants should plan to participate in both webinars and should come prepared to engage in collaborative discussions with MEP colleagues.

2021 New Directors’ Orientation Webinar: Migrant Data 101 Presentation

Presenters: Christopher D. Hill, Preeti Choudhary, Benjamin Starr, and Patricia Meyertholen, OME

Tuesday, February 23, 2021 - 1:00-2:30 PM EST

Migrant Data 102 is the second webinar in a two-part series on Migrant Education Program (MEP) data for new MEP State Directors. This second presentation, scheduled for February 23, will target data collected for the Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) and intended uses of that data as well as how MEP data are used to populate the four Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) measures. States will have an opportunity to share among themselves their promising practices as well as their challenges in collecting data for MSIX. Since these presentations were created as two parts of a whole, participants should plan to participate in both webinars and should come prepared to engage in collaborative discussions with MEP colleagues.

2021 New Directors’ Orientation Webinar: Migrant Data 102 Presentation

Presenters: Preeti Choudhary, Christopher D. Hill, Benjamin Starr, and Patricia Meyertholen, OME

Thursday, February 25, 2021 - 1:00-2:45PM EST

This webinar is intended for MEP State Directors who are new to the program or would like a refresher on some of the key concepts related to allocation and use of MEP funds. Topics will include: 1) Allocations to State educational agencies (SEAs); 2) Use of MEP funds for program administration; 3) Subgranting; 4) Carryover; 5) Considerations for allowable uses of MEP funds; and 6) Promising practices for coordination of MEP funds with other programs/services. Participants are strongly encouraged to review the webinar materials in advance, should come prepared with any clarifying questions, and be ready to engage in collaborative discussions with MEP colleagues.

Show Me the Money! What New Directors Need to Know About Migrant Education Program (MEP) Funds

Presenters: Sarah Martinez, and Jessenia Guerra, OME

Meeting Objectives


The objectives of this meeting were:

  1. to facilitate opportunities for Directors to network and share best practices and resources;
  2. to provide Directors with information pertinent to the State administration and operation of the MEP; and
  3. 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.