Developing the SDP is a complex process of gathering information, involving stakeholders, and detailing specific components of the plan. We encourage you to spend time at the beginning on planning the process. The effort spent organizing your procedures will save you time later and ensure that all tasks will be completed effectively. If you followed the guidance in the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Toolkit, you likely have much of the structure in place to support an effective SDP planning process. You may also find it helpful and effective to engage members of the CNA management and planning teams on the SDP. Further recommendations for organizing the SDP planning process follow.

Establish a Management Team

We encourage you to establish your own SDP management team or continue working with the CNA management team. The management team is a small core group, smaller than the SDP Planning Team, who will support you throughout the planning and the writing of the SDP. A management team can assist with the following:

• Planning and facilitating meetings
• Compiling information from the meetings that can be used for writing the SDP
• Writing the SDP
• Communicating the plan to stakeholders

You might want to consider the following skills and knowledge for management team members:

• Experience planning and facilitating meetings
• Ability to organize and archive information
• Strong writing skills
• Understanding of the Migrant Education Program (MEP), at both state and local levels
• Experience in program planning

You may want to include the MEP Evaluator since he/she will play a key role in the transition from the SDP (detailed in this Toolkit) to the evaluation of the MEP and its implementation (detailed in the Program Evaluation Toolkit). The Measurable Program Outcomes (MPOs) for program strategies and the evaluation questions that are developed as part of the SDP (described in Section D.4 of this Toolkit) become the foundation of the MEP evaluation; therefore, having the MEP Evaluator involved in developing the SDP can help ensure that the Evaluation Plan is well aligned with the SDP.

Review CNA Results

The results of the CNA are the natural starting point for developing the SDP. If the CNA planning process followed the steps outlined in the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Toolkit, you should have a wealth of information, including a set of prioritized needs, recommended solution strategies that are grounded in research and evidence of effectiveness, and MPOs. Reviewing summaries and reports developed in the CNA process can help ensure that the services and strategies adopted in the SDP stem from the CNA results and any previous evaluation conducted as part of the Continuous Improvement Cycle that is in place. (See Section A: Introduction and Overview for a description of the Continuous Improvement Cycle.)

A planning team can play an instrumental role in guiding the development of the SDP. You may want to include members of the Needs Assessment Committee (NAC) that conducted the CNA to ensure continuity of the planning process. For information on and recommendations for identifying team members, preparing them to participate in a collaborative process, and conducting group activities, see Steps 1 and 2 of the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Toolkit.

Determine Number of and Purpose for Planning Team Meetings

At the outset of the planning process, you should determine what you would like the SDP Planning Team to accomplish and how many meetings will be needed for the tasks. We encourage you to review the “big picture” of the SDP planning process in Section A: Introduction and Overview and specifically Developing the Service Delivery Plan: Process Overview.

A suggestion for how to organize the planning process can be found in Suggested SDP Planning Meetings, which presents how you might plan the work of the SDP Planning Team around four meetings. While that summary of recommended meetings describes what would likely be day-long or two-day on-site meetings, you may choose to have a series of short meetings that take place electronically or by conference call, or a combination of planning team meetings on-site and work group meetings that take place electronically or by conference call.

The development of the SDP is best conducted as a collaborative process that engages and calls upon the knowledge and experience of various stakeholders. A collaborative planning process that includes a range of stakeholders, such as educators, administrators, service providers, and parents of migratory children, can

• bring a range of expertise and experience to the process;
• increase stakeholder buy-in, as various role groups are brought to the table; and
• identify opportunities for coordination among local, state, and federal programs.

You may want to work with a similar planning team as was used to conduct the CNA. Remember that you have the flexibility to determine what type of collaboration is most appropriate for your state context and adapt the recommendations provided in this Toolkit as appropriate.

Key Activities of the SDP Planning Team

To identify appropriate members, review the general tasks of the SDP Planning Team below.

Specifically, the SDP Planning Team should undertake the following tasks:

• Review the performance of migratory children against state performance goals and targets.
  • Review state performance goals and targets in the Consolidated State Plan.
  • Review the CNA and MEP evaluation report, and contribute any additional insights on the needs of migratory children in the state.
  • Review gaps in performance between migratory children, including pre-school migratory children and migratory children who have dropped out of school. You may also want to include those children identified to receive priority for services (PFS), and other significant subpopulations of migratory children in the state.
• Provide input on the development of an SDP that is aligned and implementable.
  • Select strategies that have been identified in the CNA.
  • Establish MPOs for the strategies.
  • Develop questions for the Evaluation Plan.
  • Develop a project plan with activities to put the strategies at the state and local level into action.
  • Develop recommendations for meeting needs of identified subpopulations of migratory children.
  • Ensure consultation by the State Parent Advisory Council (PAC) or by the parents of migratory children if the MEP operates projects of less than one school year of duration.
  • Include strategies for Identification & Recruitment (ID&R).
  • Include policies and guidelines for student records exchange for migratory children.
• Ensure that the plan is implemented and remains relevant.
  • Develop recommendations and strategies to ensure local implementation.
  • Discuss ways to communicate the plan.
  • Discuss tasks and a timeline for reviewing formative evaluation data and updating the plan.

Considerations for Identifying SDP Planning Team Members

The composition of the SDP Planning Team will be unique to your State. There is a wide variation in the size and nature of the MEP in each state and the programs and agencies that serve migratory children. Many of the questions and considerations for identifying members of the NAC for the CNA will be relevant for identifying SDP Planning Team members (see Step 1 of the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Toolkit). Additional questions to consider in building an effective SDP Planning Team include the following:

• What programs and agencies are most involved in serving migratory children?
• What areas of the state or what local programs (or types of local programs) should be represented?
• What expertise and experience are critical for developing the SDP?
• What perspectives should be represented in the SDP?
• How will the State PAC or migrant parents be consulted in developing the SDP?
• What individuals will be willing to devote significant time and effort to developing a quality plan?

The following are some suggested stakeholders and experts to include on the SDP Planning Team:

• Members of the CNA committee
• MEP Program Evaluator
• Local migrant Project Directors
• Representatives from other federal education programs (e.g., Homeless Education)
• Migratory children
• Community agencies that serve migratory families and children (e.g., Department of Health)
• Teachers with experience in teaching migratory children
• Early childhood educators (e.g., Head Start)
• Drop-out prevention specialists
• Representatives from institutions of higher education
• State advocacy groups for migratory children and their families
• Experts in content for state performance goal areas
• English Language Acquisition experts

The Comprehensive Needs Assessment Toolkit provides recommendations and resources related to the recruitment of NAC members that can be used for recruitment of SDP Planning Team members.

Using Work Groups

You may also consider convening work groups at strategic points in the SDP planning process. Work groups contain individuals charged with carrying out specific tasks in the SDP planning process. For example, you may want to convene a work group to develop MPOs for selected strategies or to develop the section of the SDP on parental involvement.

Work groups should include both those who are participating in the SDP planning process (to ensure continuity) and those from other programs and agencies (to provide external perspectives or to fill the gaps where additional expertise is warranted).

Work groups should be small and topic-focused. They may be established only for a short time to complete the task provided to them. You may consider establishing several work groups for one of the SDP Planning Team meetings that can work simultaneously and bring their efforts to the whole SDP Planning Team at the end of the meeting for review.

Considerations for Small States or Summer-Only Programs If you have limited resources in your state, consider the following alternatives to an SDP Planning Team for keeping the process participatory: Form a small core team (no more than eight members) of those most involved with MEP services to meet on a regular basis and a broader extended team that will meet occasionally. Members of the core team would be responsible for building on recommendations in the CNA, providing input on the various components of the SDP, and drafting the plan. A more extended team could include others who are important to the MEP and are available to provide support to the team, such as migratory parents or a representative from an institution of higher education. In order to meet face-to-face without incurring significant costs, consider taking advantage of existing meetings, such as conferences, to convene the SDP Planning Team. Use video and/or telephone conference calls to save on travel costs and to make meetings more convenient for team members. In lieu of full meetings, identify key areas where you would like input, and identify the appropriate stakeholders to contact to discuss decisions and action items by phone.

Download Suggested Roles and Responsibilities of Planning Team Members (Reference)

The roles and responsibilities of those involved in developing the SDP will vary with the tasks assigned to each. As the State Director, you ultimately bear responsibility for the SDP and will plan the process and the work of the team and other stakeholders to get the input and expertise needed to develop a quality plan. Some team members will need to play a consistent role throughout the entire planning process while others may be called upon to assist with a particular portion of the plan, bringing unique expertise to the task at hand.

Table D.1 describes suggested roles of the State Director and SDP Planning Team in developing the SDP.

Table D.1 Roles and Responsibilities of SDP Planning Team Members

Title	Role and Responsibilities
State MEP Director, Management Team	Organize the SDP planning process (or oversee someone who will undertake these tasks). Establish the planning team. Manage coordination of the partners and working groups engaged in the planning process. Plan meetings and provide notes on recommendations. Maintain good communication across stakeholders. Provide information from CNA, MEP evaluation, and the structure and operation of the MEP to SDP Planning Team members. Ensure that the team is motivated and functional. Establish deadlines and ensure that they are met. Write the plan (or oversee the writing of the plan). Plan for periodic review of implementation and update as needed.
SDP Team Members or Other Stakeholders	Become familiar with the CNA, MEP program evaluation, and all other background information provided for planning the SDP. Provide expertise and experience that informs the planning process. Participate in group discussions and activities. Undertake specific tasks for the development of the SDP. Review drafts. Participate in periodic review of SDP implementation and provide input on updates.
Work Groups	Undertake specific tasks for the development of the SDP. Bring specific expertise to a portion of the SDP planning process. Be willing to meet at times other than in full SDP Planning Team meetings.

Download Suggested SDP Planning Meetings (Reference)

At the outset of the planning process, you should determine what you would like the SDP Planning Team to accomplish and how many meetings will be needed for the tasks. We encourage you to review the “big picture” of the SDP planning process in Section A: Introduction and Overview, specifically Developing the Service Delivery Plan: Process Overview.

Table D.2 provides an example of how you might plan the work of the SDP Planning Team around four meetings. While the table describes what would likely be day-long or two-day on-site meetings, you may choose to have a series of short meetings that take place electronically or by conference call, or a combination of planning team meetings on-site and work group meetings that take place electronically or by conference call.

Table D.2 Suggested SDP Planning Team Meetings’ Purposes and Outcomes

SDP Meeting	Purpose	Outcomes	Related Section of the Toolkit
#1	Orient the SDP Planning Team to the SDP purpose and planning process. Familiarize the planning team with the MEP, CNA, and MEP evaluation. Solicit additional information on what is known about migratory children and youth in the state (including root causes), based on perspectives of team members. Review solution strategies proposed in the CNA; consider implementation challenges and strategies	Additional information on migratory children and youth in your state to supplement the CNA and MEP evaluation List of solution strategies finalized from the proposed strategies in the CNA with recommendations for implementation	Section C
#2	Align components that are required in the SDP: State performance targets Needs assessment information Service delivery strategies MPOs Evaluation Plan	Alignment chart Project plan	Section D
#3	Develop strategies and plans for suggested sections on the following: Addressing the needs of migratory children identified to receive PFS ID&R Parental involvement Exchange of student records	Plans for suggested sections on the following: Addressing the needs of migratory children identified to receive PFS ID&R Parental involvement Exchange of student records	Sections F and G
#4	Develop strategies to ensure implementation and accountability in local projects	Plans for the following: Communication with local projects Technical assistance and training Local granting processes Local monitoring	Section H

Download SDP Planning Process Tasks and Timeline (Sample)

Tasks	Deadline [3]	Responsible Parties	Outcomes/Deliverables
Obtain permission to begin the SDP planning process from Federal Program Director	September 15	State Director, Federal Program Director	Written permission
Review requirements	September 20	State Director	List of requirements
Establish management team	September 30	State Director	List of management team members
Meet with management team; plan the SDP planning process; identify potential SDP Planning Team members	October 1	State Director, management team	Task and timeline, list of potential SDP Planning Team members
Establish SDP Planning Team	October 15	State Director, management team	List of SDP Planning Team members
Conduct Meeting #1	November 1	State Director, management team	Input on proposed solutions in CNA
Finalize list of solution strategies	November 10	State Director	Final list of proposed solutions and strategies
Conduct Meeting #2	December 1	State Director, management team	Input on required elements of SDP and project plan
Finalize alignment chart and project plan	December 15	State Director	Finalized alignment chart and project plan
Invite specialists for work groups for Meeting #3	December 15	Management team	List of specialists
Conduct Meeting #3	January 15	State Director, management team	Input on plans for migratory children identified to receive PFS, parental involvement, ID&R, student records exchange
Review and summarize information generated in Meeting #3	February 1	State Director, management team	Plans for migratory children identified to receive PFS, parental involvement, ID&R, student records exchange
Conduct Meeting #4	February 15	State Director, management team	Input on plan for implementation in local projects
Develop technical assistance plan for LOAs	March 1	State Director, management team	Plan for technical assistance, training, granting, and monitoring
Write SDP	May 1	State Director, management team	Final draft
Conduct review	June 1	Management team	Stakeholder comments
Finalize SDP	July 1	State Director, management team	Final draft
Communicate the plan	July 15	State Director, management team	List of stakeholders and type of communication

³ Note that deadlines are offered as examples. The management team should set a schedule based on the specific circumstances of the state. ↑

Download Recommendations for SDP Planning Meeting: Launching the SDP Planning Process

Recommendations for SDP Planning Meeting: Launching the SDP Planning Process

Once you have identified SDP Planning Team members, you should schedule the first meeting. This will be an important opportunity for team members to get to know one another and to understand the purpose and process of developing the SDP. This section provides recommendations to guide your planning meeting.

SDP Planning Team Meeting: Launching the SDP Planning Process
Purpose: Orient the planning team to the SDP purpose and planning process. Familiarize the planning team with the MEP, CNA, and MEP evaluation. Solicit additional information on what is known about migratory children and youth in the state (including root causes), based on perspectives of team members. Review solution strategies proposed in the CNA; consider implementation challenges and strategies.	Outcomes: Additional information on migratory children and youth in your state to supplement the CNA and MEP evaluation List of solution strategies finalized from the proposed strategies in the CNA with recommendations for implementation
Suggestions: Provide ahead of time the meeting agenda, a summary of the CNA, and a summary of the MEP evaluation. Spend time on introductions and perhaps a short activity for team members to get to know one another. Have the CNA data leader and MEP evaluator present major findings on needs related to migratory children; ask the group to discuss the extent to which these align with their perspectives and if additional considerations should be included in the SDP. If you feel that greater exploration of root causes of the needs is warranted, facilitate a group process called “Five Whys Root Cause Analysis,” available in the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Toolkit. Provide information on the operation of the MEP, including the number of local projects. Have the group complete a list of programs and agencies serving migratory children in the state to identify existing and potential partners and stakeholders to include in the SDP. In small groups, grouped according to goal areas or needs, have team members discuss solution strategies from the CNA and provide input. Will these solutions have an impact? Should additional solutions or strategies be included? What additional implementation challenges should be addressed? How can they be addressed? What common themes exist across needs and solutions? Reach consensus on a final set of recommended solutions and strategies for the needs identified. Debrief the day.
Follow up: Finalize a list of solution strategies that will be included in the SDP. Develop a summary of the implementation challenges for the strategies. Keep the chart on programs and agencies serving migratory children on file.

Considerations for Small States If you are not able to convene a large group for the first meeting, we encourage you to convene a small group of stakeholders to discuss the needs and solution strategies identified in the CNA and the progress of the MEP in the program evaluation. Another alternative is to convene small groups (focus groups) at one or two meetings where stakeholders are likely to attend, such as a state Title I conference, Parent Advisory Committee meeting, or school social workers conference. At the very least, consider conducting a series of phone interviews to gather input from a range of stakeholders. From the input you gather, you should develop a finalized list of solution strategies and implementation issues.

As you meet with the SDP Planning Team and various stakeholders, you should keep thorough records of all conversations, meeting minutes, and group activities, and compile them for input in writing the plan. We recommend that you save as much information as possible electronically, creating files for each section of the SDP. Be sure to date all documents so that you will know which information is the most current. Note that the various charts and templates completed by the SDP Planning Team can be included in the SDP. Much of your work will be completed by the time you actually begin writing your SDP!

In this section, you will find suggestions for what to include in each section of the SDP; this is not a prescribed format, but using it will help ensure you meet the statutory requirements for the SDP. In addition, you may want to review Suggested Table of Contents for the SDP, which you can use and customize to fit your SDP.

Executive Summary

An executive summary is usually the first section after the title page. It provides an opportunity for you to reinforce your state’s commitment to migrant education, feature the key needs of migratory children in the state, and introduce overall ways that the MEP plans to address these needs. Some state MEPs have a mission statement that should be included in this section. The executive summary is generally one to two pages long.

Introduction

1. Legislative Mandate
   Summarizing the legislative mandate for SDPs will enable you to review requirements and will ensure your readers understand how the SDP is grounded in the law.
2. Description of the State MEP
   A description of the organization of the MEP will provide the foundation for readers to understand how the implementation of the SDP will take place. Useful information will include the organization of the state program, local programs, and key collaborators. Visuals, such as an organizational chart or state map that shows number and location of programs, allow for vast amounts of information to be easily shared. If you developed this information to share with the SDP Planning Team at the beginning of the process, it should be ready to insert into the SDP.
3. Description of the Planning Process
   A description of the planning process conveys a sense of commitment to a collaborative process and shows the range of experience and expertise that impacted the development of the SDP. Information in this section can be represented in lists and charts, enabling readers to quickly sense the process.

Consider including the following topics:

• Timeline
• SDP Planning Team members
• SDP Planning Team meetings (purposes and tasks) (See Section D, The General Framework of the Service Delivery Plan.)

Body of the SDP

The main body of the SDP begins with the following required components: state performance targets, needs assessment, service delivery strategies, MPOs, and evaluation. While each of these components will need to be featured separately, the alignment chart that you will develop in Section E, Addressing the Needs of Migratory Children should be included to illustrate how each of the components relates to the others.

1. General Framework — SDP Alignment
   • Performance Targets — List your State’s performance targets, since these were the starting point for the SDP.
   • Needs Assessment — Include a summary of the Need Statements developed in the CNA.
   • Service Delivery Strategies — List the strategies that were selected to address the needs.
   • MPOs — Include MPOs that articulate what you would like to see happen as a result of the implementation of the strategies.
   • Evaluation — Include evaluation questions for each MPO that reflect implementation and results. These will serve as the foundation for the development of the Evaluation Plan that is addressed in the Program Evaluation Toolkit.

Consider including a section that has the project plan with description of activities, programs, people carrying out the activities, a timeline, and resources needed.

2. Project Plan
   The foundation for this section can be the project plan chart that you develop (see Project Planning Chart in Section D) that provides details on how the strategies in the SDP will be put into practice.

We recommend that the next four sections feature specialized topics for the SDP that will ensure that services are targeted and delivered efficiently.

3. Migratory Children Identified to Receive Priority For Services
   This section should include your State’s process for identifying those migratory children most in need of services, including the criteria your state established for prioritizing these students for services and ways to ensure that services are directed toward meeting their unique needs.
4. ID&R Plan
   This section should include the process and structure for the ID&R plan. You should address staffing as well as their training. In addition, you should discuss what types of accountability and quality assurance are in place to ensure that sound eligibility determinations are made.
5. Parental Involvement Plan
   This section should include strategies that the State will implement to ensure that parents of migratory children are involved in the education of their children. The plan should include information on state and local migratory Parent Advisory Councils, supports for migratory parents, and resources.
6. Exchange of Student Records
   This section should include how the MEP will establish (or review) policies and procedures for sending and receiving records for migratory children through intrastate and interstate transfer, Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) policies and procedures, strategies for providing training and information on MSIX, strategies for cross-state collaboration, and ways your state student information system can assist with record transfer.

For the final two sections, include plans for the MEP to support local projects in implementing the SDP and holding them accountable.

7. Implementation and Accountability in Local Programs
   This section should include the following:
   • Ways that the MEP will communicate with local programs to keep them informed about the SDP and to solicit feedback
   • A technical assistance plan to build the capacity of local operating agencies (LOAs) to plan and implement their programs
   • Strategies for ensuring that the local granting process requires applicants to implement the SDP
   • A plan for local monitoring, including specific indicators for which LOAs will be held accountable
8. Looking Forward
   This section should include how you will communicate the SDP and ensure that it remains relevant. Topics to include are as follows:
   • Communicating the SDP to local projects
   • Communicating the SDP to other stakeholders
   • Reconvening the SDP Planning Team to review formative data and emerging issues and determine any needed changes in the SDP
   • Setting a target date for the next CNA and SDP process
   • Building and maintaining collaborations

Download Suggested Table of Contents for the SDP

Executive Summary

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Legislative Mandate
   2. Description of the State Migrant Education Program
   3. Description of the Planning Process
      • Timeline
      • Planning Team Members
      • Planning Team Meetings (Purpose and Tasks)
2. General Framework – SDP Alignment
   1. Performance Targets
   2. Needs Assessment
   3. Service Delivery Strategies
   4. Measurable Program Outcomes
   5. Evaluation
3. Project Plan
4. Migratory Children Identified to Receive Priority for Services
5. Identification & Recruitment Plan
6. Parental Involvement Plan
7. Student Records Exchange/Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) Usage Plan
8. Implementation and Accountability in Local Programs
   1. Local-level Communication
   2. Local-level Professional Development and Technical Assistance
   3. Sub-granting Process
   4. Monitoring and Accountability
9. Looking Forward
   1. Communicating the SDP to Local Projects
   2. Communicating the SDP to Other Stakeholders
   3. Reconvening the Planning Team to Review Formative Data and Emerging Issues and Determine Changes Needed in the SDP
   4. Setting a Target Date for the Next Comprehensive Needs Assessment and Service Delivery Plan Process
   5. Building and Maintaining Collaboration

In accordance with what is referred to as the Priority for Services (PFS) provision of ESEA Section 1304(d), the State must first provide services to migratory children identified to receive PFS: those children who have made a qualifying move within the previous one-year period AND who

• are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the challenging state academic standards; or
• have dropped out of school.

Migratory children identified to receive PFS are less likely than their peers to achieve academic success. Therefore, the state education agency (SEA) must prioritize delivery of services to these children above all others. While the needs of these children may be included throughout the SDP, having a specific section focused on migratory children identified to receive PFS provides an opportunity to clearly define how your MEP identifies, implements, and evaluates services for these children.

Establishing State Criteria for Identifying Migratory Children Who Should Have Priority for Services

Establishing state criteria for identifying PFS migratory children will result in all local programs using the same criteria to distinguish these children and address their unique needs accordingly. These criteria should be listed in the SDP for easy reference.

By thoroughly establishing guidelines and accountability for how your SEA implements requirements for serving migratory children identified to receive PFS, you can alleviate any confusion by local operating agencies (LOAs) as they implement services for migratory children. Having well-defined PFS guidelines in your SDP helps to document program efforts and ensures compliance with the law.

As you develop the state’s guidelines for PFS, consider enlisting school and school district staff to help in identifying children at risk, such as the district data officer, school principals, and guidance counselors. Following are strategies MEPs have used to help LOAs identify, serve, and be held accountable for serving migratory children identified to receive PFS:

• Create a filter in the state student data system or migratory student database that “flags” the records of children as they meet the criteria for PFS eligibility; provide information about these children to local projects. This strategy will also enable the MEP to follow up to see if these children are targeted for services in LOAs.
• Provide written guidance on identifying and serving migratory children identified to receive PFS.

Methods to ensure these children receive services at the local level may include the following:

• Include an indicator in the LOA monitoring protocol on specific ways the MEP identifies and serves these children. Some states review state assessment scores that are disaggregated by migratory children identified to receive PFS to ensure that these children are meeting MEP performance targets.
• Develop a tool, such as a form, to help local sites identify these children.

See Strategies for Addressing the Needs of Special Populations for suggested strategies to meet the particular educational challenges of migratory children identified to receive PFS.

Preschool Migratory Children

Section 1304(c)(4) of ESEA requires that States, in carrying out their programs and projects, address the unmet needs of preschool migratory children. Young children of migratory and seasonal farmworkers often face a number of challenges that place them at risk for developmental delay and affect their later school achievement and success.

Preschool migratory children can overcome educational challenges by participating in preschool programs and services. Unfortunately, these children are often underrepresented in early childhood programs because of factors related to access, availability, and affordability. As a result, it is important that you and local project coordinators have a clear understanding of what type of programs are needed to serve the unique needs of preschool migratory children as well as how to reach out to their families to make early education programs accessible to them.

See Strategies for Addressing the Needs of Special Populations for strategies to consider for addressing the educational challenges that preschool migratory children face.

Migratory Children Who Have Dropped Out of School

Each SEA receiving Title I, Part C funding must include a description of how in planning, implementing, and evaluating it and its LOAs will ensure that the unique needs of migratory children, including migratory children who have dropped out of school are identified and addressed.

We recommend including a section in the SDP that addresses the unique needs of this group or ensuring that when selecting service delivery strategies these children are highlighted. The SDP can be used to direct LOAs on how to connect migratory children who have dropped out of school to services or ensure that they are aware of services for which they are eligible. The challenges faced by migratory children who have dropped out of school may overlap with the challenges faced by migratory children identified to receive PFS. The educational challenges of migratory children who have dropped out of school (e.g., significant credit deficits), however, merit specific attention in the SDP. Many of these children lack basic needs such as housing, food, clothing, and transportation. If the child is here to work, his/her day-to-day existence may hinge on efforts to meet those basic needs.

Other areas the MEP may identify include but are not limited to healthcare needs, language barriers, isolation, poor support to participate in educational opportunities, and little or no information about vocational or career opportunities.

Download Issues to Address for Migratory Children Identified to Receive Priority for Services in the SDP (Reference)

The section of the SDP that addresses migratory children identified to receive priority for services should address the following questions:

• What are the criteria by which to identify these children?
• What guidance will the MEP provide to local projects to clarify the policies and procedures for identifying and targeting services for these children? You may want to suggest
  • disaggregating data on these migratory children;
  • implementing policies and procedures to assess the needs of these children when they enroll in school and quickly linking them to instructional and non-instructional services;
  • providing additional monitoring of the progress of these children through frequent assessment, ongoing identification of needs, and modifications of services as needed;
  • documenting services provided to these children; and
  • working with parents of these children to help them support their children’s academic needs, minimize disruption resulting from their mobility, and facilitate regular attendance.
• Which MPOs and evaluation questions in the SDP will relate specifically to these children?
• Which indicators relating specifically to these migratory children will be included in the local monitoring protocol?

Download Strategies for Addressing the Needs of Special Populations (Reference)

Challenges of Serving Migratory Children Identified to Receive Priority for Services and Strategies to Consider

Challenges and Services Needed	Strategies to Consider
Minimizing disruption caused by frequent mobility	Assess migratory children identified to receive priority for services when they enroll in school if there is a delay in obtaining their academic records; implement policies and procedures to ensure that these children are quickly linked to instructional and non-instructional services. Have student records exchange policies in place to facilitate the easy transfer of school records. Provide support to help orient migratory children to a new school and make friends. Closely monitor the attendance of these children and follow up when attendance becomes irregular or ceases.
Providing opportunities for migratory children identified to receive priority for services to improve academically	Provide supplemental services at a rate greater than that experienced by other migratory children less at risk of academic failure, including after-school and summer programming. Assess these children’s progress frequently because many will be in the school system only a short time and will not be present for the state assessment.
Facilitating parental involvement	Help parents understand the impact of mobility on their children’s education and consider moving at times when the least disruption occurs, such as at the end of the school year or semester, during breaks, or after grading periods. Reinforce the importance of enrolling their children quickly when they move to a new site. Help parents keep their children’s records (birth certificates, immunization records, report cards) in a convenient place (such as a folder) so that they can provide them on enrolling their children in a new school.

Ways to ensure that the needs of migratory children identified to receive priority for services are addressed throughout the SDP include

• disaggregating performance data for these children;
• including strategies, MPOs, and program evaluation questions specifically for these children;
• requiring that requests for applications for local project funding specifically address how these children will be identified and provided services and how their success will be measured; and
• including indicators in the local monitoring protocol that address how a local project specifically directs services toward these children.

Challenges for Serving Preschool Children and Strategies to Consider

Challenges and Services Needed	Strategies to Consider
Greater access to high-quality early childhood education programs	Compile a list of local preschool programs that may enroll migratory children and distribute that list to parents. Be sure that the information is in families’ native language. Strengthen the resource and referral system within your community to ensure that families receive appropriate early childhood services to meet their needs and support the migratory preschool child’s development. Promote awareness of the unique factors that affect the lives of migratory children by offering professional development and training to service providers. Work with programs to offer full-day services of 12–15 hours’ duration during peak harvest season. Organize four- to six-week summer academies for children entering kindergarten in the fall to boost school readiness. Establish agreements or memoranda of understanding with Head Start and other preschool programs to hold slots for a certain number of migratory children who may not be in state in September when such programs often reach full enrollment.
Healthcare	Work with community agencies and service providers to offer an array of healthcare services, including health, dental, mental health, nutrition, and disabilities services. Offer a day of screening and immunizations and distribute information within the migratory community. Ensure that children are signed up for available child health insurance programs.
Parental involvement	Educate parents about the importance of high-quality early childhood education, and help them advocate on behalf of their children. Engage parents in children’s learning by providing classes on child development or early literacy. Arrange transportation to and from classes; offer child care, if needed. Provide parents with developmentally appropriate educational materials that they can use at home with their preschool-aged children.

Challenges for Serving Migratory Children Who Have Dropped Out of School and Strategies to Consider

Challenges and Services Needed	Strategies to Consider
Healthcare needs	Provide opportunities for health education on topics such as basic nutrition, proper dental care, and drug and alcohol awareness. Distribute healthcare information and dental kits. Ensure that youth are signed up for available child health insurance programs or other health programs for which they may be eligible.
Language barrier	Provide access to English language development and literacy classes in a variety of settings (e.g., in camp, in home, community sites) and on a flexible schedule (days, nights, and weekends). Collaborate with local employers to recruit participants and arrange class schedules.
Isolation and poor support to participate in educational opportunities	Help students locate and gain access to the appropriate educational placement (e.g., return to school, credit recovery, high-school equivalency exam preparation). Arrange transportation to and from classes; offer child care, if needed. Provide mobile education services that travel throughout the community, or look for opportunities to offer distance learning courses/training.
Lack of information about vocational or career opportunities	Collaborate with local community colleges or career technical/vocational certificate programs to offer aptitude screening or vocational counseling. Offer mini-workshops on budgeting and managing money. Connect youth with local career coaches or mentors. Conduct classes focused on improving life skills such as searching for a job and interviewing, going to the store, and paying bills.

Download Recommendations for SDP Planning Team Meeting: Addressing Migratory Children’s Needs (Reference)

SERVICE DELIVERY PLAN
SDP Planning Team Meeting: Addressing Migratory Children’s Needs State Department of Education
Purpose	Outcomes
Develop strategies and plans for suggested sections on addressing the needs of migratory children identified to receive priority for services; ID&R; parental involvement; and exchange of student records.	Plans for suggested sections on addressing the needs of migratory children identified to receive priority for services; ID&R; parental involvement; and exchange of student records.
Suggestions: Establish work groups for each SDP section to be developed: migratory children identified to receive priority for services, ID&R, parental involvement (see Section F), and exchange of student records. Include both planning team members and individuals who have expertise external to the planning process. Orient the group to the purpose of the meeting, and then convene each work group separately in breakout sessions. Provide a template to frame the conversation and specify outcomes for each work group. (The template can serve as the basis for a whole-group report.) Reconvene the whole group at the end of the day for a report from each work group and further input from the whole group.
Follow-Up: Use notes from the work groups as the basis for developing the sections of the SDP on each of these topics.

Before you finalize the SDP, you may want to engage stakeholders who were not involved in the SDP development process to review the draft SDP. These “fresh eyes” will help ensure that the SDP is readable, coherent, and likely to be effective. This step can also provide an opportunity to begin communicating the SDP to a wider range of stakeholders. Consider engaging the following groups in a review of the draft SDP:

• Local migrant education program staff
• State and local Parent Advisory Councils (PACs), as well as parents of migratory children who are non-PAC members
• Administrators from other federal programs, such as Title I, Part A or Title III
• Program planning and evaluation staff

Consider providing a feedback form that requests specific information to help you revise the SDP. Sending an electronic copy of the SDP with a link to an online survey is a particularly efficient way to solicit and gather feedback. We provide a sample SDP Feedback Form that you can adapt as needed and distribute as a document or prepare as an online survey. You may want to tailor the feedback form for various groups of stakeholders—for example, parents may have different concerns and insights about aspects of the SDP than would program staff. Try to estimate the amount of time reviewers will likely have to provide feedback, and tailor the set of questions accordingly, prioritizing by what is most important for you to know to finalize the SDP.

Once you have conducted a review of the SDP and finalized it based on stakeholder input, share the SDP with local operating agencies (LOAs). 34 C.F.R. § 200.83(c) requires the SEA to ensure its local operating agencies comply with the plan. Most of the services for migratory children occur at the local project level; therefore, LOAs’ understanding of the SDP’s purpose and the expectations for them to implement it are critical. LOAs that understand the SDP will be able to make better day-to-day decisions and carry out the SDP as intended. Regular, ongoing communication and guidance from the State MEP will support their understanding and implementation. Following are some strategies to communicate the SDP to LOAs and support implementation:

• Post a link to the SDP on the State MEP Web site.
• Create a listserv that includes local project directors; use the listserv to distribute information about the SDP and identify key dates.
• Conduct presentations on the SDP at state and local conferences; ensure that local project directors understand the state performance targets and state strategies identified to meet the needs of migratory children. These presentations will provide an opportunity for the local projects to provide feedback and ask questions.
• Conduct presentations at conferences sponsored by other federal programs, informing them of the unique educational needs of migratory children and ways the migrant-specific SDP will address those needs. Many of the attendees may be collaborating partners for the local projects and can provide additional support and reinforcement for implementing the SDP at the local level.
• Regularly provide onsite or online training to build the capacity of LOAs to plan their local programs in a process that mirrors planning at the state level—that is, provide training on topics such as conducting a needs assessment, logic model thinking, developing MPOs, and evaluating their program.

For additional technical assistance strategies for LOAs, see Section H, Ensuring Implementation and Accountability in Local Programs.

Resistance to change may be a common problem encountered when launching a new initiative. To avoid resistance to SDP implementation, consider the following strategies:

• Facilitate open, two-way communication among all stakeholders. Gather information about stakeholders’ concerns, and address these concerns directly, either in a group setting or with certain individuals, as needed.
• Reinforce that the SDP development included representatives from local projects and was based on an analysis of data that identified the unique educational needs of migratory children in the state.
• When presenting the SDP or providing professional development on SDP implementation, invite local project directors to discuss successes they have had in implementing the SDP, challenges they have faced and ways to overcome them. The best spokespeople for the SDP are those who can help their peers understand the benefits and address the challenges.
• Be clear in the expectations for how the local projects are accountable for SDP implementation through the granting process and local monitoring; explain the consequences for not implementing the SDP.
• Offer customized support to help LOAs develop their local plans and use their resources effectively.
• Be open to LOAs providing alternatives to strategies in the SDP if they can provide strong data that support their rationale and can provide a plan that will likely achieve the MPOs in the SDP and state performance targets.

We recommend that you include in your SDP a list of activities and a timeline for announcing the SDP to local projects and getting them up to speed in implementing it. First-year activities may include

• sending a memo to local project directors and school district superintendents announcing the SDP and ways that it will benefit migratory children;
• presenting an overview of the SDP at state education conferences or conferences focused on migrant services;
• developing a series of Webinars on parts of the SDP to build local capacity for planning and implementation; and
• conducting quarterly conference calls so that local projects can ask questions or discuss challenges.

Other stakeholders involved in the development of the SDP but less critical to the day-to-day implementation may not need as much ongoing communication as LOAs, but should still be familiar with the SDP and the plans for its implementation. These stakeholders include Parent Advisory Councils (PACs)^[5] and may also include representatives from other federal programs, state-level administrators, and collaborating agencies.

We suggest that you include in your SDP a plan for how you will communicate with stakeholders about the SDP itself. Activities may include

• sending a copy of the final SDP to various state agencies and groups involved in migrant services and to advisory councils or advocacy groups that may represent the interests of migratory children or their families;
• posting a copy of the final SDP on the MEP Web site (and send individuals an email announcement with a link or post the link on listservs);
• preparing presentations for
  • federal program conferences;
  • state and local PAC meetings;
  • state and local parental involvement meetings/conferences
  • state education agency (SEA) administrative staff meetings; and
  • agencies that serve migratory children.

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⁵ 34 C.F.R. § 200.83(b) requires the SEA to develop its comprehensive State plan in consultation with the State Parent Advisory Council, or for SEAs not operating programs for one school year in duration, in consultation with the parents of migratory children. ↑

Maintaining partnerships and collaborating with other federal and state-level programs and agencies that serve migratory children will enable you to coordinate resources effectively and keep stakeholders actively involved. In addition to involving them as planning team members, consider efforts such as cross-program training, sharing data, and co-presenting at meetings and conferences to identify areas of common need that offer opportunities for coordination and resource sharing.

The RESULTS Web site provides information on the various federal programs providing resources and support to migratory children. You will also want to consider state, regional, and local agencies with which you currently collaborate as well as those with which you want to build and strengthen partnerships.

Making a chart, such as Collaborations to Build and Maintain, can help you document connections that you currently have as well as those you want to cultivate. We suggest that you complete this chart to think about additional opportunities for coordination and collaboration. Be sure to identify relationships that are not yet achieving their potential and follow up with those partners.

We suggest that you engage a range of stakeholders as partners and reach out and offer opportunities to coordinate services. The Plan for Looking Forward can help you identify and layout activities for building and maintaining collaborations.

Download SDP Feedback Form (Sample)

[Note: You can adapt this form for an online survey or use it as a feedback form that you disseminate by email.]

Thank you for agreeing to review the Migrant Education Program (MEP) Service Delivery Plan (SDP) for [State Name]. Development of an effective SDP is a process that benefits from input and feedback from a variety of stakeholders. By responding to the questions on this feedback form, you will provide important information that enables the planning team to improve the SDP so that it is a relevant and usable plan for ensuring that migratory children have the support to access and succeed in educational opportunities and reach state education performance targets.

After reading the SDP, please respond to the following statements by [deadline]. If you have any questions or are unable to provide your responses by the deadline, please call or email me.

Sincerely,

[State Director’s Name, Title, Email, Phone Number]

Name of Reviewer:________________________ Title/Position:____________
Program or Agency Represented:___________

Please respond to the following statements by indicating the most appropriate rating. Any additional comments that you can provide related to the strengths or areas of needed improvement for these features of the SDP would be greatly appreciated.

Evaluation Scale:     (5) Strongly Agree    (4) Agree    (3) Neutral     (2) Disagree     (1) Strongly Disagree

The SDP was clearly written and easy to read. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The SDP shows a clear understanding of federal requirements guiding the development of the plan. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The SDP shows clear alignment of state performance targets, needs assessment, service delivery strategies, Measurable Program Outcomes (MPOs), and evaluation. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The Need and Concern Statements depict the full range of needs (both instructional and non-instructional) of migratory children. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The strategies clearly relate to the MPOs. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The MPOs provide a concrete picture of the results that the MEP hopes to achieve. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The evaluation questions form the basis of a strong Evaluation Plan that measures both implementation and results. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The project plan is sufficiently detailed to operationalize the strategies. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
Migratory children identified to receive Priority for Services are targeted throughout the plan. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The Identification & Recruitment Plan will ensure that sound eligibility determinations are made. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The parental involvement plan ensures that parents of migratory children receive the support they need to be involved in their children’s education. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The SDP includes a plan for requesting and transferring student records efficiently. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The SDP includes strategies to foster ongoing communication with local projects. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The SDP includes a detailed plan for providing technical assistance to local projects. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The local granting process will require applicants to plan their program based on the MPOs and strategies in the SDP. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The SDP includes a plan for monitoring local projects. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The plans for communicating the SDP to local projects will likely create buy-in. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The plans for revisiting the SDP will ensure that it remains flexible and relevant. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1
The SDP includes strategies for coordination and collaboration with key programs and agencies. Strengths: Areas in need of improvement:	5	4	3	2	1

Please provide any additional comments related to the overall effectiveness of the SDP:

Submit this form to:
[Contact Name, Email]

Download Collaborations to Build or Maintain (Template)

Program or Agency	How Should the Program or Agency Be Involved?	What Migrant Education Services Are Available?	Program Contact	Connections in Place	Connections Needed	Next Steps

It is important to periodically revisit your SDP to monitor progress and make adjustments. We suggest that you maintain the involvement of the planning team (or representatives from the stakeholder groups that were involved in the SDP development if the original members cannot continue). You should provide periodic updates on formative evaluation data or emerging issues.

The ongoing involvement of the MEP evaluator will ensure that you receive formative data on both the implementation and results of the SDP. Formative data will help identify issues that you can examine and address early in the implementation process.

We suggest scheduling a face-to-face meeting of the planning team at least annually to examine the progress, evolution, and direction of the SDP. These meetings provide an opportunity to hear directly from the local projects responsible for implementation. Representatives from LOAs can report on which aspects of the SDP are working and the challenges they may face in its implementation. With this information, the planning team can recommend adjustments to the SDP to improve its effectiveness.

Examine the following questions with the planning team:

• What additional support is needed at the local level?
• What problems have you encountered so far?
• Have programs been implemented as planned? If not, why not?

Remember that an effective SDP is more than just a well-written plan. It guides an ongoing process of collaborative, strategic problem solving. Change is a lengthy process, however, and it may take years to achieve full implementation of the SDP and optimum results. You do not want to maintain an outdated plan, but you also do not want to make significant changes to strategies before they have been implemented fully for maximum impact. In other words, do not make changes to the SDP too rapidly because you need time for impacts to occur.

We suggest that you include in the SDP a timeline for periodically reconvening the planning team in face-to-face meetings or other types of communication, such as conference calls and emails. You may want to work with the MEP evaluator to establish certain benchmarks for implementation and results. If you are not meeting the short-term benchmarks, explore reasons with the planning team and consider possible changes to the SDP.

Considerations for Small States If you are unable to reconvene the planning team for input on updating the SDP, we suggest that you convene stakeholders in focus groups at national or state conferences for this purpose. An annual online survey of key stakeholders is another strategy for gathering information that would inform an update to the SDP.

In addition to reviewing the SDP for progress on implementation and results, we suggest that you revisit the SDP regularly (at a minimum, annually) to review it in light of any changes in policies, demographic trends, or new issues that have emerged.

Further, we recommend that you keep abreast of any changes and information (e.g., new statutory requirements, regulations, or non-regulatory guidance) that come from the federal level and changes in state performance targets/measurements of interim progress.

You can stay informed by

• attending national conferences and state program conferences;
• attending migrant education conferences or conferences on related topics;
• participating in migrant education listservs;
• communicating frequently with collaborators, local MEP staff, parents, and other stakeholders;
• serving on relevant task forces; and
• visiting the RESULTS Web site.

Use your data submitted to the U.S. Department of Education through the Consolidated State Performance Report every two to three years to analyze demographic and academic trends of your population of migratory children. States are experiencing significant changes in the number of migratory children and in the characteristics of those children. It is critical that you re-evaluate the needs of migratory children, identify available resources, and make appropriate adjustments to your processes and services.

We suggest that you include in the SDP the activities in which State MEP staff will participate to keep abreast of migrant trends and emerging issues.

Section 1306(a)(2) requires that States periodically review and revise the plan to reflect changes in the State’s strategies and programs. The SEA should update the SDP when the SEA

• updates the statewide Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA);
• changes the performance targets or measurable outcomes;
• changes the services that the MEP will provide statewide; or
• changes the evaluation design.

The Guidance recommends updating the CNA every three to five years, which means that you should update your SDP with the same frequency. Keep in mind that the SDP is part of a Continuous Program Improvement Cycle, which includes continual review of the CNA and Evaluation Plan. If the CNA results indicate substantial change in the demographics of the migratory child population, for instance, that would imply a need to update the SDP in response to these changes even if it is less than three years old.

We recommend that you indicate in the SDP the target dates for repeating the cycle of assessing needs, creating an SDP, and conducting an evaluation.

Download Plan for Looking Forward (Template)

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Activity

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Communicating the Service Delivery Plan to local projects [List activities]

Communicating the Service Delivery Plan to other stakeholders [List activities]

Revisiting the Service Delivery Plan with the planning team [List activities]

Updating the Plan [List activities]

Building and maintaining partnerships [List activities]

The SDP is implemented at the local level through grants to local projects. The State MEP can use the grantmaking process as a means of ensuring that LOAs are implementing their programs in accordance with the SDP. 34 C.F.R. § 200.83(c) requires the SEA to ensure its local operating agencies comply with the plan. In your requirements for local project applications, you can establish an expectation for what LOAs must address to receive funding. Critical components of the local project application include:

• local needs assessment;
• assurance that the local project will work to achieve the state MPOs and implement the strategies in the SDP;
• additional or alternate strategies (if the local data show that the needs of migratory children in the community do not match those identified in the Comprehensive Needs Assessment);
• activities to put the strategies into operation, included in a project plan;
• an evaluation and data collection plan; and
• a budget.

To encourage projects to submit strong applications whose activities clearly align with the performance targets, MPOs, and strategies identified in the SDP, consider providing information to applicants as to how applications will be evaluated on these elements and alignment among them. You may also want to consider, if grantees want to amend their original plan after award, asking them to submit a request explaining the rationale for the change and providing supporting data which outlines how the proposed change aligns with the SDP.

You will likely want to require awardees to provide documentation of implementation of the SDP and impact so that you can determine program progress. An annual update, formative evaluation, or end-of-year report from local programs should address questions such as, “Did the LOA implement the activities as they were outlined in the application?” and “What student outcomes did the program achieve?” In addition, the report can include what the LOA proposes to do differently the following year and the technical assistance it needs from the state level. The data required should reflect the questions in the Evaluation Plan to facilitate the MEP evaluation (see the Program Evaluation Toolkit). The State MEP should include a template outlining the information LOAs are required to provide in the end-of-year report.

Download Recommendations for SDP Planning Team Meeting: Planning Local Monitoring and Support (Reference)

Meeting #4
Purpose	Outcomes
Develop strategies to ensure implementation and accountability in local projects.	Plans for communication with local projects; technical assistance and training; local granting processes; and local monitoring.
Suggestions: Convene a meeting that includes directors from a range of local migrant projects to explore what type of support they need to implement the SDP. Conduct a focus group of local directors at a state or national migrant conference.
Follow Up: Use recommendations from meeting and focus groups for the section of the SDP on communicating with and providing technical assistance to local projects; provide a draft of the section for review by local project directors. Plan an annual survey of local project directors to determine their technical assistance needs for SDP implementation.

Considerations for Small States Small states are at a distinct advantage when it comes to the State Director having frequent contact with a limited number of local projects and developing supportive relationships with the local project directors. We encourage you to develop these collegial relationships where local projects can network among themselves as well as with the State MEP.

As in any collaborative initiative, relationship building is key, and good collaborative relationships are not built overnight. Many State Directors have close working relationships with their LOAs, and the local programs look to them as a source of guidance and support.

Continual contact is an effective way to build the collaboration with LOAs and reinforce implementation of the SDP as well as to stay abreast of challenges and emerging issues. Consider the following strategies for ongoing communication with LOAs:

• Bimonthly conference calls
• Listserv or email distribution list
• Web site
• State meeting at the national conference
• Quarterly newsletter
• Yearly visits to LOAs

In the SDP, include strategies for ongoing communication with local projects.

Planning Professional Development

A technical assistance plan for the LOAs should offer resources and training opportunities accessible to every local program director and staff. Consider the following technical assistance strategies:

• Develop a comprehensive list of national and state resources to provide to local programs.
• Offer training related to the strategies in the SDP. To determine appropriate training topics, consider for each service delivery strategy in the SDP the question, “What professional development will LOAs need to build their capacity to provide services as specified in the SDP?”
• Identify professional development opportunities in other state or federal programs that would benefit local MEP staff and provide local programs with an annual schedule of training.
• Provide training on evidence-based strategies.
• Train local project staff on aspects of program planning that mirror the process for developing the SDP. Staff in local programs in many cases lack expertise in reviewing data and identifying needs, identifying strategies, aligning program components, involving parents, and evaluating their program. Developing local expertise in these areas helps build capacity for effective program planning at the local level.

We suggest that in the SDP you include a list of MEP-funded professional development opportunities for local projects that the State MEP will provide, as well as those that may be available through other programs or conferences.

Developing a System for Providing Customized Technical Assistance to Specific LOAs

Having a systematic way to identify LOAs that need technical assistance will enable you to target help where it is most needed. Consider the following strategies that State MEPs use:

• Review local program data annually, and identify programs that do not meet project goals.
• Develop a technical assistance request form that LOAs can submit to the MEP.
• Develop a self-assessment form that local projects can use to determine their needs for technical assistance.

The SDP should include the process the State MEP will use to identify LOAs that need customized technical assistance.