Federal funds are provided to schools each year for eligible migrant students. Eligible migrants move to Johnston County to find temporary/seasonal farm work, including planting, harvesting, and packing sweet potatoes and tobacco and harvesting row crops. This migratory work force helps sustain a profitable farming business by providing inexpensive yet productive labor.

Students are selected for Priority for Services (PFS) based upon the date of the most recent qualifying move to Johnston County, academic performance, English language proficiency and school attendance. In addition, the responses on various needs assessments completed by MEP staff, Migrant/ESL teachers, and mainstream teachers provide useful information for selecting students who do not meet the PFS criteria.

The MEP design is adjusted each year in accordance with program evaluation including feedback from parents, students, Migrant/ESL staff, mainstream educators, administrators and the availability of collaborative support.

The instructional program is orchestrated by two certified MEP Advocates and MEP Tutors. Services are tailored to the needs of individual students in the particular school setting. Migrant Advocates and tutors provide additional services in the school's "pyramid of interventions" for students. Services are tailored to individuals and include tutoring, brokering tutoring services by teachers, conferencing with teachers and parents, and collaborating with school Counselors and high school Student Advocates.

One primary goal of the MEP Advocates is to establish relationships with high school staff in order to focus attention on migrant students and what the students need in order to obtain all graduation requirements in a timely manner. Specific services include monitoring credit accrual, collaborating with content teachers to provide instructional support, conferencing with students and parents, and coordinating after-school tutoring and transportation.

The MEP Advocates also supervise MEP Tutors who are scheduled in schools according to the distribution of Migrant students who are identified for Priority for Service. Other criteria for school selection include the number of migrant students at each school, the number of migrant students who are at-risk of failing state and local standards, the incidence of migrant student drop-out, School Improvement status, and School Improvement watch list status.

MEP Tutors work in conjunction with teachers, administrators, and after-school program coordinators to provide extra academic support to selected migrant students before, during, and after school hours. The interventions are carefully planned so that the instructional schedule is minimally disrupted.

MEP funds are also available for "specialized tutoring" provided by classroom teachers outside of school hours. Limited funds are also available for transportation. These services will be coordinated by the MEP Advocates and Tutors.

The MEP Advocates and the MEP Tutors meet regularly to develop concise program goals and evaluate effectiveness of program services. This planning time decreases as services become established and the tutors are thoroughly trained.

Links

• Center for Immigration Studies

• Eastern Stream Center on Resources

• Office of Migrant Education

• Student Action with Farm Workers

For more information contact:
Faitha Batten
919-934-4361 x 4039