ANNEX VI TO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

ON EDUCATION

BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED MEXICAN STATES AND

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

# Activities for 2000-2002

The Secretariat of Public Education of the United Mexican States (SEP)
and the United States Department of Education (ED) express their wish to
deepen and strengthen the working relationship established through the
Memorandum of Understanding on Education of August 8 and 17, 1990,
between the Government of the United Mexican States and the Government
of the United States of America. Pursuant to Articles I(B) and IV(B) of
the cited Memorandum, both entities plan to undertake joint endeavors in
the field of education during the period of 2000 through 2002 as
described in this sixth annex.

To enhance their efforts to improve primary, secondary, and
postsecondary education in both countries, the two entities plan to
continue to place emphasis on cooperation at the federal level and
encourage joint activities at the state, local and institutional levels.
While cooperation continues to be carried out according to the general
principles laid out in the Memorandum of Understanding, the two entities
intend to concentrate their cooperative work in the following areas of
mutual interest.

The two entities intend to:

1\. cooperate in the improvement of schooling, particularly by sharing
information on the development of effective or promising education
programs that can serve as a foundation for a better educated
population.

2\. encourage educational projects developed along the border region in
order to strengthen educational cooperation, with the goal of attaining
a better understanding and coherent vision of the different aspects of
the border zone.

3\. continue to work on cooperation in the education of persons with
disabilities at the federal, as well as state and local level,
recognizing that special education is high on the agenda of both
nations.

4\. encourage the use of the transfer of primary and secondary school
records (transfer document) and health records (vaccination certificate)
for migrant students; in particular, encourage communication between the
border State authorities of both countries, in order to facilitate
access by children and youth to basic educational services in each
country.

5.  continue to support the exchange of experiences and materials
    regarding the application of technology in areas such as basic
    education, bilingual education, migrant education and professional
    development of teachers; give special attention to cooperation in
    distance learning; and continue to expand communication between
    schools in both countries through the use of electronic networks and
    on-line resources.

6\. explore innovative ways to enrich the professional development of
teachers, including teacher exchanges, particularly in the areas of
basic education, bilingual education, adult basic education and
literacy, migrant education, special education and vocational-technical
education.

7\. continue cooperation in the area of school-to-work transition,
examining the integration of academic standards and vocational-technical
education and exchanging information on standards and procedures.

8\. continue and enhance existing cooperation in adult education and
literacy, including recognizing the importance of workplace and family
literacy, particularly in the border and near-border states.

9\. encourage continued cooperation between community colleges in the
United States of America and the Colegio Nacional de Educación
Profesional Técnica (CONALEP), technological institutes and universities
in Mexico, drawing on experiences and linkages with business and
industry.

10\. strengthen and deepen the work both countries have carried out in
the areas of bilingual education and foreign language teaching (the
teaching of Spanish as a foreign language in the United States and of
English as a foreign language in Mexico), keeping in mind the importance
of expanding mutual understanding of the two cultures.

11\. continue cooperation in higher education, particularly in the areas
of academic mobility of professors and students and with respect to
certification of academic programs, recognition of credits and
information exchanges via telecommunications.

12\. cooperate in the development of educational statistics and
indicators.

Both entities may determine to carry out other activities during the
period of this Annex VI, consistent with the Memorandum of
Understanding, such determinations to be made through an exchange of
letters.

Signed in Washington, on the eighteenth day of May in the year two
thousand, in duplicate, in the Spanish and English languages.

FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF

THE UNITED MEXICAN STATES: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA