**ANNEX VII 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 2002-2004**

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 2002 through 2004 as
described in this seventh Annex.

To strengthen joint activities that aim 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\. General -- 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\. Border Area -- 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\. Special Education -- Continue to work on cooperation in the
education of persons with disabilities at the federal, as well as state
and local level. The theme of educational integration, or inclusion, has
been a priority for both countries.

4\. Migrant Education -- Reinforce progress with regard to the transfer
of elementary and secondary school transcript information by promoting
the use of the U.S.-Mexico Binational Migrant Student Transfer Document
as a technical-pedagogical instrument that would facilitate the
immediate school enrollment of migrant children; nevertheless, it would
not be a requirement, as is the case with health, using the National
Vaccination Card. In particular, encourage communication between state
authorities in both countries, as well as promote access to basic
education services for children and youth from both nations.

5.  Educational Technology -- 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. In addition,
    promote the development of new educational technologies, the
    exchanges of experts in production and training with regard to
    educational television, and the exchange of information on distance
    education and educational television.

6\. Teacher Exchange and Development -- 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. In addition,
continue promoting the exchange of language teachers that takes place
through the Mexico-U.S. Commission for Educational and Cultural
Exchange, expanding opportunities to strengthen the teaching of English
as a second language in Mexico.

7\. Technical-Vocational Education -- 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\. Adult Education -- Continue and enhance existing cooperation in
adult education and literacy, including recognizing the importance of
workplace and family literacy, particularly in the border states.

9\. Postsecondary Technical Education -- Promote and strengthen
cooperation between community colleges in the United States of America
and Technological Universities in Mexico, for instruction at Level 5B of
the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), drawing
on experiences and existing linkages with business and industry with
regard to the exchange of teachers and students, business internships,
and the development of learning materials.

10\. Language Acquisition -- 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\. Higher Education -- 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\. Statistics and Indicators -- Cooperate in the development of
educational statistics and indicators.

Both entities may determine to carry out other activities during the
period of this Annex VII, consistent with the Memorandum of
Understanding on Education, such determinations to be made through an
exchange of letters between the Government of the United Mexican States
and the Government of the United States of America.

Signed in Mexico City, on the twenty-fifth day of November in the year
two thousand and two, in duplicate, in the Spanish and English
languages.

FOR THE SECRETARIAT OF PUBLIC FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF

EDUCATION OF THE UNITED EDUCATION OF THE UNITED STATES

MEXICAN STATES: OF AMERICA:

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Reyes Tamez Guerra Rod Paige

Secretary Secretary