POLICY AND PROGRAM STUDIES SERVICE

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

**This is some**

**Migrant Education Program**

**Annual Report: Eligibility, Participation, Services (2001-02) and
Achievement (2002-03)**

**[Background]{.underline}**

In addition to overcoming the obstacles of poverty, poor nutrition and a
lack of health care, migrant children and youths in the United States
face difficulties transferring records between schools, overcoming
language and cultural barriers and succeeding in school despite social
isolation.

To respond to the needs of migrant children and youths, the Migrant
Education Program (MEP) was authorized under Part C of Title I of the
1965 *Elementary and Secondary Education Act*. The goal of the MEP is to
ensure that all migrant students reach challenging academic standards
and graduate with a high school diploma (or complete a GED) that
prepares them for responsible citizenship, further learning, and
productive employment.

This report provides information from the Consolidated State Performance
Report (CSPR) about migrant children and youths who were eligible and
who participated in MEP-funded services during 2001-02. It also provides
comparison data from schools years 1998-99 through 2000-01. Finally, it
discusses the academic achievement of migrant students in 2002-03 (the
most recent year for which data is available). This data is also
available through the CSPR.

# [Key Findings]{.underline}

-   **The population of eligible migrant children and youth aged 3-21
    grew** by 11 percent between 1998-99 and 2001-02 (12-month count).

-   **The unduplicated count of migrant students served in 2001-02 is
    767,472**. There were 645,952 migrant students in the regular-term
    and 403,523 in the summer or intersession-term. California, Texas,
    and Florida accounted for 53 percent of the total regular-term
    migrant population and 64 percent of the summer- or
    intersession-term population.

-   **The majority of migrant children and youths receiving services
    were Hispanic (89 percent).** In 1998-99 there were 151,513 (22
    percent) migrant children designated as LEP. In 2001-02 that figure
    had grown to 261,583 (34 percent).

-   **The number of migrant students that have limited English
    proficiency has also grown**. In 1998-99 there were 151,513 (22
    percent) migrant children designated as LEP. In 2001-02 that figure
    had grown to 261,583 (34 percent).

-   **The out**-**of-school youth population served by the program is
    growing**, although the majority of migrant students could be found
    in elementary school. Out-of-school youths made up 9 percent of the
    regular-term population served in 2001-02 (up 3 percent in the past
    three years), while elementary school age children comprised 43
    percent of the population.

-   **In 2001-02, 60 percent of migrant students in the summer or
    intersession term and 30 percent in the regular term received
    reading or language arts assistance**. Forty-seven percent during
    the summer or intersession term and 19 percent during the regular
    term received mathematics assistance.

-   **The number of students who are designated as "priority for
    services" has steadily increased by 33 percent between the three
    school years 1998-99 and 2001-02**. The number rose from 242,138 in
    1998-99 to 322,703 in 2001-02 (during the regular term). The summer-
    or intersession-term population increased by 49 percent over the
    same period of time. Priority for services students are students
    whose schooling has been interrupted and who are failing or at risk
    of failing to meet state standards.

-   **Seventy-four percent of the migrant children enrolled in Title I,
    Part A, schools were enrolled in schoolwide programs and 26 percent
    were enrolled in targeted assistance programs.**

**MEP-Funded Staffing**

-   **There has been an increase in staffing in both the regular and
    summer- or intersession terms**. From 1998-99 to 2001-02
    regular-term staffing increased by 20 percent and summer- or
    intersession-term staffing increased by 12 percent.

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-   **Teachers, bilingual teachers, and teacher aides accounted for a
    higher percentage of staff for the summer- or intersession term (66
    percent)** than for the regular term (46 percent).

-   **Of noninstructional staff, recruiters and nonclerical support
    staff accounted for more staffing units than other job
    categories**---recruiters made up 24 percent of the regular-term
    noninstructional total and nonclerical support staff accounted for
    19 percent of the summer- or intersession-term total.

**MEP-Funded Projects**

-   **Migrant project sites were much more likely to offer services
    during the regular term (84 percent) than the summer or intersession
    term (47 percent).** More than half (53 percent) of sites offered
    services only during the regular term, and 31 percent offered
    services during both regular and summer or intersession terms.
    Summer- or intersession-term only programs accounted for 16 percent
    of project sites.

-   **Extended-time approaches such as before- and after-school or
    weekend programs were offered in just over one-fourth (27 percent)
    of regular-term project sites.** Regular-term only projects have
    decreased 2 percent from 6,051 in 1998-99 to 5,938 in 2001-02.
    Summer- or intersession-term only programs increased 3 percent from
    13 percent in the previous year to 16 percent in 2001-02.

**Achievement**

-   **Migrant students lagged behind other students in third-grade and**
    **tenth-grade reading and mathematics achievement on state
    assessments in 2002-03**.

    -   In the 43 states reporting third-grade reading assessment
        results for migrant students, 23 states (53 percent) showed a
        gap of 25 percentage points or greater between migrant students
        and all students in the percentage of students considered
        proficient (as defined by each state). In the 44 states
        reporting proficiency scores in third-grade mathematics, the
        achievement gap in 12 states (27 percent) was 25 percentage
        points or greater.

    -   Of the 43 states reporting 10th-grade reading results on state
        assessments, 26 states (60 percent) had a gap or 25 percentage
        points or greater between migrant students and all students in
        the percentage of students considered proficient. Of the 41
        states reporting 10th-grade math results, 22 states (54 percent)
        had a gap or 25 percentage points or greater between migrant
        students and all students in the percentage of students
        considered proficient.