Most of this information is entered into the system through computers or terminals located in areas with high concentrations of migrant students. The records enable school officials to learn the status of the student's educational progress and health. The System is also used at the federal level to determine the number of full-time equivalent migrant students, data that determine state allocations for Chapter I funding. A migrant student is a child whose parent or guardian is a migratory agricultural worker or a migratory fisherman who has moved from one school district to another during the regular school year. Thus, the status of migrant children is based on their families' mobility and type of labor.
Migrant children face problems that compound the risks they share with many disadvantaged groups.
These unique problems often include discontinuity in their educational program and consequent isolation from the community, which, in turn, exacerbate linguistic and cultural barriers. While there have been gains, such as the increased graduation rate, great challenges remain in addressing the needs of migrant students. Beginning in 1990, additional groups have received training via videotape and video-teleconferencing, including regular school personnel and migrant parents and students. Approximately 30 percent of the public schools in the United States and Puerto Rico use the system, as do many health facilities. School personnel can use academic data to place newly enrolled students into appropriate programs and classrooms.