Section III: Migrant Student Profile For the purposes of this report, the CDE included an abridged version of the Migrant Student Profile. The Migrant Student Profile was designed to assist stakeholders in understanding the demographic characteristics and unique educational needs of California’s MEP-eligible children. It provides awareness of migratory children’s population size, age, home language, and educational outcomes. It also explores characteristics of California’s migratory OSY population, and migratory children’s school readiness, parent involvement, health service needs, and engagement in school. Stakeholders utilized this profile as they identified migratory student needs. The CNA briefly reviews student achievement data, English language proficiency, high school graduation and dropout rates as well as OSY demographics and MEP health service data. For more information on parent and family engagement, student engagement and school readiness, please see the complete Migrant Student Profile. Demographics Population Size and Trends In 2014–15, California identified 102,348 migratory children, a decrease of nearly 36 percent compared to the numbers identified in 2010–11. This downward trend is consistent across all age groups of migratory children, with the largest population declines among OSY ages 19 to 21 years. Figure 3 shows the downward trend in migratory children population size, by age group between 2010–11 and 2014–15. Table 2 details changes in the migratory child population size by age over the five-year period. Figure 3. Trend in Number of Migratory Children in California, by Age Group, 2010–11 to 2014–15 Source: MSIN Databases for the MEP, 2010–11 to 2014–15. Table 2. Number of Migratory Children in California, by Age, 2010–11 to 2014–15 Age 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Percent Change Over 5 Years 3 years 6,497 5,749 5,126 4,833 4,230 -35%
Use of English during ELD instruction should be maximized; the student’s native language should be used strategically. High School Graduation and Dropout Prevention Research suggests that children in the U.S. with low third-grade reading test scores were less likely to graduate from high school than children with higher reading scores (Hernandez, 2011). Third grade is a pivotal year as there is a shift from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Interventions for struggling readers after third grade are seldom as effective as those interventions implemented in the early years. Hernandez (2011) reports that “one in six children who are not reading proficiently in third grade do not graduate from high school on time, a rate four times greater than that for proficient readers (p. 5).” The rates are highest for the low, below-basic readers: 23 percent of these children drop out or fail to finish high school on time, compared to 9 percent of children with basic reading skills and 4 percent of proficient readers. Therefore, efforts on early intervention should be a focus when trying to improve high school graduation rates. The High School Graduation Subcommittee reviewed statewide high school graduation rates and dropout rates included in the Migrant Student Profile, which provided data for Migratory and All Students (including migratory students). Subcommittee members then developed the needs statements and selected initial evidence-based strategies to address those needs as reported later in this section. A review of the high school graduation and dropout data is necessary to understand the selection of these particular concerns. Key Data Points from Stakeholder Discussions Stakeholders reviewed trend data for graduation and dropout rates from 2010–11 through 2014–15. With limited data, several concerns were identified through local expertise during conversations on high school graduation and dropout prevention measures. Figure 12. (p. 25) Trend in Graduation Rates for Migratory Students and All Students, 2010–11 to 2014–15 shows that: The gap in high school graduations rates for 2010–11 through 2013–14 was stable at approximately five percent with All Students graduating at slightly higher rates. Migratory Students closed the high school graduation gap in school year to a one percent gap. Figure 13. (p. 25) Trend in Dropout Rates for Migratory Students and All Students, 2010–11 to 2014–15 illustrate the following data points: According to CDE’s DataQuest, dropout rates for Migratory Students decreased approximately six percent over the identified five-year period.