Maine Department of Education - Informational Letter 67: IDENTIFYING MIGRANT CHILDREN

INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 67
POLICY CODE: IHB

TO: All Superintendents

FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner of Education

DATE: January 30, 2007

RE: IDENTIFYING MIGRANT CHILDREN

The Maine Migrant Education Program (MEP) is asking each school unit’s assistance in locating migrant families and their children who are residing in Maine. We have created a list to assist all superintendents with the identification of migrant students.

When a new student enters your school administrative unit, we ask that the school complete a Maine Migrant Education Eligibility Form. (enclosed with this letter-directions included)

Once the Maine Migrant Education Eligibility Form has been completed, the superintendent’s office is responsible for submitting the forms to the Maine Migrant Education Program.

Upon receipt each completed form will be reviewed and parents/guardians may be contacted for further information.

If a child is determined to be eligible, the Maine Migrant Education Program will send a formal letter to the superintendents to inform them of the migrant children in their school administrative units.

We would like to remind all superintendents at this time that the Parent/Student survey must be distributed to all students within their units on a yearly basis at the beginning of the school year and returned to our office within 30 days of receipt. This will assist the Maine Migrant Education Program with continuing to review the migrant status of all children within the State. A student’s migrant status can change if a child who was not considered migrant the year before is determined to be newly migrant the coming year based on the answers provided on the survey.

The task of finding eligible migrant families and children is the responsibility of the Migrant Education Program and participating school units. To assist in the process of locating eligible children, we ask that each school complete the enclosed Maine Migrant Education Eligibility Form for all new students registered within your school unit. Also, please post the enclosed Maine Migrant Education Flyer at the main office and the guidance office of each school within your administrative unit for easy parents/guardian access. All completed forms should be mailed or faxed to

NCLB Clearinghouse
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Attn: Title IC Migrant Education Program
Fax: 207-624-6706

A staff member at the MEP office will conduct a follow-up interview with the family to determine their child (ren)’s eligibility for migrant services and a Certificate of Eligibility form will be completed for eligible children.

School units will be notified of migrant eligible children residing in their areas, and of the school unit’s eligibility for Title IC funding. I appreciate your attention in helping us locate Maine’s migrant children so we may devote available resources to support their academic achievement.

Services offered to migrant children are as follows:

free lunch
free books
after school tutoring
guidance counseling
home schooling
referral programs (available for parents/guardians).

Please contact Elizabeth J. Harris at 624-6722 or by e-mail elizabeth.j.harris@maine.gov for further questions concerning the Migrant Education Program.

cc: NCLB Coordinator

Enclosures:

Maine Migrant Education Eligibility Form

Maine Migrant Education Program-Flyer

Parent/Student Survey