The Vermont Migrant Education Program provides educational support services to eligible children of families that relocate in order to obtain seasonal or temporary employment in agriculture and to eligible out-of-school youth that has moved to obtain seasonal or temporary agricultural employment.
These free services can include books, tutoring, homework support, English language learning, summer programs, and referrals to local resources. A child/youth is eligible up until their 22nd birthday or until they obtain their high school diploma or its equivalent.
In Vermont, migrant families who qualify for the Migrant Education Program (MEP) under federal guidelines work in such agricultural-related fields as: dairy farming, fruit orchards, vegetable fields, food processing plants, nurseries, and logging.
The federal Migrant Education Program was initially created as part of Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty in the 1960’s. Currently running strong across our entire nation, Migrant Education Programs serve hundreds of thousands of migrant students each year. Children of migrant workers and adolescents that are working independently are among the neediest and least visible of Vermont’s population groups. Because of their transience and isolation, it is easy for these students to fall out of step academically and socially.
The Agency of Education in conjunction with the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension serves these children through the federally funded Vermont Migrant Education Program. The primary goal of the Migrant Education Program is to locate all migrant children and families in the country and provide supplemental educational services to reach the program goals of academic proficiency and high school graduation.
Migrant Education Reports
Comprehensive Needs Assessment
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Migrant Education, requires states to conduct a Comprehensive Needs Assessment(CNA) and Service Delivery Plan (SDP) under Section 1306 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA), Title I Part C. In the CNA/SDP states must identify and address the unique educational needs of migratory children and create a plan that provides that migratory children will have an opportunity to meet the same challenging state academic content standards and challenging state student academic achievement standards that all Vermont children are expected to meet. Vermont's needs assessment and plan were updated in 2020. The plan specifies measurable program goals and outcomes.
Characteristics of Vermont’s Migrant Students
Vermont’s eligible migrant students are a mix of pre-school children, in-school students, and out-of-school youth. This presentation of the Characteristics of Vermont’s Migrant Students illustrates the demographic characteristics of Vermont’s migrant education population.
Evaluation
In order to inform the Comprehensive Needs Assessment, the State must conduct an evaluation of program effectiveness at least once every three years. Vermont last updated their evaluation in 2020.
Migrant Education Resources
Office of Migrant Education at the US Department of Education
The mission of the Office of Migrant Education (OME) is to provide excellent leadership, technical assistance, and financial support to improve the educational opportunities and academic success of migrant children, youth, agricultural workers, fishers, and their families. The OME administers grant programs that provide academic and supportive services to the children of families who migrate to find work in the agricultural and fishing industries.
Migrant Education Program
The goal of the US Department of Education 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.
Questions?
Please email Megan Kinlock, Title II & Migrant Education Director.