Title I, Part C - Migrant Education

Title I, Part C - Migrant Education

Migrant Education Program, Title I, Part C

What is the Migrant Education Program?

Program Contacts

Rasha Hetata
Title I-C Migrant coordinator

(614) 752-1469
Rasha.Hetata@education.Ohio.gov

Morgan Brown 
Assistant Director

(614) 466-7918
Morgan.Brown​@education.Ohio.gov

Jose Salinas
Ohio Migrant Education Center Director

(419) 332-6007
jsalinas@nwoesc.org

The Migrant Education Program (MEP) is authorized by Title I, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended, supports high-quality education programs for migratory children ages 3-21 and helps ensure that children who move among states are not penalized by differences in states’ curriculums, graduation requirements or academic content and student academic achievement standards. Title I funds also ensure migratory children receive education and support services that address their special needs and they receive the opportunities needed to meet the same challenging state academic content and student achievement standards as other children. The federal government allocates funds to state education agencies based on each state’s per-pupil expenditure for education and its number of migratory children, ages 3 through 21, who live in a state.

The Migrant Education Program is designed to help migratory children overcome disruptions in education, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, health-related problems and other factors that inhibit their abilities to do well in school. It also prepares them to make successful transitions to higher education or employment.


Who is a migrant student?

According to sections 1115(c)(1)(A) (incorporated into the Migrant Education Program by sections 1304(c)(2), 1115(b), and 1309(3) of the ESEA and 34 CFR § 200.103(a)), one is a “migratory child” if the following conditions are met:

  1. The child is under 22 years of age; and
  2. The child is entitled to a free public education (through grade 12) under state law, or the child is not yet at a grade level at which the LEA provides a free public education, and
  3. The child made a qualifying move in the preceding 36 months as a migratory agricultural worker or a migratory fisher or did so with, or to join, a parent/guardian or spouse who is a migratory agricultural worker or a migratory fisher; and
  4. With regard to the qualifying move identified in paragraph 3 above, the child moved due to economic necessity from one residence to another residence, and—
    1. From one school district to another; or
    2. In a state that is comprised of a single school district, has moved from one administrative area to another within such district; or
    3. Resides in a school district of more than 15,000 square miles and migrates a distance of 20 miles or more to a temporary residence.​

Migrant Education Programs in Ohio

To help schools with the statutory requirement of the Migrant Education Program, the Ohio Department of Education awards Title I-C Migrant funds to four districts and two educational service centers, including the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center, which operates the Ohio Migrant Education Center in Fremont, Ohio. The center is responsible for the identification of all migrant children who enter the state and is the only entity authorized to make the final eligibility determination for the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Program. The Ohio Migrant Education Center also compiles all migrant student data used for submitting the state’s annual Consolidated State Performance Report. The Ohio Department of Education and the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center work under a memorandum of understanding.

Grantees are awarded funds based on the number of eligible migrant students they identified and serve, school interruption and their priority for services. Eligible migrant students are those who are failing or who are most at risk of failing to meet the state’s challenging learning standards and student achievement standards and whose education has been interrupted during the regular school year.

ESEA Section 8501 requires educational services or other benefits to be provided on an equitable basis to eligible children who are enrolled in private schools, and to their teachers and other educational personnel. In Ohio, if there are migrant students identified in the areas of the MEP program, the Local Operating Agency should consult with the nonpublic school and ensure services or other benefits are provided on an equitable basis. If it is feasible and equitable, agencies may adopt alternative methods that are cost-effective to serve small numbers, such as individual tutoring programs, professional development activities with the classroom teachers of eligible migrant students, or other strategies. The Local Operating Agency may make these determinations after consultation with the nonpublic school.
 

The current Ohio migrant system includes five migrant regions or sites in the state where districts or educational service centers are providing migrant services:

IRN

District Name

County

FY23 Allocation Amount

Contact

049304 Putnam County ESC - Region 1 Putnam $118,907 Dr. Jan Osborn
(419) 523-5951
045096 Willard City -Region 2 Huron $102,307 Jenni Smith
(419) 935-1541
049882 Marlington Local - Region 3 Stark $93,838 Mike Farrell
(330) 935-2469
046243 Tecumseh Local -Region 4 Clark $120,939 Susan Wiles
(937) 845-4495
049726 Old Fort Local - Region 5 Seneca $139,571 Jeff Lynch
(419) 992-4293
124297 Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center (Ohio Migrant Education Center fiscal agent) Fulton $700,000 Kerri Gearhart
(567) 444-4795

State Needs Assessment and service delivery plan

Sections 1304(b)(1) and 1306 (a)(1) of the statute require the SEA to ensure that the state identify and address the special educational needs of migrant children. Furthermore, every SEA must develop and update a written comprehensive State service delivery plan.

Ohio's Service Delivery Plan
Ohio's Needs Assessment
Ohio's Evaluation Report 

Migrant Education Program Statute

The Migrant Education Program is a federal program carried out by the states through grants administered by the United States Department of Education, Office of Migrant Education. For additional information on legislation, regulations and guidance, visit the Office of Migrant Education website.

For additional Migrant Education Program information, tools and resources to promote the interstate coordination of migrant programs, visit the Migrant Education Program webpage.

Resources

Last Modified: 11/7/2022 2:21:28 PM