Migrant Education Program

The Washington State Migrant Education Program (MEP) is federally funded to ensure high-quality education programs and supplemental support services for migratory children. Migratory families often have trouble receiving continuous, high-quality educational services because of their high rate of mobility, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, health-related problems, disruption of their children’s education, and the lack of resources in the areas in which they live and work.

MEP Requirements & Materials

Identification, Recruitment, & Eligibility

MEP Identification & Recruitment

Identifying and recruiting eligible migratory children quickly and efficiently is the foundation of a robust Migrant Education Program. Before migratory children can be served, however, they must be found and enrolled into the MEP without delay.

• MEP-funded school districts must have a recruiter as part of their sub-grant. The school district recruiter(s) conduct ID&R activities within their district boundaries. You can access a list of MEP-Funded school districts and MEP staff through the following directory.

MEP Eligibility

A child is a “migratory child” if the following conditions are met:

1. The child is not older than 21 years of age; and
2. the child is entitled to a free public education (through grade 12) under state law, or
3. the child is not yet at a grade level at which the LEA provides free public education; and
4. The child made a qualifying move in the preceding 36 months as a migratory agricultural worker or 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
5. With regard to the qualifying move identified above, the child moved due to economic necessity from one residence to another residence, and
6. From one school district to another; or
7. In a state that is comprised of a single school district, has moved from one administrative area to another with such district; or
8. 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.

Questions? Please contact Carlos Gonzalez

Funding & Services

The Migrant Education Program is authorized under Part C of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended. Federal funds are allocated to OSPI based on per pupil expenditure for education and counts of eligible migratory children, age 3 through 21, residing within the state. OSPI authorizes the sub-grants to local education agencies (school districts), institutions of higher education, and other public and nonprofit agencies.

Services to migrant children and their families may include:

• Supplemental academic programs to assist in the achievement of state academic standards
• Instructional training
• Health programs
• Preschool programs (readiness, transitioning to elementary education)
• Family home visiting and academic counseling services
• Parental involvement
• Migrant student data and collection
• Student leadership opportunities
• Summer schools programs
• Secondary credit accrual and exchange
• Grants for supplemental secondary services, dropout prevention and retrieval, and alternative education programs; and
• Dissemination of information

The migrant program ensures appropriate consultation with migrant parents and local education agencies through the Washington State Migrant Education Parent Advisory Committee. The program must also ensure program objectives are being addressed through compliance reviews of its sub-grantees.

New & Returning MEP Applicants

New MEP Applicants

For districts who are interested in applying for a migrant program grant for the first time, the following items should be considered:

• How many eligible migrant students are currently in the district?
• What type of services do they need?
• What support is the district currently providing?
• What adjustments has the district made to help meet the migrant students' needs?
• Despite adjustments and current support, do the students need additional support?
• What other resources has the district considered (i.e., Title I, Emergency Immigrant, State Transitional Bilingual Instruction Program, etc.)?

After this self-evaluation process, districts in need of additional support, should contact the nearest Educational Service District (ESD) Migrant Education Office to inform them of their interest in applying for migrant funds. The ESD will work with the district on migrant students' needs and program planning and notify OSPI of the district's request for migrant funds.

Returning MEP Applicants

Local school districts who received a sub-grant from the Washington State Migrant Education Program (MEP) in the past can access a grant application through OSPI's online application on iGrants.

End-of-Year Reports

At the end of the program period (6/30), districts are required to submit an end-of-year report that reflects the services provided and the staff time paid with program funds. Data and services reported to OSPI should be reflected in the individual student records housed at MSDR and should be within the approved size and scope of the grant application.

MEP Materials

• Best Practices for Using Technology with Multilingual Families Toolkit
• Migrant Education Program Infographic-English | Spanish
• State Service Delivery Plan 2021-2024
• WA State Migrant Education Program 7 Areas of Opportunity
• Washington State Priority for Service Definition
• 2020-21 MEP Evaluation Report
• Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Non-Regulatory Guidance
• Extended Absences in Migrant/Multilingual Programs
• Federal Programs Director Job Activities

Migrant Education Health Program

The Washington State Migrant Education Health Program helps eligible migrant students and their families gain access to supplemental health and social services free of charge. Supplemental health and social services may be provided by MEP to help meet the identified needs of migratory children for a limited period, until other federal, state, and local programs for which they are eligible become available.

Parent Advisory Council

The purpose of the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is for Migrant Education Program staff in coordination with elected or selected parent committee members, and other interested parties to plan, implement and evaluate the local program to continue to provide quality services to migratory children. The voice of migratory parents is essential and required for all phases of the local program.

Migrant Education Student Resources

The Washington state Migrant Education Program provides services to migrant children and their families. The following resources include programs, guidance, and scholarships for migrant education students.

Migrant Education Workshops & Webinars

The Migrant Education department conducts quarterly program updates throughout the school year. In addition, For example, New Migrant Education Director/English Learner Program Director/ Coordinator Training, EGMS Application Training, and Migrant Education Program Summer Grant Application Training.