What is the Migrant Education Program
Title I, Part C Migrant Education Program (MEP) of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 supports high quality education programs for migratory children (ages 3-21) and helps ensure that migratory children who move among the states are not penalized in any manner by disparities among states in curriculum, graduation requirements, or state academic content and student academic achievement standards. The MEP is designed to help migratory children overcome educational disruption, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, various health-related problems, and other factors that inhibit the ability of such children to do well in school and to prepare such children to make a successful transition to postsecondary education or employment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are students identified?
- Students should complete the Migrant Education Program Survey to determine whether your assigned Identification and Recruitment Field Specialist should be contacted to collect further information and determine eligibility.
How long are students eligible for the program?
- Students that qualify for the MEP have a certificate of eligibility (COE) which is valid for three years.
What school fees are waived for migrant students?
- Migrant students are entitled to free lunch and textbooks as long as they have an active COE in Indiana’s Migrant Information and Data Access System (MIDAS).
What additional services/funds are available to assist migrant students?
- Title I, Part C provides supplemental funds to school corporations with migrant students. These funds are available through a grant from the Indiana Department of Education.
- If schools do not wish to apply for the grant, migrant students are entitled to services from the Migrant Regional Center in your area. For a map of the regions, please reference the attached documents or visit http://www.doe.in.gov/elme.
Who should I contact if we have possible migrant students in our school corporation?
- Schools with possible migrant students should contact their regional ID&R Field Specialist. Please reference the attached map and regional directory in order to determine your corresponding specialist or visit http://www.doe.in.gov/elme.
Are migrant students English learners?
- Sometimes. Like all students in Indiana, migrant students must complete a home language survey (HLS) in order to determine if their English proficiency should be assessed.