Prepared For:  (EDU 557)
Prepared By: Diane G. Braswell
Date: May 18, 1999
E-mail: dbraswell@pcit.com
 

Providing a quality education for migrant children and their parents has always presented a challenge to the educators and the agencies responsible for their education.  There are several issues that migrant families face when considering school for their children such as: frequent moves, language barriers, lack of information available for enrollment, and necessity to keep the young children working for the additional income.  This study looks into the education of migrants over the last 20 years to determine if the use of increasing technology in the classroom has helped overcome the problems faced by the educators of migrants.  More specifically this study will look at the effects of the Internet on: changes in enrollment (primary, secondary and college), and the changes in the curriculum for migrants providing recommendations that will continue to assist migrant students in the future.

Reauthorized Migrant Education Program: Old Themes and New
Wright, AL (March 1995)
ED 380276

This is an outline of the changes made in the new Migrant Education Program re-authorized in the Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994.  The new Migrant Education Program is a 5 year program that requires: changes in eligibility, elimination of the migrant student record transfer system, changes in funding for summer programs, incentives for states creating a consortium, and changes in the priority of services.  This article describes each change in detail and compares the new requirements to those of the Migrant Education Program that was in effect through June of 1995.

Instructional Strategies for Migrant Students
Velma Menchaca and Jose Ruiz-Escalante (October 1995)
EDO-RC-95-10

This article offers several strategies for teachers to help them build on strengths of migrant student to enhance the student’s learning.  Some of the instructional strategies offered are: creating a positive environment, building on the students strengths, enhancing self-concept and self esteem, personalize lessons with student’s experiences, integrating culturally relevant content, using cooperative learning and developing students’ metacognitive learning strategies.

Migrant Farm Workers and Their Children
Philip Martin (November 1994)
EDO-RC-94-7

This article reviews the data collected on the populations of migrant workers.  It focuses on the past and present (1994) Federal programs provided to serve migrant workers.  It provides some statistics on migrant workers from the National Agricultural Worker Survey as to what ethnic group the workers belong, what percent had children, what gender, what percent worked with their family, and what percent of the children did not work etc.  This article closes out by briefly touching on the additional funding that might be seen for migrant workers in the future.

Unschooled Migrant Youth: Characteristics and Strategies to Serve Them
Susan C. Morse (March 1997)
EDO-RC-97-2

This article describes migrant youth and how different schools and programs can support their needs.  It begins by defining unschooled migrant youth and what common characteristics they may have.  It goes on to describe the impact that migrant youth have on schools, and how most schools may not be equipped to handle the special needs of the migrant students.  It further discusses how schools can alienate migrant students with discouraging staff, cultural differences or language barriers.  This article closes out by providing several models that are being used to provide education to migrant youth in different areas of the country, and some strategies on how educators can make a better learning environment for the students.
 

Migrant Students Attending College: Facilitating Their Success
Susan C. Morse and Patricia Cahape Hammer (September 1998)
EDO-RC-97-10

This article provides information on how to help migrant students prepare for and succeed in college.  It starts by giving a general background with the current statistics of migrant and Hispanic students on the gains in the enrollment of higher education.  The article outlines certain obstacles and elements of success for migrant college students.  It illustrates the most important factors contributing to the students’ decision in whether or not they participate in post secondary education.  Most important it provides a list of programs that promote college preparation and promote college completion for the use of the migrant
student, teacher or advisor of the migrant student.  It closes by offering recommendations for what the students should be aware of when selecting a college.
 

A Review and Description of Services for Migrant Children
Brian K. Fitzgerald, Patricia A. Hopper (1985)
ED 321927

This study identifies, describes, and analyzes federally funded migrant services.  The study is based on interviews with program officials and offers information relating to federally funded projects in the following areas: definitions and eligibility, geographical locations and seasonal variations, migrant services provided, funding levels and numbers served, identification recruiting, coordination, databases and evaluation methods.  This study identifies some of the difficulties encountered in obtaining information due to the populations mobility.

1) The first step would be to obtain background information on migrant workers in the United States.  This would be done by reviewing articles and papers written on migrant workers and their families.

2) The research would continue by reviewing information available on Migrant Students in the decades of the eighties and nineties.
a) Information on Education on Migrants in the 80’s and 90’s
i) Sample Lesson Plans
ii) Number of Students Enrolled
(1) Primary
(2) Secondary
(3) Undergraduate
(4) Graduate
(5) Post Graduate
iii) Use of Computers in the Classroom
iv) Use of Computers in Administration in relation to migrants
v) Federal and State Programs Available to Migrants

3) After the initial research is completed, additional research would be conducted by preparing and issuing surveys and completing personal interviews.
a) Determine the sample group
i) Identifying states with populations of migrant families.
ii) Selecting three states to be studied: Highest population, lowest population and average population.
b) Conduct Interviews and send out surveys to the following
i) Current migrant students in the primary and in the secondary grades for each school
ii) Former migrants students that went to school but have continued on with the migrant lifestyle.
iii) Former migrant students that are in college
iv) Former migrant students that are pursuing advanced degrees.
v) Former migrant students in professions other than migrant work
vi) Current teachers of migrant students
vii) Teachers who taught migrants in the 80’s and 90’s
viii) Administrators of schools that have migrant students at their schools
ix) Parents of the above students
c) Sample of questions for the students
i) Details about their education
ii) What do they like best about the school, least?
iii) Do they feel that they are achieving or have achieved their educational goals?
iv) What made achieving their educational goals difficult/easy?
v) Were they involved in any special programs for migrant students?
vi) What was the prime influence that kept them in school and continuing their education?
vii) How often did you use computers in school, and for what activities?
viii) What kind of access do you have to a computer?
d) Sample of questions for teachers
i) How has the quality of education for migrants changed over the past 10 years?
ii) How are migrant students handled in your classroom?
iii) Does your school/district have any special programs in place for migrants?
iv) Do you use computers in your classroom, if so what activities?
v) If applicable, describe the changes in computer usage over the last 10 years in your classroom.
vi) Do they feel that the increase use of computers in education has increased the chances of providing a better education to migrants?
e) Sample of questions for the parents
i) Do you have children participating in formal education?
ii) If so, what are the biggest challenges faced in getting your children into school?
iii) In not, what are the main reasons for not participating?
iv) Does your family have access to a computer?
v) Do you feel that education is important to your children and family?
vi) Don you participate in any form of adult education?
4) Data Collection
a) This data would be collected, tabulated and processed by inputting it into a database and manipulating it into reports.
b) Comparison tables would be created to compare statistics for each year of a 10-year period (1989-1999).  For example, each year  would compare the total number of students attending school in the US, the total number of migrant students, the number of college students in the US, migrant enrollment in graduate school, the number of school districts that host migrant students.
5) Resources
a) Resources that would be used to collect the information would be: people (interviews and surveys), previous studies, government documents, university statistics, web pages, class room observations, case studies, and articles.
6) Timeframe
a) The appropriate time frame for this project should at least span one school year of 9 months for the research, and another 6 months to compile and provide conclusions.  This would allow time to interview several students and study them as they progress throughout the school year.  It is important not to let the duration go any longer because the conclusions may become out dated as technology continues to advance.

Success would be measured as follows:

? Data Collection- was enough data collected to be able to substantiate the project results.  (Does the research, surveys and interviews provide useful information? Quality vs. Quantity)

? Does the paper answer the question: Has increased technology helped the quality of education for migrant students?  This report should be able to provide an answer (one way or another) to the above question.  If the results do not provide any conclusions then the research paper has not served its purpose.

? Most importantly this research should be able to provide recommendations to help improve education for migrant students.  An action plan should be created and provided to all the school districts and state governments that have migrant students.

After completing the research and making the initial conclusions, the next steps are as follows:

Recommendations based on the research.  This research would be completed with the goal of being able to help all migrant children receive a quality education.  Therefore, based on the conclusions, I would be able to make several recommendations on how to further improve migrant education.  The paper would also be able to identify what currently is and is not working for migrant students, and be able to point out how to use technology effectively to teach migrant children.

Follow up studies.  A study should be done one year later on schools who incorporated the recommendations vs. schools that did not.  Based on these results changes could be made to the initial recommendations, and additional future recommendations could be made.