Nebraska Migrant Education Program

The Migrant Education Program (MEP) is authorized by Part C of Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001.  The NCLB Act reauthorize the Elementary and

SecondaryAct (ESEA) of 1965.  The general purpose of the MEP is to ensure that migrant children and youth fully benefit from the same free public education provided to other children.  To achieve this, the MEP supports educational programs for migrant children to help reduce the educational disruptions and other problems that result from repeated moves.

The Federal Government’s Office of Migrant Education provides formula grants to state education agencies (SEAs) to establish or improve education programs for migrant children and youth.  The funds ensure that migratory children not only are provided with appropriate education services (including supportive services) that address their special needs but also that such children receive full and appropriate opportunities to meet the same challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards that all children are expected to meet.  Federal funds are allocated by formula to the State of Nebraska (SEA), based on each state’s per pupil expenditure for education and counts of eligible migratory children, age 3 through 21, residing within the state. Unlike other NCLB programs, Title I Part C, is a state operated program.

Children who qualify for the program are identified and recruited by local education agencies (LEAs), or “projects” throughout the state, and the local projects are responsible for providing services to children enrolled in the program.  Finding and enrolling eligible migrant children and youth is a cornerstone of the MEP.  The State of Nebraska (SEA) is responsible for the proper timely identification and recruitment (ID&R) of all eligible migrant children and youth within the state.  However, ID&R is often difficult because migrant agricultural workers are highly mobile as they pursue temporary or seasonal qualifying agricultural work.  Ultimately, it is the state’s responsibility to implement procedures to ensure that migrant children and youth are both identified and determined to be eligible for the MEP.  Another important function of the state is to conduct the comprehensive needs assessment (CNA) and develop and implement a comprehensive state plan for service delivery.  The primary purpose of the CNA is to guide the overall design of the MEP on a statewide basis and the service delivery plan describes the strategies the SEA will pursue on a statewide basis to help migrant children and youth to reach the performance targets the state has identified for migrant children and youth.  Again, it is the state’s responsibility to conduct the CNA and develop the service delivery plan.

Learn more about the Nebraska Department of Education Title IC Migrant Education Program.