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Nationally Recognized�Seven Areas of Concern for Migrant Students

Emerging Framework of the “Special Educational Needs” of Migrant Children - Office of Migrant Education (OME)

OME -- WORKING DRAFT#5 (IN PROGRESS) FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY - MARCH 18, 2005

Lesson #3: Migrant children are thought to be at high risk of school failure due to seven

areas of concern that arise out of the educational problems associated with the migrant

lifestyle.

The four States in the pilot project (i.e.• Arizona, Michigan. Pennsylvania, and Texas) spent

considerable time and effort in identifying the conditions (directly related to the migrant

lifestyle) that prevent migrant children from performing well in reading, mathematics, or to

stay in school and graduate. For the purposes of the pilot project, these conditions are called

"concerns." Such concerns were identified in all of the States with extensive input from

individuals through strategies that included, but were not limited to: web-based surveys,

teleconferences, focus groups. consultant services, and the review of existing data. For each

of the concerns. the States then developed a number of draft "indicators" (i.e., a measure that

further defines and verifies that a particular concern actually exists for migrant children).

On the basis of this work. seven common "areas of concern" emerged and are thought to be

important for all States to initially consider in the early stages of conducting a comprehensive

needs assessment. A full discussion of the seven common areas of concern, as well as their

connection to the migrant lifestyle, follows.

The comprehensive needs assessment model used in the pilot project distinguishes between "needs" at

three levels. Level needs focus on service recipients (e.g., students), level 2 needs focus service providers

(e.g.. Staff of a school or the project). level 3 needs focus on system issues (e.g., policies, climate,

availability and use of resources). The pilot project is examining level 1 needs only, as identifying the

"special educational" needs of migrant children and the intervention to address those needs are perhaps the

most difficult aspects of a comprehensive needs assessment However, eventually, a "comprehensive"

needs assessment should examine the needs of the program at the other two levels. For example, the need

for staff training to implement a new program, the need for parental involvement to effectively support a

program. The need for a change in district policy to ensure student records are exchanged in a timely

fashion, etc. In general, level 2 and level 3 needs arise as a result of the need to implement the

interventions that are selected to address the level needs of the service recipients (e.g., in the case of the

MEP-migrant students).

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Roots of the Seven Areas of Concern

Many migrant workers share some common lifestyle characteristics that pose significant challenges in their lives

High levels of migration (mobility)
Moving from and to other countries
Low wages (working poor)
Low levels of education
Isolation from the larger community due to cultural adjustment problems and language differences

ROOTS OF THE SEVEN AREAS OF CONCERN

The defining characteristic of a migrant worker is "migration." Migration means moving

from one country, place or locality to another. Migrant workers move regularly in order to

find temporary or seasonal work in agriculture or fishing.

Migrant workers share a number of common lifestyle characteristics that pose significant

challenges in their lives.

They experience relatively high levels of migration (mobility)

They often move from and to other countries (especially Mexico)

They are working poor (as a result of the low wages they are paid for their

labor)

• They usually have low levels of educational attainment

• They often feel isolated from the larger community due to cultural

adjustment problems and linguistic differences (between the U.S. and their

country of origin)

The lifestyle characteristics listed above create special educational problems for children who

move with migrant workers.

• For school-age children, migration means changing schools, teachers, and

curricula. It means missing a substantial number of days of school. School

changes also diminish a student's sense of belonging at school and the extent

to which students participate in the classroom and in co-curricular activities.

• Children of migrant workers often have limited opportunities to develop the

English language as their parents are not proficient in English. The situation

is often exacerbated by the Binacional residency patterns o today's migrant

workers in that migrant children often spend considerable amounts of times in

countries (and schools) in which the English language is not commonly used.

• Low levels of education and low socio-economic status of migrant workers

combine to limit the amount and quality of education support that can be

offered in the home.

• Low paying temporary and seasonal jobs in agriculture or fishing do not come

with health insurance or wages that ensure adequate access to health care for

young children and adolescents.

• As temporary residents in many locales, fear of being deemed an outsider or

outright discrimination limits access to services to which migrant workers and

their children are entitled.

Migrant children are thought, therefore, to be at high risk of school failure due to seven areas

of concern that arise out of the educational problems associated with the migrant lifestyle.

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1. Educational Continuity

Because migrant students often are forced to move during the regular school year, students tend to experience a lack of educational continuity.
Migrant students experience differences in:

curriculum
academic standards
homework policies
classroom routines
course placement, etc.

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Consequences of Lack of Educational Continuity

Students who change high schools even once are less than half as likely to graduate.
Over a period of six years, students who have moved more than three times can fall a full academic year behind other students.

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2. Instructional Time:

Mobility also impacts

the amount of time

students spend in class

and their attendance

patterns.

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Instructional Time

Such decreases in the time students spend engaged in learning leads to lower levels of achievement.
Ways to ameliorate the impact of family mobility and delays in enrollment procedures are essential.

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3. School Engagement

Migrant students are frequently faced with adjustments to new school setting, making new friends, and social acceptance challenges, which are generally grouped as

behavioral,
emotional and
cognitive

(based on Fredricks, Blumenfeld

and Paris, 2003)

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School Engagement

Behavioral engagement focuses on the opportunities for participation, including academic, social or extracurricular activities.
It is considered a crucial factor in positive academic outcomes and preventing school dropout.

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School Engagement

Emotional engagement emphasizes school’s appeal for the student.
Positive and negative reactions to teachers, classmates, academic materials, and school in general determine whether or not ties are created.
Such responses influence identification with the school and a sense of belonging and feeling valued.

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School Engagement

Cognitive engagement hinges on investment in learning and may be a response to expectations, relevance, and cultural connections.

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Without engagement, students may be at risk for school failure.

Migrant students need avenues that ensure they are valued and have the opportunities that more stable students have.

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4. English Language Development

English language development (ELD) is critical for academic success.
In the school setting, ELD focuses on the literacy skills applicable to content area learning.

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English Language Development

Since many migrant students have a home language other than English,
migrant programs must find avenues to ameliorate the difficulties faced by migrant students in ELD, due to their unique lifestyle
while not supplanting Title III program activities.

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5. Educational Support in the Home

Home environment is often associated with a child’s success in school, reflecting exposure to reading materials, a broad vocabulary, and educational games and puzzles.
Such resources reflect parent educational background and socio-economic status.

5. Education Support in the Home-

Many factors found in the home environment are associated with the

likelihood of a child's success in school.

Status variables such as socio-economic status, family income, parents' level

of education describe who parents are and the resources they have available

to support academic achievement.

Dynamic (or process) variables such as reading to a child, taking children to

the library, helping with homework describe what parents do in the home to

support academic achievement. In contrast to the status variables, dynamic

variables may be more amenable to manipulation through improving home

processes or offering supplement school services.

While low socio-economic status, limited English proficiency, and limited

educational attainment often limit migrant parents' ability to help their

children prepare for and participate in school, efforts must be made to increase,

improve, and, where necessary, supplement effective education support in

the home.

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Educational Support in the Home

While many migrant parents value education for their children, they may not always know how to support their children in a manner consistent with school expectations or have the means to offer an educationally rich home environment.
Efforts to inform families are crucial.

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6. Health

Good health is a basic need that migrant students often do not attain.
The compromised dental and nutritional status of migrant children is well documented.

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Health

They have higher proportions of acute and chronic health problems and there are higher childhood and infant mortality rates than those experienced by their non-migrant peers (Huang, 1993).

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Health

Migrant children are at greater risk than other children due to occupation-related issues like pesticide poisoning, farm injuries, and heat-related illness.

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Health

They are also at risk for by poverty-related health issues like malnutrition, parasitic infestations, respiratory diseases, and acute dental problems.

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Health

They are more likely to be uninsured and have difficulties with health care access.
Families often need assistance in addressing health problems that interfere with the student’s ability to learn.

In addition, migrant families are more likely to be uninsured and experience

difficulties in accessing health care because of the expense, language

barriers, lack of awareness of services, and cultural barriers (Ruducha, 1994).

Uninsured children are less likely than insured children to have a relationship

with a primary care physician, which makes it less likely that they will

receive preventative and primary care services and have access to acute care

when they are ill. Healthy children miss fewer days of school, are more

attentive, and are better able to take advantage of educational opportunities.

Children who are insured are more likely to receive regular care, reducing

the likelihood of serious or recurring illnesses (GAO, 1997).

Some migrant projects currently offer a health component that emphasizes

remediating health problems that interfere with the student's ability to learn

and are not available through existing community resources (e.g., emergency

medical and dental treatment, physical examinations).

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7. Access to Services

Newcomer status and home languages other than English often decrease access to educational and educationally-related services to which migrant children and their families are entitled.

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Access to Services

Since they are not viewed as permanent residents, services become more difficult to obtain.

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Seven Areas of Concern:

Educational Continuity
Instructional Time
School Engagement
English Language Development
Educational Support in the Home
Health
Access to Services