Migrant Statewide Support Services Program
The services provided by these statewide programs lay the foundation for the eleven Migrant Education Outreach Programs (MEOPs) that are regionally structured throughout NYS and enable NYS to maximize the federal allocation through coordination of these five service components. They are:
- Migrant Youth Program
- Diversity Project
- Identification & Recruitment/MIS 2000/MSIX Program
- Communications and Health Voucher System Program
- Parental Involvement and Early Childhood Services Program
- The Migrant Youth Program (MYP) based in SUNY Oneonta has been
in existence since 1978. MYP is an umbrella organization encompassing
several components of migrant education programming which include:
Adolescent Outreach Programs (AOP), Portable Assisted Study Sequence
(PASS) Program, Secondary Credit Exchange, Summer Leadership
Program, PASS Academy and English Language Immersion Project.
Each one of these programs guides the migrant student by providing
them with a vehicle to assist them in improving their academic
skills and guide them toward successful completion of their education
in NYS.
Adolescent Outreach Program (AOP)
The primary goal of the AOP component is to assist Adolescent Programs at the 11 regional MEOPs in supplementing and enhancing each child's educational and vocational options. MYP coordinates, monitors, trains local AOP staff, and provides technical assistance to each MEOP in New York in the areas of dropout prevention and dropout retrieval. MYP also determines needs and monitors services statewide to students who have left school before graduation.
Portable Assisted Study Sequence (PASS) Program
The PASS program is a nationally recognized program designed to offer migrant students the opportunity to complete and earn make-up credits towards high school graduation. Coordination and collaboration with local school districts insures the PASS curriculum is meeting the standards of the student's home school. Upon successful completion of a PASS course the student earns credit, which is recorded on an official school transcript. A curriculum called Mini-PASS is available for students at the Middle School Level.
Secondary Credit Exchange
The Secondary Credit Exchange component coordinates efforts within and between New York and other states in the exchange of student credit and scheduling. The exchange of credit is a detailed and formalized process developed and implemented in conjunction with each MEOP in New York in addition to the states of Texas and Florida.
Summer Leadership Conference
The Summer Leadership Conference is a weeklong residential program held each July at the State University College at Oneonta. The major goals of the Conference are to help migrant students develop leadership skills and to assist them in setting goals for their future. The Summer Leadership Conference offers students the opportunity to strengthen existing skills and to learn new ones while living in a supportive yet challenging environment.
PASS Academy
The PASS Academy is a two-week residential summer program for high school migrant youth. The purpose of the Academy is for high school students to make up failed courses and/or to prepare for a Regents examination. The curriculum which is based on the PASS program meets New York State Standards. PASS Academy offerings include English, Math, Social Studies, and Health.
English Language Immersion Project
The English Language Immersion Project is a summer program providing high school students the opportunity to work on improving their English while earning partial credit towards high school graduation. Migrant students are enrolled for a two-week period in an intensive Language Immersion Residential project. Academic and social English are emphasized. Project activities are designed to promote personal success in school and life. Dropout prevention strategies are also incorporated into this program.
MYP Director:
Robert Apicella
(607) 436-2787
apicelra@oneonta.edu
- The Diversity Project based at SUNY
Brockport provides research-based technical assistance, professional
development and leadership on diversity issues to the NYS Migrant
Education Outreach Program (MEOP). Technical assistance, professional
development, coaching and other tools and resources are provided
to MEOP staff, migrant students and parents, school districts
and other partners in the community so that they may effectively
respond to the struggles that migrant students and their families
are confronting both socially and academically. Increasingly
migrant students have to deal with not only the opportunity gaps
created by mobility and low socio-economic status but also with
inter-group conflict, second language learning and literacy development.
These issues, among other cultural issues, directly impact migrant
students’ ability to fully and successfully engage and participate
in the school community. By providing technical assistance,
professional development, coaching and specific tools and resources,
the Diversity Project assists the MEOP staff, students and their
parents, and school districts to identify and implement creative
solutions to these challenges.
Creating Partnership Program Services
Within the New York State Migrant Education (NYSME) program the Diversity Project is an embedded support service, bringing the diversity lens to statewide meetings and program development. Four MEOP’s are engaged in a Partnership relationship with the Diversity Project. The director/coordinator of these MEOP’s meet monthly with diversity program professional staff. Power and Difference workshops and Managing Diversity Skills training are provided to staff at these Partnership Sites four or more times per year.
System Support for Interpretation
The Diversity Project staff coordinate interpretation at all workshops and provide training to staff and parents throughout the state. Specifically responsibilities include:
- Identify, assess and approve simultaneous interpreters for use at meetings and workshops throughout the state
- Negotiate terms, monitor performance, problem solve, etc. with interpreters
- Process interpreter payment
- Train staff: providing interpretation and working through an interpreter
- Maintain and coordinate the use of simultaneous interpretation equipment
- Serve as a resource in the state agency (SED)
- Coordinate state conference interpretation
- Negotiate terms, monitor performance, problem solve, etc. with translators
Opening Doors: A Personal and Professional Journey
Opening Doors is a highly-valued, time-tested workshop model for creating a climate for constructive change on diversity for individuals and organizations. For more than 15-years over 1500 participants have experienced the Opening Doors three-day retreat. It utilizes a holistic approach, focusing on both participants’ cognitive and affective growth. New York State Migrant Education sponsors two Opening Doors: A personal and professional journey retreats per year.
Project Coordinator:
Betty Garcia-Mathewson
(585) 395-5138
gmathews@brockport.edu
- The Migrant Identification & Recruitment (ID&R)/MIS2000/MSIX Program has been hiring, training and monitoring the statewide recruitment program staff from since 1973. The program has identified over 7,000 migrant children in over 60 counties statewide for educational and health services. As migrant children depart New York State (NYS) recruiters notify the ID&R office with information on where the families/student has moved so that they can notify the receiving states. The MIS2000/MSIX office is responsible for the storage, retrieval and reporting of information on migrant children between the ages of 0-22.
Director:
Jay Drake
(518) 453-1866
hjdrake@nycap.rr.com
Assistant Director:
Will Messier
(518) 453-1866
wmessier@nycap.rr.com
- The Communications and Health Voucher Program provides MEOPs
and other migrant programs with information on current practices
and professional development activities statewide and nationally.
Publications with NYS Migrant Program information are developed,
updated and disseminated statewide and nationally.
Health Voucher System
Federally funded migrant health clinics serve only 20% of eligible farm workers nationwide and currently there are only three in New York State. Additional assistance is needed for migrant children to become and remain healthy. The Health Voucher System provides access to health services for migrant children who lack any other source of assistance. The program director works with MEOP staff to identifying migrant children in need of health care, specifically annual physicals, dental work and prescription eye glasses and for resources in the community to provide these services free of charge. When free services are not available for these students, the health voucher system is used to provide these much needed services.
NYS Migrant Education Training Conference
The Communications Project director is also responsible for coordinating and facilitating the annual NYS Migrant Education In-Service Training. The three-day professional development training is attended by approximately 300 migrant staff, educators, recruiters and parents. In conjunction with a planning committee consisting of migrant education staff and parents, a theme is developed relevant to the focus for the year. Goals and objectives are developed, a site is established, a schedule is developed and workshops, speakers and translators are identified.
Director:
Molly Nye
(518) 453-1866
mollynye@nycap.rr.com
- The Parent Involvement/Early Childhood Services
Program provides
direct service to the MEOPs to ensure that migrant children have
every opportunity for school success by assisting migrant families
in obtaining early childhood education services for their children.
This is achieved through coordination with community based agencies
and by offering home based family literacy programs.
Through culturally sensitive and challenging activities the program director trains MEOP staff to build the capacity of migrant parents so that they can become partners and decision-makers in their children’s education. This program accomplishes this goal by instilling in parents the importance and uniqueness of their role in encouraging the academic, social and emotional growth of their children.
The State Parent Advisory Council (PAC) provides leadership opportunities and decision making responsibilities to parents from across the state. The council is made up of parents of eligible migrant children who meet four times a year to advise the State education Department and MEOP directors regarding the planning, operation and evaluation of the state migrant education program.
Director:
Robin Robbins
(607) 432-6511
robbinrm@oneonta.edu
Last Updated:
September 9, 2009