Children of the Road: Migrant Students, Our Nation's Most Mobile Population

Background/Context Among the children of immigrants, one of the populations placed at greatest risk of not finishing high school are the children of migrant farmworkers. Although it is difficult to track graduation rates for migrant students because of their mobility, the U.S. Department of Education estimates that only half of all migrant children finish high school. These children face many of the same obstacles as children of immigrants whose families must cope with severe economic hardships, but they also must deal with additional challenges associated with their families’ migratory lifestyles and living situations. Purpose This article offers some background on the barriers that migrant youth face in school; describes the services provided to these young people by the federally funded Migrant Education Program, focusing on the authors’ research on the role of migrant education resource teachers; and discusses the implications of study findings and related research for improving educational opportunities for low-income children of immigrants. Research Design Findings are drawn from 4 years of ethnographic research in one Northern California high school, where 80% of the Mexican-descent migrant students in the Class of 2002 completed 12th grade, and from a set of comparative interviews carried out with migrant education resource teachers in four additional high schools. The analysis centers on the nature of the relationships that develop between migrant students and migrant teachers, including the teachers’ multiple roles as mentors, counselors, advocates, and role models, and on the kinds of support provided to students that help them navigate successfully through high school. Conclusions/Recommendations Study findings suggest that the migrant students’ school persistence and academic success were due at least in part to the supplemental services they received from the Migrant Education Program and, in particular, to the support provided to them by the migrant resource teachers. A key to the teachers’ effectiveness was the holistic nature of their relationships with students and their ability to connect students with the resources and networks needed for school success. In addition, the migrant teachers’ own identities as academically successful Mexican Americans, many of them the children of migrant farmworkers, increased their ability to serve as role models and to help students build bridges between their multiple worlds. Findings support many of those reported in the literature on successful college outreach programs. Unlike these programs, the Migrant Education Program is not selective; it serves all eligible students. Sometimes you're a teacher, sometimes you're a counselor, sometimes you're a social worker, sometimes you're a health consultant. It's so rewarding and the beauty of this job. — Migrant education resource teacher They are like the symbol that you can do it, too. When I see them, I think: “They did it. Why can't I do it?” — Migrant student

To design questionnaires for epidemiologic research among children of migrant farmworkers, researchers need to consider ways to best solicit information about pesticide exposures. Bilingual facilitators conducted five focus groups with either migrant farmworker mothers or their children (age range 8-16 years) in southern Texas and northeastern Colorado. Guided questions were used to assess activities of migrant farmworker children and the ways to best elicit information about exposure to pesticides. Participants reported a large number of activities that may potentially expose children to pesticides through both direct and indirect routes. Prompting, indirect questions about chemical use, and use of local and trusted facilitators increased information elicited from focus group participants. These focus groups helped to provide information for developing questionnaire items related to pesticide exposure among migrant farmworker children, and highlighted the importance of using bilingual community interviewers and including children as respondents.

To determine the prevalence of reduced visual acuity and ocular disease in the children of migrant farmworkers in Georgia. A retrospective chart review of data acquired by a vision screening was performed on 156 Haitian and Hispanic children of migrant farmworkers attending a summer school in Georgia. Reduced visual acuity at presentation was analyzed and stratified by ethnicity, type of ocular disease, and immediate resolution with refractive correction. The authors found that 20% of migrant farmworker children have a high prevalence of reduced visual acuity in the worse eye. Of those with worse-eye reduced visual acuity, 83% had uncorrected refractive error. The prevalence of uncorrected refractive error from astigmatism and high astigmatism was significantly higher among Hispanics than Haitians. The prevalence of amblyopia suspects among migrant farmworker children was 3%. Of the amblyopia suspects, 80% were anisometropic. Children of migrant farmworkers in Georgia have a higher rate of reduced visual acuity, largely from uncorrected refractive error, when compared to other Hispanic and African American children in the United States with a prevalence more aligned to children in Asian and Latin American countries than school children in the United States. This illustrates the need for improved access to screening and care in this vulnerable population. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2019;56(1):28-34.].

To obtain baseline data for caries prevalence, use of dental sealants, and dental treatment needs for children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) enrolled in the Illinois Summer Migrant Education Program, 2004. This study adapted the methodology of Healthy Smiles Healthy Growth 2003-2004, by Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Division of Oral Health. Oral screenings were conducted for children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers at participating schools. Of the 840 eligible children 58% participated in the assessment. Overall caries experience was 64%. Untreated decay was observed in 42%, 8% urgently needed treatment, and sealant prevalence was 51%. Among those 6-9 years old (n = 254), 47% had cavitated lesions, 12% urgently needed treatment, and 45% had dental sealants. For children 10-15 years old (n = 198), 34% had cavitated lesions, 4% urgently needed treatment, and 65% had dental sealants. The population's mobility suggests need for more frequent surveillance for effective programmatic planning.

Evaluate the effectiveness of a healthy weight intervention designed for children of migrant farmworkers embedded in a 7-week summer Midwest Migrant Education Program (MEP) for changes in: weight; Body Mass Index (BMI); BMI-percentiles (BMI-p); muscle strength and muscle flexibility; nutrition knowledge; attitudes; and behaviors. This is a two-group pre-post quasi-experimental study. Latino children of migrant farmworkers attending summer MEP in grades one through eight were enrolled (n = 171: comparison n = 33, intervention n = 138). Weight, BMI, BMI-p, muscle strength and flexibility, knowledge, and healthy behaviors. Classroom content included: food variety; increasing fruits and vegetables; healthy breakfasts; more family meals; increasing family time; decreasing TV and electronic game time; increasing physical activity; limiting sugar-sweetened drinks; portion sizes; and food labels. Statistically significant were increase in comparison group mean weight, decrease in intervention group BMI-p, and improvements in muscle flexibility and healthy behavior attitudes. The intervention students showed trends toward healthy BMI. The number of MEP days attended was significantly correlated in four outcomes. Study findings have the potential to decrease incidence of unhealthy weight in Latino migrant children, reduce rates of premature adult diseases in these children, and a potential to decrease future health care costs.

This article provides an overview of the major factors and interventions affecting migrant students' academic performance/outcomes. Factors outside the school, such as poverty, family, and English language proficiency, are discussed. Next, factors inside the school, such as student records, credit accrual, and school curriculum, will be reviewed. In response to the factors that impede programs, many interventions have been used to assist migrant students. Interventions also used for nonmigrant students will be explained as related to use with migrant students. Specific interventions created for migrant students, such as the Migrant Education Program and collaboration between schools, will be examined. Discussion will conclude by explaining the differences between schoolwide and targeted interventions.

This article provides an overview of the major factors and interventions affecting migrant students' academic performance/outcomes. Factors outside the school, such as poverty, family, and English language proficiency, are discussed. Next, factors inside the school, such as student records, credit accrual, and school curriculum, will be reviewed. In response to the factors that impede programs, many interventions have been used to assist migrant students. Interventions also used for nonmigrant students will be explained as related to use with migrant students. Specific interventions created for migrant students, such as the Migrant Education Program and collaboration between schools, will be examined. Discussion will conclude by explaining the differences between schoolwide and targeted interventions.

Federal migrant assistance programs were first launched in the 1960s to serve migrant farmworkers and their children. This chapter discusses the evolution of migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) programs in the United States and major justifications for these programs. The four major MSFW programs discussed are the following: Migrant Education Program (MEP), High School Equivalency Program (HEP), College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) and Migrant Education Even Start Program (MEES).

Healthcare utilization for asthma exacerbation among children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers

No abstract available for this article.

T HE summer of I942 marked one of the largest full-scale experiments in the history of American education. As a result of the demands of war the great majority of American colleges and universities instituted a summer or session, enabling students to complete by September as much as an additional half-year's work. The procedures used and the schedules followed showed a great deal of variety, necessary in part because of differences due to local geography and local needs. In many cases traditional curriculum arrangements were entirely dispensed with and completely new educational techniques were adopted. Necessity produced changes which would not have occurred in a decade of peace. In the belief that the experiment forced upon the colleges might well reveal inadequacies and suggest improvements in educational practice, a careful survey of the reactions and experiences of the faculty and student body was made at Tufts College by questionnaire. Replies were received from 33 of the faculty members (75 per cent) actively employed in summer teaching and from i 6o regular Tufts students (55 per cent) who attended the summer session. These individuals, faculty as well as students, were drawn from the liberalarts school which in the previous regular school year consisted of 8o faculty members and I,048 students. The summer session consisted of two six-week periods, and a normal student program was two courses with class meetings five days a week for periods 8o minutes in length. Laboratory courses involved two to four additional afternoons a week. In the regular school year the normal student program consists of five courses, most of which meet three times a week for So-minute periods, except that science courses mean additional laboratory periods one or two afternoons a week. In six weeks of summer school the work of a regular semester was supposed to have been covered in each subject. The typical teaching-load for the summer was two courses for one of the two sixweek periods, though in certain cases the instructor taught one course each period. Summer school was a new experience for almost all of the students and for over half of the faculty. Only i 5 of the 33 faculty members had taught during any previous summer and 94

The COVID-19 pandemic led to school closure and loss of in-person instruction during the 2019-2020 academic year across the United States, which had a profound impact on the reading development of beginning readers. In this study we tested if a research-informed educational technology (EdTech) program-GraphoLearn-could help alleviate the COVID-19 slide. We also sought to understand the profiles of children who benefitted most from this EdTech program. We tested participants' (N = 172 K-2 children) early literacy skills using a standardized measure (STAR) before and after playing GraphoLearn, and used the pre to post difference as the dependent variable. We first compared children's STAR actual and expected growth. Then we conducted a multiple regression analysis with data about engagement with GraphoLearn included as predictors. Additional predictors were extracted from GraphoLearn performance at study onset to assess children's letter-sound knowledge, rime awareness, and word recognition. The difference between actual average reading growth and expected growth in a regular school year was not statistically significant. This suggests that children in our sample seem to be gaining reading skills as expected in a regular school year. Our multiple linear regression model (which accounted for R2 = 48% of reading growth) showed that older children, with higher baseline GraphoLearn word recognition, who played more units in a fixed number of days, made significantly more early literacy progress. While lacking a control group, our preliminary results suggest that an EdTech program such as GraphoLearn may be a useful reading instructional tool during school shutdowns. In addition, our results suggest that practice with GraphoLearn was more effective and efficient when foundational instruction was already in place.

Faculty within academic departments, colleges, and universities are now routinely faced with the decision to offer courses or programs in an online environment in addition to the more traditional, face-to-face classroom format. These decisions are made both by an individual faculty member who wants to expand teaching and learning formats to include online learning, to entire departments that decide to offer an entire program/course of study online. The regular school year (August through May) offers faculty many opportunities to present both online and hybrid courses. There is much research in the efficacy of online learning as well as specific types of pedagogical tools such as type of feedback provided to students (Morgan & Toledo, 2006). However, little research has been done on the possibilities that the summer school session provides to meet the needs of students who are enrolled in traditional, residential programs but living at home during the summer as well as learners who are interested in completing a specific course but not enrolled during the regular school year. The summer school session offered by most universities opens unique opportunities for faculty and students as well as academic departments and colleges to be involved in online courses.

Efforts to provide educational services in a systematic manner for migrant students and families can be traced to the 1960s and are commonly associated with the federal government's War on Poverty programs. J. Torrez focused on the need to strengthen bonds of reciprocal understanding between schools and the home culture of migrant families to motivate migrant students towards school success. The strengths of migrant families lie in their ability to strengthen their bonds of solidarity and their intrinsic motivation. The chapter examines the narratives of migrant farmworkers and their families in a small number of Southern California communities, and their relationship to the schooling of their children. Schools impacted by large numbers of migrant children need to maximize their opportunities to collaborate with migrant parents, beginning with a serious effort to identify them and their needs, and then be eligible for additional support by the Migrant Education Program.

Critical theories of education and the dynamics of skill formation model predict that the education system reproduces socioeconomic inequalities in educational attainment. Previous empirical studies comparing changes in socioeconomic inequalities in academic performance over the summer to changes in these inequalities during the school year have argued, however, that schooling reduces inequalities in educational performance. The present study highlights the question of whether schooling affects socioeconomic inequalities in educational attainment by analyzing a natural experiment that induces exogenous variation in the length of schooling and allowed me to investigate the causal, long-term effects of the length of schooling on inequalities in educational attainment. Some German states moved the school start from spring to summer in 1966/1967 and introduced two short school years, each of which was three months shorter than a regular school year. I use variation in the short school years across cohorts and states to estimate the causal effects of the length of schooling on socioeconomic inequalities in educational attainment based on two German panel surveys. Less schooling due to the short school years did not affect inequalities in educational attainment. This finding runs counter to the results from the summer learning literature and to the predictions of the dynamics of skill formation model and critical theories of education. I conclude by discussing the implications of this finding for our understanding of socioeconomic inequalities in educational attainment.