Frequently Asked Questions

What is a migrant student?

• The term "migratory child" means a child who is, or whose parent or spouse is, a migratory agricultural worker, including a migratory dairy worker, or a migratory fisher, and who, in the preceding 36 months, in order to obtain, or accompany such parent or spouse, in order to obtain, temporary or seasonal employment in agricultural or fishing work….
• has moved from one school district to another;
• in a State that is comprised of a single school district, has moved from one administrative areas to another within such district; or
• resides in a school district of more than 15,000 square miles, and migrates a distance of 20 miles or more to a temporary residence to engage in a fishing activity. (NCLB Title 1, Part C)

What is a Priority for Service (PFS) migrant student?

• PFS migrant students must be provided services before other migrant students. To qualify as a PFS migrant student,
  • the student must have made a move during the year AND
  • failed any section of the TAKS in the last two years.
  • Other qualifying criteria if no TAKS scores are available are retained or labeled At Risk, LEP, or overage for grade.
• After all PFS migrant students are provided instructional and support services, other migrant students are to be served.

What are your hours?

The office is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, excluding school holidays.

What does "Services in Migrant Education" mean?

"Services" are distinct in that they are the educational or educationally related activities provided to migrant children to enable them to succeed in school. Because student success is the overarching goal of the Migrant Education Program, services are a vital aspect of the program. In providing services, State Education Agencies much give priority to migrant children who are failing or are most at risk of failing and whose education has been interrupted during the regular school year. (Section 1304 ( c ) (6); 1306(b) of Title I, Part C)

"Services" are a subset of all the activities that the Migrant Education Program provides through its programs and projects. "Services" are those educational or educationally related activities that: (1) directly benefit a migrant child; (2) address a need of a migrant child consistent with the State Education Agency's comprehensive needs assessment and service delivery plan; (3) are grounded in scientifically based research or, in the case of support services, are a generally accepted practice; and (4) are designed to enable the program to meet its measurable outcomes and contribute to the achievement of the State's performance targets. (34 CFR 200.29( c )(1); 200.83; 200.86; 299.6-299.9)

What does the migrant department do?

The primary goal of the Migrant Education Program is to ensure that all migrant students reach challenging academic standards AND graduate with a high school diploma (or complete a GED) that prepares them for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment.

What are supplemental services provided by the Weslaco ISD Migrant department?

• New Generation System (NGS) internet transfer of academic and health information for migrant students to other states.
• Instructional assistants to tutor migrant students at the elementary campuses.
• Individualized online learning Achiever!, and equipment for supplemental instruction for migrant students used at Sam Houston, Silva, Gonzalez, Margo, Airport, Memorial, North Bridge, Rico, Cleckler-Heald, and PFC Mario Ybarra Elementary Schools.
• Imagine Learning software for supplemental reading instruction for computer labs used at Sam Houston, Silva, Gonzalez, Margo, Airport, Memorial, North Bridge, Rico, Cleckler-Heald, and PFC Mario Ybarra Elementary Schools.
• Social services by the Migrant Social Worker available to migrant families and secondary migrant students. (includes individual counseling, social agency referrals, and other leadership Programs.)
• School supplies are provided to migrant students when needed.
• Emergency dental care for migrant students.
• A migrant summer school enrichment program for migrant students.
• Scholastic book distribution for migrant students.
• Amber Alert cards provided to migrant families.
• Nutritional, dental, and health and fitness information distributed to migrant students.

What are migrant "funding requirements"?

Section 1306(b)(2) requires State education agencies and the local school district to provide services to migrant students from all other Federal programs before they use migrant funds to provide services.

"Supplement, not supplant" is the phrase used to describe the requirement that Migrant Education Program funds may be used only to supplement the level of funds that would, in the absence of migrant funds, be made available from non-Federal sources for the education of children participating in migrant education program projects. State and local operating agencies may not use Migrant Education Program funds to supplant (i.e., replace) non-Federal funds.

What are supplemental services provided by the Weslaco ISD Migrant department?

support high-quality and comprehensive educational programs for migratory children to help reduce the educational disruptions and other problems that result from repeated moves;

ensure that migratory children who move among the States are not penalized in any manner by disparities among the States in curriculum, graduation requirements, and State academic content and student academic achievement standards;

ensure that migratory children are provided with appropriate educational services (including supportive services) that address their special needs in a coordinated and efficient manner;

ensure that migratory 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;

design programs to help migratory children overcome educational disruption, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, various health-related problems, and other factors that inhibit the ability of such children to do well in school, and to prepare such children to make a successful transition to post-secondary education or employment; and

ensure that migratory children benefit from State and local systemic reforms. (NCLB Title 1, Part C)

What is Weslaco ISD' s migrant student demographics?

As of 07/25/2019:

Total Enrolled: 662

Priority for Services (PFS) count: 308

Total number of migrant families identified in district: 380

Total number of migrant students identified in district (ages 3 t0 21): 959

(ages 3 to 21) '17-'18 .........1,316

(ages 3 to 21) '16-'17 .........1,705

(ages 3 to 21) '15-'16 ......... 2,164

(ages 3 to 21) '14-'15 ......... 2,480

Number of states where WISD students migrate to: 33