Migrant Education Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Overview

Pilot

Cooperative effort:U.S. Department of Migrant EducationFive Federal Comprehensive CentersFour states– Arizona– Texas– Michigan– Pennsylvania

Purpose

Establish a functional process to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment for Migrant Education Programs to assist with Service Delivery PlansProvide an electronic Implementation Guide that will allow states not in the pilot to use this same process

Theoretical Basis

Based on the work of Altschuld and Witkin:Planning and Conducting Needs Assessments: A Practical Guide (1995)From Needs Assessment to Action: Transforming Needs into Solution Strategies (2000)

Benefits of Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Review of statewide programCreates readiness for changeDevelops critical areas for program focusEstablishes a rational process for decision making

Legal Requirements

NCLB (Section 1304 – 1306) requires states to submit applications that describe:A comprehensive plan for needs assessment and service delivery that identifies the special educational needs of migrant childrenHow the state’s priorities for the use of funds relate to the state’s need assessment How the state will award subgrants to reflect the results of the comprehensive needs assessment

Program Requirements

Program regulations (Section 200.83) and policy guidance states that needs assessment:Must be currentMust identify the “special educational needs” of migratory children related to– Migratory lifestyle– Other needs so that children can have effective participation in school

Use the best information availableGuide the development of service delivery plansEstablish statewide priorities for local proceduresProvide a basis for allocation of funds

LEA Migrant Program

Supplemental in Nature

Goal Areas from NCLB

School Readiness

Proficiency in Math

Proficiency in Reading

High School Graduation

Comprehensive Needs Assessment(CNA)

Gap AnalysisContinuous Improvement CycleData-Based Decision MakingBroad-Based Involvement

Levels of Needs

Level I: Service receiver needs (Migrant students & their families)

Level II: Service provider & policy maker needs (School staff & migrant liaisons, administrators, community services staff)Level III: System needs

(resources/ procedures/retrieval systems /transportation/supplies/delivery systems)

Needs Assessment Key Terms

NEED – gap or discrepancy between the present state (what is) and

a desired state (what should be)TARGET GROUP – students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community-at-largeNEEDS ASSESSMENT – systematic approach that progresses through a defined series of phases

Key Terms (continued)

COMPREHENSIVE –the extensiveness required by lawCONCERN STATEMENT– a Level 1 statement expressing concerns related to the quality of migrant student educationNEED INDICATOR –measurable evidence related to a Concern Statement that demonstrates that an area of concern exists

RolesState Migrant Education Program

State Department of Education

Student Information Systems Staff

CNA Committee

Contractor

Comprehensive Center Staff

Provide leadership, CNA management plans, finalize needs assessment program, service delivery plan

Provide support to project; ensure state requirements are fulfilled

Offer guidance and provide data to working teams and possibly a contractor

Recommendation-making body that guides the process and makes final recommendations to SDEConducts specified in-depth work, particularly in data collection/analysis, in conjunction with SDE

Advisement and guidance in process

Three Phase Process

Phase I: Explore “what is”

Phase II: Gather and analyze data

Phase III: Make decisions

Preparation

Prepare Management Plan for CNA WorkSelect Committee and Goal/Data Team membersDevelop Initial Migrant Student Profile using available data

Phase I

Finalize Migrant Student Profile by gathering community input and including additional dataFinalize Concern StatementsDetermine Measurable Need Indicators Identify Data Sources Decide Preliminary Priorities

Migrant Student Profile

Starting PointComprehensive understanding of migrant student characteristicsPicture of population patternsStudent and family measures

Phase II

Develop Data Collection & Analysis Plan Gather Data to Define NeedsAnalyze Needs Write and Prioritize Need StatementsSummarize Findings

Phase III

Identify Possible SolutionsSelect Solution StrategiesPropose Action Plan Final Approval Prepare Report for USOME

Unique Needs of Migrant Students

Focus on migrant student and family needs (Level I) for first cycle of processConsider the root causes and “unique” needs of migrant studentsConsider cumulative effects

Root Causes

MobilityPossible moves from one country to anotherLow wages for workFeelings of isolation from the larger community

Seven Areas of Concern

Educational ContinuityInstructional Time School EngagementEnglish Language Development for Literacy in Content AreasEducational Support in the HomeHealthAccess to Services

Goal

Area of Concern

Concern Statement

Concern Statement

Indicator 1 Data Sources Indicator 2 Data Sources 

Indicator 3 Data Sources

Indicator 1 Data Sources

Indicator 2 Data Sources

Organization of Needs Assessment

Data Sources

SurveysDatabases– Migrant– Student Information Systems– Links with other states

District/School Information

Outcomes

Process for states to use and improveMost critical needs for migrant program focusChange agent for stateExchange among migrant staffImprovement of database interfacing and pertinent fields