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All regional ESCs in Texas receive funds for recruitment in Non-Project Districts. The regional education service center is responsible for conducting ID&R both in the school and in the community. The ESC must “identify and recruit all migrant children, including OSY, in all Non-Project Districts in the region.
- The ESC is required to work collaboratively with Non-Project Districts as described in the MEP Texas Manual for the Identification and Recruitment of Migrant Children; and
- Conduct annual ID&R Eligibility Validation as required by the TEA.”5
One tool commonly used to conduct ID&R in Non-Project Districts is family surveys. While family surveys are effective in identifying leads through the schools, alternative strategies must be implemented to identify prospective migrant OSY. ESCs must maintain documentation explaining how active, balanced recruitment activities–occurring in school, in the community, and with prospective employers–are conducted. If a family survey is used for ID&R, the ESC staff may choose to first train the Non-Project District staff to administer a migrant- specific family survey each year to all students upon registration (including students enrolling during the school year).6
Next, the district or ESC staff should review the gathered information for potential leads. If a family survey is being used, the returned surveys should be examined for the following:
- Are there an adequate number of returned surveys (at least 90 percent of all families)?
- Which surveys have “yes” answers, indicating prospective migrant families?
- Surveys with “yes” answers will require follow up to determine whether a family is eligible for the MEP.
- Contact with potentially eligible migrant families should be as soon as possible, ideally by August 31, to be included in the student count for the current fiscal year.
After the ESC migrant staff has identified potential leads, there are different ways in which the ESC may choose to conduct ID&R. The following options are available for consideration. ESCs are not limited to these options.
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
Instances in which the ESC is having difficulty obtaining cooperation from Non-Project Districts, the ESC should
- Notify the Federal Program Compliance Division Department of Grant Compliance and Administration
- Conduct active recruitment in the community, at locations such as churches, post offices, laundry facilities, flea markets, grocery stores, or any other locations that may be frequented by the migrant community
- Maintain documentation of the Non-Project District’s refusal to cooperate in the ID&R effort
For more information on the recommended process for identifying and recruiting migratory children, visit the Recommended ID&R Process section under the Responsibilities of Independent Project Districts.
Show references
5“Program Guidelines-2020-2021 ESC ESSA Basic Services Initiative,”20.
6Texas Education Agency, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 Texas Manual for the Identification and Recruitment of Migrant Children (Texas Education Agency, 2019), 5.9.
7Texas Education Agency, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 Texas Manual for the Identifi cation and Recruitment of Migrant Children, 5.10.