ID&R Manual

Part B: Identification & Recruitment (ID&R)

An Overview

Finding and enrolling eligible migrant children is a cornerstone of the Kansas MEP and its importance cannot be overemphasized. Identification and recruitment are critical activities because:

The children who are most in need of program services are often those who are the most difficult to find.
Many migrant children would not fully benefit from school, and in some cases would not attend school at all, if they were not identified and recruited into the MEP. This is particularly true of the most mobile migrant children who may be more difficult to identify than those who have settled in a community.
Children cannot receive MEP services without a record of eligibility.

The Kansas Office of Migrant Education is responsible for the proper and timely identification and recruitment of all eligible migrant children in the State, including securing pertinent information to document the basis of a child’s eligibility. Typically, eligibility data is recorded on a certificate of eligibility (COE). Recruiters obtain the data by interviewing the person responsible for the child, or the child, in cases where the child moves on his or her own. The Kansas MEP is responsible for implementing procedures to ensure the accuracy of eligibility information.

ID&R

What is meant by the terms "identification" and "recruitment" (ID&R)?

Identification means determining the location and presence of migrant children. Recruitment means making contact with migrant families, explaining the MEP, securing the necessary information to make a determination that the child is eligible for the MEP based on the information provided, and recording the basis of the child’s eligibility on a COE. Upon successful recruitment of a migrant family, eligible children may be enrolled in the Kansas MEP.

Why is ID&R a unique and important aspect of the MEP?

The majority of migrant children would not fully benefit from the educational services to which they are entitled and, in some cases, would not attend school at all if they were not identified and recruited into the MEP. This is particularly true of the most mobile migrant children who are the most difficult to locate.

Who is responsible for ID&R?

Ultimately, the Kansas State Department of Education, KSDE, is responsible for identifying and recruiting all eligible migrant children residing in the State.

The Recruiter

What are the primary responsibilities of a recruiter?

A recruiter’s primary responsibilities are

to obtain information provided by parents, guardians, and others regarding the child’s eligibility for the MEP; AND
to make determinations of eligibility; AND
to accurately and clearly record information that establishes a child is eligible for the MEP on a COE.

In every case, the recruiter (not the individual interviewed) determines the child’s eligibility.

What qualities make a recruiter effective?

The process of recruiting a migrant child by interviewing of migrant parents or guardians requires careful training, planning, cultural sensitivity, knowledge of the Kansas MEP, and excellent communication skills. In order to be effective, recruiters should have adequate knowledge of

MEP eligibility requirements
languages spoken by migrant workers
local growers and fishing companies
local agricultural and fishing production and processing activities
cycles of seasonal employment and temporary employment
the local school system, the services available for migrant children and their families, and the most effective strategies for recruiting within each school
local roads and the locations of migrant labor camps and other migrant housing
MEP services offered by the local operating agency
Other agencies that can provide services to migrant workers and their families, such as Migrant Health, WIA, WIC, Migrant Head Start and Even Start

Should recruiters ask migrant families for their immigration status in order to enroll them in the MEP?

NO. In fact, recruiters should not request this type of information because it may discourage undocumented individuals from seeking the services they need and for which they qualify. A social security number or other proof of residency/citizenship is NOT required for enrollment in the MEP.

Should the information that a recruiter records on eligible migrant children be entered into the migrant student record system?

YES. As each child is recruited into the program, information on the child is recorded on a COE. Some or all of this information should also be entered into the migrant student record system.