Migrant Education – Region V

Kern County annually serves up to 6,000 migrant students. The Kern County Region V service area is one of 18 state-established regions.

Migrant Education Region V provides leadership, staff development and other services to districts and families to ensure that migrant students succeed in the basic curriculum. Migrant instructional services are delivered to eligible migrant students through school in a variety of instructional programs through various extended day settings.

Need Information and Help?

The national hotline for migrant families is no longer in service. To contact our region the general number is: 661-636-4444.

Migrant instructional services are delivered to eligible migrant students through school in a variety of instructional programs through various extended day settings: after school instruction, Saturday schools, home tutorial programs and summer school. Most extended day programs operate 3-5 days per week at participating school sites in Kern County.

Currently identified migrant students are served based on the students’ demonstrated needs for academic instruction in language, math, reading and classroom progress.

To reinforce the efforts of school districts in providing instructional services to students, Region V provides special inservice training through the Regional Staff Development Inservices held during the year. The unique instructional and curriculum needs demonstrated by migrant students are addressed through a variety of teaching strategies, curriculum and hands-on activities of a demonstrational nature that classroom teachers can readily implement.

Health and its relationship to school success is important. Region V provides supplemental health services to assist families in the health needs of their children. In addition, health education is made available to staff, students and parents to help remediate health problems which interfere with learning. Once a year, Region V contracts with a mobile dental clinic to operate and provide dental services to selected migrant students based on the immediate degree of need.

  • Region V provides supplemental health services to those migrant students with identified medical/dental needs.
  • Region V administered four USC Mobile Dental Clinics to 400 migrant students in Kern County during the past year
  • Region V arranged for supplemental health funding for medical, dental, vision and prescription services.
  • Migrant staff assisted migrant families in enrolling in state health plans (e.g. Healthy Start).
  • Region V did referrals for migrant children to low cost and/or free medical services in the county/state.
  • Download the “HOTLINE Referral form” here.

The goal of Migrant Education is to help students meet California and local standards for student achievement through educational instruction and health services. As a result of frequent moves during the school year, most migrant students demonstrate educational needs in reading, math and health services. It is the purpose and goal of Region V to identify migrant students in order to make available and provide educational instruction and health services to help ensure that migrant students benefit from state and local systemic reforms that enrich and strengthen migrant students in the basic educational curriculum.

Migrant Education Funding

The Migrant Education Program is funded by the Office of Migrant Education of the U.S Department of Education under the Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Act as amended in 1994: Improving America’s School Act (IASA) P.L. 103-382. The California Plan for the Education of Migrant Children provides supplementary educational services to children of migrant agricultural workers, as well as those working in logging, fishing and other migratory industries in our nation, through Basic Formula Grant Programs. Region V is the Operating Region for Migrant Education in Kern County serving over 25,000 migrant students.

Both the STATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE and the YOUTH LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE actively encourage students to participate in and explore civic leadership responsibilities in the community through community service projects that help students see themselves as responsible citizens and potential leaders at the local, state and national levels. The conferences focus on one main goal: students will gain understanding and confidence that impress upon them the qualities of a good citizen in this challenging and changing society.

The CLOSE UP PROGRAM FOR NEW AMERICANS is an educational program for recently immigrated students. The program explores the United States government process and issues at the local and state levels. Students participate in community related activities and service-learning projects tat help them become familiar with government processes, issues and concerns. The various activities lay the groundwork for the program’s last component: the Washington Study Visit. At the nationÕs capital, students are given a hands-on leaning experience by directly interacting with policymakers and government leaders in seminars and small group discussions.

MAKING OF AN ENGINEER is an early college experience program at the University of Denver for selected scholarship recipients. In addition, the University Residency Program makes available to qualified students an opportunity to experience university life in an exciting and challenging course of study in preparation for future university study.

University of California Santa Barbara Junior’s Program

This program offers migrant students the opportunity to experience college life through participation in regular college courses. Approximately 6 high school students in the 11th grade with a GPA of 3.5 participate in a six week residential program and earn college credit while attending two regular courses. In addition, students are required to complete regular assigned homework and exams.

Family Project

This is a middle school project for students and their parents aimed at strengthening communication between schools, teachers, parents and Migrant Education. Various techniques and strategies are explored that contributed to the process of developing and achieving long term goals, positive social interaction and communication skills.

Preschool Programs

The California Migrant Education School Readiness Program is an early childhood developmental and kindergarten readiness skills program for children three to five years of age. MESRP is a statewide home-school family education model with emphases on assisting migratory parents in increasing their literacy and parenting skills so they can prepare their children for successful school experiences. At the school center sites, parents and children attend classes together to provide common learning experiences for parent and child. Parents participate in parenting classes, early education and kindergarten readiness skills. Language development skills in English as a second language and native language literacy classes are also made available to parents.

KINDER PREP PROGRAM was developed by the University of California, Berkeley, Extension Center, Bakersfield. Teachers receive special training to assist parents in preparing their four year old children for kindergarten success. Parents learn to assess their children’s kindergarten readiness, set individual learning goals, make learning games to achieve goals, meet with their child’s future kindergarten teacher and visit classrooms.

Parent Involvement

Parent involvement is a very important component of Migrant Education, and Region V is actively involved in providing direction and leadership. Active parent participation begins at the school district level by involving parents in local Migrant Advisory Council meetings. Region V encourages parent involvement and actively provides information and training in education programs that enhance and strengthen parent participation in their children’s academic achievement.

Regional Parent Advisory Committee

The Regional Parent Advisory Committee (RAC) consists of two representatives from each participating elementary school district and secondary schools. Meetings are conducted using parliamentary procedure. Presentations and information are provided as requested by the RAC members on issues that promote parent involvement and education. Scholarships are sponsored through the RAC and made available to eligible migrant students who plan to attend college.

Region V Parent Conference

This is a countywide parent conference coordinated with the Regional Parent Advisory Committee for parents of migrant children. The focus of the conference is to strengthen parenting skills, communication and leadership strategies and techniques benificial to parents at home, school and community.