ed parties initiated efforts to work with Mexican officials to improve the education of students migrating between Mexico and California. Other border states quickly became involved and in 1998 an agreement was signed re-establish- ing the U.S. Department of Education’s commitment to this program at the state and national levels.9
Te National As-
sociation of State Directors of Migrant Education (NASD- ME) established an internal database in 1971, expanded to nationwide distance learning programs in the 1990s, and currently offers online courses, mobile computer labs, and satellite feeds with some students receiving laptop comput- ers so that they can stay connected with their home schools as they move with their families.10
Te Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 emphasized equal access to education and, through amendments and revisions as it has been reauthorized every five years since it was enacted, has provided for improve- ments in the education of children of migrant families (Title I, Part C). Grants through Title I, Part C have provided considerable assistance, particularly through upgrades in technology in recent years for schools with large popula- tions of students from migrant families. Also, as a result of monies available from the Federal Government, virtually every state in the union has a portion of its department of education website committed to Title I, Part C information and initiatives.
It is important to look beyond the students and the schools that serve those students and endeavor to understand the lives of the students and their families. Effective teaching involves developing relationships with students and, of- ten, their families as well. If we do not understand what a student’s life is like, it is possible that we will have a difficult time getting them to achieve the outcomes described in the curriculum. For example, most ensemble directors expect their students to practice at home. However, this may not be possible for students from migrant families because they have chores or family responsibilities that fill their time when they are not in school and they live in compact living quarters where playing a musical instrument or singing could easily disturb family members and neighbors. As a result, it is important to build in opportunities for practice during the school day or immediately before or aſter school if there is “free time” or the student has transportation avail- able. Students do not always tell their teachers why they did not or cannot practice. It is the teacher’s job to learn about the student’s situation and seek out ways to help the student succeed. For teachers and administrators, understanding the difficulties that migrant families face, knowing what specific students are going through in their lives, and know- ing what resources are available to assist them is extremely important.
Updates
Over the years since the original study, I have maintained contact with several of the people that I worked with during that study and I was recently encouraged by an admin- istrator to revisit this topic and find out how the current situation compares to what I had found in the mid-2000s. I updated the survey that I had used previously, asking for specific demographic information as well as information on how the coming and going of students from migrant fami- lies was impacting music programs and how educators and administrators dealt with the situation. Ten I attempted to contact those who were involved in the previous study but found that most had either retired or had changed positions which significantly changed the demographics of their sit- uation. I collected information from school administrators or resource personnel from the schools that I had worked with previously (six responded) for consistency in com- parison and interviewed music educators (five responded) currently teaching in those or similar/nearby schools during the Spring and Summer of 2018.11
I also did a literature re-
view and updated my census and demographic information from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pew Research Center.12
Based on what I learned, I did not feel that site visits were required at this time.
As previously noted, I initiated this project in the mid-2000s because music educators were indicating that they were not sure how best to serve their students who came from migrant families. During my data gathering for that earlier project, I was told by public school administrators that they were working to incorporate or improve tracking systems to make the educational experience for students from migrant families more cohesive by making records of classes tak- en and levels of achievement readily available to all of the schools that the students attended. My initial follow-up work indicated that this was having a positive impact on student success within two years aſter my sabbatical. Today, schools with significant migrant populations have a migrant resource teacher or someone on the administrative staff who tracks and provides support to migrant students and oſten their families as well. Tis is one of several things that has improved the situation for migrant families and students. Based on recent interviews that I have done with practitioners in the field, it appears that the teachers are provided more information about their students than they had received in the past while also receiving monetary and materials support via grants and local sources.
Te data that I collected from the literature review along with the insights and the information that administrators and those interviewed shared about their school districts and local area provide the basis for the following generaliza- tions about the current state of affairs for Hispanic migrant
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