PA-MEP Recruitment
Identification and recruitment of migrant families and students is challenging. The most obvious way to identify students is mobility, however there are also very detailed and specific considerations needed to make an eligibility determination. The federal Office of Migrant Education (OME) at the U.S. Department of Education has put forth regulations and non-regulatory guidance, based on federal statute (Title I, Part C). The federal tool for recruiting a student is the Certificate of Eligibility (COE). Once the COE has been completed, it is reviewed by a quality control committee. Only after determination of eligibility, services begin. Identification and recruitment is usually done by referrals from schools, migrant families and employers. Recruitment can occur in a variety of places (rural, urban, or suburban) and each presents its own challenges. Collaboration with members of the community is essential in identifying and recruiting migrant children/youth. The burden of certifying that a family is migrant, for the purpose of services, falls on the Pennsylvania Department of Education.