Notification Letters

September 7, 2017

The Study of the Implementation of the ESEA Title I—Part C Migrant Education Program Serving Children of Agricultural Workers and Fishers

Task 6.4: 30-Day Submission Draft OMB Package: Appendix A, Notification Letters

Contract GS-10F-0554N/BPA Order ED-PEP-16-A-0005/TO01

SRI Project P24149

Submitted to:

Joanne Bogart

Policy and Program Studies Service

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202

Prepared by:

SRI International

Deborah Jonas

Rebecca Schmidt

Policy Studies Associates

Leslie Anderson

[Date]

[Name]

[Position]

[Street Address]

[City, State, ZIP]

Dear [Chief State School Officer]:

We are writing to inform you about the U.S. Department of Education’s upcoming Study of the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Programs (MEP), which will examine how states, districts, and schools are identifying and serving students who are children of migratory farmworkers. We would like to take this opportunity to explain the study purpose and design and to ask for your cooperation and support.

This study is designed to examine how states like [state] are identifying and serving the educational and other needs of highly mobile migrant students, how states address the needs of migrant students in designing their accountability systems, how states receiving MEP grant funds collaborate with other agencies and organizations to deliver services to migratory children and their families, and the types and characteristics of instructional and support services that MEP-funded programs deliver to help migrant students complete high school.

The study will include a survey of all state MEP directors and all local MEP grantees.. In addition, case studies will be conducted in 10 states, including site visits to conduct interviews with up for four MEP staff in each state.

As you may know, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act requires grantees to cooperate with the Department’s program evaluations (Section 8306(a)(4)), including this one. At the same time, we recognize that state and local MEP staff have many demands on their time, and we have designed the surveys and interview protocols to minimize the burden of participation. At the state level, we estimate that the survey will require about 20 minutes to complete, and each interview will last approximately 45-60 minutes.

The study is being conducted for the U.S. Department of Education by SRI Education (SRI), in partnership with Policy Studies Associates (PSA) and Arroyo Research Services (ARS), and they will contact your state MEP director shortly to provide additional information about the study and to request a listing of local MEP coordinators with their contact information. If you have any questions, you may contact the project director Leslie Anderson at [email protected] or (202) 939-5327, or you may contact Joanne Bogart here at the Department at [email protected] or (202) 205-7855.

Again, we appreciate your cooperation and support in enabling this study to inform policymakers and educators about strategies for addressing the varied needs of migrant students. We thank you and your staff for providing the expertise and time needed for the success of the study.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger Lisa Ramirez
Director, Policy and Program Studies Service Director, Office of Migrant Education

cc: State MEP Coordinator

Dear [state coordinator, case study and survey]

We are writing to inform you about the U.S. Department of Education’s upcoming Study of the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Programs (MEP), which will examine how states, districts, and schools are identifying and serving students who are children of migratory farmworkers. We would like to take this opportunity to explain the study purpose and design and to ask for your cooperation and support.

This study is designed to examine how states like [state] are identifying and serving the educational and other needs of highly mobile migrant students, how states address the needs of migrant students in designing their accountability systems, how states receiving MEP grant funds collaborate with other agencies and organizations to deliver services to migratory children and their families, and the types and characteristics of instructional and support services that MEP-funded programs deliver to help migrant students complete high school.

The study will include a survey of all state MEP directors and all local MEP grantees. In addition, case studies will be conducted in 10 states, including site visits to conduct interviews with up for four MEP staff in each state.

As you may know, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act requires grantees to cooperate with the Department’s program evaluations (Section 8306(a)(4)), including this one. At the same time, we recognize that state and local MEP staff have many demands on their time, and we have designed the surveys and interview protocols to minimize the burden of participation. At the state level, we estimate that the survey will require about 20 minutes to complete, and each interview will last approximately 45-60 minutes.

The study is being conducted for the U.S. Department of Education by SRI Education (SRI), in partnership with Policy Studies Associates (PSA) and Arroyo Research Services (ARS), and they will contact your state MEP director shortly to provide additional information about the study and to request a listing of local MEP coordinators with their contact information. If you have any questions, you may contact the project director Leslie Anderson at [email protected] or (202) 939-5327, or you may contact Joanne Bogart here at the Department at [email protected] or (202) 205-7855.

Again, we appreciate your cooperation and support in enabling this study to inform policymakers and educators about strategies for addressing the varied needs of migrant students. We thank you and your staff for providing the expertise and time needed for the success of the study.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger Lisa Ramirez
Director, Policy and Program Studies Service Director, Office of Migrant Education

Dear [district/LOA coordinator, case study and survey]

We are writing to inform you about the U.S. Department of Education’s upcoming Study of the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Programs (MEP), which will examine how states, districts, and schools are identifying and serving students who are children of migratory farmworkers. We would like to take this opportunity to explain the study purpose and design and to ask for your cooperation and support.

This study is designed to examine how states like [state] are identifying and serving the educational and other needs of highly mobile migrant students, how states address the needs of migrant students in designing their accountability systems, how states receiving MEP grant funds collaborate with other agencies and organizations to deliver services to migratory children and their families, and the types and characteristics of instructional and support services that MEP-funded programs deliver to help migrant students complete high school.

Data collection for the study will include two activities: surveys and case studies. First, the study team will survey all local MEP grantees in the United States. The survey will take no more than 20 minutes to complete and will be administered between [date1] and [date2]. Your survey response will help our study team better understand variations in local grantee strategies within [state].

Second, the study will include case studies of 20 MEP-funded school districts and LOAs, selected in conjunction with [state’s] state-level MEP administrators. To address the study questions, the study team will interview key informants in each case study district or LOA, including up to three local MEP program staff and three directors of other local or regional agencies collaborating with the local MEP. Each individual interview will be audio-recorded and will last approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Two researchers will visit each site; the senior researcher will conduct interviews, while the junior researcher will manage site visit logistics. Interviews will be conducted between [date1] and [date2]. The case study data will permit the study team to articulate a more detailed description of the scope and degree of challenges MEP grantees confront in their efforts to serve migratory students working toward high school completion and to describe potentially successful or innovative strategies to address those challenges.

The study team has secured OMB clearance for this study and will follow all legal and ethical requirements to protect participants in the evaluation. The study team will use highly reliable data collection procedures and instruments that are appropriate for the intended respondents, do not contain sensitive questions, and minimize the burden on respondents. SRI, PSA, and ARS will provide secure environments for all data collected for the study. Study team members will maintain a high level of focus on ensuring the confidentiality of data. After completion of the study, the study team will destroy all data files. The team will not use the data for purposes other than this evaluation.

At the completion of this study, SRI International will produce a publicly available final report that provides a rich and nuanced description of MEP implementation. We certainly hope that you will agree to have [district/LOA] included in the study sample so that state policymakers and leaders from around the country can benefit from your experience and insights. If you have any questions, you may contact the project director Leslie Anderson at [email protected] or (202) 939-5327, or you may contact Joanne Bogart here at the Department at [email protected] or (202) 205-7855.

Again, we appreciate your cooperation and support in enabling this study to inform policymakers and educators about strategies for addressing the varied needs of migrant students. We thank you and your staff for providing the expertise and time needed for the success of the study.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger Lisa Ramirez
Director, Policy and Program Studies Service Director, Office of Migrant Education

Dear [school/project coordinator, case study only]

We are writing to inform you about the U.S. Department of Education’s upcoming Study of the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Programs (MEP), which will examine how states, districts, and schools are identifying and serving students who are children of migratory farmworkers. We would like to take this opportunity to explain the study purpose and design and to ask for your cooperation and support.

This study is designed to examine how states like [school/project] are identifying and serving the educational and other needs of highly mobile migrant students, how states address the needs of migrant students in designing their accountability systems, how states receiving MEP grant funds collaborate with other agencies and organizations to deliver services to migratory children and their families, and the types and characteristics of instructional and support services that MEP-funded programs deliver to help migrant students complete high school.

Data collection for the study will include case studies of 40 MEP-funded schools and projects selected from nominations by state and local MEP coordinators. To address the study questions, the study team will interview key informants in each case study school or program, including up to four school staff (e.g., school principals, counselors, and others who provide services to migratory children and youth). Each individual interview will be audio-recorded and will last approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Two researchers will visit each site; the senior researcher will conduct interviews, while the junior researcher will manage site visit logistics. Interviews will be conducted between[date1] and [date2]. The case study data will permit the study team to articulate a more detailed description of the scope and degree of challenges MEP grantees confront in their efforts to serve migratory students working toward high school completion and to describe potentially successful or innovative strategies to address those challenges.

The study team has secured OMB clearance for this study and will follow all legal and ethical requirements to protect participants in the evaluation. The study team will use highly reliable data collection procedures and instruments that are appropriate for the intended respondents, do not contain sensitive questions, and minimize the burden on respondents. SRI, PSA, and ARS will provide secure environments for all data collected for the study. Study team members will maintain a high level of focus on ensuring the confidentiality of data. After completion of the study, the study team will destroy all data files. The team will not use the data for purposes other than this evaluation.

At the completion of this study, SRI International will produce a publicly available final report that provides a rich and nuanced description of MEP implementation. We certainly hope that you will agree to have [school/project] included in the study sample so that state policymakers and leaders from around the country can benefit from your experience and insights. If you have any questions, you may contact the project director Leslie Anderson at [email protected] or (202) 939-5327, or you may contact Joanne Bogart here at the Department at [email protected] or (202) 205-7855.

Again, we appreciate your cooperation and support in enabling this study to inform policymakers and educators about strategies for addressing the varied needs of migrant students. We thank you and your staff for providing the expertise and time needed for the success of the study.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger Lisa Ramirez
Director, Policy and Program Studies Service Director, Office of Migrant Education

Dear [state coordinator, survey only]

We are writing to inform you about the U.S. Department of Education’s upcoming Study of the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Programs (MEP), which will examine how states, districts, and schools are identifying and serving students who are children of migratory farmworkers. We would like to take this opportunity to explain the study purpose and design and to ask for your cooperation and support.

This study is designed to examine how states like [state] are identifying and serving the educational and other needs of highly mobile migrant students, how states address the needs of migrant students in designing their accountability systems, how states receiving MEP grant funds collaborate with other agencies and organizations to deliver services to migratory children and their families, and the types and characteristics of instructional and support services that MEP-funded programs deliver to help migrant students complete high school.

Data collection for the study will include surveys of all state MEP directors, administered between [date1] and [date2]. The survey will take no more than 20 minutes to complete. Your survey response will help the study team better understand variations in MEP programs across states.

The study team has secured OMB clearance for this study and will follow all legal and ethical requirements to protect participants in the evaluation. The study team will use highly reliable data collection procedures and instruments that are appropriate for the intended respondents of each survey, do not contain sensitive questions, and minimize the burden on respondents. SRI, PSA, and ARS will provide secure environments for all data collected for the study. Study team members will maintain a high level of focus on ensuring the confidentiality of data. After completion of the study, the study team will destroy all data files. The team will not use the data for purposes other than this evaluation.

At the completion of this study, SRI International will produce a publicly available final report that provides a rich and nuanced description of MEP implementation. Your response to our survey will provide experience and insights that state policymakers and MEP coordinators can learn from. If you have any questions, you may contact the project director Leslie Anderson at [email protected] or (202) 939-5327, or you may contact Joanne Bogart here at the Department at [email protected] or (202) 205-7855.

Again, we appreciate your cooperation and support in enabling this study to inform policymakers and educators about strategies for addressing the varied needs of migrant students. We thank you and your staff for providing the expertise and time needed for the success of the study.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger Lisa Ramirez
Director, Policy and Program Studies Service Director, Office of Migrant Education

Dear [local coordinator, survey only]

We are writing to inform you about the U.S. Department of Education’s upcoming Study of the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Programs (MEP), which will examine how states, districts, and schools are identifying and serving students who are children of migratory farmworkers. We would like to take this opportunity to explain the study purpose and design and to ask for your cooperation and support.

This study is designed to examine how states like [state] are identifying and serving the educational and other needs of highly mobile migrant students, how states address the needs of migrant students in designing their accountability systems, how states receiving MEP grant funds collaborate with other agencies and organizations to deliver services to migratory children and their families, and the types and characteristics of instructional and support services that MEP-funded programs deliver to help migrant students complete high school.

Data collection for the study will include surveys of all local MEP grantees in the United States. The survey will take no more than 20 minutes to complete and will be administered between [date1] and [date2]. Your survey response will help our study team better understand variations in local grantee strategies within [state].

The study team has secured OMB clearance for this study and will follow all legal and ethical requirements to protect participants in the evaluation. The study team will use highly reliable data collection procedures and instruments that are appropriate for the intended respondents of each survey, do not contain sensitive questions, and minimize the burden on respondents. SRI, PSA, and ARS will provide secure environments for all data collected for the study. Study team members will maintain a high level of focus on ensuring the confidentiality of data. After completion of the study, the study team will destroy all data files. The team will not use the data for purposes other than this evaluation.

At the completion of this study, SRI International will produce a publicly available final report that provides a rich and nuanced description of MEP implementation. Your response to our survey will provide experience and insights that state policymakers and MEP coordinators can learn from. If you have any questions, you may contact the project director Leslie Anderson at [email protected] or (202) 939-5327, or you may contact Joanne Bogart here at the Department at [email protected] or (202) 205-7855.

Again, we appreciate your cooperation and support in enabling this study to inform policymakers and educators about strategies for addressing the varied needs of migrant students. We thank you and your staff for providing the expertise and time needed for the success of the study.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger Lisa Ramirez
Director, Policy and Program Studies Service Director, Office of Migrant Education