Bill to Require Increased Accountability of the Migrant Education Program
California Political Desk
April 24, 2009
Sacramento, CA—Today, Senator Gloria Romero, Chair of the Senate Committee on Education, succeeded in passing SB 331, legislation that would require increased accountability, data collection and participation of migrant students, through the Senate Committee on Education with a 7-1 vote.
"California leads the nation in the enrollment of migrant students and it should also be the leader in meeting the needs of migrant students," said Senator Romero (D-East Los Angles). "We owe it to ourselves to assess their ongoing needs and measure how effective our programs are at leading them to success."
Data shows that migrant students in California trail their peers in nearly every performance indicator, including: high dropout rates, low English proficiency, and lower performance on standardized tests. Millions of federal migrant education dollars are allocated to regional programs every year. However, accountability for the programs funded is inadequate, with little data collected on where the money is being spent or how effective the programs are at increasing academic achievement. There is also inadequate data to fully evaluate migrant student performance.
Available data shows migrant students are struggling:
More than 50% of migrant students will drop out;
47% attend Program Improvement Schools;
Only 12% meet the standards in English-Language Arts;
Migrant students pass the California High School Exit Exam at a rate 27% lower than that of the average student.
SB 331 requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to coordinate with the Migrant State Parent Advisory Council to develop a comprehensive migrant education plan. The bill also requires that specific data be collected by local agencies and the state; increased oversight of local agencies; translation services for parents at parent council meetings, and will require agencies to submit information on the performance of their program as part of their application for funding.
"Through SB 331, accountability for student performance will increase," said Romero. "Migrant parents too need a substantive role in defining how best to proceed with the education of their children if we want to see the success of future generations of Californians."
March 31st was Cesar Chavez´s birthday. In closing today, Senator Romero reminded everyone that this bill bears the number 331 in his honor.
The bill will next be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
"California leads the nation in the enrollment of migrant students and it should also be the leader in meeting the needs of migrant students," said Senator Romero (D-East Los Angles). "We owe it to ourselves to assess their ongoing needs and measure how effective our programs are at leading them to success."
Data shows that migrant students in California trail their peers in nearly every performance indicator, including: high dropout rates, low English proficiency, and lower performance on standardized tests. Millions of federal migrant education dollars are allocated to regional programs every year. However, accountability for the programs funded is inadequate, with little data collected on where the money is being spent or how effective the programs are at increasing academic achievement. There is also inadequate data to fully evaluate migrant student performance.
Available data shows migrant students are struggling:
More than 50% of migrant students will drop out;
47% attend Program Improvement Schools;
Only 12% meet the standards in English-Language Arts;
Migrant students pass the California High School Exit Exam at a rate 27% lower than that of the average student.
SB 331 requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to coordinate with the Migrant State Parent Advisory Council to develop a comprehensive migrant education plan. The bill also requires that specific data be collected by local agencies and the state; increased oversight of local agencies; translation services for parents at parent council meetings, and will require agencies to submit information on the performance of their program as part of their application for funding.
"Through SB 331, accountability for student performance will increase," said Romero. "Migrant parents too need a substantive role in defining how best to proceed with the education of their children if we want to see the success of future generations of Californians."
March 31st was Cesar Chavez´s birthday. In closing today, Senator Romero reminded everyone that this bill bears the number 331 in his honor.
The bill will next be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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