LVJUSD Migrant Education Program Honored

From LVJUSD: The National School Boards Association honored the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD) Migrant Education Program (MEP) with its 2018 Magna Award and featured the program in its April issue of the American School Board Journal. This year’s award recognized top programs in the nation that focused on educational equity.

LVJUSD’s program provides comprehensive education for migratory children – those whose parent or guardian is a migratory worker in the agricultural, dairy, lumber, or fishing industries and whose family has moved during the past three years. The MEP consists of six components: school readiness, regular year programs, summer programs, an Out-of-School Youth (OSY) Program, health services, and a Parent Advisory Council (PAC).

The Magna Award recognized the LVJUSD program for successfully removing barriers to achievement for underserved students and reflecting the District’s overall mission: “Each student will graduate with the skills needed to contribute and thrive in a changing world.”

The MEP meets criteria laid out by the LVJUSD School Board’s Equity Commitment that ensures all students – regardless of background, demographic or school of attendance – have equal opportunities, experiences, and outcomes. With this vision in mind, along with the overall LVJUSD mission, the MEP provides services directed toward migrant student success in school, graduation from high school, and transitions to postsecondary education and employment.

“Our dedicated migrant education staff has done such amazing work to provide community and continuity to all of our families at LVJUSD, and to ensure the same level of education and opportunity is afforded to everyone. This award and recognition is well-earned,” said Kelly Bowers, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools.

LVJUSD’s MEP has made significant strides in bridging the achievement gap for migrant students. Its school readiness program provides early education for children before they enter kindergarten to ensure their preparedness. The summer programs fill any gaps caused by migrant mobility. In an effort to increase parent involvement, the MEP has encouraged migrant parents to sit on LVJUSD’s District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) and on their student’s school English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC), School Site Council (SSC), and PTA/PTO. The results of their dedicated efforts have been outstanding.

For the last three years, the MEP has seen a 100% graduation rate by its students. In those same years, there has been steady improvement of migrant students’ scores on the annual California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). The percentage of LVJUSD migrant students meeting or exceeding English Language Arts standards increased by 15%, from 32% in 2014/15 to 47% in 2016/17. In Math, LVJUSD saw a 9% increase among migrant students meeting or exceeding standards, from 22% to 31%. In 2017, the migrant debate teams, competing in both English and Spanish debates, placed in the regional debate competition and moved on the state level in both middle and high school.

“We are incredibly proud of our migrant students and teachers for their ongoing commitment and their outstanding success,” said Bowers.

Photos courtesy of LVJUSD