Maine’s Migrant Education Program became fully certified with the Migrant Student Information Exchange initiative in May, after two years of hard work.
MSIX is the federal system that allows migrant student records to flow between states as high-mobility students move across the country. The use of MSIX will improve the appropriateness of grade and course placements and will reduce incidences of unnecessary immunizations of migrant children. Ultimately, MSIX aims to effectively track students’ credit accrual toward graduation requirements, allowing them to earn their degrees in a more timely manner.
“We have also been able to introduce technology into the field, such as tablets for the recruiters and direct-service entry in lieu of paper forms,” said Brian Snow, education data manager at the Maine Department of Education.
Approximately half of U.S. states have been fully MSIX-certified. The state of Maine completed its first phase of MSIX compliance last year and recently completed the fifth and final element.
“We are proud of this accomplishment for the Migrant Education Program,” said Julia Trujillo Luengo, director of Maine’s program. “But more importantly, we are proud that we can better ensure continuity of the educational process for the migrant students we serve.”