Resources for School Districts

A Needs Assessment has two parts. Upon receiving notification of a newly identified eligible migratory student, the Migrant Liaison starts the needs assessment as required by the state. The Migrant Liaison can enter the needs assessment information into TNMigrant. Depending upon the information collected, the student might be determined to be “Priority for Service” (PFS). Students who are identified as PFS are prioritized to receive critical instructional and support services.

The Supplemental INA enables the LEA to capture more academic information about the student. The Supplemental INA is completed by the LEA and its information is not entered into TNMigrant but is used by the district to support the student’s education.

The INA enables the program and the LEA to evaluate the impact of the student’s education disruption and other factors that may create a situation in which the student is “at risk of failing” which could result in the student being considered as Priority for Service (PFS).

• MEP Program Guide FY26

•MEP INA Protocol (with visuals of steps in TNMigrant)

• MEP Individual Needs Assessment Instructions

• MEP Supplemental Individual Needs Assessment Instructions and Template

• Updating the INA in TNMigrant - January 2024 PPT

The Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (OS) is a confidential survey is distributed by school districts to help identify migratory students who may qualify to receive additional educational services, such as tutoring, school supplies, free or reduced-price lunch, summer camps, and other services.

OS protocol, training presentations and recordings are listed below.

• TN MEP OS Protocol

• TN MEP Eligibility and OS Training 9/5/2023

• TN MEP Eligibility and OS Training Slides 9/5/2023

• Eligibility & OS Refresher Slides 2/20/24

• Eligibility & OS Refresher Video 2/20/24

• TN MEP Outreach, Enrollment & the Occupational Survey Video 9/9/2025

• TN MEP Outreach, Enrollment & the Occupational Survey Slides 9/9/2025

The OS form is available below in several languages.

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Amharic)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Arabic)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Simplified Chinese)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (English)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Gujarati)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Kurdish)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Kinyarwanda)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Russian)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Spanish)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Somali)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Swahili)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Tagalog)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Telugu)

• Tennessee Parent Occupational Survey (Vietnamese)

The goal of the Title I, Part C Education Program is to ensure migratory children receive appropriate education and support services that address their special needs and to provide opportunities that will enrich and support their educational experience. The program needs to collect all the educational and supportive services for migratory children as per requirements under Title 1 Part C.

The collection of rendered services will also be used to monitor unmet needs and the creation/ implementation of the service delivery plan.

• Download TN MEP Service Collection and Reporting Protocol with Service Codes

• View the slides from the Entering Services in TNMigrant presentation on 9/16/2025

• Watch Entering Services on TNMigrant 2024 hosted on 9/16/2025

The Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) is the technology that allows states to share educational and health information on migratory children who travel from state to state and who as a result, have student records in multiple states' information systems. The purpose of MSIX is to ensure greater continuity of educational services for migratory children by providing a mechanism for all states to exchange educational and health-related information on migratory children who move from state to state due to their migratory lifestyle.

• MSIX User Application: In order to access MSIX, you must first complete a User Application and be verified for access.

• MSIX Policies and Procedures: The U.S. Office of Migrant Education oversees the MSIX national records transfer system to enable states to exchange education-related student information to “help to improve the timeliness of school enrollments, improve the appropriateness of grade and course placements, and reduce incidences of unnecessary immunizations of migrant children.” The policies and procedures guide the use of MSIX. For more information about MSIX policies and procedures, email the ARS data team at data@tn-mep.net

• MSIX Training Hosted on 2/15/22

• For information on how you can use and access MSIX, contact info@TN-MEP.net

According to the U.S. Department of Education, “States are required by ESEA to develop a migrant-specific plan that will assist migratory children to make progress toward achievement of the State’s long-term goals and measurements of interim progress.” This plan, known as the Service Delivery Plan (SDP), outlines the delivery and evaluation of the services provided to migratory children through their Title I, Part C education program. The TN SDP was finalized in August 2024 and it includes the plan describing the services the state education agency (SEA) and local operating agencies (LOAs) will provide to address the needs of migratory children in the state.

• Download the Service Delivery Plan

The Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) is completed as part of the Continuous Improvement Cycle of the Title I, Part C education program. It provides information about the needs of migratory children and out-of-school youth in the state and helps the state establish priorities for serving the children and youth. The TN CNA includes demographic and academic information of the state’s migratory children as well as the educational needs for this population.

For more information on the Continuous Improvement Cycle, the Service Delivery Plan, and Comprehensive Needs Assessment, check the program’s resource site at results.ed.gov.

• Download the Comprehensive Needs Assessment

The national school lunch program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture authorizes free breakfast, lunch, and after-school snacks for all eligible migratory students. For more information, review the Eligibility Manual for School Meals - Determining and Verifying Eligibility.

This document has been created to support both MEP-funded and non-MEP-funded LEAs in the completion of required forms and data-related tasks. The calendar provides the annual timeline for specific forms and migrant data entries and should be referenced throughout the academic year.

• Download MEP Liaison calendar

TN Title I, Part C Education Program Allowable Expenditures: This provides background information to determine expenditures that are allowable with MEP funding and helps determine if expenses meet the reasonable, allowable, and necessary tests for purchase with MEP funds.

The ARS Team will be providing training for LEAs on various topics throughout the 2024-2025 school year. Here is a link to the calendar of those events and the materials (slides/videos) from those training sessions will be posted below once they are available.

09/02/2024 Updating the Individual Needs Assessment (INA) in TNMigrant (PowerPoint)

The ARS Team will be providing training for LEAs on various topics throughout the 2023-2024 school year. Here is a link to the calendar of those events and the recordings from those training sessions will be posted below once they are available.

• 02/20/2024: TN MEP Eligibility and OS Training Video

• 02/20/2024: TN MEP Eligibility and OS Training Slides

• 09/26/2023: How to Enter Services in TNMigrant

• 09/12/2023: TN MEP Coordinating Collaborating Services Unfunded LEAs Video

• 09/12/2023: TN MEP Services Overview Funded LEAs Video

• 09/05/2023: TN MEP Eligibility and OS Training Slides

• 09/05/2023: TN MEP Eligibility and OS Training Video

The ARS Team will be providing training for LEAs on various topics throughout the 2022-2023 school year. Here is a link to the calendar of those events and below are the recordings from those training sessions.

• 09/06/2022: Occupational Survey Protocol

• 09/13/2022: Migrant Education Program Services Overview

• 09/20/2022: How to Enter the INA

• 09/27/2022: Entering Services in TNMigrant

• 10/04/2022: MSIX to Serve Migratory Students

• 10/18/2022: Data Reconciliation

• 10/25/2022 Facilitating Support Services to Migratory Students (Watch on YouTube) (Download PPTX)

• 2/23/2023: TN MEP Eligibility Refresher Slides and Video

The TN MEP ID&R and Data Teams created this series of tutorial videos for LEA staff to learn about how to utilize the many features of tn.msedd.com. The tn.msedd.com website is crucial to coordinating the MEP within your district, so please take advantage of these videos to learn how to use the site. If you have any questions about the videos, or would like additional information, please reach out to us at info@tn-mep.net

All videos are posted on YouTube and open in a new window. The complete playlist of all the videos is available here.

• Student List Report The Student List report is another approach to view who the students are within your district. Rachel Jackson will show you how to run this report so you can view the migrant students in your district at any time.

• Monthly Student Lists Who are the migrant students in my district? Elena Cruz demonstrates how to access your monthly student lists so you can see who the migrant students are in your district. She also explains what the different fields in the monthly lists mean.

• Occupational Surveys The Occupational Survey is the best way to identify all potentially eligible migrant students within your district. Matt Flaherty will explain the purpose of the Survey and the process for completing and submitting the Survey to the ID&R Team for follow up.

• Viewing COEs What is the COE and how can I see it? The COE, or Certificate of Eligibility, shows how the migrant student is eligible for the Migrant Education Program. Matt Flaherty describes the COE and where you can find it on tn.msedd.com.

• Entering The INA in TNMigrant The Individual Needs Assessment (INA) is an essential component of determining and documenting the needs of migratory children and youth within the state of Tennessee. In this video, Elena Cruz demonstrates where to find the INA and how to complete the assessment for the migratory children and youth within your district.

• Entering Services in TNMigrant (9/2024) Recording all the services that we provide for migratory students is a requirement for all LEAs receiving Migrant Education Program funds. We use the service data to evaluate our impact and to assess the needs and type of services we want to provide to our migratory students. Learn how to use the TNMigrant system so you can directly enter services for your migratory students.

The purpose of the Migrant Education Program (MEP) Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is to involve parents of migratory students in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the program to ensure quality services that meet the needs of the students. The council provides parents with opportunities to give input, advocate for children's needs, and develop leadership skills. MEP Guidance requires parent feedback on program operations. 

Two State PAC meetings are held each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Additionally, LEAs receiving Title I, Part C funding, conduct local PAC meetings. Family, school and community partnerships are strengthened through family engagement activities and contribute to a stronger, more effective MEP and higher student achievement. 

Parent Engagement activities are also an important component of the MEP and the TN State Service Delivery Plan. Families and educators need to have opportunities to work together to support children's development, learning and overall well-being. Consider hosting a family literacy and/or math night to focus on strategies families can use at home to strengthen learning. Or, provide migratory parents with training on how to use their child's school student information system to check attendance, assignments and grades. 

1. The Purpose and Function of a MEP Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Watch on YouTube or Download Slides This presentation provides a short overview about the role a MEP PAC plays.

2. Identifying PAC ParentsDownload Slides

3. Identifying PAC Topics Download Slides

4. Creating PAC Activities for Optimal Parent Engagement Download Slides

November 2024 PAC Meeting

Download this flyer to share with eligible migratory parents you have recommended to participate in the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meeting who would like to help us learn more about how to better provide educational and support services to meet their children's needs

PAC Flyer 11.2.24