Date of Conferral

1972

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Murl J. Gibson, Ed.D.

Abstract

Justification of the problem.

A significant percentage of the children attending school in the Richgrove School District are identified as migrant students. Migratory children often were two or more grades below grade level in reading, spoke little or no English, tended to withdraw from the school environment, had poor self-concepts, lacked nutritionally balanced meals, and had few, if any, previous health records.

The present study is an outgrowth of the Richgrove School District's effort to develop and provide an educational program designed to meet the needs of migratory children residing within its attendance boundaries.

The problem.

The problem was to examine student achievement in "pull-out" instruction classes in reading and in English as a second language, student self-image improvement, food and health services, and 2 community involvement for migrants.

Delimits of the study.

The study was limited to those aspects of the Richgrove School District's migrant education program during the 1970-71 school year.

Hypothesis.

It was the hypothesis of this study that migrant education programs can be designed to improve student achievement in reading and English as a second language classes, improve the self image of the student and improve food and health services for migrant children.

Method of procedure.

The procedure followed in this study was to describe the development, implementation, and observed results of the Richgrove School District's 1970-71 migrant education program. The effectiveness of the migrant education program was determined by student achievement, teacher and student ratings, observed results, records of food and health services provided, and an evaluation of nutritional and health services by a medical doctor.

Findings.

Migrant pupils in the Language Comprehension Improvement classes who were enrolled for pre-test and post-test evaluations of reading achievement gains in grades two through eight, as measured by the California Achievement Test, averaged more than one month's gain for each month in class . The English as a Second Language pre-class and post-class ratings revealed that children in the English as a Second Language classes learned to speak English at an accelerated rate. Teacher and student opinion indicated that children in the E.S.L. classes learned to speak English more quickly and took part in classroom activities sooner than previous migrant children who did not have the benefit of supplemental instruction. The food and nutritional services provided 11,612 free lunches to migrant students. Migrant families had the option of purchasing reduced priced lunches for their children at a cost of 10 cents per meal. The findings indicated that the food services were available for all migrant children. The findings revealed that health services were improved for migrant children. Fluoride "brush-in" treatment was provided for 96 migrant children. In addition, 85 dental examinations and treatments were conducted as well as complete physical examinations for 76 migrant children. Migrant families were assisted by the school district in obtaining glasses, shoes, and clothing for their children.

Observations, student ratings, and teacher opinions indicated that migrant pupils experienced opportunities that aided the improvement of self-image and that migrant children seemed to develop a better self-concept. The related services which included cross-age tutors, recreational programs, learning experience field trips, summer school, and migrant parent involvement were deemed by the findings to have a positive influence on the school experiences offered migratory children.

Implications .

The project findings revealed that migrant education programs can be designed to increase achievement in reading and English as a second language, offer opportunities to improve self image, and offer increased nutritional and health services for migrant children. The findings of this study may be used to help improve educational services provided migratory children by other school districts or states.

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