2OO7 Receiving School Guide migrant student graduation enhancement program K 16 Education Center * Continuing Education The University of Texas at Austin
2OO7 Receiving School Guide migrant student graduation enhancement program K 16 Education Center * Continuing Education The University of Texas at Austin The focus of The University of Texas at Austin Migrant Student Graduation Enhancement Program is to help migrant students meet Texas graduation requirements at any location and at the pace that best suits each individual. The distance learning courses offered through the program are specially designed to match the learning needs of migrant students and are aligned with Texas curriculum requirements and the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). Scholarships for tuition and course materials are available for certified migrant students who have attended Texas home-based schools. page 01
Course Guides Each course centers around a course guide, which provides commentary on each lesson, as well as self-help questions and an assignment to be graded. These guides provide enriched content in an easy-to-read form accessible to migrant students. Throughout the course guides, background skills are emphasized, along with coverage of the required Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Courses available through the program include the Texas required courses in art, English, health, mathematics, physical education, science, social studies, Spanish, speech, and technology applications and one elective course, Individual and Family Life. Course guides are available in print, on disk, and online. Earning Credit with UT Courses Receiving schools may use the UT courses to help students earn credit in a variety of ways. (1) You may enroll students in the correspondence program. Students complete lessons and submit an assignment for each lesson to our program for grading. After completing all of the lessons, students take a final exam, which requires a score of 70 or higher. (2) You may enroll students in the credit by exam program. We mail an exam to the testing supervisor you specify along with an exam review to help the student prepare for the exam. UT course materials are also available for exam preparation. After the student takes the supervised exam, you return it to us for grading by an instructor. If the student passes with a score of 70 or higher, we issue a transcript to you and the student s Texas school. page 02
(3) You may grade the lesson assignments independently using answer keys available through our program. If you choose this option, you may either develop and administer your own final exams or use the UT credit by exam as the final. (4) You may consolidate partial work in UT courses with coursework completed in residence. The number of clock hours that each lesson in a one-semester course equals can be calculated by dividing 80 by the total number of lessons in the course. For example, each lesson in a course containing eight lessons is equal to 10 clock hours. You may enroll students in the correspondence program for partial work, or you may grade lessons from the UT course guides and consolidate partial work independently. A publication, Guidelines for Partial Work, is available from our office. page 03
Enrolling Students Since we know how crucial it is to select an appropriate course that will further a student s progress toward graduation, we offer assistance in course selection. Upon request, we will provide the names and telephone numbers of Texas educators who can advise you. Once you have selected a course, complete the enrollment process by calling our office with the student s name and date of birth or social security number. You may also enroll a student by submitting one of our enrollment forms, which are available on our Web site at www.utk16.org/migrant. Course materials will arrive in approximately two working days. Identifying Texas-Enrolled Students Many students are enrolled in a UT course by their Texas schools. We will contact you if we receive notification that a Texas-enrolled student has migrated to your area. We recommend that receiving school educators also ask their Texas students if they are enrolled in UT courses. Periodically we will send progress reports to receiving school educators who have identified Texas-enrolled students. Assisting Students You can orient a student to the program by distributing the course materials you receive upon enrolling the student, explaining the instructions for completing the course, and answering student questions. Students can also get help with coursework by calling our office at (800) 444-1905 or by writing notes to their instructors when they submit lesson assignments. page 04
Many receiving schools assist students enrolled in courses by providing tutorial sessions. Students who get this kind of help have a higher success rate. We send periodic progress reports to help educators identify students who need assistance. We recommend that you set a pace for each student that allows plenty of time to master the content. Students who do not finish all of the lessons in a course while they are in your program may continue to work upon their return to Texas. Recruiters can also provide assistance to students by giving them our 800 number and by assisting students with enrollment procedures, coursework, submission of lesson assignments, and calls to our program. page 05
UT Services Training Sessions Training sessions for teachers, tutors, and administrators may be scheduled upon request. Some states schedule training sessions for their migrant education conferences. Student Progress Reports We send student progress reports to receiving schools that have enrolled students and to receiving schools where Texas-enrolled students have migrated. Interstate Coordination When students migrate to receiving schools, we notify a contact person at the migration site. When a student returns to Texas, we find a contact in the Texas school to assist the student. Notification of Credits Earned When a student earns credit in a UT course while residing in a receiving school, we send credit accrual information to the student s Texas school. We also notify Texas schools of partial work completed in UT courses. Toll-Free Number The UT Migrant Student Graduation Enhancement Program has a national 800 number, (800) 444-1905. Bilingual assistance is available. page 06
Free Postage Enrolled students receive postage-paid envelopes for mailing in assignments. Services to Parents We provide bilingual print materials for parents with each student s course materials. We also give presentations in Spanish for parents at conferences and parent meetings. In addition, we send progress reports to parents with information in English and Spanish. Student Recognition Ceremony Participating students are invited to attend an annual student recognition luncheon where they also tour the UT Austin campus and meet with representatives of UT and former migrant students who are attending college. page 07
For More Information To enroll students in courses or obtain more information about The University of Texas at Austin Migrant Student Graduation Enhancement Program, please contact: Peggy Wimberley, Coordinator Luz Hinojosa, Assistant Coordinator Migrant Student Graduation Enhancement Program The University of Texas at Austin P.O. Box 7700 Austin, Texas 78713 Toll Free: (800) 444-1905 Phone: (512) 471-9250 Fax: (512) 232-5533 Email: migrant@utk16.org www.utk16.org/migrant page 08