FRENCH CAMP - Beginning today, San Joaquin County Office of Education and Migrant Education Region 23 will be one of the first Migrant Education programs in the state to implement an iPad-based reading initiative.
The goal is to provide students with flexible and mobile opportunities to read and interact with highly engaging text.
“I am so excited to give our Migrant Education students an opportunity to read more often,” said Veronica Ramos, Migrant Education Director. Ramos has partnered with educational publisher, Teacher Created Materials, using their Explor-eBook app to provide access to hundreds of interactive ebooks via iPads purchased by the County. “The functionality within the Explor-eBook titles gives students a chance to read independently, while also practicing key skills, such as note taking, language development, comprehension, and fluency.”
Migrant students will be using the iPads and ebooks during the school day as well as in the after school program. More than 2,000 students are a part of the Migrant Education Region 23 program. Historically, 98 percent of Migrant students from the Learning Facility in French Camp go on to college. SJCOE purchased 300 iPads to further support these students.
“Teacher Created Materials is excited and proud to work with the San Joaquin County Office of Education and Migrant Education Region 23 to provide high-quality interactive ebooks that will encourage students to read and even reread their favorite titles. We know that one of the key indicators of success for students is simply to read as much as possible and this partnership provides students with the opportunity for unlimited reading experiences. As an added bonus, because the books are electronic, we are also helping students become 21st century learners,” commented Hector Avalos, Regional Vice President for Huntington Beach-based Teacher Created Materials.
A student qualifies for the Migrant Education program if he or she has moved across State or school district lines within the previous three years with a parent or guardian seeking temporary or seasonal employment in an agricultural, fishing, or food processing industry. The federal Office of Migrant Education (O.M.E.) establishes the eligibility guidelines.
The federal government established and funded the Migrant Education program as Part C of the Title 1 Act of 1965. Migrant Education, Region 23 was established in San Joaquin County in 1999 when Region 23 was divided into two regions. Migrant Education federal funds are to be used to provide supplemental services over and above what a school district gives to all its students.
