Frequently Asked Questions About the Migrant Education Resource Center

What is the MERC?

The Migrant Education Resource Center (MERC) is operated through a contract of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Migrant Education with the Center for Human Services of Bethesda, MD. The MERC:

• Provides State migrant education programs with expert technical assistance and support of migrant child identification and recruitment (ID&R) activities.
• Facilitates a peer-to-peer network to improve the knowledge and skills of migrant educators on migrant education program (MEP)-specific requirements.
• Maintains a Web-enabled library that will allow State and local migrant educators to electronically share MEP documents and products.

MERC's toll-free telephone number is (888) 300–2404.

What can the MERC Web site do for me?

The MERC Web site provides migrant educators with resources and information in which to create a community of practitioners to assist with the tasks of program administration and implementation. You can find help through a variety of tools.

What is the document library?

The document library includes administrative documents focusing on topics such as comprehensive needs assessment, service delivery objectives, identification and recruitment, project administration, student assessment, program evaluation, parent advisory councils, and management information systems; resources and directory information; and training materials and program-produced strategies for: instructional and supportive services for migrant children from early childhood education through high school graduation, interstate and intrastate program coordination, innovative uses of educational technology, and parental involvement materials.

What is contained on the resource map?

The resource map provides links to migrant education programs (MEPs) as administered through the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Migrant Education and includes State MEPs, High School Equivalency Program (HEP) grantees, College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) grantees, and Migrant Even Start Program (MEES) grantees.

What is the message board?

The message board is a place where all those working to identify and educate migrant students can learn from each other, discuss important topics, and share their knowledge and experience.

What is included on the event calendar?

The events lists events from State education agencies, local education agencies operating a migrant education program, other public or nonprofit agencies operating a migrant education program, and associations, organizations, or groups (i.e., a PAC) representing State or local migrant education programs.

What are resources?

Resources are links to Web servers of organizations outside MERC that provide information judged to be clearly central, essential, and indispensable to the implementation of MERC.

What is the live news feed?

The Live News Feed lists the most recent press releases about migrant education from across the Nation and North America.

For whom is the MERC Web site developed?

The MERC Web site was developed for the Office of Migrant Education as a way to deliver technical assistance to the State migrant education programs. The audience for the Web site includes all those individuals engaged in migrant programming at the State and local level or any nonprofit organization operating with migrant education funds.

How do I use the MERC Web site?

The MERC Web portal is most easily navigated through the main sections listed at the top of the homepage. Each section provides different forms of technical assistance and can be accessed by clicking on the navigation bar at the top of any page. Each page provides the opportunity to e-mail the page, bookmark the page, and receive e-mail updates on the page. Users also can link their own sites to MERC or sign up for News Feeds from the MERC Web portal. This site is user friendly in design and constructed to provide information quickly. If you have suggestions or questions on how to use this technical assistance tool, please contact mcolon@urc-chs.com.

How can I submit documents and events to the MERC Web site?

Documents and events can be submitted by navigating to the Document Library or Events Calendar page in the Web site and by clicking on the link to submit.

How do I register?

On every page in the navigation bar to the left of the page content is a place to log in. If you have not registered with the site, you can select “Register now” to register and select login information.

If I am a State director, how do I gain access to the State director's section of the Web site?

Click on the State Directors tab at the top of the site and follow the instructions to register.

Who oversees the information on this site?

The site is maintained by the Center for Human Services through a contract with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Migrant Education.

What is the relationship between this Web site and the ED Web site?

The Web sites are linked and can be accessed from each other. However, the information contained herein does not necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Migrant Education and is not endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education.