Each year, NASDME sponsors the National Migrant Education Conference to provide an important, broad, and cutting-edge professional development opportunity to all who work in migrant education and others who provide services to and advocate for migrant children and their families. It is the largest migrant conference in the U.S. each year.

For the 2013 conference (the historic 45th sponsored by NASDME), NASDME is looking for high quality workshop proposals with strong substantive content that will enrich conference attendees and which will energize all who work on behalf of migrant children and families.

We are especially looking for educational strategies, models that have worked in implementing the program in all its aspects, and new, creative or innovative ideas to spark discussion and expand the approaches to the Migrant Education Program. To conduct those workshops, we are looking for well-informed, organized, well-prepared, and dynamic speakers.

The workshop presentations should focus on educational solutions which will ensure migrant children are given equal access to all educational resources. We welcome presentations regarding a wide variety of topics.

The enactment of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 presented educators of migrant children with additional challenges beyond those inherent in meeting the needs of children of mobile agricultural workers and fishers. How do educators ensure that migrant children receive full and appropriate opportunities to learn, meet state standards, and master challenging academic content? Additionally, how do migrant program service providers:

• Guarantee that migrant children are not penalized by state-to-state differences in standards and assessment?
• Address the needs of migrant children through joint planning?
• Integrate services and measurable program goals and outcomes?
• Provide family literacy services?
• Implement a high standard of parental involvement?
• Target funds and services to meet the special educational needs of migrant children?
• Ensure that Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program funds are used to supplement those from other programs, including Title I, Part A?

The National Association of State Directors of Migrant Education (NASDME) seeks educators, practitioners, administrators, advocates, parents, and others to provide training, share expertise, teach skills, and build professional capacity for carrying out the broad mission of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind Act by presenting workshops at the 2013 National Migrant Education Conference. We are looking for research-based and pragmatic, experience-based presentations that provide direct answers to common questions and concerns. We also welcome workshops on coping with the current state and local fiscal crises, as well as analysis and review of policies driving current law, and related matters.

Of course, we will also schedule traditional workshops addressing the continuing concerns of migrant educators, including:

We are recruiting presenters who can deliver the very best in professional development workshops and demonstrations of best practices for the expected 1,500 or more teachers, administrators, support staff, parents, and other attendees.

As we look at a changing educational landscape for all children, how will migrant students fit in? How will they benefit from the new ideas and educational innovation? How can we be sure they benefit from new initiatives? How will migrant students be helped or hurt by the Common Core standards? How can we be sure they are not hurt disproportionally by budget cuts?

1. CLEAR STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVE(S): The expected outcome(s) should be explicitly stated -- to the greatest practical extent, they should be measurable.

2. ABSTRACT (Not a presentation outline): The description of the presentation provided on the proposal form must be fully and logically developed. It must be in narrative form and not be an outline. It should summarize expected outcomes of the session, and refer to presentation techniques. The abstract must be at least 75 and no more than 150 words in length, and should provide an accurate description of the presentation. The abstract should be clearly written in the LANGUAGE (English or Spanish) it will be presented in (with correct spelling, grammar, and construction) and complete so it can be published "as is" in the conference program. If the presentation is in Spanish, the title and description must be in Spanish. If the presentation is in both English and Spanish, the title and description must be in both languages.

3. RELEVANCE: The proposal and presentation should be consistent with the topic areas outlined on the presentation proposal form. The title, objectives and content should be clearly and logically aligned. Please check all topic areas listed on the accompanying proposal form that are to be discussed.

4. OTHER EXPECTATIONS: As stated above, all presenters are expected to have handouts for distribution to participants and should be prepared to distribute up to 100 sets. Presentations delivered in Spanish must provide handouts in Spanish. Additionally, all presenters must be willing to present at any time during the Conference as scheduled by the Program Committee. (Workshops will be scheduled Monday, April 29; Tuesday, April 30; and the morning of Wednesday, May 1, 2013.)

• We very strongly prefer that proposals be sent online, but welcome proposals by mail where that is not possible.
• Proposals must be received no later than Friday, December 14, 2012. in order to allow sufficient time to review the proposals and provide timely notification of workshop approval.
• To ensure consideration for inclusion in the program, please complete the entire proposal. Incomplete proposals will NOT be reviewed.
• Please do not call NASDME or the Conference Management Office regarding the status of your proposal. You will be informed in February 2013 of your status.