IMEC was established in 1983 to support migrant students by advocating that the federal governance of the program provide maximum flexibility to states to serve students and to recommend that specific programs be enhanced to improve migrant students’ academic achievement.

IMEC has maintained a close relationship with Congress.  Representative William Ford (D-MI) chaired IMEC from 1983 to 1994.  Representative William Goodling (R-PA) chaired IMEC from 1995 to 2000.

Two major national events were sponsored by IMEC in 1987 and 1997 to highlight the needs of migrant students.  The National Forum on At Risk Youth (1087) was chaired by then Governor Bill Clinton (D-AR).  The National Forum on Migrant Education (1997) was chaired by Representative Goodling.

IMEC also sponsored seminars on migrant students and special education services; coordination between Migrant Head Start and Migrant Education and access to post-secondary education for migrant students.

IMEC has been involved in every reauthorization of the education of migratory children since 1988 and virtually all of its recommendations have been enacted into law.

• Expansion of age eligibility for funding from age 5 to 3, 1988;
• Expansion of age eligibility for funding from age 17 to 21,  1994; 
• Stipulations in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)that migrant educators in SEAs and LEAs be involved in developing plans for use of federal funds,  2001;
• Support for disaggregating and reporting of migrant students’ assessment results, 1994, 2001;
• Since October 2003, IMEC has consistently opposed the non-regulatory guidance that required proving the “intent” of a worker in eligible employment;
• IMEC has also opposed efforts to limit eligibility of students by a very restrictive definition of temporary employment in guidance and regulations.

Since 2000 IMEC has held five national policy seminars on academic issues.  For each topic, IMEC brought together the best experts in the nation to focus the issues on the circumstances of migrant students and families.  After each seminar, a report was prepared and disseminated that included IMEC’s recommendations.

The reports are available on IMEC’s website.

The topics of the seminars and the reports are:

Family Literacy: IMEC Report – Family Literacy for Migrant Families”, 2000

Technology: “IMEC Report – Technology Anytime, Anyplace, Any Pace Learning”, 2001

Out-of-School Youth: “IMEC Report – Out-of-School Youth Proceedings Report”, 2002

Parent Involvement: “Research Related Strategies To Implement No Child Left Behind”, 2003

High School Redesign: “A Call For Action:  Migrant Students and The High School Redesign Movement”, 2007