U.S. - Mexico Binational Commission: Working Group on Education Background Report

Released by the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Washington, DC
November 12, 2003

With the signing of the U.S.-Mexico Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Education signed in August 1990, the Education Working Group was formed. Since its creation the two countries have worked together closely in educational cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The seventh Annex to the MOU was signed on November 25, 2002 in Mexico City.

During this year’s Binational Commission (BNC), the Education Working Group expressed its great satisfaction with the level of continued cooperation between Mexico and the United States in the field of education. In their opening remarks, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige and Mexican Secretary of Public Education Reyes Tamez emphasized the long history of bilateral cooperation. Both Secretaries expressed great interest in continuing and strengthening this cooperation.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Migrant Education – Both the Mexican Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) continue to expand cooperation as outlined in the Binational Migrant Education Strategic Plan, including information dissemination and teacher exchange. Ongoing activities include the distribution and use of the migrant student transfer document, and Mexico’s donation of free textbooks to U.S. schools. A new MOU between SEP and the state of Utah was signed September 15. Representatives from both countries participated in the National Association of State Migrant Education Directors.
  
• Bilingual Education – Representatives from both countries participated in a number of relevant conferences in the United States, including those of the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) and the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE). ED continues to work with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to explore the issue of visas for Mexican teachers wishing to teach in U.S. dual language programs in public schools.
  
• Adult Education – Mexico’s Community Plazas (adult education centers) continue to significantly contribute to the level of quality in educational services for adult migrant students in the United States. Presently, there are 46 Plazas in operation in the United States. The Plazas have served 8,000 youth and adults issued 235 basic education and 84 secondary education certificates. In addition, Secondary School-Level Distance Education Program for Adults (SEA) provided services in 2002-2003 through technical assistance sites in Illinois and Missouri, serving more than 180 students and issuing 18 secondary school certificates to Mexicans in those states
  
• Higher Education – Cooperation (involving Canada also) continues to promote student and faculty exchange, joint curriculum development, and information exchange. This cooperation is currently carried out under the Program to Promote Quality and Mobility; the North American Studies Program; and the EL NET Program. Since 1964, more than 1,000 U.S. teachers, undergraduate and graduate students and faculty members have participated in research and training projects funded under the Fulbright-Hays program. In fiscal year 2003, 102 U.S. educators and students were supported. The North American Program for Higher Education Mobility has funded 70 trilateral consortia, involving 400 institutions, since 1995. Also, significant cooperation continues to take place between U.S. community colleges and Mexican technical universities.
  
• Mexico-U.S. Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange – COMEXUS continued its English Teacher Exchanges while adding two new programs in 2003: “Summer English Workshops in the United States” and “School Connections.” These new programs have increased the impact of collaboration between COMEXUS and SEP in improving English language instruction in Mexican schools.
  
• English Language Acquisition – Both countries continue to cooperate in the development of teacher exchanges, professional development for teachers, distance learning programs, and the sharing of educational materials and best practices. SEP and the U.S. Embassy established a resource center for English teachers in Mexico, which trained 21 teachers during this period.
  
• Civics Education – ED is providing support for the “Civitas Latin America: A Civic Education Exchange Program," under a five-year award to the Center for Civic Education. This civic education exchange program includes exchanges for secondary school students in border states to engage in a curricular program designed to promote the development of competent and responsible citizenship and mutual understanding.
  
• Educational Technology – As part of the educational services offered by the SEP to Mexicans living in the United States, the Latin American Institute for Educational Communication (ILCE) and the Office of Educational Television carried out a number of activities to promote the educational satellite network, EDUSAT, as well as bilingual and migrant education programs.
  
• Special Education – ED and Mexican state and federal officials continued to strengthen collaboration. This has included the participation of special education specialists from both countries in various forums, and the dissemination of materials and publications.
  
• Hispanic Outreach – The White House Initiative on Excellence for Hispanic Americans has continued to gather and disseminate information to engage more sectors of society in improving education for Hispanics.

• Educational Technology – SEP, ILCE, ED will continue to work closely on issues such as technology training for teachers, digital content development, and policy and planning.
  
• Science Education – SEP expressed interest in working with ED to increase cooperation between the U.S.-Mexico Foundation and Mexico’s Innovation in Science Education (INNOVEC) in order to obtain training, materials, and technical assistance in the area of science education, and to expand effective practices and curricula to more Mexican states.
  
• Education and Cultural Exchanges (Visas) – SEP and ED plan to initiate a dialogue, in collaboration with other appropriate government agencies, on visas for Mexicans participating in educational and cultural exchange programs.
  
• English Language Instruction – SEP expressed interest in exploring cooperation with regard to developing standards for, and the certification of, English language teachers in Mexico.
  
• Civic Education – It was proposed that ED and SEP collaborate in this area with a new initiative to incorporate exchanges between students in border states to participate in a program for promoting responsible citizenship, tolerance, and mutual understanding.
  
• Special Education – CIRRIE will seek to include additional information on Mexican research and practice to better facilitate interaction between rehabilitation researchers and professionals in both countries.
  
• Secondary Education – SEP expressed interest in incorporating the delivery of high school level coursework via distance education in the Binational Migrant Education Program.
  
• Higher Education – The Fulbright-Hays program is expected to support approximately 100 U.S. teachers, undergraduate and graduate students and faculty members in research and training projects in fiscal year 2004. The North American Program for Higher Education Mobility will fund 8 to 12 new awards each year in 2004-2006.