Migrant Education Data at a Glance

What is MSIN?

  • MSIN stands for Migrant Student Information Network.
  • Initially, it was a federated system of 300+ local apps used to track and manage migrant students.
  • Its core function was to assign Migrant Student Data Numbers (MSD) and collect data required for Title I, Part C (Migrant Education Program - MEP).
  • In 2015, WestEd developed a centralized web version (MSIN v6) to improve data quality, reporting, and monitoring.
  • It is now a CDE-authorized data system for identifying and tracking children of migrant farm workers.

What Does MSIN Do?

  • Collects interview, demographic, enrollment, and qualification data (e.g., family info, move history, type of agricultural work).
  • Allows form approval for student program entry.
  • Tracks longitudinal data from birth to age 22.
  • Supports ID merging/splitting to handle duplicates and corrections.

Student Enrollment & Site Tracking

  • Children may be enrolled in a wide range of sites: public/private K-12, preschool, child care, homeschool, or program sites.
  • Uses CDE’s CDS codes where applicable but also has a custom schema for unmatched sites.
  • Schema includes County-District codes and unique MSIN site codes for accurate placement and tracking.

SSID and Federal Reporting Alignment

  • MSIN assigns MSDs, but also connects to SSIDs (CALPADS identifiers) for K-12 students.
  • This match ensures federal reporting compliance, after a finding revealed CDE wasn’t using the authoritative source (MSIN) for MEP reporting.
  • WestEd performs probabilistic matching and human adjudication using CALPADS data via the Student Search API.
  • Currently, ADAD uses MSIN-verified matches; AMARD still relies on CALPADS, which is not the authoritative source.

Matching Process

  • Matching children to SSIDs is done by:

  • MEP field coordinators working with LEAs

  • CALPADS searches by MEP coordinators
  • WestEd & AMARD list exchanges
  • Student Search API queries in MSIN
  • Probabilistic matching + human review

The steps below provide an overview of the MSIN Data Transfer Process:

  1. The WestEd generates the MSIN data files every Wednesday. The data is processed following steps:

  2. Validating file names and identifying the correct dataset (DeletedCOE, MEPStudent, or RetiredMSD) based on naming conventions.

  3. Transferring files to the CALPADS for staging.

  4. Importing data into CALPADS tables (DeletedCOE, MEPStudent, RetiredMSD).

  5. The CDE matches the MSIN data with CALPADS data in a separate physical database with its own distinct security. Access to this data will not be allowed by any CALPADS user interface and will not be accessed by any CALPADS user through the existing CALPADS user interface.

  6. Once the transfer process is completed, the MSIN data are transmitted and stored in various CALPADS tables, which reside within the CALPADS environment. This table will be used to provide migrant eligible related data on reports to local educational agency (LEA) CALPADS users with the appropriate security roles.

Intent of CALPADS_MEP Database*

  • Driven by federal findings, CDE aims to:

  • Use MSIN as the authoritative source for MEP child identification.

  • Align federal, state, and local reporting.
  • Address challenges LEAs face in correctly submitting MEP data to CALPADS.

  • Submit limited, verified SSID data weekly to CDE from MSIN to:

  • Maintain longitudinal MEP records

  • Manage transactional updates (e.g., deletions, eligibility ends)

Future State

  • CALPADS remains authoritative for:

  • Enrollment

  • Other programs
  • ELAS
  • SPED

  • MSIN-derived data will:

  • Power MEP student lists returned to LEAs

  • Replace existing MEP records in CALPADS for use in:

    • FRPM
    • LCFF
    • EDFacts
    • Other reporting systems