Remote Recruiting Protocol

Migrant Education Program (MEP) in-person interviewee signatures for Certificates of Eligibility (COE) may be waived for reasons of safety and practicality. To exercise the COE signature flexibility, MEP subgrantees are to follow the instructions below:

1. Data privacy and security must be maintained. All personally identifiable information (PII) must be handled and secured according to local and state data privacy policies.
2. A video interview is strongly preferred over a phone interview whenever the interviewee’s access to and knowledge of technology permits.
3. The case must fall under the safety or practical considerations categories and align with at least one of the examples listed in the Examples of Appropriate Safety and Practical Considerations table (also referred to as the Examples table).
   Note: If a safety or practical consideration example is not included in the Examples table, it must be discussed with the local leadership and approved by the California Department of Education Migrant Education Office via submission to the state’s Identification and Recruitment help desk (iandrsupport@wested.org). The Examples of Appropriate Safety and Practical Considerations table will be updated as additional information is gathered from MEP subgrantees.
4. Recruiters must write See XII in the interviewee’s signature boxes in Sections IX and X of the COE. This can be done with a stylus pen, mouse, or other method normally used.
5. Recruiters must select and add the appropriate verbal authorization statement verbatim in Section XII of the COE from the “Verbal Authorization Statements for Section XII” list at the end of this document.
   Note: Pertinent and adequate notes as to the reason for collecting a remote signature must be included in the Interview Framework.
   Note: To ensure that quality control standards remain intact during remote COE interviews, Recruiters must be especially careful to complete the required quality assurance checks below:

• complete an Interview Framework during each remote interview to determine the eligibility of children and youths before completing a COE.
• ensure that all established MEP child eligibility requirements are met (including confirming that the families or youths are physically residing in the locality at the time of the COE interview).
• review the information recorded on the COE with the interviewee and obtain confirmation of its completeness and accuracy before requesting their verbal authorization.
• clearly explain the statements in Sections IX and X and confirm that the interviewee understood them.
• include the “Interviewer” (i.e., Recruiter) signature in Section XI of the COE, as normally required.

6. To maintain the usual high standards for COE review, the Designated state educational agency (SEA) Reviewers must:

• conduct a thorough review of all COE completed under the remote signature flexibility.
• establish and follow local procedures to help you confirm that the reason for leveraging the remote signature flexibility complies with the safety or practical considerations categories and aligns with at least one of the examples listed in the Examples of Appropriate Safety and Practical Considerations table (e.g., obtaining additional information from recruiters for specific consideration categories or examples; spot checking selected remote recruitment COEs; reviewing interview frameworks for all or certain remote recruitment COEs).
• include the “Designated SEA Reviewer” signature in Section XI as it is normally required to certify the eligibility recorded on the COE.
• ensure that both recruiter and reviewer followed all steps described in the Remote Recruitment Protocol at the time of the COE creation and processing.

Verbal Authorization Statements for Section XII

Recruiters must write See XII in the interviewee’s signature boxes in Sections IX and X of the COE and select and add the appropriate verbal authorization statement verbatim in Section XII of the COE from the list below.

• In accordance with the current state Remote Recruiting Protocol, verbal authorization was obtained from the interviewee in lieu of Section IX and X signatures because of safety considerations – adverse weather condition.
• In accordance with the current state Remote Recruiting Protocol, verbal authorization was obtained from the interviewee in lieu of Section IX and X signatures because of safety considerations – unsafe location.
• In accordance with the current state Remote Recruiting Protocol, verbal authorization was obtained from the interviewee in lieu of Section IX and X signatures because of safety considerations – shelter-in-place order.
• In accordance with the current state Remote Recruiting Protocol, verbal authorization was obtained from the interviewee in lieu of Section IX and X signatures because of safety considerations – medical/health concern.
• In accordance with the current state Remote Recruiting Protocol, verbal authorization was obtained from the interviewee in lieu of Section IX and X signatures because of practical considerations – irreconcilable scheduling conflict.
• In accordance with the current state Remote Recruiting Protocol, verbal authorization was obtained from the interviewee in lieu of Section IX and X signatures because of practical considerations – special transportation/travel challenge.
• In accordance with the current state Remote Recruiting Protocol, verbal authorization was obtained from the interviewee in lieu of Section IX and X signatures because of practical considerations – excessive cost.
• In accordance with the current state Remote Recruiting Protocol, verbal authorization was obtained from the interviewee in lieu of Section IX and X signatures because of practical considerations – other unusual logistical challenge.

Note: Pertinent and adequate notes that support the reason for collecting a remote signature must be included in the Interview Framework.

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