According to the summary report, the Military Kids Now survey, conducted over several months in the spring of 2020, polled more than five thousand respondents—including military-connected students, parents from all branches of service, and an array of education professionals. Questions covered the academic, social, and emotional experiences of military-connected students.

Amanda and Stacy expressed the hope that the data in the survey, by validating and quantifying issues and challenges, will inspire and inform policymakers and organizations who have the power to make a difference. The authors talked about the survey results and answered questions about the needs and experiences of military-connected students.

Tools and Knowledge

Amanda: My hope is that support organizations and schools will look at these types of surveys and use them to train their faculty and their parents. It still surprises me when I speak to school districts and to parents who haven’t heard of the Interstate Compact. They know of the challenges and feel them on a personal level but don’t know their resources to ease the burden. I hope this survey will help the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, MCEC, Educate the Educator (and other support organizations) create a new platform to build awareness on every level.  These reports and policies should be discussed at every newcomer meeting for a base, at every out-processing before a PCS, and at every TAPs training before leaving the military. They should also be discussed in teacher preparation classes, professional development, and team meetings.

Stacy: Surveys like this one are like buoys, keeping these important issues visible and on the surface, continuing the conversation between parents and schools. With every piece of data curated by survey can bring us closer to real policy changes in the schools. I think the burden has been placed on military parents over the years, because it was our responsibility to take on schools every time we moved. Parents had to be the ones to keep a check on the process, to teach schools how to deal with our children’s transition needs, to plead our kids’ cases. I feel a shift, a change in the winds. I feel schools, once we get past the challenges of the pandemic, will see the value in being proactive versus reactive to the unique challenges of military-connected students.

Differing Perspectives

Amanda: The discrepancies between parents and educators responses about the top needs of students was very significant. For example, students, parents, and teachers differ in what they see as the top social and emotional concerns. Students and parents focused on the need for support and making friends, respectively, as their top two needs. Teachers placed these needs at three and four and listed dealing with parent deployment/reunion as the number one concern. I find this difference important because … a student should be met at their point of need, not what the teacher perceives as their top need. In Seasons of My Military Student, in both Season of Arriving and Season of Growing chapters, we focus on the student’s need to be accepted, the need to fit in, and the need to make friends. When these needs are met, then many of the other needs are also met as secondary benefits. A feeling of belonging meets the social/emotional needs as well as building a platform to help meet academic needs.

I was pleased to see agreement across the board on the top ten academic concerns. Each of the participant groups placed learning gaps as either the number one or two categories of concern. In Seasons of My Military Student, we include gaps in learning alongside the parallel frustration of overlaps in learning. These gaps and overlaps make it difficult for both students and educators, no matter when a student moves to a new school.  Over the years MIC3, MCEC, Educate the Educator, Common Core and various other programs have attempted to minimize the gap/overlap experience, but students and teachers still encounter the challenge on a regular basis.

“Surveys like this one are like buoys, keeping these important issues visible and on the surface, continuing the conversation between parents and schools.”

— Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman

Stacy: What stood out to me in this survey was how confident education professionals were in their own understanding, but how little parents felt they (educators and schools) actually understood the academic, social and emotional challenges related to their military-connected students. Obviously, there is a disconnect there for the parent-teacher team. I hope our book can serve as the missing piece, because we address the points of view of students, parents, and educators.

Also, there is a lack of understanding, implementing, and enforcing the Interstate Compact from both parent and professionals. The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission may need to step up to help schools understand the spirit of the compact if enforcement is not added. I think this survey can be helpful to all fifty commissioners.

Another concern I have is that COVID has brought on new challenges not covered in this survey. Gaps in learning that will be exaggerated by transition next year will be something to track, as well as military kids who are not adjusting after moving during the pandemic. For those who have no outreach from schools during the pandemic closures, social and emotional issues will be much more profound by the end of the school year. I hope there will be an effort to capture that data now so we know how much work needs to be done to “find” these kids that may get lost in the aftermath of the pandemic.

First-Hand View

Amanda: As an educator, I think seeing students’ needs described in their own words will help teachers be more aware of academic and social/emotional learning.

 “As an educator, I think seeing students’ needs described in their own words will help teachers be more aware of academic and social/emotional learning.”

— Amanda Trimillos

The survey reiterates that military-connected students are not looking for an advantage. They are looking for a level opportunity to succeed both academically and in extra-curricular activities. Often it feels that policy prevents advocates and decision makers from erring on the side of the child. When the policy dictates come first, the one who then suffers is the student. Rather than err on the side of policy, we should put more weight on the needs of the student.

The goal is to help families and educators and policy makers see that these experiences are not single-lived events. These challenges both academic and social/emotional are on-going. They are occurring in every military-connected student generation. They are impacting both new and veteran educators.

Stacy: This survey brings to light the ongoing challenges of supporting military-connected kids in school, not just the academics, but socially and emotionally. The remedy is to have simple, easy-to-understand professional development to help schools reach out. They can keep military families from falling between the cracks or constantly struggling through transition or deployments.

Read more:

• Jill Biden Joins MCEC for Military Student Survey Release
• Military Kids Now 2020 Survey Summary Report from MCEC
• Military Kids Seek Understanding, Level Playing Field, from Stars and Stripes

The post Survey Brings Attention to Experiences of Military Students appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Documenting a student’s progress during high school years looks a bit different for military-connected students than for their more stationery peers, says experienced military mom and financial coach Kate Horrell.

“If they’ve moved, they can’t count on their current high school or community to have records of their accomplishments, awards, and community involvement,” says Kate. “That makes it more important that students keep their own folder or binder tracking volunteer hours, awards, and letters of recommendation.”

Start Early

Planning ahead can avoid a mad scramble in the weeks before an application is due. Students and parents can begin as early as middle school to consider accomplishments and involvements that provide positive preparation for the future. The Education Binder is the ideal place to file certificates, school honors, letters of appreciation, and document volunteer work. When it’s time to fill out an application or build a student resume, the binder becomes a valuable reference.

“Most college applications ask for information from your high school years, so definitely start keeping track once you start high school,” Kate advises students.

As far as what to save and record, the more the better, she says. Records of honor societies, athletics, clubs, faith group involvement, and community, charity, and volunteer work can all be helpful.

“Better to have too much information and the luxury of choosing than to be scrambling to find things at the last minute,” says Kate.

Be Intentional

Starting early to document activities also allows students to be more intentional about their involvements and achievements throughout their high school years. Students can review the binder occasionally to evaluate whether their grades and activities match up with their career and education goals. Regular reviews can reveal ways the resume could be bolstered and remind the student of their accomplishments.

Reviewing the binder is a good activity in the Season of Thriving, encouraging students to set goals and determine what they will do to meet them. Military kids, particularly if they move during high school, may need to be more proactive to show a pattern of involvement and personal development for future applications.

“Some military kids struggle because it can be hard to break into sports teams and leadership positions, so that’s a definite challenge,” says Kate. “If you can’t find something at school, perhaps look to the community. Things like scouts are great, because they’re typically available almost anywhere, so you can build some continuity there. You also might consider volunteering at the food bank, or local hospital, or animal shelter.”

Another consideration for students in a military community is that educators and other adults might also move away. Either way, Kate advises being proactive about requesting letters of communication, rather than waiting until it’s time to fill out applications.

“It may be hard to track down a letter of recommendation from the person who supervised a camp where you volunteered last year if that person has moved,” she says. “Ask those adults for letters of recommendation just after the event, or the award. And keep in touch with them. You never know when that connection will come in handy. Maintain those relationships.”

Use the Resume

If a student needs letters of recommendation when they are new to a school or community, having a solid Education Binder is helpful here too. The student can make an appointment to discuss their request for a letter and provide the letter writer with the student’s resume with relevant accomplishments at previous schools. It’s probably not necessary to bring along the whole Education Binder, but the student can provide certificates or documents as needed.

“Create a resume highlighting key points and interesting facts to help recommenders,” says Kate. “Include educational, community, and personal information, especially if it is unique or explains oddities in a student’s official record. Maybe your child moved from an international school to a standard US high school, and their transcript looks wonky, or they took a bunch of freshman classes their senior year to meet their new school’s graduation requirements. Make it an asset—this is a flexible kid—instead of a liability that they took freshman classes as a senior.”

Emphasize the Positive

Kate also suggests drawing on the experiences of military life when crafting essays for college applications. Military students may need some help to realize the way they grew up is unique, because it was simply normal life to them. Parents and educators can help students see what is unique about their experiences and offer positive perspectives.

The challenges of military life often have a positive flip side, offering opportunities for growth and learning. Some of those lessons are difficult to capture in the Education Binder, but an ongoing record of a student’s education provides a solid foundation for telling the unique story of life as a military-connected student.

Kate Horrell is an expert in military family finances, a military spouse and mother of two. She blogs at katehorrell.com and is also a contributor to the Paycheck Chronicles on Military.com.

Read More:

• Creating an Education Binder
• Student Resume: Collecting Skills and Materials
• Proactive Communication for Students in Every Season
• Advice from Kate Horrell on college finances and using the GI Bill

The post Power of Education Binder Goes Beyond Graduation appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Season of Leaving

• Taking any pandemic-related restrictions and limitations into account, include all the same key steps when making an Exit Plan.
• When gathering documents for the Education Binder, request or create electronic copies for easy sharing, including teacher-to-teacher letters.
• Take time to say goodbye. Make video calls, write letters, make goodbye cards or gifts for special friends and teachers.

Season of Arriving

• To establish the student-advocacy team when new students and parents can’t meet with teachers in person, introduce a student by email: Include any information normally shared in an initial meeting: how the student is handling the move, learning style, educational needs, concerns.
• Teachers and parents can follow up with phone calls to ask questions and share more complete information.
• When it’s not possible to share the physical Education Binder, share electronic versions of essential pages by email. Parents can let teachers know they have a complete record of the student and can provide more information as needed.

Season of Growing, Season of Thriving

• To establish a growing and thriving student, whether classes are in-person or online, it’s important to assess whether any struggles are caused by gaps and overlaps in curriculum, the student’s personal adjustment, or academic ability. This assessment can be complicated if the student is having trouble with virtual learning or having trouble making friends because of social distancing.
• In any learning environment, students should be encouraged to set academic and personal goals and to advocate for themselves in age-appropriate ways.

Storms

Storms of military life, deployment, combat injury, and loss, can occur in any season or any learning environment, and having a strong student-advocacy team is essential.

• Effective communication between parents and educators helps coordinate support for the student.
• Bring in additional members to the student-advocacy team as needed.

When in-person contact is limited or in virtual school situations, strategies can be adapted for any season or storm. Additionally, the provisions of the The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children are still in effect for military-connected students. For up-to date information about COVID-related changes in public and Department of Defense Education Activity schools, the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission,  provides regular updates at MIC3.net.

In changing school environments, the Seasons of Transition^TM are still a way of life for military-connected students and their families. Having an effective and adaptable game plan will make the best of any season.

Adapted from Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers by Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman.

More about transitions in the COVID environment:

• Stormy Season of Leaving: PCSing During the Pandemic
• Back to School: Supporting Teachers Strengthens the Team
• Superintendent Emphasizes Support for Teachers, Students, Parents

The post Game Plan: Adapting Strategies for Every Season appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Resume-writing is a skill young adults often encounter for the first time when applying for college, scholarships, or perhaps their first jobs. Military-connected students can benefit from learning this skill much earlier, creating resumes as way to record and track their volunteer work, leadership roles, and other involvement in and out of the classroom.

When a student moves to a new school, the student resume becomes a platform to introduce the student to clubs, teams, and other activities the student hopes to join. A resume can also help military-connected students find networks at a new school, discovering others with similar interests.

My daughter started her student resume in fourth grade, as a fun way to document and remember all the activities and accomplishments at all the schools she attended as a military child. In middle school, she wondered if her record would stand up to other, less mobile applicants. Putting everything on one page on a student resume consolidated her experiences into a cohesive whole.

When a student moves to a new school, the student resume becomes a platform to introduce the student to clubs, teams, and other activities the student hopes to join.

In seventh grade, she used her resume for two distinct purposes. First, she applied for an International Leadership Training Seminar, submitting her application and her resume, listing her two years leading buddy programs and other extensive volunteer work. Second, she used her resume to apply to be in her school’s robotics class. In her student-written resume, she listed her three years of robotics at another school and her time as the team captain from a church-sponsored robotics team.

As a high school teacher, I encourage my students’ resume-writing skills by having them first create resumes for literary characters. Then the students are ready to build their own resumes and take them to interviews at their school’s college or career fair.

Student resumes become especially important for students who move mid-year. I think of the resume as a one-page Education Binder, because the resume holds some of the same information in an abbreviated form.

The Education Binder holds extensive information about a student, personal documentation, test scores, work samples, and other data. The student resume is an account of accomplishments, awards, and experience documented in a single page. While the teachers and school counselor review a new student’s Education Binder for class placement and academic support or enrichment, the resume can become a kick-starter for acceptance into clubs, sports, and specialized activities.

The resume can’t replace tryouts or activity applications but bolsters an application. Military-connected students can use their resume to introduce themselves to club advisors, coaches, and extra-curricular teachers. The resume may also be used for students who move mid-year joining a school outside the window for team and class selections.

The resume will look different for all grade levels and will grow as the student matures. All resumes should include:

Academics

This could include an overall grade-point average or might focus on class grades for a particular subject where the student is strong. This section can also list awards such as the honor roll, reading awards, and recognition for effort, achievement, and citizenship.

Leadership

Leadership roles take many forms and are not limited to class president or team captain. Some students may not think of themselves as leaders, but parents and teachers can help students recognize all the opportunities the student is afforded. Consider leadership roles outside of school, such as church youth or scouts.

Volunteer and Work

This category shows the character of the student as well as demonstrating skills. Many helping activities provide work experience: serving at a community picnic or holiday meal for single service members. Include typical jobs like babysitting, mowing lawns, or pet sitting, cleaning up after church services, or cleaning microwaves in the school lunch room.

Group Involvement

Military moves may curtail a student’s longevity in a particular club, team, or sport. Listing all a student’s group involvements on a resume shows continuity in spite of moves. For example, a student’s resume shows that she played a team sport for three years. Perhaps it was a different team, a different sport, and a different school each year, but the resume indicates continuity and dedication. The possibilities for group involvement are endless, depending on where a student is stationed. List any groups a student participates at school, church, or in the community.

Objectives

Either at the top or the bottom of the resume, a student should include what activities he hopes to continue at a new school or what new activities he would like to try. Military-connected students bring a breadth of experience and energy to a new school.

A student’s resume should grow and mature with the student; regular updates are a good idea in any season, even when the student isn’t moving. The Season of Thriving, when a student is well-established and growing, is an excellent time to consider additions to the resume. Year by year, activities from elementary school will be replaced by middle and high school adventures and accomplishments. Well before high school graduation, the student will have gained plenty of experience and material to create a solid resume.

Amanda Trimillos, EdD, is the coauthor with Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers. Amanda is a teacher, a military spouse, and mother of four military-connected students.

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Moving can be a difficult time for any military family. We say goodbye to our friends, our neighbors, our routines, and our support system.  But for high school students, changing schools because of a military move—or permanent change of station (PCS)—could mean saying goodbye to much, much more. A move in high school can put students at risk for repeating courses and losing credits, resulting in delayed graduation, which in turn can affect college acceptance.

But help is available. The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children has a lot to say about allowing military-connected students to graduate on time! Knowing the provisions of the Interstate Compact and how to use those provisions can lessen the negative impact of a move during high school. Parents and educators need to know the Interstate Compact and the solutions it offers, as well as take some proactive measures.

Repeating Classes

Challenge: Each state has graduation requirements that may only be able to be met in that state, for example a state history requirement. Students PCSing in their junior or senior year have probably met this requirement in the sending school but have not taken the state history for the state they will graduate. Repeating courses like these could delay graduation.

Provisions: The Interstate Compact, Chapter 400, covers graduation requirements. Provisions in the compact allow schools to waive graduation requirements if those same requirements were met at a previous school. This means a student should not be required to take a class in state history in more than one state when moving to a new state on military orders. According to the compact, if a waiver cannot be granted, the school has the responsibility to provide alternative options to ensure the student will graduate on time.

Testing Requirements

Challenge: Just as states set their own mandatory courses, they also have their own system of testing required for graduation. States might call these exit exams or standards of learning, or they might use national achievement tests as a graduation requirement. Many times, military-connected students take various equivalent tests at each high school they attend.

Provisions: The Interstate Compact, Chapter 400 on graduation requirements, also allows schools to accept tests taken and passed at a previous high school in lieu of those required by a receiving school. If the student has passed the exit exam requirement in one state, the requirement should also be valid at subsequent schools. If the student was not required to take a state exam but took a national assessment exam, the school might be able to accept the national exam to fulfill the testing requirement. Students and parents should discuss these possibilities with school counselors and administrators, and carry a copy of the Interstate Compact.

Credit transfers

Challenge: Military-connected students often find some classes on their transcripts do not transfer to a new school, because of varying course descriptions. Courses in each school may be similar, but the titles and descriptions vary and may not offer enough information about class content. When course titles and learning objectives are unclear, core classes a student has taken may transfer as electives, and the student may have to retake a core class, if the receiving school can’t determine the class content and whether it meets their requirement.

Provisions: Interstate Compact Chapter 500 covers placement and attendance, and helps keep students from repeating courses so they can graduate. While the Interstate Compact does offer some help, students and parents should also be proactive.

<A high school student’s Education Binder should include course descriptions, lists of textbooks, and course standards taught. The sending school or teacher can provide this information. These will help the receiving school determine course content, align the course descriptions with their own, and determine how to give credit.

Specialized Courses

Challenge: Not all schools offer equivalent classes.  These classes often come in the form of higher-level math, language, or specialized courses only offered in specific schools across the nation.  This challenge is often seen when a student needs multiple years of the same language for either graduation or college applications, but the new school does not offer the same language options.

Provisions:. The Interstate Compact, Chapter 500 on placement and attendance, also helps with this challenge. According to the compact, the receiving school may allow the student to attend similar educational courses in other schools if the courses are not offered at the new school.

Parents and students may also explore:

<Local dual enrollment options that allow a student to college-level courses while in high school.

<Online courses that allow the student to take courses not available at their brick-and-mortar school. For example, Department of Defense Education Activity Virtual High School. Students eligible to attend DODEA schools are also eligible for this online school, including students who started their courses in a DoDEA school but cannot complete them in their new location.

Challenge: Students may transfer into a new school and not be able or eligible to continue in their honors, advanced placement, gifted, special education, or support classes.  The receiving school may not offer the same courses for the grade level or may require prerequisites to enter into a program.  Required teacher evaluations and recommendations vary, and may delay or deny a student’s enrollment in special courses.

Provisions: The Interstate Compact, Chapter 500 on placement and attendance, helps with this too. The compact states that incoming students are to be enrolled in the same level of classes as those at a sending school. Receiving states or districts do have the right to retest students to ensure proper placement, but according to the compact, students are to be first to be enrolled in equivalent level class and then moved if needed after testing takes place. This keeps eligible students from missing valuable instruction time while waiting for testing.

Many frustrations and challenges come hand-in-hand with a PCS during the high school years.  While declining orders or choosing a geo-bachelor solution may be an option, the compacts protections and provisions can help the students as they move with their families.

The first step is to read and re-read the Intestate Compact. Know the solutions it mandates, the solutions it suggests, and what solutions it doesn’t address. Start the conversation with a new school as early as possible to make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone.

Amanda Trimillos, EdD, helps education colleagues integrate military-connected students into the classroom.  She is a military spouse, mother, National Board-Certified Teacher, and the coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

• Power of the Education Binder Goes Beyond Graduation
• Student Resume: Collecting Skills and Materials

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In meet-the-teacher sessions at new schools with my children, time and time again I heard teachers use the term “proactive communication.” Teachers offer parents several ways to communicate – email addresses, phone numbers, and notation areas in student agendas. They emphasize the importance of proactive communication with all parents.

But, sometimes as parents, we aren’t one hundred percent sure when to use proactive parental communication and when to encourage our kids to advocate for themselves. This uncertainty is compounded for parents of military-connected families when deployments and PCS orders throw extra challenges in our kid’s lives. Both parent- and student-initiated proactive communication are necessary. Parent, teacher, and student are all part of the student-advocacy team and must communicate effectively.

As a teacher, the most common question I am asked is “When should parents reach out to a teacher?” Should they immediately call when they see a potential challenge, or should they wait to see how their student handles the situation first? The answer lies both in the age and maturity of the student as well as the severity of the situation. Parents of elementary and middle school students typically use proactive communication more often than parents of high school students.

Sometimes as parents, we aren’t one hundred percent sure when to use proactive communication and when to encourage our kids to advocate for themselves.

For military-connected students of all ages though, a parent’s best indicator on how to answer the proactive communication question is the student’s placement in the Season of Transition^TM.  In each season it is good to encourage students of all ages to use student-initiated communication, but often proactive communication from parents is critical to how quickly the student progresses to the Season of Thriving.

Season of Leaving

The Season of Leaving calls for both proactive communication by the parent and student. When parents are ready to disclose that PCS orders are here, it is time to reach out to the teacher to ensure he knows of the upcoming move. This can be done via the student or the parent so long as communication is also open between parent and teacher. Be open both about social and academic concerns.

“What skills do we need to focus on to be sure my daughter is ready for a new school?”

“We are living in a hotel with no quiet place to do homework.”

Talk about ways to help the student say goodbye in healthy ways. Work together to prepare the student for the new school and new curriculum expectations. Request the teacher write a teacher-to-teacher letter for use at the new school. Discuss with the student how to help him finish his time at this school feeling successful and confident for a new school location.

Season of Arriving

In the Season of Arriving, proactive communication from parents is particularly essential. In this season a parent should connect with the teacher before the student’s first day at a new school and again at the two-week point. At registration, parents should give the school the student’s Education Binder, which includes the teacher-to-teacher letter, information about past schools, experiences, accomplishments, and challenges. Schedule a short conference for the second week of school to introduce to discuss any class placement challenges or integration with peers. Being respectful of the child’s personality, try phrasing challenges into positive discussions.

“My daughter had a strong group friends and was active in clubs at our last school, what is the best way for her to become active here at this school?”

“My son is repeating classwork here. Will the curriculum move to a new skill soon or is there a better fit for his needs?”

In the conference, set a plan and timeline of when the school anticipates the student should feel fully integrated with friends and the classwork. Discuss ways the school encourages all students to approach teachers on especially challenging days; and set the student up for productive conversations with teachers.

Season of Growing

The Season of Growing calls for both proactive parent- and student-initiated communication. By the time a student reaches the Season of Growing, teachers and classmates may forget the military-connected student is still new. A buddy program that helped the student in the Season of Arriving is ending, and the student is on his own to navigate his school experience, to connect with friends and with learning.

The goal of the student-advocacy team is to encourage students to work toward self-advocacy, and to help them use student-initiated communication successfully. In this case a parent can use proactive communication with the student, encouraging and helping him or her to seek solutions. Teachers can also present ways students can reach out to teachers on especially challenging days and set the student up for productive conversations.

The goal of the student-advocacy team is to encourage students to work toward self-advocacy, and to help them use student-initiated communication successfully.

If your daughter’s classes are too far apart, and she’s having trouble getting to classes on time, encourage her to speak to her teachers to set a plan for success.

If your straight-A-student son is coming home with D’s and C’s, encourage him to speak to the teacher about tutoring programs.

Parents should be prepared to step in with proactive communications to be sure the student receives the help he needs and not wait for a challenge to create lasting consequences. In this season, it is still vital for parents and teachers, as well as students, to partner on topics like gaps or overlaps in learning. Consider that perhaps this season is exactly why teachers give parents their contact information in the first week of school.

Season of Thriving

The Season of Thriving is prime time for student-initiated communication. In this season the student is fully integrated into her school, probably has one or more committed friends, and is adjusted to the curriculum. Feeling confident to approach teachers directly and participating in extra activities are good markers that the student has reached the Season of Thriving. Communication between parents and teachers occurs less often. Students are ready and able to use student-initiated communication.

“I was invited to apply for a student leadership camp, but first I have to talk to my teachers about missing five days of class.”

“I don’t understand the assignment. Can I come in after lunch for help?”

This does not mean that parents and teachers stop initiating communication. The partnership between teachers and parents continues, as does the work of the student-advocacy team. In every season, the team continues to support the student’s ability to initiate communication and advocate for themselves. Then parents and teachers can enjoy seeing the student grow in confidence and independence.

Amanda Trimillos, EdD, is a military spouse, mother, National Board-Certified Teacher, and the coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

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For military-connected students, the transition from middle school to high school can be compounded by a PCS move. Moving to a new community, loss of social support networks and unfamiliar academic expectations will be a heavy burden for budding teens. Planning for the transition is best way to prepare for the unknowns of a new high school.

Read more at Military Spouse magazine

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Moves for military families are usually associated with spring and summer months, a natural break in the school calendar. However, almost half of military transitions are midyear moves, often during the winter holidays. No matter what time of year a military-connected student changes schools, the Seasons of Transition^TM cycle is in effect: the Season of Leaving, Season of Arriving, Season of Growing, and Season of Thriving. For a wintertime move, the anticipation that initiates the Season of Leaving may begin in August or September. This means a student could begin the school year with visions of moving trucks dancing in her head.

In a midyear move, students face challenges such as making friends in an established classroom and starting school work in midstream. When the curricula of sending and receiving schools are different—as is often the case—students may face gaps or overlaps in learning. Receiving teachers meet these challenges by adjusting lesson plans, class activities, and seating to accommodate the student’s needs. For parents, moving at midyear means that, in addition to all the tasks and stresses of a move, they must get students enrolled and on track at a new school, without the buffer of a long school break.

Preparation and planning will make any move smoother. Here are some tools and tips for creating smooth transitions when a midyear move kicks off another cycle of the Seasons of Transition:

Exit plan

Because the student’s last day of class may not coincide with a break in the school calendar,  having an exit plan is especially helpful for a midyear move. The exit plan includes a checklist and timeline for all the events and tasks leading up to the student’s departure: project and test dates, deadlines for withdrawal procedures, and farewell parties or events. Making time to say goodbye to friends and teachers is important. As soon as a military family knows about a move, it’s a good time to meet with teachers to create this plan. The exit plan should take into account the student’s academic strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps the student would benefit from a packet of supplemental work or books to read during transition, if he will be out of school for more than a few days.

Education Binder

Created by parents and teachers, the Education Binder helps the receiving school integrate a new student quickly in the Season of Arriving, which is especially important in midyear moves, when classes are already in full swing. The binder supplements a student’s official transcript with detailed academic and personal information. The binder should include work samples, letters from teachers, awards, documents regarding special programs or needs, copies of report cards, and more. When parents and teachers meet to create the exit plan, they should also consider how to update the binder, adding teacher-to-teacher letters, a list of current textbooks, and samples of student’s latest work.

Withdrawal and enrollment

Preparing for a move at midyear means knowing a school’s policies on early withdrawal. Middle and high school students may risk losing credits if they are withdrawn from school before the semester ends or before crucial test dates. Departure dates may need to be adjusted if possible. Parents may also contact the receiving school—if known—to find out if there are special requirements or considerations for midyear enrollment. When the student arrives at the new school, parents introduce their student with the Education Binder. The material in the binder will inform the receiving school and teachers quickly and efficiently about the student’s history, personality, and capabilities.

Resources

Every military installation has a school liaison officer, or SLO, who can help with information about local school systems, services and programs. For midyear moves, the SLO is also a good point of contact for information about the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The compact provides accommodations for military students at public schools. It gives schools flexibility on some policies as applied to military students, particularly those related to enrollment, graduation, and program eligibility.

The bright side

A midyear move may be a fast and furious transition, but an up-tempo transition can be a good thing. There’s less time for the student to find new connections but also less time to worry about fitting in at a new school. Also, students who arrive at a new school in midyear get a bit more attention than those who start the first day of school. This offers a new student an opportunity to shine and get a little extra attention and not be lost in a crowd of new faces.

Whenever a military move happens, a healthy Season of Leaving and Season of Arriving set the student up for success in both the Season of Growing and Season of Thriving. For midyear moves, students, parents, and teachers can work together for a good transition with planning, preparation, and a positive outlook.

Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman is an Air Force spouse, writer, mother, and military child advocate. She is the coauthor with Amanda Trimillos of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

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In conversations between teachers of military-connected students, two issues come up repeatedly: gaps and overlaps. At one table in the teachers’ lounge, it might go like this:

“I have a new student who has already completed the unit we’re working on now. What do I do?”

Across the room at another table, the conversation could begin:

 “I have a new student who missed the lessons preparing for this unit. What do I do?”

New students enter our classrooms throughout the school year, even up to the final weeks. Very often, the student arrives with overlaps in learning or gaps in preparation. It’s not unusual for one student to have an overlap in one subject and a gap in another. These gaps and overlaps create a continuing challenge in helping the student succeed.

A student may be placed in the appropriate class for her learning level and still face a struggle caused by a gap or overlap.

Sweet sorrow and fractious fractions

As a high school English teacher, I found one particular couple at the heart of many curriculum overlaps: Romeo and Juliet. Invariably, my class would just be starting to read Romeo and Juliet when a new student would walk in the door having already read the play, written a paper, and passed the test with flying colors. This student has an overlap in education. He’s already completed the material and is about to study Shakespeare’s classic tragedy again.

On the other hand, sometimes a student has a gap. Consider the middle school teacher who has just completed a lesson on multiplying fractions in preparation for a unit on dividing fractions. A new student arrives in the classroom who has not yet learned to multiply fractions. This student has a gap in knowledge and skills. The new student isn’t at the same place as the class and won’t be ready to begin dividing fractions.

It takes a team

Gaps and overlaps are common challenges, though they are often overlooked or misunderstood. Some simple strategies can help the student-advocacy team work together to align the incoming student’s skills and knowledge with the expectations of the class curriculum.  Parents, teachers, and student should meet to evaluate gaps and overlaps that might be present in any subjects. Then, together they can build a plan to align the new student’s skills and knowledge with what the class is now learning.

Bridge the gap 

Help a student who has a gap between what he knows and what his new class is learning with proactive tactics.

• Modify assignments to meet the student’s needs, adjusting until the he is on track with peers.
• Encourage in-class peer tutoring or allow partner work as a support strategy.
• Register the student in Homework Club or tutoring support during lunch or after school.
• Offer teacher one-on-one tutoring to enable quick progression in skill development.

Overcome the overlap

Use purposeful action to integrate the student whose knowledge and skills overlap with what her new class is learning.

• Modify assignments to challenge the new student and other students who are ahead.
• Encourage deeper insights and critical thinking skills about the material.
• Place the student as a leader in team work or a tutor to struggling students.
• Encourage the student to watch for new insights or gaps, even in familiar material.

For either a gap or overlap, another possibility is for the student to switch to a class where the course of study matches the student’s level. The team should be sensitive, however, to moving the student and making him or her be “the new kid” just after settling into the classroom.

Personality plus

Any method the team chooses to address a gap or overlap should fit the personality of the student and classroom dynamics. For example, one new student might feel uncomfortable teaching a lesson in a new environment, though another might welcome the experience. While integrating the student’s learning, pay attention to social integration as well.

Overcoming the gap or overlap doesn’t end with creating a plan. Follow up is vital. The student-advocacy team should plan to follow up at intervals—one week, two weeks, three weeks, as needed—to discuss progress and continued interventions as needed.

A strong student-advocacy team and a solid plan to overcome the gaps and overlaps are pivotal to ensuring student success.

Amanda Trimillos, EdD, works closely with education colleagues to identify and overcome gaps and overlaps in student learning. She is a military spouse, mother, and National Board-Certified Teacher. She is coauthor of  Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers and wrote the essay “School Choices and Changes” in Stories Around the Table: Laughter, Wisdom, and Strength in Military Life

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Think of the Education Binder as a portable teachers’ lounge. One way teachers gain insights about incoming students is through informal conversations with other teachers. With frequent school changes, a military-connected student won’t always have the benefit of this kind of communication. Their past teachers are not available to chat over a cup of coffee.

The Education Binder replaces this function of the teachers’ lounge for a military-connected student. The binder tells the story of the student. It’s a place where teachers can receive useful background information about a student, including communication from past educators, information about multiple moves, insight into social habits, strengths, needed improvements, and even a bit about family dynamics.

The complete picture

Every new student comes with a transcript, but an official transcript can’t begin to describe the resiliency and unique life style of a military-connected student. Official transcripts record grades, but they tell very little about the student as a peer or a learner. An Education Binder completes the picture of the student and his or her past courses of study.

Soon after my son began classes at a new school, I scheduled a parent-teacher conference with his homeroom teacher. I dropped off his Education Binder with his lead teacher a full week ahead to give the teacher an opportunity to review it before our conference.

On the day of our conference, the teacher brought the Education Binder. She told me that based on the information in the binder, which included past curriculum, report cards, and work samples, that my son would probably need additional help in writing and possibly math.

The teacher knew from the information in the binder that although writing was important at his last school, it was not at the same course rigor as the new school district. She also recognized that my son’s previous school was on a different track for math. Based on a letter from my son’s previous teacher, the new teacher believed he would be a good candidate for the accelerated track.

There is little doubt the Education Binder shortened the getting-to-know-you time for my son and his teachers by several weeks, saving frustration, and changes in class placement.

Teachers want to be able to meet their students where they are and challenge them where they can. Parents can help teachers get to know their students at a new school by providing complete background information found in a well-stocked Education Binder.

Using the Education Binder at registration

* Prepare the binder with information to show a full picture of the student. Include homework samples, notes from previous teachers, and more.

* When a student enters a new school, choose the right time and person to receive the binder: a counselor at registration or teacher during the first few weeks of classes, or both. Make copies of documents as needed for multiple recipients.

* Include a polite note to ask that the binder material be used as a supplement to the official registration packet when placing a student in appropriate classes.

* Give the teacher a week or two to review the binder, then request a parent-teacher conference. Waiting until the six or nine-week mark when conferences are usually scheduled may be too long to wait for a new student. The first few weeks of school are crucial to a child’s adjustment to a new school.

* Maintain the binder. Parents, teachers, and students can add new material regularly to keep the binder up to date. No need to wait for a move. PCS orders can come at any time, so the portable teachers’ lounge should be as prepared and up-to-date as possible.

Helping the student and the school

Even though the binder is not official information, it is useful to the school and helpful for the student. The binder is an essential form of personal communication between the parent and counselor, or parent and teacher.

As a parent, I never let my children’s official transcripts be the only link connecting their academic experiences from one school to the next. My son and daughter are much more than their transcripts, and it’s up to me as their parent to complete the picture by creating and maintaining our portable teachers’ lounge.

Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman is a military spouse, mother, and advocate for military-connected students. She is coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers and Stories Around the Table: Laughter, Wisdom, and Strength in Military Life. Stacy uses an Education Binder to create smooth transitions for her son and daughter with every move.

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