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

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Amanda, Stacy, and their military families are in the thick of this pandemic-year experience. Both their families PCSed this summer to new communities and new schools. Amanda, a middle school teacher, is leading a combination classroom, with some students attending in person and others participating by video. Her own four children are also learning in various hybrid situations in their new schools. Stacy’s children are attending schools that offer only virtual classes for now.

Along with the challenges of adjusting to new classrooms, making friends can be difficult, sometimes leaving students feeling isolated. Supportive and involved parenting is more important than ever, Amanda and Stacy agree. They offer these encouraging ideas for families to improve their student’s social, emotional, and academic outcomes:

Find the positive. Don’t lock in on the hardship of the situation. Acknowledge that hardship and frustration exist, but also encourage students to find something positive to hold on to. Look for new positives each day, as well as positives that could come from the whole experience. Encourage students to write down what they discover.

Keep a journal. This is a historic time, so encourage students to write about it, to create their own historic record. Journaling can supplement learning, give students a way to practice writing, explore current events, and process their own experiences and emotions.

Create a routine and a schedule, even if kids are taking virtual classes at home. A schedule gives structure and creates normalcy, just as it does after any move. Making a schedule and keeping track of assignments will keep students on track and provide reminders for what is due and when.

Take regular breaks from screen time as part of the schedule. Get students outside for exercise and fresh air whenever possible. Take advantage of the mental health benefits of the family pet. If pets are too distracting to remain in the room during class time, let kids play with them and pet them during breaks.

Plan computer time as a family. If the whole family is working from home at different times, internet bandwidth and available screens may be at a premium. Regular family meetings help when planning who needs to be online and when. Determine who has priority, and let teachers know about any conflicts that might keep students from attending online class.

Keep teachers informed. Start a phone or email conversation, especially when in-person meetings aren’t possible. For new students, give teachers some background so they will know how to connect with students. Teachers may also be able to help connect new students with others who have similar interests or suggest ways to connect. A teacher will also know about other new students who are looking for friends.

Monitor homework. For some students, their ability and personality may not translate well in online homework or virtual class participation. If parents realize their student’s work or grades are not reflective of his or her understanding of a particular subject, they should let teachers know and discuss solutions.

Know the Interstate Compact. The provisions of the compact are still applicable and may be helpful in some situations. Read the compact and be familiar with what it covers and what it doesn’t.

Make friends. Creating opportunities for students to make friends is part of a positive school experience, and it’s hard right now, Amanda and Stacy agree. Parents may have to be more proactive than usual to help their students find ways to connect in a new place. They suggest plugging into sports and outdoor activities whenever possible and making a point to meet neighbors.

Many other families are also looking for connections, and it’s worthwhile to take the initiative to break through the walls to new friendships—now more than ever.

On Milspouse Matters podcast, Amanda and Stacy talk about their latest moves and experiences with remote learning. Listen to Milspouse Matters Episode 47 with host Jen McDonald for more ideas and encouragement for remote learning.

Latest COVID Information and Guidance from Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission.

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Jesse Najera is the superintendent of Silver Valley Unified School District in California. He is also a member of the California State Council of the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission. Military-connected students make up seventy-five percent of Silver Valley’s 2,200 students. The district’s seven schools, Pre-K to 12th grade, serve military families from Fort Irwin and Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow.

This year, California’s COVID measures required all schools in Silver Valley to begin the academic year in virtual classes. One day after the district’s teachers and staff were back on their campuses, Jesse took a few minutes to talk about ways to support teachers, students, and parents in this new and unusual school year. 

TB: What are some of the obstacles you, your administrators and teachers are facing, personally and professionally, as you begin this school year with virtual classes?

JN: Obstacle one is the unknown, the fear of the unknown. Every day the information changes about how kids are affected by COVID. As a superintendent I want to have kids on campus, but I also want the safest choice for our students. Right now that is virtual school. It’s not just a matter of our parents and the community we serve, but also our teachers have families, and they’re concerned for their health.

I want to have kids on campus, but I also want the safest choice for our students … also our teachers have families, and they’re concerned for their health.

One obstacle for our educators is childcare. Most of our educators’ families are working families, meaning both parents are working. Teachers and staff are running the virtual school from their schools and classrooms, even though students are staying home. Distance learning means their own kids are also not going to school.

TB: What are some ways your district supports educators, including teachers, counselors, teaching assistants, and others?

JN: From the beginning of the summer we brought in leaders from every campus in our district to talk weekly to prepare for distance learning. It’s a real collaboration with our teachers and staff. Our teachers are parents. Our principals are parents and have kids in our schools. So for those educators who have to be here teaching, we’ve set up learning labs for their own kids to be here, because they can’t be home for distance learning for them while they’re teaching. Our staff has confidence that we’re not going to take shortcuts with safety. We started back this week [with teachers at the schools]. If we can’t prove we can keep kids safe when there’s a small number of kids there for childcare, we’ll have no credibility to bring more students back if we move to the hybrid model. We’re using distancing protocols, we’re cleaning … we’re wearing face masks. We’ve also given our teachers an option to work from home if they have a legitimate medical reason.

TB: How would you encourage parents of new military-connected students to approach teachers and create cooperative relationships?

JN: A lot of our military parents are trained and advised to be advocates. In a lot of places they have to go and fight to get what they need for their kids. That’s not Silver Valley. I am on the California council for the Interstate Compact Commission. We’re front and center with the Interstate Compact. We’re telling parents, “Here’s how we will support your kids according to the compact.”

When you come in as a parent and show empathy to teachers, recognize they are parents too. When a parent approaches a teacher and says, “I’m here to support you. What can I do?” a teacher knows there’s an ally there. It’s not going to be adversarial. Educators appreciate hearing what they are doing right. It makes us want to do even more for them.

When a parent approaches a teacher and says, “I’m here to support you. What can I do?” a teacher knows there’s an ally there.

Also, teachers appreciate parents who offer to help, particularly in the world of technology at the moment. I’ve seen virtual plans for family nights and PTA nights, and I’m thinking, “Wow, all this creativity!” Sometimes that comes straight from parents who say “I can help.” That’s the kind of volunteer we need right now when we can’t have people on campus. 

TB: Military parents often worry their kids will fall between the cracks with any school transition. This year, military families who are moving into virtual or hybrid school environments are even more on edge about this possibility. How do you reassure parents of new military-connected students?

JN: We did five or six town halls for parents, telling them to ask us anything, and asking them to share their experiences with distance learning. We had 26,000 people who saw one of our town halls, and that was only because the army used their platforms to share it. We have great partnerships with both commands and with the commanders. That’s a big deal. We partner with them in many ways, and that includes communication.

We have a lot of video and media showing the technology in our classrooms. The first thing we love to do is get on the phone with them. We want parents to feel great about (their students) coming here. It’s even more important now, because they’re really concerned about what distance learning is going to do for their kids. We want to show them we have live daily instruction. We’re providing laptops for students who need them, providing hot spots for students who need internet connectivity. A student will go home with a whole suite of tools and textbooks. We’re not just telling them to log on to the computer and leave them on their own.

Educators appreciate hearing what they are doing right.

We want to help new parents know what’s coming, make a family feel better about where they’re coming. Fort Irwin is remote. I can’t do anything about the distance, but I can speak to the quality of our programs and what we’ve been recognized for.

Our school is used to military students. Especially for a parent of a high school kid, we tell them we know transcripts. We know how to bring in units from somewhere else. We’re going to get you to graduation. We have forty percent turnover every two years, but we still find ways to get them to graduation. We have had a graduation rate of a hundred percent over the past two years. We want to assure them, your kid’s not going to take a step back by any means. In fact, we’re going to catapult them forward. We have our website, a school guide; we have videos on YouTube. We say,”Read all about us.” We’re not perfect, but we have a quality program, and we’re always looking for ways to get better. 

TB: How can military parents partner with teachers in the midst of a pandemic to support their kids and help them adjust socially and academically?

JN: That’s a challenge, because that’s such a big part of school. We have a top-of-the-line social and emotional curriculum, and we’ve made it a priority. There’s dedicated time in the master schedule, whether in distance learning or on campus, for social emotional activities for team-building and social-skill development.

Sure, kids can do their work on their own later in the day, but if they do that every day they’re not coming to class … Students need to socialize regularly with peers even if it’s in Zoom.

In virtual classes, we’ve told parents we’re taking attendance daily, because sure, kids can do their work on their own later in the day, but if they do that every day they’re not coming to class and seeing other kids. Students need to socialize regularly with peers even if it’s in Zoom. We purchased the highest suite Zoom offers, so teachers have options to get kids together in breakout rooms in small groups. So for instance, four of them can work together on a project. We keep that in mind, looking for ways to get kids working together.

We also have a virtual counseling program that has been very successful and is available to any student who needs some help or attention for a particular issue.

I walked around all my campuses on our first day of school, and it’s such an eerie feeling not to see any kids. The second the county allows it, and when we feel safe, we’ll start—even if it’s smaller groups to begin with—we will welcome kids back to our classrooms.

Terri Barnes, senior editor at Elva Resa Publishing, is the author of  Spouse Calls: Messages from a Military Life and editor of  Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

Top photo: A teacher leads virtual learning at Silver Valley Unified School District in August 2020. Inset: Jesse Najera (Photos courtesy Silver Valley Unified School District and Jesse Najera.)

More about supporting teachers and students:

• Supporting Teachers Strengthens the Team
• Helping Kids Navigate Uncertainty from Military Family Life

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No matter what kind of classes are planned for the coming school year, building a strong student-advocacy team is essential, and it starts early. The foundation for that team begins with the initial communication between education professionals and incoming military families. Whether the first meeting happens in person, by phone or video chat, teachers and parents of military students want to make the most of their time together and cover essential transition topics.

For the first encounter, everyone on the student-advocacy team, including parents, teachers, and the student, should come prepared to talk about what concerns them most. Parents can streamline this conversation by sending an email to the school counselor to introduce the student before the first meeting. This email should detail past moves, curriculum changes, education needs, and any social-emotional concerns, particularly in light of moving during a pandemic. This sets the tone and agenda so the first meeting can focus on problem solving.

With pandemic concerns in mind, parents and students will want to know how the receiving state and district are approaching decisions about virtual school options. Many schools throughout the country are planning for possible on-site instruction and also offering online options for students who need or prefer to learn at home.

The receiving teacher needs to know about a military-connected student’s academic and personal history, including the number of moves, past schools, and possible upcoming family separations or deployments. Discussions should include any possible gaps and overlaps in a student’s learning, past experiences with virtual learning, and ways to help the student engage socially and emotionally with classmates.

Social and emotional adjustment is important to the overall well-being of any student but especially one who has just moved to a new place. Students want to make new friends and connections. Teachers hope build class camaraderie, perhaps starting in a virtual setting in preparation for an eventual return to face-to-face learning. The team should discuss strategies for helping the student connect and feel included at a new school.

Along with the social and emotional impact, parents, teachers, and students should also discuss the student’s academic experiences with online learning. What were the positive or negative effects of virtual classes or lessons? What strategies will help this student thrive, whether in a real or virtual classroom or at home?

Families and teachers should know the provisions of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Students and how they can help in any transition to assure educational services, appropriate class placement and more.

Student involvement in these conversations is helpful, especially for secondary students, but elementary students can also take part in parent-teacher conferences as a way to learn self-advocacy and good communication skills.

It’s important for everyone who participates to listen and respect one another’s unique perspectives. The coming school year holds many unknowns for everyone. Effective communication and a strong student-advocacy team is more essential than ever for military-connected students to thrive in all the Seasons of Transition^TM.

Adapted from Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers by Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman (2018, Elva Resa Publishing)

• How Schools can Help Military Kids Moving in a Pandemic by Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman in Military Times
• New School: 5 Tips to Prepare Your Student by Amanda Trimillos

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When Michelle Anders’s military family moved from Hawaii to Georgia, her six-year-old daughter had to change schools in the middle of the school year. Michelle was concerned about the impact the transition might have on her little girl but found helpful information in Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

“This book is like a manual for anyone who lives or works with military kids,” says Michelle. She and other parents and teachers agree the book made a huge difference in the moving experiences of their military-connected students.

Read the full story at BooksMakeaDifference.com

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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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Kindergarten is a magical year, when eager little ones head to school for the first time. Ready to learn, ready to be independent, ready to grow. But not all children are ready to take the leap of freedom or pace of learning. Not all parents are ready either. How do you know if your military-connected child is ready for kindergarten?

Read more from 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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I can’t see the future. I don’t know what I need to prepare for when I’m withdrawing from one school, planning for the next. Even though we are an active duty military family of twenty-five years, it’s the first time I’ll have a middle school or high school student. I have a star athlete in Florida, but will she be a bench warmer in Virginia? If my son is identified gifted in one state, will he have the same school services at the next school? The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children answers many questions I have regarding changing schools. Military families with school-aged children need to know about this agreement and the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) which implements and oversees it.

Read the full story at GoMillie.com

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