National University Back-To-School Strategies Military-Connected Students

1. National UniversityBack-To-School StrategiesMilitary-Connected Students Please do the following: 1. Be sure your speakers are on 2. Say hello in the chat window below and tell us a little about yourself. Ideas: Location, student age group, military-connected background, reason for interest in this topic. We will start shortly

2. Participating in Today’s Session Type your questions or comments in the chat window to the left

3. National University NB Leadership Center The NU NB Leadership Center serves educators in all 50 states and internationally. The center is proud to have been selected by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards(NBPTS) to serve in this capacity and to inspire teachers through a range of options, resources, and events

4. White House Initiative “Operation Educate the Educators” Dr. Jill Biden urges teacher-preparation universities to prepare educators to serve military-connected students. The emphasis of the program is to inform and train military-connected teachers on how to best support over 1.3 million military-students who are found across America in every school district. The vast majority of students are public school students, not in DoDEA schools

5. National University Teacher Leadership Center’s fit? • Partnerwith PK-12 schools • Develop networks • Offer Support-training and tools

6. MILITARY-CONNECTED STUDENTS Active duty families move every two to three years. Children often experience six to nine moves during their PK-12 school career

7. Suddenly Military-Children GUARD & RESERVE CALLED TO DUTY Since 2001, over 205,000 students who never before considered themselves to be military-connected had a parent suddenly deploy in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

8. Fast Facts • There are currently 2,000,000 military-connected children in America; of those : • 1,381,584 of the military-connected children are 4-18 years old • Over 80% of these children – 1,105,267 students – attend PK-12 public schools • Every school district in the country has military-connected students. ** • Approximately 10-12% of military-connected students are served in special education programs.

9. Military Life is often a positive experience allowing for personal growth for children and military families.

10. Student concerns I see daily Calendars: Start/end dates and Holidays Schedules: Traditional vs Block schedules or Semester vs. Trimester Interpretation of Grades (weighted grades) Repeated or Missed Content: Extra-Curricular Activities:

11. Student concerns I see daily Waiting for housing Rank and Public life: Identity/culture of military life Injury or Death of military

12. 1 military family +1 change of duty station A change of address, change of school and teachers Change of friends, change of place of worship, change of weather, change of scenery Change of schedules, change of neighborhood, change of sports, and change of routine

13. Education of the Military Child in the 21st Century Deployments Homeschooling Secondary Education Transition Study Education of National Guard and Reserve Children

14. Deployments DO Impact “business” of running a school. Teachers • Parents who shared a high support from the school reported back a positive or neutral deployment impact on education; • Parents who shared that a school was not helpful or ambivalent during a deployment created a negative educational impact due to deployments.

15. “One of my kids had a hard time in school, did not have a lot of teacher support during the deployment of my husband. He’s an average student and needed a little bit more attention.” Parent “[Deployments have] demanded for me to be more compassionate, and identifying the difference between an excuse and reason. We talk a lot about that in my class… excellence, consistency, not over reacting without knowing what’s going on.” Teacher

16. Move To Homeschooling: A desire to provide religious or moral instruction 32% A concern about the school environment 20% A dissatisfaction with academic instruction in the public school 32% Provide a non-traditional approach to education 8% Other reasons (travel, family time, distance to school, financial) 20% Child has special needs the parents feel the school cannot meet 24% Child has physical or mental health need 4% Continuity in education during transition 28%

17. Individual level - YOU Think military-connected student Think non-traditional military-connected students (friends & family members) *Maybe your school is not a “traditional” military-connected school. We need YOUR SUPPORT too!

18. How can YOUR school environment beMILITARY SUPPORTIVEnot just military friendly!

19. Goal: • Improve the quality of the educational experience for all students. We do not want to give military-connected students an advantage over other students, only level the playing field. • Commitment - Include grant programs to meet the needs of military-connected students. • DOE/DODEA offers grants specific to military programs - http://www.militaryk12partners.dodea.edu/grants.cfm

20. What can parents do? • Communicate with your teacher OFTEN. • e-mail, phone, letters, daily updates • Request parent/teacher conference; • parent/school counselor conference; • parent/principal conference • Talk to your PTA - http://www.pta.org/programs/content.cfm?ItemNumber=3616 • Ask for or start a Parent Buddy System • Research school activities- ask questions - Help your child obtain “portable achievements” • Get involved!

21. On Base Resources • Attend PASS (Parent Advocate for Students and Schools) workshops at local base • Talk to your Key Spouses/FRG's/Ombudsmen or military member’s 1stShirt • Join and Participate in Military Kids Connect https://www.militarykidsconnect.org/ • Work with your School Liaison Officer • http://militaryk12partners.dodea.edu

22. www.tutor.com/MILITARY Get homework and studying help from a professional tutor any time you need it. FREE for students in Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard and Reserve families. Expert tutors are online 24/7 and available to help in more than 16 subjects, including test prep, proofreading, Math, Science, English and Social Studies. - Service available to ALL students; free for military-connected families

23. What can School Counselors do to support our students?

24. ADVOCATE FOR YOUR MILITARY-CONNECTED STUDENTS!!

25. School Counselors • Partner with local Command and School Liaison Officers • Ensure military-minded information on school WEBSITE • Create a welcome to school/community pack • Be open-minded and creative in scheduling • (on-line learning or local college as options?) • Register students in class with neighborhood friends • Encourage after school tutoring programs • Encourage extra-curricular activities – how do they get involved? • Start a parent/family buddy system – use PTA?

26. School Counselors • Create a military club for military and non-military students • Adopt military unit - Invite for military members on campus • Create Deployment Time capsules • Host a class or school assembly and give students a BLUE STAR FAMLIES Certificate of Recognition • Celebrate military/veteran events • Weekly/daily announcements specific to support options • Create a friendship garden • Military Recognition Bulletin board/Hero Wall • April’s Month of the Military Child – PurpleUP!

27. School Counselors MCEC Student 2 Student program – Trains civilian and military-connected high school students to establish and sustain peer-based programs in their schools to support mobile children as they transition to and from the school. http://www.militarychild.org/parents-and-students/programs/student-2-student

28. Military One Source http://www.militaryonesource.mil/those-who-support-community-partners Community/Partners or Service Providers For those that support and defend this nation’s freedoms, we must also stand in support of them. Taking care of our service members and their families is the responsibility of all members of our society.

29. Develop and utilize School Climate Surveys**How is your school prepared for the transient population of military families joining your campus by military orders during a military deployment?**

30. Does your school have a plan in the event of the death or injury of a military member on deployment or in the local area? How is your school prepared for their return?

31. What can Military-Connected Teachers do to support our students?http://www.militaryk12partners.dodea.edu/

32. How can Teachers be supportive? • Buddy system & Encourage class introductions • PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCE!! • Ask about past duty station locations • Ask about past school culture and routines • Call home with good news and concerns – educational and social • Encourage involvement in activities – playground, centers, extra-curricular activities, games… • Classroom & school libraries offer military-related books • Daddy, You're My Hero! and Mommy, You're My Hero! • www.sesamestreet.org/parents/topicsandactivities/toolkits/tlcU

33. Challenge students at deeper level… But HOW?

34. Deployment Support • Keep a journal. Write poetry & stories & pictures • Pen-Pal - Write cards or letters or Encourage class postcards • Time-zone or Hero wall • Create memory books or calendars • Have military member read a book via video to classroom/school • http://www.unitedthroughreading.org/ • Sesame Street / USO Experience for Military Families http://www.uso.org/sesame/

35. Deployment support • Skype during school hours • Allow extension/excused classwork/homework • Expect changes in behavior! Be aware and report changes • Look for drug/alcohol signs

36. Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children(Amended and Effective – November 16, 2012)

37. Article IV - Enrollment:Educational Records What’s included: Parents can receive a copy of unofficial records Receiving school must accept the unofficial records to enroll and place the student pending reception of official records Sending school must send officialrecords within 10 business days of receiving a request from the receiving school. What’s notcovered: Giving parents the right to request a copy of every paper in the student file Receiving unofficial records free of charge

38. Article IV - Enrollment:Kindergarten and First Grade Entrance Age What’s included: A student can continue in the same grade in the receiving state regardless of entrance age requirements if he or she has already enrolled in kindergarten or 1st grade in an accredited public school What’s not covered: A student who has not been enrolled in kindergarten even though they are of eligible age to have started

39. Article V - Placement and Attendance:Course and Educational Program Placement What’s included: Receiving state will initially honor placement in courses or programs based on the student’s enrollment in the sending state Receiving state may subsequently perform an evaluation to ensure the appropriate placement and continued enrollment What’s not covered: Guarantee of continued enrollment if not qualified Although the receiving school must demonstrate reasonable accommodation, there is no requirement to create a course or additional space

40. Article V - Placement and Attendance:Absence Related to Deployment Activities What’s included: Flexibility for additional excused absences to visit the parent or legal guardian due to deployment Note: Deployment window is defined as one month before the member’s departure from her/his home station through six months after return to her/his home station What’s not covered: Requiring more than “reasonable accommodation” Note: this provision provides discretion and flexibility to the LEA and school superintendent during state testing periods or if the student has already missed so much school that additional absences will be detrimental

41. Article VI – Eligibility:Eligibility for Extracurricular Participation What’s included: State and local agencies shall facilitate the opportunity for inclusion in extracurricular activities regardless of deadlines as long as the child is otherwise qualified What’s not covered: State student athletic associations, some of which are not affiliated with state or LEAs Although the receiving school must demonstrate reasonable accommodation, there is no requirement to hold open or create additional spaces

42. Article VII – Graduation What’s included: Waiving courses required for graduation if similar course work has been completed in another LEA Flexibility in accepting sending state exit or end of course exams, national achievement tests, or alternative testing in lieu of testing requirements for What’s not covered: Mandatory waivers….although LEA must show good cause for a denial of waiver Mandatory waiver of the exam or acceptance of alternative results

43. Effective Date 97% of active duty military children are now covered by a compact (MIC3, 2013). Adopted by 10 states in July 2008. Today, 46 states have adopted the Compact and Arkansas and District of Columbia joined March 5 & 8 2013. Idaho make #45 & Montana makes #46 on May 2nd!(MIC3, 2013).

44. Common Core State Standards How does it affect military-connected students?

45. “Common Core” or “Common Core State Standards For our military-connected children, CCSS are a dramatic shift from an education experience.

46. Problems before CCSS Students in the same grades but different states are likely to learn vastly different material Causing a mismatched patchwork of ability across the nation.

47. Common Core To date, 45 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, America Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands have voluntarily adopted CCSS. CAUTION: Still missing: Alaska, Texas, Virginia, Nebraska, Minnesota, Puerto Rico

48. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

49. HARVARD Study and NBCT On average, NBCTs outperform other teachers with the same levels of experience by 0.07 and 0.03 standard deviations in elementary math and ELA respectively, Roughly equivalent to one to two months of additional instruction.

50. 5 Core Propositions 1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning. 2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students. 3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning. 4. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience. 5. Teachers are members of learning communities.