National University “Unique Challenges Facing Military-Connected Students”

1. National University “Unique Challenges Facing Military-Connected Students” Please do the following: 1. Be sure your speakers are on 2. Say hello in the chat window below and tell us where you are from and your interest in this topic. We will start shortly

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3. Today’s Agenda • Operation Educate the Educator • Army Commissioned Study Summer of 2012 • Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children (Considerations and Policies) • Common Core Standards and the military child • Age Appropriate School-Site Support ideas • National Board Certification and the military child • National University Course and Cohort Connections

5. Military Life is often a positive experience allowing for personal growth for children and spouses. We are introduced to new places and new friends. We have the freedom to start fresh with every move. We experience world’s of opportunity that others only read about in books.

6. Student concerns I see daily Calendars: Start/end dates; holidays, time off for family. Schedules: Moving a student between a traditional and block schedule and vice versa can cause loss of credit. Semester vs trimester. Interpretation of Grades (weighted grades) Percentage grades are usually easier to interpret, but a 90% may be an “A” in one school and a “B” in another school. Repeated Content: Students have already completed the unit/information OR missed unit altogether Extra-Curricular Activities: Timing of a move eliminates the possibility to join many extra-curricular activities on or off campus.

7. Student concerns I see daily Rank and Public life: known as the "First Sergeant's son" or the “Commander's daughter.“ Identity/culture: Are often with the base. The sound of planes or tanks are the sound of home to these students.. Death of military member – comes a very public family event. Children also soon face a second loss – that of the military community.

8. National University joined White House Initiative “Operation Educate the Educators” Prepare our educators to serve military-connected students. Over 1.3 million military-students can be found in every school district. The vast majority of students are in public school classrooms, not in DoDEA schools

9. National University’s fit? • Partner with PK-12 schools to develop school cultures that are supportive of students in military families. • Develop a network of faculty contacts to support military-connected teachers and students. • Offer Support-training and tools to degree and NBPTS support programs so that pre-service through graduate professionals are equipped to support military-connected children.

10. Why the focus? Military students experience multiple academic and social challenges over the course of their education due to the many moves their families make and the stresses of military life. We (National University) have a role to play in ensuring our program candidates are ready to meet the needs of these students.

11. Why it matters (fast facts) Every school district in the country has military-connected students. Approximately 10-12% of military-connected students are served in special education programs. • An additional 144,1911 students age 19-23 are in higher education

12. Why it matters (fast facts) Difficulty adjusting to curriculum and instructional methods or school climate/culture that may differ from school to school. Active duty families move every two to three years. Children often experience six to nine moves during their PK-12 school career

13. Military Child Education Coalition Army Commissioned Study Summer of 2012 marks the completion of a 3 year study of military-connected children and the impact school policies, priorities, processes, programs and systems have on our children’s education Education of the Military Child in the 21st Century http://www.militarychild.org/blog/emc21

14. Deployments: Administrators & Teachers State Deployments DO Impact “business” of running a school Teachers expressed their opinion that deployment-related issues were something they had to manage every day School Administrators and teachers witness the phenomenon of “Parentification” – students taking on extraordinary responsibilities at home – as a concern Schools offer a variety of support programs and services but educators, specifically teachers, are not always knowledgeable about these resources

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 the 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. Move to Homeschooling Except for perceived time constraints, deployment impacts are negligible. The organization/structure of home school mitigates post-deployment reintegration and increases flexibility.

18. Homeschool back to public school Study is still asking questions in this area. Of particular interest: What types of challenges or successes have homeschooled students experienced when transitioning from a home school to a public school? What specific strategies have parents found helpful to navigate this transition? My question: What strategies have teachers found helpful in the transition process?

19. 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.

20. Support during deployments Elementary Teachers • Parents perception of the way the child's school supported them during a deployment directly related to the impact deployments had on education • 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.

21. State LevelInterstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children(Amended and Effective – November 16, 2012) MIC3Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission http://www.mic3.net

22. Compact Purpose: “The average military student faces transition challenges more than twice during high school and most military children will attend six to nine different school systems in their lives from kindergarten to 12th grade. The Compact therefore seeks to make transition easier for the children of military families so that they are afforded the same opportunities for educational success as other children and are not penalized or delayed in achieving their educational goals”

23. Specific impacts on military children include: • Course Sequencing means repeated/missed content • Missed Graduation Requirements • Exclusion from Extra-Curricular Activities • Transfer of Records -Special Education, Gifted Education, English as a Second Language, & Advanced Placement

24. Specific impacts on military children include (Continued): • Redundant or Missed Entrance/Exit Testing • Kindergarten and First Grade Entrance Age Variances • **Amended portion of 2012 Compact

25. Compact guidelines:Enrollment Educational Records - unofficial copies will be provided in lieu of the official record. This unofficial record is then used for preliminary placement while the school sends for the official record. Immunizations –Provides for specific timelines, in this case 30 days from the date of enrollment, for students to obtain required immunizations in the receiving state. Age of Enrollment/Course Continuation – In the case of a Kindergarten student, the student must have been enrolled and attended class in the sending state in order to assure continued attendance in Kindergarten in the receiving state. **Amended portion of 2012 Compact

26. Placement

27. Eligibility

28. GRADUATION

29. Effective Date The Commission in concert with the Department of Defense, is working diligently to get the Compact adopted in all 50 states and 5 U.S. territories The Interstate Compact became active with the adoption by 10 states in July 2008. Today, 43 states have adopted the Compact and incorporated it into their state statutes. (FOUR states only signed the compact after the 2012/2013 School Year began! Massachusetts, Georgia, Wyoming, Pennsylvania)

30. If you are in a non-member state, contact your School Liaison Officer!

31. “Common Core” or “Common Core State Standards For our military-connected children, CCSS are a dramatic shift from an education experience that has traditionally been a patchwork of various standards and expectations as they move from state to state to one that will be as close to academically seamless as possible.

32. Common Core To date, 45 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands have voluntarily adopted CCSS. States that have adopted CCSS have planned to implement them fully no later than School Year 2014-2015. This equals the homes of approximately 80% of all military-connected children. The remaining students are in one of the states that have not adopted CCSS. WARNING: Although the adoption process has occurred, school districts may take several years to implement CCSS. Implementation involves many steps, including necessary changes in curriculum and assessments.

33. Is Your State A Common Core Standards State? 45 states & 3 territories and Department of Defense Education Activity have formally adopted the Common Core State Standards Still missing: Hawaii, Texas, Virginia, Nebraska, Minnesota, Puerto Rico, America Samoa

34. Individual level - YOU Think military-connected student Think non-traditional military-connected students (friends & family members)

35. What can parents do? • Communicate with the school and teacher often • Research school and activities • Get involved! • Attend PASS (Parent Advocate for Students and Schools) workshops at local base • Talk to your Key Spouses/FRG's/Ombudsmen or military member’s 1st Shirt • Work with your School Liaison Officer • http://militaryk12partners.dodea.edu

36. What can Elementary teachers do to support our students?

37. What can Elementary teachers do? **does you school have a plan in the event of the death or injury of a military member on deployment? Welcome to school/class/community Packet Buddy system Encourage class introductions PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCE!! Salute to military child day (April wear PURPLE) Allow phone calls/Skype during school day Engage in play activities Write in a journal even in pictures if student does not yet write Write cards or letters to the deployed family member Adopt military unit Call home with good news and concerns – educational and social Make a memory book or calendar reflecting positive thoughts & actions Make a deployment book to send to deployed military member with pictures and captions. Take part in individual and group counseling when problems arise

38. What can middle & high school teachers do to support our students?

39. MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL Encourage class introductions PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE!! Military club – invite both military kids and non-military kids to discuss challenges facing military families; community projects. Adopt military unit – invite guest speakers or tutors Salute to military child day (April wear PURPLE) Ask about past duty station locations Ask about past school culture and routines Challenged student at deeper level if repeating learned content: don’t assume student has received prior instruction – communicate! Encourage involvement in activities Call home with good news & concerns – educational & social

40. MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOLDeployment support **Does you school have a plan in the event of the death or injury of a military member on deployment? Skype during school hours (Skype phone or school computer) Keep a journal. Write poetry & stories Expect changes in behavior! Engage in art activities Write cards or letters to the deployed family member Encourage class postcards Time-zone wall Learn problem-solving strategies Participate in small group discussions & support groups Exercise or listen to music Take part in individual and group counseling when problems arise

41. My CHALLENGE to YOU!National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

42. NBPTS requirements • Four Portfolios • 1 Individual learning based analyzing student work samples • 2 Video based portfolios – 1 small group; 1 whole class (also TakeOne!) • 1 Professional Development; Campus & Community Partnership One assessment center exam typically with 6 short answer content prompt questions

43. Five Core Propositions • Teachers are committed to students and their learning • Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students • Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning • Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience • Teachers are members of learning communities

45. National Board Certificates • Based on NATIONAL Standards • 16 subject areas (content areas) • Developmental ranges/ages • 25 Certificates • 95% teachers fit into at least one category If you choose to submit your portfolio for scoring and achieve certification, NBCT will distinguish you as a teacher leader in the field of education. This certification is recognized and honored in every state no longer needing reciprocity or further testing!

46. Good News! Support and parallel experiences are offered to you through National University’s Professional Teaching Development Center (NUPTDC)

47. Support Options • Online and face-to-face NB candidate orientation and support by NBCT coaches • Webinars, podcasts & other resources • Virtual support environment • Connect teachers of all levels and all subject areas with current National Board Certified Teachers!

48. My CHALLENGE to YOU!Master of Arts in Teaching or Master of Science in Instructional LeadershipBOTH with NBPTS focus!

49. Master’s Degree Options Master of Arts in Teaching with NBC Teacher Leadership Specialization (all states) Master of Science in Instructional Leadership-NBC Leadership • All NBC courses contribute content for the portfolio which serves as thesis

50. About the Courses • Ten courses, one month each • 4.5 quarter units each (=3 semester units) • Online delivery—24/7 access • Financial aid available (FAFSA) • First course = $550 (NB1201X) • Nine courses @ $1674 per course (current tuition) • With 15 students, a 15% reduction is applied on current tuition (Nevada =20% with 12 students)