Back to School: It's Al About Learning

BACK TO SCHOOL:

It’s All About Learning

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Section 1: Learning...Inside the Classroom Concepts of strong literacy programs..............................2 When does secondary math start?...................................5 College and career readiness............................................... 6 NMSI helps students become “college ready”.............7 Online education....................................................................... 9 Standardized testing in schools........................................10 Section 2: Learning...Outside the Classroom Building a bridge between school and home............. 12 The value of extracurricular activities............................ 14 Tips for college freshman..................................................... 17 Character strengths and authentic happiness............18 Getting back in the school year routine.......................19 How to be a friend.................................................................20 How parents can help thier children succeed............ 21 School supplies........................................................................ 22 Ways to save on school supplies..................................... 24 Taking the stress out of homework............................... 25 Section 3: Learning...Together Operation Educate the Educators...................................26 Success! Military families, schools, and communities working together........................................ 27 Common Core Standards....................................................28 Common Core perspectives..............................................30 Partnership pride with national PTA............................... 32

Carissa, Grade 12 | Hohenfels Middle High School, Hohenfels, Germany | U.S. Army

SPECIAL Topic www.MilitaryChild.org

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Concepts of STRONG Literacy Programs

By Sandy Franklin, Ed.D. MCEC Director of Programs and Services

As I was pouring my cup of coffee this morning, the broadcaster’s booming voice caught my ear: “Current high school students have never known a world without the internet.” I was captivated by this remark as time marches on around me. What will the future hold for students who are beginning this new school year? What new learning opportunities await them? The future will require our children to function in multiple jobs in an economy with work skills we cannot even begin to imagine. How do we prepare students for such a future? One of the best gifts we can give them is the gift of literacy.

The definition of literacy involves more than just reading.

Employees prepared for the future will need the ability to read and interpret charts, maps, graphs, and internet sources plus have the ability to solve problems, create products using web-based information and multimedia sources, and effectively work with others (Daggett & Pedinotti, 2005). They will also need the ability to discern the reasonableness, credibility, and accuracy of the large amounts of information instantly available via technology.

Such literacy development begins at home where parents are the first teachers in preparing children for this undefined future. Schools continue literacy development that has been started in the home by providing a balanced approach to classroom instruction where language arts programs are steeped in three concepts: working with words, reading, and writing (Fountas and Pinnell, 2006).

Working with Words: A strong language arts program, regardless of the level, includes provision of opportunities for students to work with words, because vocabulary knowledge is needed for students to read well and reading is required in all academic subject areas (National Reading Panel, 2000). At younger levels, students should be exposed to activities which teach and reinforce both a word-recognition vocabulary and a meaning

vocabulary. A word-recognition vocabulary refers to the child’s ability to pronounce a word seen in print. A meaning vocabulary is developed when children can define a word and understand what it means in context, using the context of the words surrounding it to determine its meaning (Chall, 1983). Both types of vocabulary can be reinforced at home by embedding simple activities into regular family routines. For example, while riding in the car, young children can participate in games such as “I’m Thinking of.” The parent provides clues in the form of simplified definitions to a word and children try to guess the word.

For example, the parent says, “I’m thinking of a word that

begins with the /p/ sound and is a bird with bright feathers.” The child guesses “parrot.” Such simple activities strengthen both phonemic awareness and meaning vocabulary. Children who have such opportunities to experiment with language through frequent use often learn to read at an early age.

Older students thrive on word

Artwork by Grace, Grade 3 | Bowley Elementary Schoo, Fort Bragg, NC | U.S. Air Force

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games such as Jeopardy! when the categories are areas of teen interest such as music, celebrities, fashion, and friendship. Creating the questions and answers helps to extend student vocabulary skills while the healthy competition of the game itself provides needed vocabulary practice. “Words with Friends,” an online version of Scrabble, is another avenue of vocabulary development which blends working with words with the social media and networking that teenagers love.

Reading: A strong language arts program consists of a variety of opportunities for students to read with an instructor, other students, and alone. Guided reading, a teaching strategy in which the teacher works with students in small groups on their identified reading level, is often used in the elementary grades. It is designed to focus on reading comprehension and fluency, which refers to how smoothly a child reads. Fluency is an important concept for comprehension because students can miss the meaning of the text when they are struggling

with word pronunciation.

In addition to small group instruction, listening to stories is a powerful way for students to be exposed to a broad variety of vocabulary words. One of the most impactful activities a parent can implement to help develop literacy is to read aloud to her child, even if the child requests that the same book be read again and again. When students request repeated readings of the same text, it helps to solidify new vocabulary. www.MilitaryChild.org

Later, students will be able to draw from the words they know and apply them to their own writing.

The Military Child Education Coalition’s Tell Me A Story Initiative serves as an effective example of reading aloud to children. The Tell Me A Story event consists of a family night where students are read a quality children’s book by a guest author. Discussions are held about the text and children participate in application activities to further their understanding of the concepts presented in the book.

Lastly, families leave with the book in hand for future enjoyable rereading opportunities.

Independent reading, the ability to select and read books of their own choosing, is a powerful motivational For more information about tool for students of additional home activities all ages. Not only is to promote literacy and Early reading aloud beneficial Literacy Workshops that may to building vocabulary, be held in your community, talking to students about contact ParenttoParent@ the text is also of value.

MilitaryChild.org.

Talking to students about what they think the text means, what the characters did or did not do, where the setting took place, and the lessons learned through the text make great conversational topics. At the middle and high school levels, such opportunities include student conversations about novels; offering facts and opinions about the moral or purpose of the story; holding debates in defense or support of text and discussing themes or perspectives used by the author.

Book selections for independent reading, regardless of student age, should vary between those read for enjoyment and ease of difficulty to texts that challenge (National Reading Panel, 2000). Reluctant readers can be encouraged to read independently by providing variety in text which corresponds to both their topic of interest and readability levels. Examples include use of comic books, magazines, joke books, poetry, and instructional manuals for computer games to encourage students to read. Some publishing companies, such as Capstone Press and Orca Book Publishers, provide books for students of varied reading abilities who are reluctant readers.

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thoughts in writing, efforts should be made to maintain interest by allowing them to experiment with a variety Writing is an extremely important component of a of colorful ink pens, markers, and designed paper while balanced language arts program. Students should be writing in a variety of formats such as stories, poems, notes, exposed to the writing process which is often defined in invitations, scrapbooks, and journals. Printing and posting five phases. Prewriting refers to the student’s ability student writing in a prominent place in your home to organize thoughts and ideas for writing. helps students to know that their writing is To encourage Then, students create a rough draft, or important and valued. This reinforcement reading, the National PTA working copy, of their work. After doing fosters the desire for children to continue recommends reading to your so, they revise the paper, looking for to experiment with writing. child every day!

Visit http://www. ways it can be improved and edited As parents and educators intertwine pta.org/2548.htm to see all five for spelling, grammar, and punctuation learning opportunities available at tips on how can you encourage a errors. Lastly, they publish a final copy home and school to include time love of learning and reading with of the writing. to work with words, read, and write, your student.

Students at all levels can participate in students develop strong literacy skills writing activities. Even the youngest child which will serve as a powerful foundation can write in journals or create pictures to reflect for their academic future. his thoughts. The most important component of writing instruction is to encourage students in the process, without pressure about handwriting and spelling for the An MCEC Favorite Resource: youngest of learners. As students mature, attention must The National PTA’s be given to reinforce that writing required in a professional work setting is a different style of writing than the “writing” Parents’ Guide to Student Success students do when quick texting with friends. Students must learn the more formalized process of writing for future The National PTA Parents’ Guide to Student Success success. Numerous writing experiences reinforce that (in English and Spanish) was developed in response to the writing has a purpose which is to express thoughts. The Common Core State Standards in English language arts and Internet is a great place to find software supports for writing. mathematics that more than 40 states have adopted. (To Use of a voice recognition software package such as Dragon find out if your state has adopted the standards, visit Naturally Speaking can be used to reinforce the concept CoreStandards.org/in-the-states.) Created by that writing reflects our thoughts in print. This software teachers, parents, education experts, and others from enables students to speak into a microphone while their across the country, the standards provide clear, consistent spoken words are printed into a word processing document. expectations for what students should be learning at each This tool is excellent to use with students with special grade in order to be prepared for college and career. To see needs who may require an accommodation to experience key items students should learn, activities, tips, and more, writing success. As students are encouraged to express visit http://www.pta.org.

Writing:

References Chall, J. S. (1983). Stages of reading development. New York: McGraw-Hill.

National Reading Panel, (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Daggett, W. & Pedinotti, J. (2005) Globalization: Tipping the scale of economic supremacy. A White paper published by International Center for Leadership in Education. Rexford, NY.

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Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2006). Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking, Talking and Writing About Reading, K-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidencebased assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Washington,DC. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

MCEC Special Topic

When does secondary math

start ?

Military families know that schools and school districts have unique rules and definitions. Some states and school systems require students to begin the study of Algebra I or Integrated Math 1 – the first official secondary math courses – in the 9th grade, some in the 8th grade, and others allow students to start even earlier. Beginning the study of secondary math in the 8th grade may allow students to enroll in advanced mathematics, such as AP Calculus or AP Statistics, before they graduate from high school. In the past, many students missed this advantage, which opens many possibilities for students, especially those interested pursuing a math-intensive major in college or a career.

There are three important considerations when starting secondary math.

1 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: ARITHMETIC Middle school math once was an extension of elementary arithmetic, but today many middle schools offer courses containing rich and important math concepts which connect elementary mathematics to algebra and beyond. This prepares students to succeed in high school math courses by building the solid math skills that comfortably move students ahead. If weaknesses exist, however, they may be addressed in optional ways: waiting until 9th grade to begin secondary math, taking summer school, and/or tutoring.

Aunt Peggie says: “Students need to map their math path before they start the journey. Having a plan will help students avoid problems later, such as verifying credits or getting the classes they need for graduation.”

Aunt Peggie says: “Many states require students to take end-of-course tests at the conclusion of the course. These results could be used in calculating a student’s final grade or determining the completion of Algebra I, Geometry, or Algebra II – classes needed for graduation.”

www.MilitaryChild.org

2 MIDDLE SCHOOL: ALGEBRA AND ENRICHMENT TOPICS Too many students who begin their secondary math career in 8th grade do not take math classes every year in high school. After a year or more away from math, these students are seriously disadvantaged in college or the workplace. If a high school does not offer 4 years of math, beginning high school math in the 8th grade may create a problem. Dual enrollment in a college course may alleviate that glitch.

3 HIGH SCHOOL: ALGEBRA, GEOMETRY, CALCULUS Caveat: Students should not enroll in algebra prior to the 9th grade simply to “practice” so that the student can repeat the class for a better grade. A disappointing year can lead to serious motivational and learning problems for students. Rather, the main goal should be for each student to be in an appropriately challenging, but not overwhelming, math course every year of high school.

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College and Career

Readiness

“…the goal should be to provide support so that all students can be considered college and career ready by the end of eleventh grade, ending their high school career with one of several high-quality mathematical courses that allows them the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the college- and career-ready standards.”

From Common Core State Standards for Mathematics: Appendix A: Designing High School Mathematics Courses Based on the Common Core State Standards

College and career readiness is defined by researchers as the level of preparation a student needs in order to enroll and succeed in credit-bearing general education courses that meet baccalaureate degree requirements without the need for remediation. College ready students complete entry level courses at a proficiency level high enough to experience success in the next course in a series or apply the course knowledge to another context.1 There are a variety of math paths students can take to reach the “college and career ready line” goal mentioned in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

Some students will move faster than others; some will need additional support. Below are typical pathways for the U.S. and outside the U.S.

Courses in higher level mathematics: Precalculus, Calculus, Advanced Statistics, Discrete Mathematics, Advanced Quantitative Reasoning, or courses designed for career technical programs of study.

Algebra II

Mathematics III

Geometry

Mathematics II

High School Algebra I

Mathematics I

Traditional Pathway

Integrated Pathway

Typical in U.S.

Typical outside of U.S.

College and career readiness are not just defined by the classes students take. According to Redefining College 1 Charis McGaughy, “Texas College and Career Readiness Initiative Overview: Standards and implementation, “Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Educational Policy Improvement Center (2009): www.thecb.state.tx.us.

2 Clifford Adelman, “The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion from High School through College,” U.S. Department of Education (2006).

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Facets of College Readiness Contextual Skills & Awareness Academic Behaviors Key Content Key Cognitive Strategies

Readiness, there are many facets to college and career readiness.

Key cognitive strategies include having an engaged mindset, asking questions, and interpreting data. For math, academic skills include a thorough understanding of basic concepts, principles, and techniques of algebra – and how to apply that understanding to solve problems. Academic behaviors include the students’ ability to self-monitor, to build study skills, and use time management. Contextual skills and awareness are the social skills needed to function in the wider world of college and career beyond high school.

Parents can encourage the development of these facets outside of the classroom in many ways, including: • Encouraging students to use math where it interests them.

Students may enjoy math competitions or enjoy math in other subjects such as science, computers, and robotics.

• Focusing on developing resiliency and important life skills.

These may include knowing when and where to seek help, how to study, working in groups, and prioritizing tasks.

• Taking math classes every year. Studies show that students are more college and career ready when they take math classes every year of school.2 • Looking for bumps in the road. Typically, fifth through ninth graders struggle with the following math concepts: fractions, percent, ratio, and decimals. Review these basic concepts.

MCEC Special Topic

National Math and Science Initiative Helps Students from Military Families Become “College Ready”

By Gregg Fleisher National AP Training and Incentive Program Director, National Math and Science Initiative

When he was younger, Ethan Nakamura’s stepfather was often deployed overseas for two-year stretches. “It’s never easy to say goodbye to someone you love,” he remembers, but his father would call home regularly from Iraq. The first thing he would always ask Ethan was, “How are you doing in school?”

Ethan now can reassure his dad, “I’m doing great; you don’t need to

Child Education Coalition (MCEC).

The initiative provides collegelevel Advanced Placement* math and science courses for students from military families, which gives them a running start on getting a college degree. Ethan signed up to take pre-AP calculus and AP English at Hopkinsville High School near Fort Campbell in Kentucky and is confident that doing well in the AP classes will boost his

need to follow their dreams, NMSI launched the first phase of the Initiative for Military Families during the 20102011 school year. Thanks to inaugural funding from Lockheed Martin, the program was implemented in four high schools serving military installations,

The first four participating schools have increased passing scores on AP math, science, and English exams by 45 percent - almost six times the national average. worry about me.” He is one of the first participants in the Initiative for Military Families (IMF), a pace-setting new program being implemented by the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) in conjunction with the Military

chances of going to college and then medical school. His dream is to go into the military after medical school and then open his own medical practice.

To make sure students like Ethan are “college ready” and get the skills they

two high schools near Fort Hood in Texas and two high schools near Fort Campbell in Kentucky.

The IMF is already producing results: The first four participating schools have increased passing scores

The “When Does Secondary Math Start?” and “College and Career Readiness” articles are both excerpts from the new MCEC booklet for the Chart Your Course kit called Math GPS. This publication was made possible through a grant from the Raytheon Company, a positive and consistent advocate for preparing the next generation of mathematicians and scientists and a strong supporter of military children and their families. Find out more at store.militarychild.org.

www.MilitaryChild.org

www.MilitaryChild.org

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on AP math, science, and English exams by 45 percent - almost six times the national average.

The program has also drawn repeated support and recognition from the White House. In April 2011, President Obama included the IMF as part of his administration’s Joining Forces outreach to military families, and Mrs. Obama helped kick off the expansion of the AP program at Fountain High School near Fort Carson in Colorado.

This fall the program is being expanded to serve a total of 34 campuses. Ten additional states will join Texas and Kentucky that have significant concentrations of military families (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia). With additional funding, NMSI hopes to expand the IMF to as many as 100 public high schools on or near military bases.

The program is rapidly picking up momentum. Following Lockheed Martin’s example, other funders have stepped up to help military kids in a very personal way that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Additional funding is being provided by the U.S. Army, BAE Systems, Boeing, DoDEA, ExxonMobil, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, the U.S. Navy, and Northrop Grumman, with additional support from the O’Donnell Foundation. If enough other corporations and foundations sign up to help, that opportunity can be extended to many more young people.

Almost two million young people in America have a parent serving in the military today. The separation when parents are deployed and frequent transfers can be particularly hard on

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John, Grade 6 | Naples Elementary School, Naples, Italy | U.S. Navy

the children whose parents protect our country. NMSI’s program provides continuity in schoolwork for those students because the AP curriculum will be standard no matter which school they attend. Not only that, the extra credits earned by passing the courses will make college more affordable and attainable. Experience has shown that students who pass an AP course are three times more likely to graduate from college – and even those who do not receive a passing score benefit from the exposure to college-level rigor.

The core components of the initiative are based on NMSI’s highly successful Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program, which include: • Extra training for AP teachers • Ongoing support from master teachers • More time on task for students in afterschool and Saturday study sessions • Incentives for teachers and students to excel Since 50 percent of the highpaying jobs in the future will require

more math and science knowledge, the new initiative makes sure students from military families have the skills to succeed in today’s highly competitive, high tech world.

The men and women in today’s military want their children to have the best education possible. They know that technology is important because their lives depend on it. They know math and science are the keys to success in today’s global economy - as well as in military careers.

One of the major concerns repeatedly voiced by parents serving overseas is: “Are my kids doing OK in school?” A recent survey found that 34 percent of military parents are “less or not confident” that their children’s school is responsive to the unique aspects of military life.

The Initiative for Military Families is designed to give those military parents – like Ethan’s stepdad – the peace of mind of knowing their kids are getting the education they deserve. *Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board.

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ONLINE EDUCATION:

An Education That Can Go Anywhere

One of the most stressful aspects of military service is ensuring that children receive a consistent, quality education. But that no longer has to be the drill.

Today, many military families have discovered online education as a way to reduce the angst of relocation and bring consistency to their children’s education. If a family relocates any place in the world, their children’s “school” can now go with them.

Octavia and Steve Dabbs know first-hand how frequent relocations can take a toll. A chaplain at Bolling Air Force Base, in Washington, D.C., Major Dabbs says that the local brick and mortar school just didn’t work out for their five children.

“It was traumatic for them,” Major Dabbs said, noting several disruptive incidents that spurred a decision to enroll in Community Academy Public Charter School (CAPCS), a tuition-free, online, public school, serving families in Washington, D.C. CAPCS uses the K12 curriculum and services – K12 is the nation’s leading provider of K–12 online education programs, now in 29 states and the District of Columbia and globally through K12 International Academy.

Says Octavia, “I used three popular online programs before I found K12, which makes [education] easy. The kids log-on to the computer, and we can see everything that needs to get done that day, week, month, or throughout the school year.”

“If I am re-assigned, we can pack up and pick up right where we left off—and that is a plus for us,” adds Major Dabbs.

Here are some quick answers to common question about virtual education:

Who can enroll in an Online Public School and how much does it cost?

K12 and other providers work with authorities in many states to supply complete education programs. Most commonly, the schools are open to any student in grades K through 12 whose family is a resident of the state. Some states only

By Tom Halligan Education Writer

permit a certain number of students to participate, so it’s important to begin the enrollment process early. Like brick and mortar public schools, the online public schools are publicly-funded, so there is no tuition for the students.

What is the difference between virtual online public school and home schooling?

Online public school students enjoy support from a statecertified teacher, as well as a comprehensive curriculum that is provided free of charge. As with a brick and mortar public school, the student must meet state requirements, including standardized testing and attendance, and will receive a full-time course load.

What happens when we relocate?

The curriculum of K12 Virtual Academies is consistent across school systems, eliminating the need for course repetition or exclusion from Honors and AP courses. When you move to a new community, your child can participate in the same virtual clubs and programs.

FOUR STATES IN FOUR YEARS Indiana. Ohio. Florida. Michigan. These are the states Shelly Brantly and her family have moved into and out of over a four-year period. “Continuity in a child’s education is extremely important – we’re lucky to have K12.”

“One of the great things about the K12 curriculum,” notes Shelly, “is that no matter which schooling option you use, it’s always the same K12 curriculum. So in all our moves, our kids have never missed a beat, even when we’ve had to move in the middle of a semester.”

For more information on K12’s public and private education options for military families, visit www.K12.com/military.

Tom Halligan is an education writer and former Editor-in-Chief of University Business magazine and Editor of the Community College Journal. He frequently writes on issues pertaining to education and technology. www.MilitaryChild.org

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WHAT SHOULD PARENTS KNOW

About Standardized Testing in Schools Reprinted with permission from Project Appleseed, www.projectappleseed.org

?

One tool that schools use to learn about students is the standardized test. These tips explain basic features of these tests and suggest questions you might ask your child’s teacher about testing. Understanding the role of testing will help you to enable your child to succeed in school and to develop a better relationship between your family and your child’s school.

What Are Standardized Tests?

Usually created by commercial test publishers, standardized tests are designed to give a common measure of students’ performance. Because large numbers of students throughout the country take the same test, they give educators a common yardstick or “standard’’ of measure. Educators use these standardized tests to tell how well school programs are succeeding or to give themselves a picture of the skills and abilities of today’s students.

Some popular tests include the California Achievement Tests (the CAT), the Stanford Achievement Test, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (the ITBS), and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale.

Why Do Schools Use Standardized Tests?

Standardized tests can help teachers and administrators make decisions regarding the instructional program. They help schools measure how students in a given class, school, or school system perform in relation to other students who take the same test. Using the results from these tests, teachers and administrators can evaluate the school system, a school program, or a particular student.

How Do Schools Use Standardized Tests?

Different types of standardized tests have different purposes.

Standardized achievement tests measure how much students have already learned about a school subject. The results from these tests can help teachers develop programs that suit students’ achievement levels in each subject area, such as reading, math, language skills, spelling, or science.

Standardized aptitude tests measure students’ abilities to learn in school-how well they are likely to do in future school work. Instead of measuring knowledge of subjects taught in school, these tests measure a broad range of abilities or skills that are considered important to success in school. They can measure verbal

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ability, mechanical ability, creativity, clerical ability, or abstract reasoning. The results from aptitude tests help teachers to plan instruction that is appropriate for the students’ levels. Educators most commonly use achievement and aptitude tests to: • • • • • •

Evaluate school programs; Report on students’ progress; Diagnose students’ strengths and weaknesses; Select students for special programs; Place students in special groups; and Certify student achievement (for example, award high school diplomas or promote students from grade to grade).

Can Standardized Tests Alone Determine My Child’s Placement in the Classroom?

No. Paper-and-pencil tests give teachers only part of the picture of your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

Teachers combine the results of many methods to gain insights into the skills, abilities, and knowledge of your child. These methods include: • Observing students in the classroom; • Evaluating their day-to-day classwork; • Grading their homework assignments; • Meeting with their parents; and • Keeping close track of how students change or grow throughout the year.

Standardized tests have limitations. These tests are not perfect measures of what individual students can or cannot do or of everything students learn. Also, your child’s scores on a particular test may vary from day to day, depending on whether your child guesses, receives clear directions, follows the directions carefully, takes the test seriously, and is comfortable in taking the test.

Art by Jaysen, Grade 3 | McBride Elementary School, Fort Benning, GA | U.S. Army www.MilitaryChild.org

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Building a Bridge between School and Home

By Bill Lawson MA, LPC MCEC MSTC Program Manager

In partnership with the Army, MCEC unveiled a new, two-year Military Student Transition Consultant (MSTC) pilot program and early success has far exceeded original expectations.

Implemented as a unique program that embeds carefully selected MCEC personnel in seven school systems across the U.S., the program’s original intent was to provide military families and their children with a school district contact who has in-depth knowledge of the district’s schools, personnel, and programs, and who also has connections to the military installation and to the community. As the program has evolved, the Military Student Transition Consultants have found themselves assisting families with a wide range of services and providing military-connected students of all ages with the hands-on care and support parents hope to find in every school setting.

A sampling of the initiatives and first-year efforts and accomplishments

School related concerns Dealing with transition • Working with families, students, counselors, and school registrars dealing with issues surrounding transfer of credits, different state-to-state testing requirements, differing graduation requirements, varied scheduling configurations (e.g., alternating day block vs. traditional 7-period schedule), different calendars, magnet programs, transportation guidelines, and the multitude of school policies (e.g., discipline, dress codes, attendance, immunization requirements, etc.) that students must deal with on a daily basis • Facilitating the transfer of school records that must follow students of military families as they make schoolto-school changes • Facilitating the timely receipt of 504 and special education records along with IEPs that are required by school districts to make appropriate student placement

Proud to Partner with Schools Across the Natio Copperas Cove Independent School District (Fort Hood) Terri Jones (254) 547-1227 x681 703 W. Avenue D jonest@ccisd.com Copperas Cove, TX 76522 Fairbanks North Star Borough School District (Fort Wainwright) Recruiting for Position Liberty County School System (Fort Stewart) Tanisha Perkins (912) 876-3038 200 Bradwell Street tperkins@liberty.k12.ga.us Hinesville, GA 31313 Muscogee County Schools (Fort Benning) Darlene Register (706) 748-2254 2960 Macon Road Register.Darlene@muscogee.k12.ga.us Columbus, GA 31906

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“

The MSTC has been most helpful with building relationships with families and schools.

She is an advocate for military students and is well-seasoned in understanding military life and the local school system. military parent

100

Percent of educators, students, and parents surveyed report satisfaction with the support they have received from an Military Student Transition Consultant

33,195

Reported Number of direct and indirect contacts with key stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, and military-connected individuals) since November 2011

”

%

Artwork by Cleia, Grade 10 | Hohenfels Middle High School, Hohenfels, Germany | U.S. Army • Educating parents on ways to best prepare their children for transfer to new schools • Keeping parents informed of and prepared for intra-district transfers due to overcrowding or mandated transfers due to AYP/No Child Left Behind determinations • Serving as a representative of the school district interpreting and translating the application of policies and guidelines to military families as they enroll students in district schools

Dealing with policies, programs, and procedures • Working with school administrators, counselors, and registrars to understand the specifics of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and how the articles of that agreement can be applied to military students entering schools in the district

n Socorro Independent School District (Fort Bliss) Jenny Sanchez (915) 219-8087 12440 Rojas Drive jsanch@sisd.net El Paso, TX 79928

• Meeting in a variety of settings with military students to hear their concerns, working with school personnel to create appropriate responses, and helping develop programs that best fit the needs of the students and school personnel working with them

Steilacoom Historical School District (Fort Lewis) Tami Johnson (253) 983-2234 510 Chambers Street tajohnson@steilacoom.k12.wa.us Steilacoom, WA 98388 tamijohnson@comcast.net

• Meeting regularly with community and installation personnel and other stakeholder groups to collect information about programs and activities that involve military students and provide a wide range of services for their parents

Vernon Parish Schools (Fort Polk) Ron DeGray (337) 239-1684 201 Belview Road rdegray@vpsb.k12.la.us Leesville, LA 71446

Deployment-related concerns

Coming in 2012 Bossier Parish School Board (Barksdale Air Force Base) San Antonio area school districts

www.MilitaryChild.org

Educating teachers and other educators about issues unique to their military students • Awareness, anticipation, and response to academic and behavior changes associated with military parents’ predeployment, deployment, reintegration, wounded warrior status, PTSD, changing living arrangements, and frequent moves

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THE VALUE OF Extracurricular ACTIVITIES FOR THE MOBILE STUDENT

By Avlyn Bolton MCEC Research & Evaluation Coordinator

MILITARY-CONNECTED STUDENTS transition frequently – it’s a fact of their lives. When Dad or Mom gets orders, then the family moves. There is stress involved in those moves: Will my classes transfer? Will the grade point structure be the same as it was at my old school? What will the teachers be like? How soon before I find friends?

THE VALUE OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Ashley, Grade 3 | Carlisle Barracks Youth Art, Carlisle, PA | U.S Army

Academics may be the focus of the family when they arrive at their new installation, making sure their students are in the right classes, but extracurricular activities can

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be an important part of the transitions, too. Playing an important role in students’ forming social connections and a supporting personal sense of confidence, these activities can be a powerful aid in helping students ease into a new school setting. They can provide many benefits to students, as reported by this educator: “We find that participating in extracurricular helps the academic side. Involved students are happier, they adjust better, they make social contacts faster.”

Research shows that extracurricular activities are important to students.

When they are involved, they are more likely to have higher GPAs (Feldman & Matjasko, 2007), higher test scores and postsecondary aspirations (Lipscomb, 2007), and higher literacy scores (Shulruf, Turnen, & Tolley, 2008) than students who do not participate. Students who are involved in extracurricular activities also have higher rates of high school completion (Mahoney & Stattin, 2000); and lower levels of delinquency and arrests (Mahoney, 2000).

Activities are Rather, they

Extracurricular activities can • provide adolescents access to social networks, activities, resources, and equipment that might otherwise be unavailable to them; • give students access to developmental and leadership opportunities and a way of building shared community within the school; and • allow students to learn emotional competency, develop identity, initiative, and social skills, form connections, and acquire social capital.

The positive experiences students gain from participating in extracurricular activities help them to become confident individuals. According to one parent, MCEC Special Topic

“My son plays football and wrestles. He’s had the benefit of having many different coaches with many different styles and objectives, so he is becoming a better, more well-rounded athlete and person as a result. Rather than looking at it [moving] like, ‘That’s not how we used to do it. This place stinks,’ he thinks of it as an opportunity to enhance his ability as an athlete.”

Activities are not, therefore, frills, distractions, or timewasters. Rather, they emphasize responsibility, teamwork and achievement, three strengths that military families value and practice. When students engage in these structured activities, their abilities, talents, interests and curiosity combine to enhance character development. They learn to set priorities, manage time, and to function as a member and leader in an organization. Being active in extracurricular activities can help students feel comfortable in their

GETTING INVOLVED Some activities make it easy for students to meet others with similar interests. Many students are involved in band and choir performance activities and every school offers these as classes and as extracurricular activities. Athletics, student council, and career and technical organizations such as Health Occupation Students of America are examples of other organizations that offer activities of interest to large numbers of students.

Portability of skills and talents is key here. Students bring their abilities to a school which, in turn, may have an organization ready-made with students of like interests.

One student tells of her first day in the receiving school: “The exact day we got here, later that day I went to my soccer tryouts for my new team that I was going to join. A couple of girls…were very welcoming, reassuring.

They told me, ‘You’re going to love it, and we’ll help you, whatever you need.’”

not frills, distractions, or time-wasters. emphasize responsibility, teamwork and achievement… environment, open opportunities for new friendships, and provide a venue for learning new skills, all while doing something they enjoy. In addition, they afford the mobile student the ability to quickly assimilate into a peer group in which he or she can establish friendships quickly.

Adult presence in students’ lives links to academic and life success (Scales, 2005), and the feelings of belonging and being cared for have been linked to decreases in atrisk behavior along with increased levels of emotional well-being (Brooks, 2006). While the mobile lifestyle of the military child means that they may lack the time needed to develop bonds with adults in school, opportunities can present themselves in unexpected places and make a school transition easier for students. A shared interest in baseball helped a student feel comfortable from the moment he walked into his receiving school. He reported: “My principal was real cool. When I first walked in I was wearing my St. Louis Cardinal stuff and he’s a Boston Red Sox fan. I could already tell we were going to be friends and that made me comfortable because we were talking about baseball. So it helps when the adults have some sorts of interest that make sense to you.”

www.MilitaryChild.org

Colleges are looking for well-rounded students, so the applications frequently include requests for extracurricular activities. As military-connected students register, they may need information about opportunities to participate in these activities and encouragement to get involved.

One administrator described the typical student who is working to qualify for a scholarship: “Their plate is full — the resume, the application, community service, extracurricular activities, National Honor Society, Academic Decathlon, UIL, Band, Swimming… There are just so many things our students are doing to remain competitive.”

OTHER SOURCES OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Communities on and off post offer many and varied opportunities to military students through Child Youth Services (CYS), Scouting, and other organizations. Offerings include team activities, crafts, volunteering, music, art, and dancing lessons, tutoring, camping and field trips. CYS may also be a source of support for children — and the whole family — when a parent is deployed. These parents speak about the value of CYS:

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“Activities here were easy to find. You go to the Family, Morale, Welfare Recreation Command (FMWRC) site, and everything’s there. So you just sign up for it.

And the girls have always been involved in activities, so I’ve kept them in. You know, when we got there that summer, I started putting them in activities, and then we all started making friends.”

“Right off the bat, I was already familiar with the CYS… So that’s the first place that I went. They had a lot of things for the kids to do, activities to get into the community. So that was the first stop - getting her enrolled in CYS and all the activities there. As far as the teachers, I really didn’t meet too many of the teachers, because it was the last two weeks of school. It was kind of a rush trying to get things done, so, as far as the school and me being able to connect, that wasn’t feasible. So I used more of the Child Youth Services to be able to connect through the community.”

THINGS YOU CAN DO Moving to a new school can be stressful. Extracurricular activities can help students quickly fit into their new surroundings, and participation can pay off as the family learns about the new school and what they may expect when they arrive. With a checklist, students themselves can take ownership of researching this part of the move and do much of the work, smoothing their own way during the move. The following recommendations can be added to the family’s moving checklist:

• Do your research: write, phone, or email the new school to find out what activities are available to you. Find out if they have eligibility requirements, tryout windows, and/or practices or trainings you must attend in order to participate. Find out if there is a waiver process or special considerations for students who arrive outside of tryout windows.

• Compile a portfolio that includes grades; be sure to include activities in which you have participated and leadership positions you have held.

• Make a copy of eligibility requirements for activities in which you have participated.

• Ask your coach(es) for notes of recommendation to take to coaches at the receiving school.

SCHOOLQUEST Any time of the year can be “PCS time” and that’s why the Military Child Education Coalition SchoolQuest is always ready to help: • Research schools at your new duty station.

• Ask questions about your student’s education plan.

• Store your valuable education information in a safe, virtual file drawer!

The MCEC SchoolQuest also offers college and career planning, a library filled with great information, a blog, and state educational resource listings.

Totally free and just for you – visit www.SchoolQuest.org.

SOURCES Brooks, T.E. (2006). Strengthening resilience in children and youth; Maximizing opportunities through schools. Children in Schools, 28, 69-76.

Feldman & Matjasko, (2007). The Role of School-Based Extracurricular Activities in Adolescent Development: A Comprehensive Review and Future Directions. Review of Educational Research, 75 (2), 159-210.

Lipscomb (2007). Secondary school extracurricular involvement and academic achievement: a fixed approach. Economics of Education Review, 26 (4), 463-472.

Mahoney (2000). School Extracurricular Activity Participation as a Moderator in the Development of Antisocial Patterns. Child Development, 71(3), 502-516.

Mahoney, J. L., & Stattin, H. (2000). Leisure activities and adolescent antisocial behavior: The role of structure and social context. Journal of Adolescence, 23, 113-127.

Scales, P.C. (2005). Developmental Assets and the Middle School Counselor. Professional School Counseling, 9, 104-111.

Shulruf, Turnen, & Tolley (2008). Extracurricular activities in school, do they matter? Children and Youth Services Review, 30(4), 418-426.

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MCEC Special Topic

Tips

By Laura Campbell MCEC Media Specialist

for College Freshman

Go to class.

There’s a lot to juggle that first year! Although there are plenty of new experiences to enjoy, remember your first goal of going to college: successfully graduating. To make that happen, you’ll need to attend those dreadful 8:00 am classes and skip some social activities to ensure your academic requirements are met. That being said…

Balance it all out.

Get involved on campus with groups that interest you, and allow yourself time to enjoy what college life offers beyond the classroom. This will help alleviate homesickness and build a supportive social circle.

Get organized.

Your professors are there to teach you and guide you, but you are expected to keep up with assignments and the work required. Take the time at the beginning of the semester to go through all your responsibilities and log them on the calendar of your choice (paper or electronic? Choose whatever works for you).

Make deadlines and stick to them.

Procrastinating will only stress you out. Make reasonable deadlines and stick to them.

Know yourself.

Do you need minimum eight hours of sleep to function? A secluded, quiet place to study? Are you a visual or auditory learner? Is the most important part of your well-being that hour of gym time? College is a time for self-discovery, so find out what makes you tick and own it. Distinguish between needs and wants when you schedule your time, and don’t let other influences tempt you away from what is best for you.

Budget and don’t budge.

Long-distance phone calls, eating out, credit cards, fuel expenses… it all adds up quickly. A finance plan is important. Calculate your monthly expenses and what your income will be. Then, stretch your dollars where you can and limit spending where it’s unnecessary – maybe allow yourself one dinner a week outside campus and stick to your cafeteria plan for your other meals – for a happier, healthier wallet and freshman year.

Art by Jean, Grade 11 | Hohenfels Middle High School, Hohenfels, Germany | U.S. Army www.MilitaryChild.org

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About the MCEC Science Advisory Board The mission of the MCEC Living in the New Normal: Helping Children Thrive through Good and Challenging Times Science Advisory Board is to advise the LINN committee and the MCEC on the full spectrum of effects – to include resilience, growth, and achievement, multiple deployments, trauma, and loss – living a military lifestyle has upon military children, as well as to ensure the efficacy of the knowledge base and enhance the ethical and professional credibility of the LINN Initiative.

CHARACTER STRENGTHS &

AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS

By Dr. Mike Matthews MCEC Science Board Member

The beginning of a new school year is full of excitement and anticipation. Use your own personal character strengths to bring out the best in yourself this school year.

Here is an exercise to help you accomplish this. Visit the website www.authentichappiness.org and then register and complete the “VIA Inventory of Character Strengths” (it can be found in the middle column, among the listing of several different questionnaires). This questionnaire measures and rank orders your own personal character strengths. It takes about 30 minutes to complete.

When you complete the questionnaire, study your top five strengths. Read the definition of each. Do they truly describe you? How have you used these strengths in the past? Think of ways that you may use these top strengths to help you achieve important goals. For example, if one of your top strengths is “teamwork,” think how you can use this trait to help you excel in academics, sports, or other activities this school year. Experts have found that using your “signature” character strengths is a great way of approaching a variety of challenges. So give this a try, and good luck in all of your endeavors!

Madison, Grade 3 | McBride Elementary School, Fort Benning, GA | U.S. Army

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MCEC Special Topic

Getting Back in the School Year Routine Hopefully, your family has had some relaxed time this summer. Without the pressure of school or afterschool activities, it is often easier to let the day’s events unfold without watching the clock during the summer. Dinner and bedtime may have been later or less consistent, and hopefully there were some mornings when you and your child had the opportunity to sleep in.

After a long less structured summer, getting back to a school schedule can be hard for parents and children, but talking about it helps.

Use the start of the school year as an opportunity to discuss the daily schedule together. Children benefit from regular routines including meal time, after school or evening study time or quiet time, time for friends and activities, and a good night sleep.

Posting a weekly schedule reinforces important routines at home and helps you stay on top of what needs to go in your child’s backpack, etc. Put up a calendar in a central place, and write in upcoming events. Including every child’s weekly schedule along with parents’ schedules in one place can serve as a reminder that family members need to work together and communicate in order to accomplish all that occurs in a busy week.

www.MilitaryChild.org

By Dr. Paula K. Rauch Director of the Marjorie E. Korff PACT Program; Family Support and Outreach, Home Base Program; Child Psychiatry Consultation Service to Pediatrics

Art by Elnatan, Grade 7 | Hohenfels Middle High School, Hohenfels, Germany | U.S. Army

Here are a few ideas that you might consider starting in the new school year: • Pick two nights in the week when dinner will always be the same; for example make Mondays pasta night and Thursdays burger night.

These nights will be reassuringly predictable for your child and require no additional creative energy from you.

• Pick a regular time in the week to celebrate the things that went right during the past week and to talk about what is coming in the week ahead. Use this as a time to thank every member of your family

for something that he or she did to make your life a little easier or brighter. Highlighting the positives encourages more acts of kindness.

• Think about the times and activities that lend themselves to your best conversations with each of your children. Maybe those times are in the car or at bedtime or during a favorite TV show. Make it a priority to spend those times together once a week if possible.

It helps to make space for good conversations to happen.

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time worrying about our kids and their friends.

Do they make friends easily? Do they have

M

As caring adults, we spend a great deal of

On b ilit e ar rou in y Ch ght a se to ild Ed you ries uc by ati on the Co ali tio n

How to Be a Friend enough friends? Are they the right kinds of friends? Because friendship is so vital to our children’s young lives, it becomes a constant source of concern. Yet we have to let our children walk down the sometimes bumpy road of friendship, understanding,

A kit for nd

How to be a Frie

for preschoolers Includes activities l-aged children and early schoo

respecting, and gently guiding them along the way.

Facilitate Accurate and Positive Thinking Children need to know how to think positively about themselves.

This does not mean that they should have false ideas of grandeur. For example, if a non-athletic child is playing basketball, he does not need to be told he’s a great basketball player. Instead, he needs help accurately assessing that although he may not be the best player, he knows how to enjoy himself. Regarding friendship, children need to understand the following accuracies:

The article “How to be a Friend” is an excerpt from the MCEC Growing, Learning, and Understanding (GLU) Kit HOW TO BE A FRIEND.

The How to be a Friend kit offers activities and ideas to help kids better understand the complex components of friendship. The kit is founded upon the idea that, in order to be a good friend, children must first have a It is not important if everyone likes you. strong and secure sense of self. How No one is perfect. to be a Friend contains activities that It is OK to make mistakes. explicitly teach basic social skills and Things don’t have to be perfect in provide the tools kids need to begin order for you to be happy. and build healthy relationships.

Teach kids to be It also deals with helping kids self-aware but not self-important.

These are all true identify and avoid negative With so much recent emphasis on statements but ones we relationships. self-esteem, it’s easy to get carried away telling do not necessarily believe Books include How kids how great they are, but make sure these are when they come from to be a Friend by Laurie our own heads. Teach Krasny and Marc Brown, not empty words; kids know the difference. Praise children to believe in their Holly Hobbie’s Travels children for a job well done. Acknowledge exceptional own accurate thinking. with Toot and Puddle, achievement. Let them know you love them uncondiand Mo Willems’ tionally. And help them figure out for themselves Leonardo the Terrible the many unique and wonderful attributes that Monster. Find out more at www.store.militarychild.org. make them who they really are.

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MCEC Special Topic

How Parents Can Help Their Children Succeed in School

By Loretta Cremin Program Manager, MCEC Parent to Parent

As the lazy days of summer come to an end, parents everywhere are preparing their children for the start of another school year. Fall is a time to re-establish daily routines such as homework, after school sports, and all of the activities families with children try to fit into a 24-hour day! At the MCEC Parent to Parent, we are kicking off our fall schedule with a full spectrum of education workshops to help parents help their children get off to a good start this school year. Some of the workshops include: Early Literacy workshops designed to spark a love of reading and learning in very young children, Avoiding Homework Hassles at Home, The Importance of an Academic Portfolio, How to Prepare for a Successful Parent Teacher Conference, and Chart Your Course through High School and Beyond. Our trainers share proven strategies and the latest research and resources with military parents to help their children succeed in school despite the challenges posed by deployments and frequent school transitions typical of life in a military family.

The Parent to Parent Back to School Basics workshop explores ideas on how parents can help improve their students’ school performance this year.

It provides both common sense tips and research-based approaches that explain how children learn and suggest ways to www.MilitaryChild.org

best prepare them to learn.

For example, research shows that kids look to the adults in their lives for direction and support and that parent attitudes greatly influence their kids. Just

by keeping a positive attitude about life in general – but with learning in particular – a parent becomes a powerful role model for their child. This attitude can instill confidence in the child that in turn contributes to academic success.

Parental involvement in school is particularly important. Research also shows that children with involved parents perform better academically and in life in general. Children with involved parents are more likely to earn higher grades and have better school attendance, greater motivation, and increased likelihood to continue to post-secondary education. At the same time, these kids have lower rates of suspension and risky behavior. When parents are engaged in their child’s

education, they send the message that the family values education. This shared value inspires academic success. Staying connected to a child’s education when mom or dad deploys reinforces to the child the importance of education to the family and demonstrates to teachers that the family is serious about their child’s education.

In the Parent to Parent Back to Basics workshop, the participants learn strategies to improve their child’s performance and experience at school including how to • keep the lines of communication open with the teacher and the school; • talk and listen to their child about what he is doing in school; • know the teacher’s expectations and school rules; • do things at home to promote homework and active learning; • become involved in the school; and • develop and maintain a learning enhancing routine.

The MCEC Parent to Parent is thrilled to start the new school year at two dozen locations around the globe, bringing current and relevant training to our military communities. Want to know more? Visit www.MilitaryChild. org/parents-and-students/programs/ parent-to-parent.

Christina, Grade 10 | Hohenfels Middle High School, Hohenfels, Germany | U.S. Army

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School Supplies

By Emily Parry Special Contributor to the On the Move

AUGUST MAK ES M E A B IT NOSTALG IC . It’s not so much that I long for “times gone by” – at 25, there is not much past behind me!

However, this year marks the third anniversary of a momentous occasion for me. Three years ago I graduated from college, and the idea that I don’t go back to school this August still feels unnatural.

As a kid, a surly teenager, and a college student, “back to school” was never something I particularly looked forward to. As a highly mobile military child, the standard first-day jitters were often accompanied by an exhausting combination of anxiety and optimism, new buildings, teachers, friends, and most importantly, a fresh start and the opportunity to be who you wanted to. It was enough to make your head spin.

Luckily, the marketing geniuses at my favorite stores take some pity on students and provide a great incentive for starting school again: NEW STUFF. It happened, then, that the driving force getting me out of bed on that dreaded day in August was that I had a fabulous new outfit and fresh, color-coordinated supplies. In the spirit of the commercialization of Academia, I compiled a rather sentimental list of my school supplies:

EP

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10 Red Ink Pens: (4th Grade) With these, we could exchange quizzes and spelling tests in class, the first test of our academic honor and integrity. Not to mention, of course, the smallest discernable amount of power that could go to a 4th grader’s head. Or maybe it was just me.

Trapper Keeper: (5th Grade) We were in 5th grade; we had important things to do. Our need at this age to have all of our lives contained in one device would be the catalyst for an addiction later in life to laptops, smart phones, etc.

(None of which even existed at the time).

Graph Paper: (9th Grade)

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As if any of us needed an excuse to waste more time in class, graph paper doubled as the most supreme of all doodle pads.

All those tiny little squares, just begging to be individually colored and connected. If only we could have channeled that meticulousness into studying biology.

MCEC Special Topic

1 The Monogrammed Back-Pack: (3rd Grade) Little needs to be said of this magnificent bag. I could carry designer purses for the remainder of my life and I would not feel the same affection as I did for my backpack. It was purple with silver reflective stripes, and most importantly, adorned with MY initials.

3

Lunch Box: (Grades K-12th) The lunch box you carried said a lot about your personality. While my childhood was all about images of Care Bears and Barbie, the receptacle I used to transport my lunch in high school was really my most memorable: a vintage-style lunch box, bearing the image of the original Saks 5th Avenue storefront circa 1940. If it was possible to be in love with a lunch box, I was.

The 128 Pack of Crayons: (Grades K-12th …err, 5th) This was perhaps the most quintessential of all school supplies.

You got a fresh pack every year and you’d better hope your mom got the one with the sharpener built into the back.

4 College Guide Book: (12th Grade) Our focus was on the future and we were faced with our hardest decision yet. We sat at lunch and in study hall poring over book after book and a myriad of brochures.

5

LIP S

MA CKE

RS

Bonne Belle Lip Smackers: (6th Grade) How glamorous we were, with our melon-flavored gloss and icy pink eye shadow, all applied quite surreptitiously on the bus each morning and wiped off in the afternoon.

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7 Doc Martens: (7th Grade) Few articles of clothing defined my generation’s middle school years the way those shoes did…

They were all ugly, and each one weighed about 27 pounds. We didn’t care.

www.MilitaryChild.org

A Key Ring: (11th Grade) And we thought we were grown up in 5th grade! At the start of 11th grade, nothing said freedom like the keys to a car all your own, or at the very least, regular access to one.

These are the memories that remind me of all the hope of the first day of school: new friends, a new year, and a fresh start.

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Art by Emily, Grade 12 | Killeen High School, Fort Hood, TX | U.S. Army

Ways to Save on School Supplies

By Laura Campbell MCEC Media Specialist

Take stock.

Review the supply list required.

Maybe your student was gifted multiple packs of crayons this summer or you picked up a six-pack of hand sanitizer at that bulk shopping store. Whatever the case, use it now.

Ask the teacher. Talk to your child’s teacher.

Is there anything that isn’t necessary for his particular classroom? Are there items you can buy later in the year so you don’t have to spend so much right now?

Evaluate. Sometimes we mentally add extra items to our list because good marketing helps confuse “needs” with “wants.” A brand new wardrobe, a book bag, or a laptop may all move to the “buy later” pile.

Clip coupons. Visit the internet for printable coupons to your favorite stores. Use sites like Amazon. com for special deals (pay attention to shipping!) and sign up for alerts. Look in your local paper for coupons, too – remember to use them – and for dates when special pricing will be available.

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Stick to the list. Make a strict list of what you will purchase. Talk to your students about what your plans are, so there are no surprises in the aisles. Maybe you can commit to one ‘luxury’ item – such as an embellished folder – and older students can use their own funds to buy anything beyond that.

Play detective.

With today’s technology, it is too easy to shop one store while comparing prices at another via your smart phone. This is especially critical for pricier purchases.

Stockpile all year. When visiting your favorite store, make it a habit to swing by clearance and keep your eyes open for sales. Some items your student will always need – like pencils, erasers, and paper – so buy extra if the opportunity presents and then tuck away for mid-year replenishing or for next year.

Go green! At the end of the semester and again at the end of the year, some of those school supplies will be returned to you. Optimize this opportunity with a pre-determined storage place for those extras, and look forward to saving even more money next year!

MCEC Special Topic

Taking the ST R ESS

Out of Homework

By Joan Rooney Vice President of Instruction at Tutor.com

Do you have a child at home who is totally stressed out about homework? Well, you are not alone: Nearly 9 out of 10 kids stress out about homework, according to responses from students, teachers, and parents from the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher. The study also said that more than one third of students feel that way almost all the time.

That’s a lot of very stressed out children! The good news is that there’s plenty students can do to deal with it. Try these anxiety-relieving tips with your child.

SCHEDULE HOMEWORK: There is relief in knowing when you will get things done. In our house, if it is not on the schedule, it does not get done. Homework should be on the schedule everyday along with soccer, play practice, and time out with friends. This also helps kids separate homework time from time for other distracting activities like texting friends and playing video games.

PLAN IT: Every minute a parent spends teaching a child how to plan and organize work is a minute spent giving them a skill that will last a lifetime. Help kids to break down the work over the whole assignment time so that it does not all come crashing down at once and become overwhelming.

START SMALL: Sometimes the amount of homework students have to do makes it seem impossible. But

MacKenzie, Grade 4 | Condor Elementary School, Twentynine Palms, CA | U.S. Marines www.MilitaryChild.org

the reality is that each big assignment is made up of smaller steps, and right now all your child has to do is focus on the first step and then move to the next one.

TAKE DEEP BREATHS: Yes, it’s true—just breathing deeply can make all the difference. Deep breaths force our neurological system to relax and calm us—our bodies can’t help but react in a positive way because they are programmed that way.

CONNECT WITH A TUTOR: Tutor.com for the U.S. Military (www.tutor.com/military) is a great way to reduce a student’s stress levels. The online tutoring program is free for eligible families. Tutors are online 24/7 and can help a student facing the most stressful academic problems, even that tough physics exam, by working through the problem one-to-one in an online classroom. Even better, students can save their sessions and review them anytime.

TALK IT OUT: If none of these strategies are working and your child is simply over-the-top stressed out about homework, then talk to your student’s Research shows teacher and/or guidance counselor that family involvement about it. Letting them know promotes student success. your child is experiencing When families, schools, and communities extreme stress helps work together them know how to help • student achievement improves; your child succeed.

• teacher morale rises; Author Joan Rooney • communication increases; and is a mom, former • family, school, and community connections multiply. classroom teacher and - from the National PTA website the VP of Instruction at Tutor.com.

Learn more here: http://www.pta.org/ family_school_partnerships.asp

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Operation Educate the Educators An Initiative to Strengthen the Preparation of Educators to Meet the Needs of Military Children This past January President Obama released Strengthening Our Military Families, a publication outlining federal agency efforts to support this work. In April 2011, Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden announced the Administration’s Joining Forces, an initiative to better support the U.S. military and their families. They asked a wide range of organizations to work together to strengthen current services and develop new ones to support military families.

The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) took up the challenge and formed a partnership to enhance the preparation of teachers to

About the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education The AACTE is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to the highest quality professional development of teachers and school leaders in order to enhance PK-12 student learning. The 800 institutions holding AACTE membership represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

meet the needs of military-connected children. There are approximately two million children of active duty military members and members of the National Guard and Reserve. Over eighty percent of these children attend public schools in all fifty states. While active duty families are concentrated near military installations, National Guard and Reserve families reside in almost every community across our Nation.

AACTE surveyed its membership of 800 institutions of higher education and realized that few preparation programs incorporate curriculum and experiences exposing teacher candidates to the realities that military-connected children face, including their social, emotional, and learning needs. It is essential that teachers begin their careers with the tools they need to effectively address the learning challenges that militaryconnected children face.

The major activities that “Operation Educate the Educators” will undertake over the next year include:

• enlisting 100 institutions of higher education to incorporate curriculum and experiences in their teacher preparation programs that address the needs of militaryconnected children; • conducting workshops in February and June of 2012 for these institutions to offer professional development to higher education faculty; • developing courses and modules that address the learning needs of militaryconnected children to incorporate teacher preparation programs and provide strategies for teacher candidates to meet these needs; • developing competencies that schools of education can use to ensure that their candidates understand the unique social and academic needs of militaryconnected children and have the skills to address those needs; • creating an exchange program between faculty at schools of education and military institutions; • developing a web portal to provide resources to schools, and colleges on military culture, social, emotional, and academic needs of military-connected children, and best practices in preparing teachers to meet these needs.

S E C T I O N THR EE: Learning… Together 26 ON THE move®

Art by Makayla, Grade 4 | McBride Elementary School, Fort Benning, GA | U.S. Army MCEC Special Topic

S UCC ESS !

Military Families, Schools, and Communities Working Together

By Laura Campbell MCEC Media Specialist

According to the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission website (www.mic3.net), the goal of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children “is to replace the widely varying policies” affecting our military-connected students as they move between school districts and states.” The Compact

by determining that both states had committed to the Interstate Compact.

She shared with the parent that this situation – state history credits not transferring – was a concern of the original group that formed the Compact! She encouraged Paul and his parents to visit www.mic3.net/pages/ resources/resources.aspx to learn more

Paul’s mom had this to say to Aunt Peggie: “We are truly thrilled with this outcome! Thank you for the help and resources you provided – and to our MCEC Parent to Parent trainer. If it had not been for her educating me on the MCEC, I would not have had the knowledge to address these issues.”

This is a wonderful example of how

Results of a longitudinal study of nearly 4,000 students find that those who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers. ~ Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School, a study by Donald J. Hernandez, professor at Hunter College, at the City University of New York

addresses key educational transition issues such as enrollment, placement, attendance, eligibility, and graduation.

As of July, 2012, 43 states have made this commitment. But how is this helping real military families?

Recently, the MCEC received an email asking for help. Paul, a tenth grade military-connected student, had made a huge transition from a Midwest state to the East Coast. Once enrolled in his new high school, his parents were shocked. The state history from his recent high school wouldn’t transfer along with several other classes, like art appreciation. What could they do?

Aunt Peggie, MCEC Researcher, started

about the agreement and then contact the installation’s School Liaison Officer for additional support. She warned parents that if the receiving state required two semesters of history and Paul had only had one, he may have to take that second semester.

Paul’s parents followed Aunt Peggie’s advice, reaching out and working with the school. As a result, all of Paul’s credits ultimately transferred (although some as electives), and the state history credits were used as an even exchange. The school even waived a class that would do nothing but keep him a year behind his peer group – a commitment to providing the flexibility that military transfer students need!

the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, communities, states, schools, educators, and military families are all working together …for the sake of the child.

Teacher effects over time appear to be as important for student achievement as the cumulative effect of small class sizes. ~ Project Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR), a study by Spyros Konstantopoulos, associate professor of education at Michigan State University

Art by Brian, Grade 11 | Ramey School, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico | Federal Officer www.MilitaryChild.org

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Common Core Standards:

Will it make a difference for our military-connected students?

A phrase you may hear or read about over the next few years is “Common Core” or “Common Core State Standards” (CCSS). CCSS represent a major education shift toward an emphasis on rigorous and consistent standards throughout students’ K-12 academic careers. The adoption and implementation of CCSS in schools will provide consistent and clear standards of student expectations. The new standards require a high level of student engagement as well as a focus on both content and a depth of understanding to apply the knowledge. Standards are designed to be relevant to what students need to know in order to be prepared for college or their careers and to position our students to be successful in our global economy.

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. Students will not be caught off-guard when they move, because CCSS outline the specific skills and knowledge by each grade that students need to have in order to be prepared for college or employment after high school.

Artwork by Daniel, Grade 7 | Poquoson Middle School, Poquoson, Virginia | U.S. Army

What are the Common Core State Standards?

CCSS are a list of specific, grade by grade, academic standards that cover mathematics and English language arts. It is important to understand that CCSS are not intended to dictate everything that is taught, nor do they mandate how to teach. They describe the critical knowledge and skills our students need to be successful in college or the workplace. The example below is from seventh grade mathematics, under the geometry section: • Draw, construct, and describe geometrical figures and describe the relationships between them.

• Solve real-life and mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume.

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Why do we need common standards?

Prior to the adoption of CCSS, each state had its own process to develop and implement academic standards or expectations. This autonomy caused in a great deal of disparity in content, rigor, and standards from one state to another. For the military-connected student, this disparity often resulted in students not having pre-requisite skills or knowledge or having to repeat content when they transitioned. All students need to be prepared for success in college or the workplace, wherever their post-secondary endeavors take them. All students are entitled to a high quality education no matter where they live. All students, especially our mobile military-connected students, should know that standards and expectations for academic excellence will be consistent as they move.

MCEC Special Topic

Why are CCSS so important to military-connected students?

The education experience for many military-connected students can be frustrating. Some students find themselves in a class where they do not have the expected knowledge and skills needed to do well, skills their classmates learned the previous year. Other students find themselves repeating material and are expected to be content to spend class time “reviewing.” The adoption and implementation of CCSS are a critical step and particularly important to the mobile military-connected student because they provide consistency, continuity, and clear expectations of the knowledge and skills students need in each grade.

Who created the standards?

The Council of Chief State School Officer (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) have worked for several years with 48 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia to develop curriculum standards for English language arts and mathematics that reflect the skills students need to prepare them for post-secondary education or to enter the work-place (college or career ready).

Many other groups were involved in the development of these standards including Achieve, ACT, College Board, National Association of State Boards of Education, and State Higher Education Officers. Other groups like the National Council of Teachers of English and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics provided feedback on the standards. States voluntarily decide whether they will or will not adopt the standards and how they will implement them.

The adoption of CCSS is not a federal government program or mandate. The federal government does, however, have the ability to support the states’ efforts to implement CCSS through a range of incentives such as allowing states greater flexibility in the use of federal funds and in the current accountability system. The federal government can also revise existing federal education laws to support the most effective and promising research-proven practices in the classroom.

www.MilitaryChild.org

Where and when have CCSS been adopted or implemented?

To date, 45 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands have voluntarily adopted CCSS (see map). The states that have adopted CCSS are home to approximately 80% of all military-connected children. The remaining students are in one of the states that have not adopted CCSS or attend a Department of Defense Education Activity school. 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.

States may also refer to CCSS by different names. States that have adopted CCSS have planned to implement them fully no later than School Year 2014-2015. Kentucky has been leading the implementation process with plans for students being assessed on CCSS at the end of School Year 2012.

CCSS are based on the best and highest standards in the country. They are aligned with college expectations in both content and skills; therefore, concerns about whether CCSS will result in lower standards are unfounded. A 2011 study completed by the Education Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) compared CCSS to five different sets of standards recognized as exemplary state standards or standards that were written specifically for college readiness. This study suggests a substantial concurrence between CCSS and the comparative standards. (The complete study can be viewed on the EPIC website, www. epiconline.org/CommonCoreStateStandardsStudies)

How do I get involved?

Start by learning as much as you can about your state’s and district’s progress toward implementing CCSS. A good place to begin is the CCSS website www.corestandards. org. You can see all the standards, grade by grade, as well as links to information about the state that interests you to get more information on the adoption and implementation process. You can also hear the voices of education leaders from around the country who support CCSS. In addition, The National PTA (www.

PTA.org) has great resources that explain how parents can work with their children and what children are expected to know at different grade levels. We at the Military Child Education Coalition are always happy to answer your questions. Contact us through our website, www.militarychild.org.

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perspe

A Student’s Perspective

Andrew Parry

Although I excelled in academics I found myself ‘out of sync’ with my classes.

I spent my whole childhood as a military child, so moving around was a pretty common occurrence. In fact, I moved 12 times by my 18th birthday, which included attending four different high schools. While my situation is certainly not unique, it was not without its challenges. Because of the frequent moves and school changes I had to take frequent assessments to determine where I “belonged” in my new classes. The “advanced” reading group in one school may have been the equivalent of the “average” group in the next school I attended. In high school the challenges were even greater. Although I excelled in academics I found myself “out of sync” with my classes. In English I found myself

“For the sake of all children, it is imperative that the knowledge and skills taught from kindergarten through high school be both consistent from state to state as well as challenging.” re-reading books in the 10th and 11th grade that I had read in 9th grade. Additionally, there were books my senior year that, according to my teacher, I SHOULD have read, but didn’t because they weren’t part of the curriculum at my past schools. Math proved to be even more difficult. I never took a class in geometry but was expected to know it my sophomore year. This required extra effort on my part to “catch up” with the rest of the class or risk falling further behind. My senior year I found myself in a freshman geography class that was required for graduation.

I am confident there are other military children who experience the same issues I faced. That is why the implementation of Common Core State Standards is beneficial to families that must relocate frequently. No longer will kids risk falling behind because of a parent’s reassignment. The curriculum, while challenging, is also uniform from state to state, ensuring that military children are afforded the same opportunities as their peers and that, regardless of where they graduate from high school, they are prepared for either college or the workforce. With the support of the Military Child Education Coalition, this issue and its importance to military-connected students can get the necessary attention of state governments and school systems. More importantly, the effort will help ensure that all children leave high school ready for the next phase in their life whether that is college, working, or both.

Although I succeeded in school without Common Core Standards in place, I had a fair number of challenges. Fellow students not well-equipped to handle the frequent changes struggled more. For the sake of all children, it is imperative that the knowledge and skills taught from kindergarten through high school be both consistent from state to state as well as challenging.

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Does It Add Up for Military Families?

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

For our nation’s 2 million military connected children these changes happen an average of 6-9 times over the course of their school years. But what if, just what if, the impact of one of these changes is lessened for every move? That possibility is very real and attainable with passage of the Common Core State Standards.

The Common Core Standards Initiative’s mission is to “provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected

MCEC Special Topic

ectives A Parent’s Perspective

As a parent of military-connected children and a veteran of 12 global and interstate relocations, our family navigated its share of turbulent waters when it came to changing schools. Research tells me that my children were typical among their peers. They were in a group of nearly 1.1 million military-connected students with parents who are Active Duty, National Guard or Reserves, 80% of whom attend public school systems in the United States. They also move 3 times more frequently than their civilian classmates and change schools an average of 6 to 9 times before graduation. For the most part, my children embraced each transition – although my son had to work hard at putting a good face on his third high school in four years.

That is why it is with a grateful heart that I follow the progress of a grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC). Through this partnership, the MCEC will be a champion for the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) that will help ensure that all students are receiving a high quality education

Zoe Trautman

consistently, from school to school and state to state, as preparation for future success at work or in higher education. CCSS are designed to provide a clear, rigorous set of shared goals and expectations for the knowledge and skills that will help all students.

This predictability is singularly critical for our military-connected students who currently are challenged with adapting and flexing as they move through each state’s unique curriculum, specific materials, requirements, and assessment formats. Often this means repeating courses or missing concepts altogether, given that the scope and sequence of core subjects differs from state to state. Math, in particular, can present these challenges at all grade levels.

So while our military families negotiate the choppy seas of change that characterize their lives, changes resulting from military assignments, or a parent’s deployment, they need the reassurance that their children’s educational progress will not suffer – no matter where they are.

An Administrator’s Perspective to learn, so teachers and parents know that they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real work, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.” So for every child across the United States, these rigorous expectations for learning provide consistent and predictable learning goals. Schools and teachers continue to make decisions about how lessons are presented, keeping intact the art of teaching.

From my experience as a former principal of an elementary school situated on a large military installation, military families hold their children’s education in high regard, keeping that one item

www.MilitaryChild.org

at the center of their most critical decisions.

Decisions such as keeping the family together at the same duty station, or separating the family while the service member moves to the next duty station, or whether or not to remain in the military. Hundreds of our conversations centered on the differences they experienced in school expectations, curriculums, textbooks, etc. and the dramatic effect these fluctuations placed on their children.

“Like the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children that provides common guidelines for states to follow in handling issues that impact children of military families as they transition between schools, the rigor of the proposed academic Common Core Standards will be a benefit to military dependent students everywhere,” said

Karol Carlisle

USAAC Commanding General, LT. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley. “Moreover, I fully agree with Secretary of Education Duncan when he says there is no more important work than preparing our students to success in the global economy. Our national security as well as our national economy hinge upon education and our ability to adapt to global changes. National standards will raise the bar in education, and ultimately, serve our Nation by producing high school graduates fully prepared for higher education, the military, or the workforce.”

As our service members continually sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy, passage of Common Core State Standards afford military families one less change to face in their transitions and add one more item of familiarity to their world.

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e r n s t hip Pride r a P with National PTA It is our privilege to announce a partnership between the Military Child Education Coalition and the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The National PTA is one of the strongest advocacy groups for children and has a rich history of championing efforts in support of all young people.

The partnership between the Military Child Education Coalition and the National PTA aligns with the Joining Forces Initiative of The First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, which focuses on supporting military families in the areas of employment, wellness, and education. Our partnership converges on the educational component of this important initiative.

Our partnership goals include working together to build connections and engagement between military and civilian parents and students using PTA Programs, the MCEC Parent to Parent program, and the MCEC Student 2 Student program. Through these programs, we will initiate projects in participating school districts with significant military-connected student populations and districts with less than 25 percent militaryconnected student populations. The projects will address one or more of the following areas: military family support, academic achievement, health and wellness, extracurricular learning opportunities, or community involvement and support.

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Additional projects to be undertaken by our partnership include the development of a publication entitled “Guide to Engaging with MilitaryConnected Parents” for use by PTAs, which will be accompanied by a toolkit of resource materials for parents to educate them about the unique needs of military families.

Together, we can make a difference for our military-connected students and are honored to do so. Stay tuned for updates as the Military Child Education Coalition and the National PTA move forward together hand in hand…for the sake of the child.

Art by Francine, Grade 12 | Ramey School, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico | Teacher MCEC Special Topic