MCEC Press Archives
July 23, 2001
Schools agree to make transitions easier for Army youth
By David L. Barrette
CFSC Public Affairs
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A memorandum of agreement between nine Army community school districts systems is a significant step toward making school moves easier for military children.
The agreement is a result of the Army's Secondary Education Transition Study conducted during 1999 and 2000. The Military Child Education Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the well-being of military students, conducted the study at the Army's request. SETS examined the full impact of moving on military-connected teens transferring one or more times during high school.
The SETS study and the signing of the MOA and were among the topics of discussion for more than 300 parents, educators, military personnel and others at MCEC's annual conference July 11-13 in Palm Harbor, Fla.
Dr. Mary Keller, executive director of MCEC and a SETS senior researcher as well as the principal author of the study's publications, , said the study research considered the variety of challenges encountered by transitioning students. The study also found many encouraging practices and strategies that help the mobile student. She said those conducting the study's findings included recommended improvements recommendations to increase the capacities of parents, schools, as well as the installations to consistently improve the transitions for high school students.
An outgrowth of SETS was a pioneering, formal memorandum of agreement among school systems. The MOA components are:
- Improve the timely transfer of records; by letting parents hand-carry them;
- Ease students' transitioning process, especially during the first two weeks of enrollment;
- Communicate variations in school calendar years;
- Provide information concerning graduation requirements;
- Promote practices which foster access to extracurricular programs;
- Establish procedures to lessen the adverse impact of moves from the end of the junior year, as well as before, and during the senior year;
- Create and implement professional development systems;
- Continue strong, child-centered partnerships between the installation and the supporting school;
- Provide specialized services for transitioning students when applying to and finding the funding for post secondary opportunities.
- And ease a student's transitioning process, especially during the first two weeks of enrollment.
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Brig. Gen. Antonio Taguba talks with a MCEC conference attendee about the benefits military children will receive from the memorandum of agreement signed by nine Army community school systems. |
Brig. Gen. Antonio Taguba talks with a MCEC conference attendee about the benefits military children will receive from the memorandum of agreement signed by nine Army community school systems.
By adhering adopting to the MOA, the signatory school systems are collaborating to reduce the adverse impact military students face from frequent moves during a typical parent's Army career.
"The memorandum will empower [school staff] to make decisions that are in the best interests of the children," said a signatory of the MOA, Dr. William Harrison, superintendent of Cumberland County Schools, Fayetteville, N.C., which serves the Fort Bragg community.
Harrison said the MOA is a starting point on a course of continuous educational improvements for transitioning students. He said the agreement would help staff in the different school systems function better together.
"This means we will may be able to promote predictability for the youngsters when they move from school to school," said Patty Shinseki, spouse of the Army chief of staff. "There can be a bit more predictability in what they can expect at their next school. All they want is a level playing field and to be given an opportunity to excel."
MCEC's chairman, retired Lt. Gen. Pete Taylor, said the Army is acting as a facilitator for the local school districts. He said, "The nine superintendents and school boards are showing their willingness to participate by taking part in the study and signing the MOA."
Brig. Gen. Antonio Taguba, commanding general of the Army's Community and Family Support Center, said the Army is sending letters to superintendents and school board members that support Army installations around the world, encouraging them to join the MOA. Taguba said installation commanders are also receiving letters encouraging them to support the initiative.
Educators at the conference learned the detailed process the school systems must undertake to join the MOA. Those steps start with local installation commanders and school system superintendents meeting to discuss how they can implement the agreement.
After analyzing how the agreement would be implemented, the local governing school board must grant approval. With the approval of the school board, the superintendent signs the MOA.
Once these steps have been taken, the community is informed and a local plan of action is developed. The local system then starts working with other school systems to ease the transition of mobile students.
The ultimate goal from the Army's perspective, said Taylor, would be "to have all the school districts systems that support Army installations all over the world sign on to this agreement that concerns kids moving among those various school districts systems."
School systems wanting to sign on the MOA should contact MCEC for additional information.
Copies of the SETS executive summary and MOA are being distributed to all Army installation commanders and school liaison offices, Keller said.
Additional copies of the SETS executive summary, (which includes the MOA), and the Parent Guidebook can be are available through the Military Family Resource Center at mfrcrequest@calib.com.
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MCEC MOA participants
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