Frequent moves to new duty stations can be challenging, especially for parents with school-age children. Changing schools means new friends, teachers, classes, after-school activities and requirements. As a parent, you want to provide a smooth transition from one school system to the next, while making sure your children can enroll in the classes they need, be allowed to play their favorite sports and graduate on time.
The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children is an agreement among participating states to alleviate many of the school transition problems you might encounter. The compact helps out in four major areas: enrollment, placement and attendance, eligibility, and graduation.
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Enrollment
Contact
the school liaison at your installation, who can help you work with the school to answer your questions.
The compact helps you enroll your child in a new school by helping with:
- Education records - When you leave your school district (in a state that participates in the compact) you can get a set of unofficial records to carry to your new school (in another member state). You can use these records to enroll your child until the official records arrive. School districts are required to send official transcripts within 10 days of receiving a request.
- Immunizations - If your child needs additional immunizations, you can enroll and take care of this within 30 days.
- Kindergarten and first grade entrance - If your child is transferring to a school with a different age requirement for kindergarten or first grade, they can continue in the same grade if they already started in their previous school.
Placement and attendance
The compact ensures that your children won't miss appropriate placement in required classes, advanced placement and special-needs programs while awaiting evaluation at their new school.
- Course and education program placement - If your student has been placed in a specific program, the new school district has to honor that placement if the new school has a similar or equivalent program. The school can assess your child, but they can't place your child in a "holding class" during the assessment time.
- Special education - If your student is covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, federal law protects their right to receive the same services identified in the individual education program from the sending school state.
- Placement flexibility - If your child has taken similar coursework, they may be eligible to not repeat similar basic courses.
- Absence related to deployment activities - Before, during and after deployment, students may request additional, excused absences related to the deployment.
Eligibility
The compact makes a smoother transition when it comes to your children's eligibility.
- Enrollment - If your child is staying with a non-custodial parent, relative or friend outside of your home school district during a deployment, your child can continue to attend the same school as long as the caregiver provides transportation. Your child's guardian will only need a power of attorney to enroll or give permission for any school-related activities.
- Extracurricular participation - If your child is eligible, the new school will facilitate participation in extracurricular activities even if application deadlines or tryouts have passed.
Graduation
The compact ensures your high schooler's graduation will not be affected.
- Course waivers - School districts may waive courses required for graduation if your child has completed similar coursework in another school.
- Exit exams - School districts may accept your child's exit exams, achievement tests or other tests required for graduation from the sending school, instead of requiring testing in the new school.
- Transfers during senior year - If your child moves during senior year and the new school can't make the necessary accommodations for required courses and exams, the two school districts work together to get a diploma from the sending school so your child can graduate on time.