RD404 - 2011 Annual Executive Summary of the Interim Activity and Work of the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children - December 20, 2011

  • Published: 2011
  • Author: Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children
  • Enabling Authority: Code of Virginia - § 22.1-361

Executive Summary:
The Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children was created in 2009 to consider any and all matters related to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The Military Compact seeks to remove barriers to educational success imposed on children of military families because of frequent moves and deployment of their parents. The Compact addresses such issues as timely enrollment and placement, on-time graduation, and sharing of information between states to ensure a smooth transition for dependents of military families as they move in and out of public schools in the Commonwealth.

In nearly every community in Virginia, there are children with parents or guardians on active duty with the armed forces. In fact, Virginia leads the nation - with nearly 80,000 - in the number of students with military ties. The average military student faces transition challenges more than twice during high school and most military children will attend six to nine different school systems in their lives from kindergarten to 12th grade. The Compact therefore seeks to make transition easier for the children of military families so that they are afforded the same opportunities for educational success as other children and are not penalized or delayed in achieving their educational goals.

2011 was an active year for the Virginia Council as they worked to disseminate information about the Military Compact to military families, school divisions, and other interested entities. The Virginia Council held four meetings in 2011, and has taken on many important issues related to the education of children of military families. The military family education liaison, on behalf of the Virginia Council, spoke at numerous events and worked with educational partners to spread the word about the Military Compact and answer questions about its implementation in the Commonwealth. The Virginia Department of Education, on behalf of the Virginia Council, also issued numerous guidance documents to assist school divisions as they work with military families. This executive summary provides an overview of the work of the Council in 2011.