Tag: deployment

Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3), Part 3: How the Compact Protects Academic Progress toward Graduation 

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3, pronounced “mick three”) is the more commonly used name for the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children.

A Brief Overview 

  • This is part of a three-part series on this topic of MIC3. This article continues from Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3), Part 1: The Impact of MIC3 on Military Families and Part 2: Supporting Appropriate Placement and Inclusion of Military Families. 
  • Under MIC3, schools must place military children in courses and programs based on placement and assessments performed by the sending school. 
  • Schools and districts may waive course requirements for placement and/or graduation, if a child has met the sending school’s requirements for grade advancement, placement, or graduation. 
  • A child with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan must receive comparable services and reasonable accommodations or modifications until the receiving school can re-evaluate the child. 
  • A child may be allowed additional excused absences for deployment-related activities when approved by the superintendent or school principal. 
  • MIC3 provides guidance for when and how schools must explore alternative means for military children to complete graduation requirements, which may include allowing the student to receive a diploma from the sending school after relocation. 
  • The receiving school shall accept exit exams conducted by the sending school or, if that is not possible, the receiving school must arrange for the child to get their diploma from the sending school. 

Introduction

MIC3’s rules provide consistent guidelines for how public schools address the most common challenges military-connected students experience during a PCS (permanent change of station, the military’s term for “relocation”). MIC3 has been adopted by all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Washington codified MIC3 into state policy as RCW 28A.705.010.  

Placement and Attendance 

MIC3 helps students obtain appropriate placement by addressing: 

  • Course and educational program placement. 
  • Special education services. 
  • Deployment-related absences. 

Course and Educational Program Placement 

Under MIC3, after enrollment, the receiving school must place the child in the appropriate courses or programs based on what they were in at the sending school or educational assessments conducted by the sending school. This includes but is not limited to honors, gifted and talented, advanced placement; vocational, technical, and career pathways; and English as a Second Language (ESL). The receiving school may evaluate the child later to ensure the child meets the receiving school’s criteria for eligibility in specific classes or programs. If the receiving school doesn’t offer a similar course or program but another school in the district does, the district may let the child take part in the courses where they are available. 

The U.S. Department of Education emphasized the need for timely evaluations and eligibility determinations for military-connected children in the Letter to State Directors of Special Education on Ensuring a High-Quality Education for Highly Mobile Children (issued November 10, 2022). 

The MIC3 allows receiving schools the flexibility to waive specific course requirements when a student has met the sending school’s criteria for advancing to the next grade level. For instance, if a student completed a 6th-grade Civics class at the sending school, but the receiving school mandates a different course before moving on to 7th grade, the receiving school can waive this requirement if the student has met the criteria from the previous state. Transcripts should reflect the student’s eligibility for the next grade, and if needed, the receiving school can contact the sending school for detailed course descriptions. MIC3 State Commissioners can assist parents in exchanging information between districts for Compact-related issues, including course content. 

However, Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS) overseas are not covered by the MIC3. Families relocating to these overseas schools must request a cross-comparison of credits. The placement of the child in these schools is determined by the DoDDS school system, and it may not follow the same process as state public schools in the United States. 

Special Education Services 

 The Interstate Compact mandates that receiving schools must adhere to laws governing students with special education needs, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. When a child arrives with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan specifying accommodations, the new school is required to provide comparable services and support to meet the child’s needs. This includes services like Extended School Year (ESY), and these services should continue until assessments indicate that the child no longer requires them. However, MIC3 does not cover Individualized Family Services Plans (IFSPs) because these plans are state-specific, and the availability of early intervention services varies widely among states. Eligibility for services is determined by the receiving state, and there is no guarantee that the child will receive the same services. 

In cases involving a child with a Section 504 or ADA Title II plan, the receiving school must provide reasonable accommodations or modifications to ensure equal access to education. Regardless of whether it’s an IEP, 504 Plan, or Title II Plan, the receiving school has the authority to evaluate the child later to assess the continued appropriateness of their educational plan. To facilitate this process, parents are advised to maintain paper copies of their child’s educational plans, service agreements, evaluations, progress reports, and records from sources outside of the school. Sharing these documents, along with unofficial records, can help the receiving school better understand what has and hasn’t been effective for the student in the past. 

Deployment

Under MIC3, schools can allow additional excused absences for a child whose military parent is called to duty for, is on leave from, or just returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting. The district superintendent or school principal has the authority to make this decision, as well as to limit the number or length of excused absences to make sure a child doesn’t miss too much school. Often, military families may request this time to celebrate the holiday with a servicemember who was deployed during the calendar event, or to visit family following long separations. 

Graduation 

MIC3 seeks to help students graduate on time with guidance regarding: 

  • Transfers during senior year. 
  • Waiving graduation requirements. 
  • Exit exams. 

Waiving Graduation Requirements 

MIC3 instructs the receiving school to waive courses that would otherwise be required for graduation when the student has completed similar courses that met the graduation requirements at the sending school. For example, if the student completed the two of the three mathematics classes required before graduation at the receiving school but the third class, Everyday Math, wasn’t offered at the sending school. Instead, the student took a class called Applied Mathematics that covered similar content. The receiving school may waive the requirement for Everyday Math when shown proof that the student learned the same or similar content in Applied Mathematics. 

If a child already qualified to graduate from the sending school (all required coursework completed satisfactorily), and the receiving school does NOT waive their own required coursework, the receiving school must give the child an “alternative means” of getting the required coursework so the student can graduate on time. If the child transferred at the beginning of or during their senior year and all alternatives have been looked at but the child is still not eligible to graduate from the receiving school; then, the receiving school and sending school can make sure the child gets a diploma from the sending school. 

Exit Exams

The receiving state shall accept exams from the sending state that are required for graduation, including end-of-course exams, national norm-referenced achievement tests, and alternative testing, in place of testing requirements for graduation in the sending state. If a child transfers to the receiving school in their senior year, and the receiving school can’t accept the exams from the sending school, then the receiving school must arrange for the child to get their diploma from the sending school. 

Learn More about MIC3 

This is part of a three-part series on this topic of MIC3. Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3), Part 1: The Impact of MIC3 on Military Families introduces the scope and purpose of MIC3. Part 2: Supporting Appropriate Placement and Inclusion of Military Children outlines MIC3’s guidelines for how public schools address challenges related to enrollment and eligibility. This article explores MIC3s placement, attendance, and graduation provisions. 

Support with Compact-Related Issues 

Parents can use this Step-by-Step Checklist to resolve issues that fall under the provisions of MIC3 For additional support, parents may contact their School Liaison, Parent Center, or MIC3 State Commissioner. As the parent center of Washington State, PAVE provides training to military-connected families, individuals with disabilities, and professionals through the STOMP program. Parents seeking individualized support may contact PAVE through the Get Help Form. 

Additional Information 

Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3), Part 2: Supporting Appropriate Placement and Inclusion of Military Families 

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

A Brief Overview 

  • This is part of a three-part series on this topic of MIC3, which continues from Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3), Part 1: The Impact of MIC3 on Military Families. The third part of the series is Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3), Part 3: How MIC3 Protects Academic Progress toward Graduation.  
  • MIC3 allows military parents to hand-carry “unofficial” (temporary) school records from the sending school to give to the receiving school for enrollment. 
  • The sending school must provide official records within ten business days of the receiving school’s request. 
  • If students have not been immunized, they have 30 days from enrollment to get the required shots or receive the first shot in a series. 
  • If a child was enrolled and attending kindergarten at the sending school, they must be allowed to enroll and continue at the receiving school, regardless of the school’s age requirement.  
  • A military child can keep going to the school in the school or district they have been attending, even if the person they are living with is in a different school district. 
  • MIC3 allows flexibility concerning extracurricular activities to include military children even if they can’t meet an application deadline. 

Full Article 

The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3, pronounced “mick three”) is the more commonly used name for the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children. MIC3’s rules provide consistent guidelines for how public schools address the most common challenges military-connected students experience during a PCS (permanent change of station, the military’s term for “relocation”). Washington codified MIC3 into state policy as RCW 28A.705.010.  

Enrollment 

MIC3 seeks to prevent students from losing academic time with enrollment provisions that address: 

  • Unofficial or hand-carried records. 
  • Official records and transcripts. 
  • Immunization requirements. 
  • Kindergarten and first-grade entrance ages. 

Unofficial or Hand-Carried Records 

MIC3 allows military parents to hand-carry photocopied or “unofficial” (temporary) school records from the sending school to give to the receiving school. Waiting for the original official transcripts can be time-consuming and not beneficial to the student since receiving official documentation from another state or overseas can take weeks. Under MIC3, the receiving school must use the unofficial records for the child’s enrollment. The unofficial records must include attendance records, academic information, and grade placement (part of the primary documents package). 

Official Records and Transcripts 

It is the receiving school’s responsibility to immediately request an official set of records (transcripts) from the sending school. The sending school must send out the official records within ten business days, with extensions allowed for school breaks. After school staff return from a break, the official records must be provided within ten business days.  

Immunization Requirements 

If a child hasn’t already had the immunizations (shots to protect against certain diseases) the receiving school requires, the student has 30 days from enrollment to get the shots. If the child needs a series of shots to be immunized, they must get the first shot within 30 days. The school may require a negative test for tuberculosis, which is not an immunization and, therefore, not covered by MIC3. 

Kindergarten and First Grade Entrance Ages 

When enrolling a child in school, MIC3 enables them to enter the grade they were in at the sending school. Suppose a child was enrolled and already attending kindergarten at their previous school. In that case, the new school must allow the child to enroll in kindergarten even if the age requirement differs. Suppose the child should be starting first grade. In that case, MIC3 says that if the child completed the previous grade in the sending school (including kindergarten), they could enroll in the next grade at the receiving school, even if the age requirements differ. The letter or transcript from the sending school must show the child’s attendance in kindergarten if the concerns is about kindergarten eligibility. 

Eligibility 

Regarding eligibility, MIC3 provides guidance on the issues of: 

  • Special power of attorney with guardianship. 
  • Extracurricular activities. 

Special Power of Attorney with Guardianship 

During deployments and other military mobilizations, children of servicemembers may live with another family member, non-custodial parent, or guardian through a Military Family Care Plan. Under MIC3, a military child can keep going to the school in the school or district they have been attending, even if the person they are living with is in a different school district. The school district cannot charge local tuition for living outside the district under these circumstances, except for optional programs offered by the school or district. The person taking care of the child will be responsible for transporting the student to the school while the child resides out-of-district. At enrollment, if not given to the school earlier, the parent or guardian must be provided with the Military Family Care Plan, Special Powers of Attorney, and/or custody orders. 

Extracurricular Activities 

States and local schools can be flexible so military children can be in sports and extracurricular activities, even if the child can’t meet an application deadline, including tryouts, seasonal conditioning, and other prerequisites instituted by the district or team supervisor. The child will still have to meet the eligibility standards for the activity, such as auditioning for sports or a music program. MIC3 requires that school and district programs make “reasonable efforts” to allow military children to participate in extracurricular activities, but this does not include holding open or creating additional spaces. MIC3 does not apply to state athletic associations, like travel teams or sportsman clubs, which are not a part of state or district education systems. 

Support with MIC3-Related Issues 

Parents can use this Step-by-Step Checklist to resolve issues that fall under the provisions of MIC3. For additional support, parents may contact their School Liaison, Parent Center, or MIC3 State Commissioner. As the parent center of Washington State, PAVE provides training to military-connected families, individuals with disabilities, and professionals through the STOMP program. Parents seeking individualized support may contact PAVE through the Get Help Form. 

Learn More about MIC3 

This article is part of a three-part series on the topic of MIC3. Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, Part 1: The Impact of MIC3 on Military Families introduces the scope and purpose of MIC3. This article outlines MIC3’s guidelines for how public schools address challenges related to enrollment and eligibility. Part 3: How MIC3 Protects Academic Progress toward Graduation explores MIC3’s placement, attendance, and graduation provisions. 

Additional Information 

MIC3 Step-by-Step Checklist-Resolve School Issues with the Interstate Compact

Posted on by Barb Koumjian
Download the MIC3 Step by Step Checklist

This resource shows you specific steps to take to resolve school issues for your child, using the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.  It gives you contact information for people who can help you with different situations covered by the Compact. 

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (“the Compact”) is an agreement among all 50 States and the District of Columbia to address certain school transition issues for military children consistently, from State to State. It’s often known by the acronym MIC3 (“mick-three”), which stands for Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, after the commission responsible for designing it and getting it passed as legislation. The Compact applies to a student if he or she is a school-aged child enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade, when their parent is a(n):

  • Active-duty member of the uniformed services, including members of the National Guard and Reserve on active-duty orders (Title 10)
  • Member or veteran for one year following medical discharge or retirement
  • Member who died on active duty, for one year after the death
  • Uniformed member of the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and United States Public Health Services (USPHS)

What Does the Compact Helps With?

The Compact provides uniform policy guidance for how States respond to the most common challenges highly mobile military families experience, including:

  1. Temporarily accepting unofficial school records for enrollment and conditional placement
  2. Requiring schools to transfer official school records within ten (10) business days with adaptations in specific situations
  3. Starting ages for kindergarten and first grade
  4. Continuing Special Education, Accommodations and Modifications following a move
  5. Waiving State-specific course requirements to avoid repeating courses
  6. Getting the right program or course placement
  7. Accepting specific testing alternatives in place of those required for graduation in the receiving state
  8. Allowing a student to complete their diploma through the sending school while finishing their education at the receiving school
  9. Requiring that schools make a reasonable effort to ensure that eligible students can take part in extra-curricular activities
  10. Excusing absences related to deployment activities

What are My Responsibilities as a Parent?

Make sure you have completed your responsibilities under the Compact before you try to apply it to your student’s situation.

  1. Gather and provide a copy of your student’s basic document package, including:
  2. Birth certificate
  3. Shot record (immunizations)
  4. Letter or transcript from the sending school showing attendance, academic information, and grade placement
  5. Official military orders
  6. Family Care Plan or proof of guardianship if the child lives with another family member or legal guardian
  7. Add any extra records related to a specific issue. If your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), or a Section 504 or ADA Title II plan, include this in the documents package.  Keep paper copies of the plan or program, service agreements, evaluations and progress reports, and records from non-school sources.
  8. Make copies of all documents and never give away your last copy. Hand-carry the entire documents package to the receiving school.
  9. Read the Compact to understand what it does and does not do.  The Parent Guide provides an overview of the Compact and the Compact Rules contain the full policy document to guide how the Compact applies to a situation.
  10. Know who to contact for help resolving a conflict with an issue covered by the Compact. (See Steps 2 and 3, below)

Step-by-Step Suggestions for Using the Compact

Step 1: Try to resolve the issue at the school level. 

Contact your child’s school principal or other top-level school administrator.  You can usually find email information on your child’s school or district website, or you can call the school’s front office.

Keep a written record of what happens. To have a record, either contact by email, or if you speak to them in person or by phone, send a follow-up email or letter (keep a copy of the letter). When you get a response, keep the response email or letter. Keep all emails or letters about this issue in the folder or binder where you keep all your child’s school records and information.

Here are some things to include in the letter or email:

  • Describe the issue
  • State that your child is covered by the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children
  • Describe what you have already done (provided documents, called the school, etc.)
  • Ask the school to resolve the issue
  • Ask for a response by email or by letter
  • Attach a copy of or link to the Compact rules document
  • Attach copies of your child’s basic document package and any additional information needed

Step 2: If the issue is not fixed by the school’s principal or top administrator, contact either your Parent Center (for issues about special education, supports and services, Section 504, or ADA Title II Plan) or School Liaison for help. They are familiar with the process and can connect with the most useful staff to resolve your child’s situation.

Parent Centers are federally funded organizations in each State, District of Columbia, and US Territories. They work with families of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, birth to 26. They will provide you with state-specific training and information, so you can resolve issues relating to your child’s disabilities. Parent Centers can help you whether your child attends a public school or a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school.

School Liaisons connect students and families with information, resources, and people. They are the point of contact between an installation’s military families and local schools and school districts. They are experts in the complications that can come up during a PCS to a new duty station.

Step 3: If the issue continues despite involving your Parent Center and/or School Liaison, contact your MIC3 State Commissioner.  The State Commissioner is responsible for knowing their state’s compact statute.  They assist in informal dispute resolution between military families, school districts, and others involved.  To locate your State Commissioner’s contact information, click on your state in the interactive map. 

More Assistance and Information:

Military Onesource searchable database (School Liaison contact information)

The MIC3 Parent Toolkit is a downloadable pdf with all the links you need related to using the Compact.

Learn about the role of School Liaisons

MIC3 contact form to request help with a school issue

Find Compact legislation in your state

OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs) Letter to State Directors of Special Education on Ensuring a High-Quality Education for Highly Mobile Children (Policy Support 22-02)

Download the MIC3 Step by Step Checklist

Temporary Caregivers of Military Children: Guide to Essential Information

Posted on by Barb Koumjian

If you are a grandparent, other relative, or family friend taking care of children while their parent or parents are deployed or on other duty, this guide to essential information is intended to offer you help and resources.  It contains useful information about military benefits that provide help with schools, medical care and supports and services for disabilities (sometimes called “special needs”). Medical care, supports and services include benefits for what some people call “invisible disabilities” such as ADHD, developmental disabilities including autism, learning difficulties, and mental health disorders. It also includes information on legal and financial assistance through the military and through civilian programs.

 Top Two Essential Documents:

 These two documents are necessary for you to act on behalf of the child in situations where a parent would usually act, such as giving permission for medical care or picking up a prescription, enrolling a child in school or daycare, and making decisions when the child’s parent cannot be in contact.

 Whether you live near or far away from the family’s current installation, you will need:

  1. Military ID cards: each child age 10 or older needs to be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and have a current ID card. Caregivers do not get their own ID cards and will need the child’s ID for installation access, medical benefits, and military-subsidized childcare.
  2. Power of Attorney: a document giving an individual legal authority to act in certain situations on behalf of another individual. In these cases, the service member is giving a temporary authority to the designated relative or other caregiver (you) to care for their child.
    1. How a service member can get and send a Power of Attorney if they have already left for deployment (note-this is a blog post written by a military spouse, not an “official” document—but it has clear directions.)

Documents to get onto the installation:

If you live nearby, you may need to get onto the installation for a child’s school, medical care, child care, military-subsidized shopping, recreational programs, religious services, visits with friends, etc.

  • The child’s military ID (needed for age 10 and above)
  • Acceptable picture ID for you (contact Visitor Information at the installation for what is accepted)
  • Power of Attorney giving you authorization to make decisions on behalf of the child in the absence of his or her parents (school, medical, child care, other situations requiring parental authority)
  • Agent letter of authorization signed by the installation’s commanding officer. The military parent or parents can request this letter through the ID card office at their installation.

What other documents might I need?

Documents for a Deployed Service Member’s Designated Family Caregiver

Resources specifically for grandparents and other kinship caregivers and guardians:

Military and Civilian Resources for Temporary Caregivers:

Education

  • Parent Centers in each state work with families of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities age birth to 26 and help parents and other caregivers participate effectively in their child’s education and development.

Childcare

  • Child Care Aware of America (to locate military-subsidized and civilian child care)
  • Call 2-1-1 to find out about local affordable child care options
  • YMCA (some YMCAs have special arrangements for military children)
  • Before-and-after school programs through the local school district
  • Administration for Children and Families (US Dept. of Health and Human Services) child care programs that use federal money to offer lower-cost child care (Head Start is one such program)
  • State programs

Medical (including Autism Services and Respite Care)

Financial Help with Living Expenses

School Support Plans for Deployment-Tips for Parents

Posted on by Barb Koumjian

Why do schools need to know when a parent deploys? 

Your children spend a large portion of their day in school, so teachers often notice changes or new behaviors. The value of parents and schools partnering to support military-connected children with the stressors of deployment is significant. As you know, having a parent away for a lengthy time places extra stress on children and the at-home parent, siblings and/or other care givers. No matter how often a military parent is deployed, and no matter how well-prepared a child might be for a parent’s absence, children with disabilities may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of stress on their physical and emotional well-being.

How can you support your child at school during deployment? 

Set up a meeting

 Communication about an upcoming deployment is key and setting up a meeting will help prepare the school. For example, you can request a meeting with your child’s teacher shortly after you find out about the upcoming deployment. If the separation is scheduled to start during summer vacation, you may want to book that conference as soon as possible after school begins. If your child is in middle or high school, meeting with every teacher might be a consideration as information may not reach each teacher who interacts with your child.

 When meeting with your child’s teachers, you can let them know that there are some areas of information you won’t be able to share with them, due to operational security concerns regarding mission-related details. Your Parent Center staff will be aware that you have these limits on what information can be shared and can support you in planning your meetings with school personnel.

Areas that can steer clear of mission-related operational security include:

  • Timeframe- a general idea of beginning and ending dates
  • Past experiences- if your child has excessive stress during a previous deployment or their behavior communicates their concern for the absence of the parent and/or changes in routine with deployment
  • Coping mechanisms- sharing strategies that have helped your child cope with stress; teachers may be able to continue those practices at school. For example, if your child finds it comforting to look at a photo of their deployed parent, a teacher may be willing to allow them to keep a copy in their backpack or desk.

 Develop a plan

Working with your child’s teachers, plan ahead to craft a process to deal with situations if they arise. All of us respond differently to stress in different environments, including our children.  This means your child might appear to be perfectly fine at home and may be struggling and/or acting out at school.  Working with your child’s teachers to develop a plan of action if he or she appears to be stressed out or starts behaving differently in school will help.

These plans will be individually designed for your child, but some options could be:

  • Access to a counselor or therapist – such as Military Family Life Counselors ADD military URL
  • Tutoring – Tutoring.com provides free 24/7 homework assistance for military families.
  • Staying active – such as participation in recess, physical education, and after-school sports
  • Breaks at school-such as leaving a classroom for a while to go to a supervised safe space, like a library or resource room. Identifying these options – who, where and when – will give your child and teacher options for their health and well-being.
  • Sharing their feelings and experiences at school under the guidance of qualified professionals

Connecting with the staff at your local Parent Center.

There are nearly 100 Parent Training and Information (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) in the US and its Territories.  All exist to:

  • Work with families of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, birth to 26
  • Help parents participate effectively in their children’s education and development
  • Partner with professionals and policy makers to improve outcomes for all children with disabilities

While the services at or how each Parent Center works with families varies, this network of trained staff helps at no charge.  Staff are also family members, often parents, siblings or caregivers of a child with disabilities and/or special health care needs.  You can connect with your local parent center for training, support and individual assistance. This might include adding all, or parts of the “deployment plan” to your child’s IEP or other education plan.

If the school, or individual teachers, don’t have much experience with children and deployment, you can share this resource with them:

Educators’ Guide to the Military Child During Deployment (from the US Department of Education)

You can also get help in working with your child’s school and teachers from the School Liaison office at your installation, or from the Family Assistance Coordinator in your state if your service member is in the National Guard.

You can find the School Liaison office through your installation’s Family Services or Community Services Center; Family Assistance professionals can be located through this article on Military Onesource. Scroll down to “Family Assistance Centers” at the bottom of the article.