Toolkit to Support Military-Connected Students

The Military Child Education Coalition designed this guide to provide some background information and recommendations in order to help you make well-informed decisions about issues regarding the military- and veteran-connected children in grades kindergarten through 12 within your community.

The National Military Family Association has identified the essential educational provisions included in the Interstate Compact and the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill that affect military-connected students.

Military Kids Connect developed lesson plans that integrate website content about military life and world cultures with key concepts in language arts, math, and other subjects. Each of these ready-to-go lesson plans includes content, instructions, and handouts.

Sesame Workshop developed a free interactive mobile app that demonstrates some emotions children might feel. It teaches children how to deal with negative emotions, such as frustration, through games and activities.

This Sesame Workshop online module promotes and encourages children to express their emotions and practice positive communication.

Military Kids Connect developed an interactive web-based activity to help children identify ways in which stress is exhibited in different parts of the body and strategies to cope with such stress.

This Military Kids Connect module helps students understand and manage stress.

Military Kids Connect developed a guide that describes behaviors students may display as they react to a parent or caregiver’s deployment.

This guide is intended to help educators build coping skills in their students during and after a military deployment. The goal is to bring needed support and understanding to the process and maintain an optimal learning environment in the classroom and the school.

This module addresses ways in which children can prepare for a parent deployment and emphasizes the importance of communicating with friends and family that are near and far.

This guide was created by the Department of Defense for parents, relatives, teachers, Service members, and community members to help children and youth cope with separation from a parent due to military deployment.

This concise guide provides a list of strategies that can help prepare children for a parent’s deployment.

This detailed resource provides strategies that can help you support and promote resiliency in children who are dealing with deployment or reintegration.

This video shows ways in which schools can help build resilience in military families by demonstrating exemplary practices and strategies that schools can recreate to support military children.

Sesame Street characters communicate the importance of family members being proud of one another, especially during an absence. The accompanying resources are helpful for parents and children to utilize.

When a parent is deployed, watching, listening to, or reading the news can be worrisome. This guide provides helpful strategies to productively talk about current military-related events with children.

This fact sheet provides service providers with all the essential information they need to know about the Interstate Compact.

This guide provides practical information about the Interstate Compact’s requirements and provisions.

This guide helps schools and local school districts understand the provisions of the Interstate Compact.

This brochure provides clear answers to frequently asked questions about the Interstate Compact.

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. This overview outlines the school transition issues that the Interstate Compact addresses to ensure military children have the same access to educational opportunities as non-military peers.

This reference guide organizes all of the essential information about what is covered by the Interstate Compact.

The Sesame Workshop has developed downloadable documents and strategy guides for navigating the challenges military families and children may experience.

This guide provides detailed examples of strategies teachers can use to effectively communicate with students and parents in various situations and during different stages of deployment.

Military youth face unique challenges. This video series brings together experienced educators to offer their insights into working with this resilient group of young people.

This module addresses the challenges associated with communicating with Army Service members. Although the module was developed for interacting with the Army, the provided strategies can help people communicate effectively with those involved in military life across all Services.

This interactive online training course provides an overview of military culture including organizational structure, rank, branches of service, core values, and demographics as well as similarities and differences between the Active and Reserve components. It is intended to assist civilian mental health providers in better understanding, communicating, and effectively interacting with Service members and their families. Although some of the statistics and demographics information are outdated, the remaining components of the course are useful for navigating military culture.

This module series reviews the military organization and roles, military ethos, stressors and resources, as well as treatment resources and tools. Although some of the statistics and demographics information are outdated, the remaining components of the course are useful for navigating military culture.

If you have limited experience with military families, becoming familiar with the structure, culture, and life of the military can be helpful. This information can be used as an introduction or quick refresher about military life.

Sesame Street characters address the difficulties and challenges that may accompany the injury of a parent.

Sesame Street characters discuss strategies to address the challenges associated with welcoming home an injured Service member.

Deployments bring changes. This is especially true when a Service member returns due to physical injury, emotional injury, or a combination of both types of injury. The return of an injured parent can be unsettling for the family, especially when children have questions that may not have immediate answers. Because things are constantly changing and may become increasingly challenging, approach the various stages of coping in small steps in order to adjust successfully to the “new normal.”

As part of a military family, children may have to face the unthinkable. Children can learn how to cope with and overcome very difficult situations, but support is key to their success. The provided materials will help children, teenagers, and parents cope with tough topics, including the injury or death of a loved one.

Talk, Listen, Connect, offers strategies and resources to help children through difficult periods of transition and separation that can come with military service. These homecoming stories can help provide support to children.

Families spend weeks preparing for this special day, and the full homecoming experience may last for weeks afterward. However, as with any highly anticipated event, the reality for a family could be different from their expectations. Having your loved one back is wonderful, but it’s also another significant transition. With advance planning, you can help prepare a child for the joys–and occasional stresses–of having his or her family together again.

This guide provides age-appropriate communication strategies and conversation starters to help children talk through a parent’s return home.

Through song, Sesame Street characters address the various emotions children may experience during times of loss and also provide strategies to cope with death.

The death of a loved one brings enormous challenges. The Sesame Workshop offers support and resources for families to use during these difficult times.

Children who are grieving the loss of a military loved one can develop traumatic responses in addition to grief responses, or “childhood traumatic grief.” These tips can help educators support these children.

Children grieve in different ways. Military children face unique challenges after the death of a Service member. Some may develop traumatic grief responses, making it more difficult to cope. These tips can help parents recognize traumatic grief symptoms and help their military child cope with traumatic grief.

These strategies can help teachers provide support to military children coping with a traumatic loss.

This video explains the concept of death in age-appropriate terms for young children. As it emphasizes the importance of communication and support, it models appropriate behavior and actions that children should follow when they grieve.

Transitioning from school to school is not an easy process. However, there are a few strategies to help parents and students have an easier time. This is a handout for military-connected parents and students.

When military-connected students transition to a new school, it is helpful for them to have all of their educational records in one place and readily available. The checklist can be used to create a binder to organize hard copies of all educational records and information.

When military-connected students transition to a new school, it is helpful for them to have all of their educational records in one place and readily available. The checklist can be used to create a binder to organize hard copies of all educational records and information.

Military OneSource offers a variety of interpretation services at no cost for families transitioning from and to overseas countries.

There are many resources to help high school students prepare for universities, trade schools, and other post-secondary options. These resources may aid students as they prepare for, identify, or apply to postsecondary education.

Military-connected students often have a unique high school experience. These strategies and tips may help them prepare for and apply to postsecondary education.

Students of Service member parents can receive the G.I. Bill education benefit. View this resource to learn more about what the benefit includes and how to transfer the benefit from a Service member to a dependent.

Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) is an issuance from the DoD that implements a policy, or prescribes the specific plan or action to carry out a policy, operate a program or activity, or assign responsibility. The proposed DoDI on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children can be found in this resource.

A Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) is an issuance from the DoD that implements a policy, or prescribes the specific plan or action to carry out a policy, operate a program or activity, or assign responsibility. The proposed DoDI on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children can be found in this resource.

Any questions or concerns about the Interstate Compact that arise should be directed toward each state’s commissioner. The contact information for state commissioners was updated in August 2015 and is available in this resource. Any questions or concerns about the Interstate Compact that arise should be directed toward each state’s commissioner. The contact information for state commissioners is available on the MIC3 website.

To support military parents’ ability to advocate for their children, a printable parent brochure is available. To print the brochure, change the printer layout settings to print double sided and bind or flip on the short edge.

To support military-connected school personnel in their ability to advocate for military children, a printable school personnel brochure is available. To print the brochure, change the printer layout settings to print double sided and bind or flip on the short edge.

MIC3 developed a guide on the Interstate Compact for parents, school officials, and public administrators.

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children is an agreement between all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Department of Defense schools to provide consistency for children of Active Duty Service members, National Guard and Reserve Service members on active duty orders, and Service members or Veterans who are medically discharged or retired for up to one year post separation, as they transition between schools, states, and countries.

According to the proposed DoDI, it is Department of Defense policy to support the intent of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children. Therefore, a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Procedural Guide was developed to provide additional guidance to DoDEA officials, administrators, and teachers to ensure correct implementation.

This fact sheet compares Active Duty Service to Reserve and National Guard Service.

This fact sheet provides all the essential information you need to know about the Air Force.

This fact sheet provides all the essential information you need to know about the Army.

This fact sheet provides all the essential information you need to know about the Coast Guard.

This fact sheet provides all the essential information you need to know about the Marine Corps.

This fact sheet provides all the essential information you need to know about the Navy.

You may not always know which operation the parents of your students are, or have been, deployed on. If you are discussing parental absence and deployment with students, it will help to understand some background of recent major military operations. This guide provides a brief overview of the major military operations.

This guide provides the enlisted ranks and insignias of the different branches of the United States Armed Forces.

This guide provides officer ranks and insignia of the different branches of the United States Armed Forces.

The Congressional Research Service developed a guide that provides answers to frequently asked questions about the seven individual Reserve components of the Military Services, or the Reserve Component.

Although there is little research to inform best practices for supporting students with military Service member siblings, school personnel should be aware of these students as well as any other students with Service members in their family. Keep all types of military connections in mind when welcoming new students to the school or classroom.

The Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms provides a comprehensive list of the essential military terms and acronyms you need to know.

Are you looking for books including characters with which your military-connected students can relate? Are you planning a military-connected lesson and want a book to tie together the main concepts? These books all include military culture in some way, with topics ranging from PTSD to geographic transitions and everything in between.

Military-connected students often face additional stressors at school due to military-specific or family events, which may bring up difficult emotions for your child, especially if he or she has a Service member who is deployed, absent for training, or classified as missing or deceased. This guide outlines the important events you should consider discussing with your child’s school in order to provide your child with appropriate support.

Schools each have their own unique practices and traditions for special events. It can be difficult for new students to anticipate the emotional responses that these events may elicit. This guide outlines important events that might carry particular emotional weight for military-connected children who have a Service member parent who is deployed, absent for training, or classified as missing or deceased.

The Impact Aid law provides assistance to local school districts with concentrations of children residing on Indian lands, military bases, low-rent housing properties, or other Federal properties, or who have parents in the uniformed Services or employed on eligible Federal properties.

The U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) provides support and funding for the education of authorized command-sponsored dependents of military members and Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees assigned to overseas areas where no DoDEA school is available within the commuting area.

SLOs are employed by the Department of Defense and are a point of contact for students, families, and school personnel for any school-related concern. Their primary job is to connect military installations, resources, and families to school personnel.

SLOs are a great contact for both families and school personnel as students transition to new schools, navigate the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, experience parental absence, and face other educational challenges. Each service branch employs SLOs who support a specific geographic area. To find an SLO who works with a specific service or geographic area, visit the DoDEA School Liaison webpage.

SLOs are employed by the Department of Defense and are a point of contact for students, families, and school personnel for any school-related concern. Their primary job is to connect military installations, resources, and families to school personnel.

SLOs are a great contact for both families and school personnel as students transition to new schools, navigate the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, experience parental absence, and face other educational challenges. Each service branch employs SLOs who support a specific geographic area. To find an SLO who works with a specific service or geographic area, visit the DoDEA School Liaison webpage.

For a condensed list of contact information for DoDEA schools in Europe visit this resources.

When a parent is absent, there are strategies parents can use to make the parent feel more present, despite a geographical separation.

Some families qualify for childcare priority at their installation. View this resource to see how a family can qualify for priority childcare.

When single parent Service members or both Service members in dual-military marriages are deployed, their children must be cared for by another family member, friend, or neighbor. Family Care Plans detail who obtains custody of the children during deployment.

When single parent Service members or both Service members in dual-military marriages are deployed, their children must be cared for by another family member, friend, or neighbor. Family Care Plans detail who obtains custody of the children during deployment.

When single parent Service members or both Service members in dual-military marriages are deployed, their children must be cared for by another family member, friend, or neighbor. Family Care Plans detail who obtains custody of the children during deployment.

When single parent Service members or both Service members in dual-military marriages are deployed, their children must be cared for by another family member, friend, or neighbor. Family Care Plans detail who obtains custody of the children during deployment.

When students have a parent who is absent because of a work-related, military job, they often have a difficult time adjusting. This resource includes a list of behaviors that indicate a student needs more support.

Military families may be affected by the loss of a Service member. Though it is often difficult to understand and tolerate ambiguous losses, it is important to learn how to cope in these situations. Please see Dr. Pauline Boss’s webpage regarding ambiguous loss.

In the military, a casualty is a person who is unable to serve in the line of duty due to death, injury, illness, capture, or desertion.

This resource describes the different kinds of casualty statuses, types, and categories, which may be helpful for you to know when communicating with students and families about military injury and death.

Discussing injuries with students may be difficult. Younger children may struggle to understand the injury, while older students may be unwilling to open up about the injury. The conversation starters are grouped to help facilitate age-appropriate conversations with students.

The death of a parent can be one of the most difficult challenges of a child’s life. Children vary by age in how well they understand and accept death, and how families talk about death can vary greatly from culture to culture. Although difficult, discussing recent parental loss with a student is very important. The conversation starters are grouped to help facilitate age-appropriate conversations with students.

Service members are advised to be aware of the common signs and symptoms of concussions. This handout from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center provides more information about mild traumatic brain injuries, coping and recovery tips, as well as a list of brain injury centers across the nation that Service members can visit.

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress has synthesized some of the best practices that will help treat patients and educate the public. This guide summarizes evidence-based recommendations to manage posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress has synthesized some of the best practices that will help treat patients and educate the public. This guide summarizes evidence-based recommendations to manage posttraumatic stress disorder.

Do you want more details about traumatic brain injuries so you can help your injured family member or friend? The Brain Injury Association of New York State created a detailed brochure that will provide you with all the information you need to know.

Do you want more details about traumatic brain injuries so you can help your injured family member or friend? The Brain Injury Association of New York State created a detailed brochure that will provide you with all the information you need to know.

Intentional acts of violence that hurt innocent people are frightening and upsetting. Families and school personnel can help children cope by establishing a sense of safety and security. As information becomes available, adults can continue to help children work through their emotions and, perhaps, even use the process as a learning experience.

Intentional acts of violence that hurt innocent people are frightening and upsetting. Families and school personnel can help children cope by establishing a sense of safety and security. As information becomes available, adults can continue to help children work through their emotions and, perhaps, even use the process as a learning experience.

Children who are grieving the loss of a military loved one can develop trauma and grief responses, or “childhood traumatic grief.” This resource provides tips to help educators support these children.

Young children have an especially challenging time conceptualizing invisible injuries. See pages 12-17 of Sesame Workshop’s “Talk, Listen, Connect” magazine, which specifically address strategies that can help your child adjust to and cope with a parent’s invisible injuries.

Young children have an especially challenging time conceptualizing invisible injuries. See pages 12-17 of Sesame Workshop’s “Talk, Listen, Connect” magazine, which specifically address strategies that can help your child adjust to and cope with a parent’s invisible injuries.

Military-connected children grieving with a traumatic event carry their emotions everywhere they go—including school. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network guide provides educators with information on how to help military-connected students struggling with traumatic grief.

Military-connected children grieving with a traumatic event carry their emotions everywhere they go—including school. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network guide provides educators with information on how to help military-connected students struggling with traumatic grief.

Health care providers and counselors often benefit from understanding how traumatic brain injuries impacts military families and children. The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress provides information that can facilitate the process of helping families and children coping with invisible injuries.

Health care providers and counselors often benefit from understanding how traumatic brain injuries impacts military families and children. The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress provides information that can facilitate the process of helping families and children coping with invisible injuries.

Families and Service members should look out for the common signs and symptoms of moderate or severe Traumatic Brain Injuries. This resources is a patient and family handout from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center.

It is often difficult for Service members to reintegrate into civilian life after serving in a war zone. It is especially challenging for those who have faced a traumatic event. This resources is a guide from the National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that discusses common reactions, experiences, signs and symptoms, and strategies to cope with trauma at home.

Traumatic brain injuries are a widespread problem throughout the military. It is important to be aware of the causes and potential outcomes of this kind of injury. View this resources to learn more about the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries in the military.

Families often have a difficult time understanding and coping with Service members’ invisible injuries such as brain injuries, depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. View this resource for more information from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences about the impact of invisible injuries on families and strategies to manage these challenges.

Families often have a difficult time understanding and coping with Service members’ invisible injuries such as brain injuries, depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. View this resources for more information from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences about the impact of invisible injuries on families and strategies to manage these challenges.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is often difficult for Service members and families to understand and cope with. This booklet from the National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides information about signs, symptoms, and getting help.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is a challenging experience for Service members, families, and friends; however there are various effective treatments. This booklet from the National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs describes the different kinds of treatments that are proven to help people with PTSD.

Reunions can be a happy, but stressful, time for military-connected families. When a Service member returns home after facing a traumatic event, these reunions can be even more stressful. This is a guide from the National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that helps families understand the common reactions to trauma, warning signs, and strategies for coping and treatment.

Reintegration can be a joyful time for families, but it can also be quite stressful adjusting to a “new normal.” Students may have a challenging time with the return of their Service member parent. This resource provides a list of some informal communication and stress management strategies that you can use with students and parents to support them during this time.

Throughout the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness School Resources modules, four case families are used as examples. Get to know the families in this handout.

Find the definition of selected words used in the Geographic Transitions module in the glossary.

Find the definition of selected words used in the Interstate Compact module in the glossary.

Find the definition of selected words used in the Military and Schools module in the glossary.

Find the definition of selected words used in the Parental Absence module in the glossary.

Use the checklist to rate your self-care activities.

Find the definition of selected words used in the Self-Care and Mindfulness for School Personnel module in the glossary.

This toolkit has a variety of resources to help jumpstart your self-care practices.

Students sometimes have a difficult time expressing emotions, especially potentially overwhelming ones like fear, anxiety, or grief. This handout has strategies to aid children in expressing their emotions developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning.

Students sometimes have a difficult time expressing emotions, especially potentially overwhelming ones like fear, anxiety, or grief. This handout has strategies to aid children in expressing their emotions developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning.

There are many evidence-based practices that school professionals can use to provide effective support to military-connected students coping with situations such as a parental absence or a geographic transition. However, these strategies may be challenging to implement if identifying students who need support is difficult or if students do not feel comfortable asking for support. Although few studies address ways for school personnel to either identify students who need help or encourage help-seeking behavior in their students, there are some best practices, detailed in this guide.

The Department of Defense has officially incorporated the rulings and practices of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This resource includes further information about the provisions of the act.

This resource highlights some of the major legislative acts that influenced special education over the course of history.

States can identify military children in their education data systems to track information such as attendance, academic progress, and graduation. Schools and districts can benefit by having access to this data to help inform policy and program decisions for these students. Please see the best practices as recommended by the Department of Defense for more information.

To fully support all military-connected students, schools can implement a process for identifying these students. Schools could do this by including military-specific questions on their enrollment forms, as in the example document.

To fully support all military-connected students, schools can implement a process for identifying these students. Schools could do this by including military-specific questions on their enrollment forms, as in the example document.

When military-connected students transition to a new school, it may be helpful to use a military-specific student survey, like the example document, to get to know them.

When military-connected students transition to a new school, it may be helpful to use a military-specific student survey, like the example document, to get to know them.

There are many military installations around the world. Check out this list of installations to find out which ones are close to your school or where the installations are located from which your students are transferring.

An individual student’s response to transitions may be due to risk and protective factors. Recognizing and being aware of these factors may help you to better support mobile students.

Students often need additional support from adults in their lives when they experience a transition such as going from preschool to elementary school, elementary school to middle school, and middle school to high school. This resource includes strategies you can use to help support students transitioning from preschool to elementary school, elementary school to middle school, or middle school to high school.

This resource discusses what an inclusive classroom is, and describes the features of an inclusive classroom.

These resources, which highlight our world’s vast diversity and promote equity, will open students’ minds, get them to reflect on their own privileges, and help them better understand other people, perspectives, and cultures.

An overview of the components that make up a trauma-informed school provided by the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center (TSA).

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) provides brief facts and tips for preventing school violence.

This resource provides an overview for schools to respond in the immediate aftermath of a suicide death of a student. This resource was developed primarily for administrators and staff in middle and high schools, but it can also be useful for parents and communities.

This fact sheet from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) includes brief facts and tips for preventing student suicide.

A variety of resources that can help schools take action to prevent suicide, and know how to respond after a suicide.

This is Pennsylvania’s Model Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention Policy for school entities.

This resource includes several general strategies and tools to promote social and emotional learning.

This resource discusses the importance of socioemotional learning in young children and offers strategies to promote their social and emotional skill development.

This 70 page mini-book includes key introductory material, concise explanations and illustrations for each focus area, and the most essential tools within each focus area. It is designed to be used as a workbook for a Schoolwide SEL professional learning community or as a reference for coaches and SEL team leaders.

Free resources for learning about the distractability, impulsivity, and working memory problems associated with ADHD that can contribute to student behavior issues.

Behavior guides for a variety of diagnoses, including (alphabetically) ADHD, anxiety, autism, bedwetting, depression, and more.

Designed for elementary school educators and school- and district-level administrators, this guide offers prevention, implementation, and schoolwide strategies that can be used to reduce problematic behavior that interferes with the ability of students to attend to and engage fully in instructional activities.

Review a case study about how one school implemented an MTSS framework.

This toolkit provides templates and worksheets to help school personnel create intervention menus, design student intervention plans, and progress monitor.

Resources to support the selection and evaluation of Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 interventions in an MTSS framework.

This list of resources for military-connected children and youth can connect military families with opportunities to prepare their kids for success — both in their education and beyond.

In a 2019 literature review of state-level guidance on Multi-Tiered System of Support for Behavioral Health )MTSS-B, researchers recommended that the MTSS-B materials developed and shared by Missouri’s Department of Education serve as a reference for schools when implementing MTSS-B. both as models for other state departments of education, and as important references for school-based practitioners, in thinking about the implementation of MTSS-B.

In a 2019 literature review of state-level guidance on Multi-Tiered System of Support for Behavioral Health )MTSS-B, researchers recommended that the MTSS-B materials developed and shared by Missouri’s Department of Education serve as a reference for schools when implementing MTSS-B. both as models for other state departments of education, and as important references for school-based practitioners, in thinking about the implementation of MTSS-B.

In a 2019 literature review of state-level guidance on Multi-Tiered System of Support for Behavioral Health )MTSS-B, researchers recommended that the MTSS-B materials developed and shared by Missouri’s Department of Education serve as a reference for schools when implementing MTSS-B. both as models for other state departments of education, and as important references for school-based practitioners, in thinking about the implementation of MTSS-B.

In a 2019 literature review of state-level guidance on Multi-Tiered System of Support for Behavioral Health )MTSS-B, researchers recommended that the MTSS-B materials developed and shared by Missouri’s Department of Education serve as a reference for schools when implementing MTSS-B. both as models for other state departments of education, and as important references for school-based practitioners, in thinking about the implementation of MTSS-B.