Multi-State Agreement on Education of Children of the Military Becomes Law
New legislation recently signed by Delaware governor Ruth Ann Minner intends to ease the transition of school-age children whose military parents transfer from assignment to assignment over the course of their careers, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Defense (“Military Child Education Agreement Now in Effect,” July 11, 2008).
Military families move about three times as often as their civilian counterparts, causing challenges for schools when administrators need to transfer student records or make decisions regarding course placement, test-taking, and graduation requirements.
Approximately 1.5 million children will be affected by the legislation — the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children — which seeks to create uniform education standards across participating states and to address common problems experienced by the children of frequently uprooted military families.
As the tenth state to adopt the compact, Delaware has now made the legislation active for the nine states that have already signed on: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The bill will also be active in any other states that subsequently sign the compact.
“We are so pleased that the compact, once a vision, will now be a reality for our military families. We are grateful to the 10 states that led the nation in seeking uniform standards for school transition for military children,” said Leslye Arsht, deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy.
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