CASE STUDIES

PURPOSE To help MIC3 State Commissioners understand the application of Articles to actual situations and the tools available to help address them. FORMAT Small group work Guided discussion Online access Report out

QUESTIONS FOR EACH CASE STUDY Which Article(s) and/or rules of the Compact might apply to this situation? What is required of the sending state under the Compact in this situation? What is the required of the receiving state under the Compact in this situation? What expectations did the family members meet to bring about a resolution to this situation? Is there an issue or clarification of understanding for family members that can be addressed through training? If so, who would train on it? What additional information would help resolve this issue for the family? Who could resolve this issue at a local level? Is this a case that you, as a State Commissioner, would want to be informed on, even if not involved? Why or why not?

SITUATION 1 A student whose birthdate is October 15 was registered for Kindergarten in a state with a December 1 cutoff date. The student never attended Kindergarten in the sending state and moved to a new state with an October 1 cutoff date.

SITUATION 2 A dyslexic student transfers to a new state. In the sending state, dyslexia is considered a disability, while in the receiving state, it is defined but as a reading problem. The parent did not obtain an IEP prior to moving. As a result, the receiving state will draft an IEP for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, it will not include dyslexia. The parent is upset with the school. Prior to the move, the student was doing well academically. At the time the parent contacted the Commissioner, the student was failing his classes.

SITUATION 3 A student has 10 absent days on record and is on an attendance plan with the school. The father is returning from a combat zone deployment and wants to take a family vacation to Orlando. The family is asking for 10 school days of excused absences and school work. The trip is also the same time as the State Assessment Test.

SITUATION 4 A family recently moved between states to a new duty station. The parents said their son was on course to graduate from the sending high school at the end his junior year so he could enlist in the military. The receiving district was unsure if the student could meet the graduation requirements of either district.

REPORT OUT BY GROUPS

SITUATION 5 A service member moved on a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) from State Q to State R a few months ago and his child was taking American Sign Language (ASL) at the sending school as a “world language". An ASL course is not offered at the receiving high school in State R. What is the schools responsibility to meet the academic sequence for the student?

SITUATION 6 Reservist on Title 10 orders is being deployed to a combat zone. The spouse and child will remain behind, however they are moving in with in-laws (who reside in a different school district) due to financial hardship while the member is deployed. Mom wants to keep the child in the current school, the school administration also wants the child to continue in their school.

SITUATION 7 A SLO in State K has received an inquiry from a parent regarding a high school student moving from a private school, with one previous year as homeschooled, in State J to a public school in State K. Due to financial obligations at the private school, the private school is withholding transcripts. What can the SLO hope to accomplish?

SITUATION 8 The registrar at an elementary school in State S has asked the parent of a new student for a set of military orders as documentation for a Power of Attorney to confirm enrollment eligibility. Is the school within its rights to do so?

SITUATION 9 A family is moving to State P from State Q. One child is in Kindergarten, the other in Grade 2. The registrar at the receiving school informed them that the Kindergartner will have to attend a different school because all Kindergarten classes are full at the school for which the family’s new house is zoned. What is the receiving school required to do under the Compact?

SITUATION 10 A military family is moving to a new duty station and prefers their child attend a private high school versus the local public school. The private school will provide the student with a financial scholarship and the student will play sports, which under the Athletics Association rules, would require the student to sit out of the sport for one year. The alternative was the student not accepting the scholarship and be eligible to play on the team.

SITUATION 11 A family moved from State J to State K for the father’s military service halfway through their daughter’s freshman year. Two months before graduation the family was informed that the daughter would not be valedictorian despite having the highest GPA in her class because school district policy requires attendance in the district for all four years of high school in order to graduate with honors. What recourse does the family have?

SITUATION 12 In State L a student was 6th grade but was enrolled in grade 7 math, was receiving an A in the course, and was 1 month short of completing the second quarter. The family has PCS’d to State M. The receiving school did not have a 6/7 combined math class. After 3 weeks of enrollment, the school tested the student and placed the student in the 6th grade honors math class based on the evaluation and State M math standards. The parents would like the child in a higher, 7th grade math. What options do the parents have?

FINAL COMMENTS / QUESTIONS