Connecting Families, Schools & Communities Support Services School

Prince William County Schools received a DoDEA grant in 2013 to help military-connected students feel engaged in the community and assist them to have a smooth transition into the school division. “Schools play a critical role in disarming the negative effects of mobility on students.” “Therefore, school staff should be doing more to support these high-risk students” (Gruman et al., 2008). World Class Support: Linking Military-Connected Students with Schools

Increase the percentage of military-connected students who demonstrate mastery of transition-enhancing social & emotional skills included in the transition counseling program. Ease transition of military-connected students & families in target schools as measured by the percentage of transitioning military-connected families who participate in transition action plan activities. Goals of our 2013 Grant “The way in which school members interact with military students can either buffer or exacerbate the stress that students experience” (Bradshaw et al., 2010).

Pattie Elementary 95 Ashland Elementary 323 Henderson Elementary 115 Our Target Schools Number of Military-Connected Students in each school in 2013.

Accomplishments Registration Support to ensure parents obtained everything required For their child to become a part of our school division. Friendship Groups to allow students the opportunity to bond with other military-connected students & to learn how to identify their emotions while working through them. Equipment & School Supplies such as Ipads, Macbooks & Reading materials geared towards the topic of the military child. Activities & Events throughout the school year to acknowledge & celebrate military families, their sacrifices & their contributions to our country. Elementary Military-Connected Students Experience

Accomplishments Continued… Enhanced our student management system (SMS) so military connected parents’ information would be put into our electronic registration system Registrars received training on how to use this additional feature of the SMS. Updated our emergency and registration cards to allow parents to identify as military-connected.

Accomplishments Continued… Development of a video that features military-dependent students sharing their story in their own words, and used as a professional development tool for teachers and counselors. Contracted with ODU to allow a small cohort of counselors and teachers to complete the graduate Certificate Program in Military Children & Families. The development of the School Division’s on-line parent assessment, used to identify the social/emotional needs according to our own military- dependent population.

Prince William County Schools received an additional DoDEA grant in 2015 that will address the needs of military-dependent students on two “fronts,” social/emotional as well as academic. “Social/emotional needs often are conjoined with academic issues.” “ When social/emotional needs are not met, academic achievement is sometimes negatively impacted.” World Class Military-Dependent Students: Marching Forward on Two Fronts in PWCS

Upcoming Goals 2015 Grant Increase percentage of military- dependent students who participate in social and emotional support activities and programs Increase the percentage of military- dependent students who participate in academically enriched activities related to STEM Increase the number of military- dependent students receiving academic support in after-school tutoring and homework sessions.

Old Bridge Elementary 122 Ashland Elementary 389 Henderson Elementary 177 Our Target Elementary Schools Number of Military-Connected Students in each school in 2015.

“Students who change schools three or more times from 1 st grade to sixth… are almost one academic year behind their stable counterparts” (Kerbow et al. 2003). StrategiesStrategies Provide after-school, military-dependent support groups at secondary and elementary schools. Identify appropriate students and provide individual & small group counseling by military-dependent school counselors and/or support coaches. Provide special events geared toward the needs of military-dependent students. Virtual learning resources and extra curricular activities such as Math Gizmos. To Accomplish Goals Tutoring and homework help after school. Parent/community engagement- specific academic nights for military-dependent students & their families

“Students who change schools three or more times from 1 st grade to sixth… are almost one academic year behind their stable counterparts” (Kerbow et al. 2003). StrategiesStrategies Implement First LEGO League – Which introduces younger students to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. First LEGO League teams, guided by their imaginations and adult coaches & mentors, discover exciting career possibilities and through the process, learn to make positive contributions to society. Continued… Implement Gizmos – A library of interactive online simulations for math & science for education grades 3 – 12. Using Gizmos as an integrated piece of the curricula allows for more meaningful mathematics, technology & science integration, critical skills all our students will need prior to graduation.

The support provided to military-dependent students will help with adjustments to academic differences and address the impact of mental health stressors they may experience. Thank You! Questions or Comments? Call or Military-dependent students in PWCS will also be afforded the opportunity to develop skills that will prepare them to be extremely competitive students & productive citizens regardless of where their families are stationed.