Support and Defend: The K-12 Education of Military-Connected Children. White Paper No. 131

Many policies and initiatives have been proposed or implemented to address the unique needs of military families who face special challenges while supporting the service of their military member(s). Some of those policies and initiatives have sought to focus on military-connected children (MCCs) and the particular academic challenges they face. The unique aspects of many of the challenges stem from the dynamics of the military lifestyle. Current efforts to address the academic needs of MCCs are built upon earlier efforts, some of which can be traced back nearly two centuries. Although ascertaining their academic performance is more challenging and less straightforward than it could and should be, there are many indications that MCCs perform academically at least as well--and sometimes better--than their non-MCC peers. Despite this, there have been assertions that federal Common Core standards are essential to improving the academic progress of MCCs and would greatly benefit them as they transition with their military parents between different military duty locations. However, such assertions are supported neither by the available evidence nor by the existing questions of rigor, legality, transparency, privacy, and state and local control that surround the implementation of Common Core. Rather than centrally and opaquely determined standards, initiatives such as the Interstate Compact on the Education of Military Children, the creation of school liaison officers, support of military homeschooling families, and the use of targeted grants, to name just a few examples, are better suited to assisting military families and military leaders address the challenges of K-12 education for MCCs. [This document contains a preface by Lieutenant General Rick Lynch, Retired Three-Star General, United States Army.]