The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children: An Overview Military families are well aware that the mobile military lifestyle creates tough challenges for their children, who attend, on average, six to nine different school systems from kindergarten to twelfth grade. To help overcome educational transition issues faced by children of military families, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, working through its Defense-State Liaison Office (DSLO), collaborated with the Council of State Governments to develop the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (the Compact). A variety of federal, state, and local officials as well as national stakeholder organizations representing education groups and military families were included in the creation of this interstate agreement. The goal of the Compact is to replace the widely varying treatment of transitioning military students with a comprehensive approach that provides a uniform policy in every school district in every state that chooses to join. For example, sometimes children move from one state to another immediately prior to or even during their senior year. Even if they have passed their current state‟s assessment and are on track to graduate, the students may find out that in order to meet the new state‟s graduation requirements, they have to pass another assessment or earn additional credits. This may be impossible to do in time to graduate. However, if both states belong to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (the Compact), the receiving school district can work with the sending school district to get the student a diploma. This article will examine what an interstate compact is, what the Compact covers (and does not cover), and how parents can work with schools and school liaisons (SL) to ensure their children receive the full benefits of the Compact. Through 2010, thirty-five states, including most of the largest military-impacted states, have passed legislation to join the Compact. For current information on Compact status, refer to www.USA4Militaryfamilies.mil or www.MIC3.net . While the Compact is not exhaustive in its coverage and does not directly address the quality of education provided, it does address key school transition issues encountered by military families: eligibility, enrollment, placement, and graduation.
