Compare Your Schools – Compare curriculum between where you are and where you are going. There may be major discrepancies between different state education systems. You may find yourself moving to a school district far more advanced or behind than your current one. You need to know if your child will begin the year behind and struggle or ahead of grade and bored in the classroom. Set your child up for success – prepare for curriculum change!
- Visit state, district and school websites for grade level curriculum objectives.
- Collect and review important schoolwork showing your child’s academic levels.
- Compare current schoolwork to curriculum in receiving district. What type of math are they using? Does the school use Common Core or opted out.
- Contact receiving school to discuss curriculum similarities and differences. Call the school guidance counselor, he/she will help you understand where the holes in education.
- Ask the receiving school how they handle new students who are behind/ahead of current grade level objectives.
The Teacher(s) – When a military child moves from one school district to another – no matter what grade they are in – they lose the continuity of care and knowledge that only comes from staying local. Teachers are the key to continuity in your child’s education, ask them to help set your child up for success.
- Teacher to Teacher Letter – A great preemptive idea is to have your current child’s teacher write a letter to their new teacher – even though you don’t know who it might be. This is a perfect venue for teachers to share information about your child’s learning methods or insight into behavior.
- Meet with the your child’s current teacher before you PCS. Schedule a conference with teachers before you PCS and take notes! These notes will be critical when you have to advocate for your child’s education or services at the next school.
- Administrators – Ask your current school what their procedure is for sending official transcripts. Every school might have a different method, don’t assume.
The All Important Education Binder – Create an educational binder that is home to all your important documents. Items such as:
- Report cards
- School work samples
- Assessment results
- Teacher comments
- Notes from conferences
- Copies of IEP
- Copies of 504 plan
- Shot records
- Speech or occupational therapy evaluations/summaries
- Letters from teachers (to teachers), including specialty teachers like music, dance instructors, coaches or art teachers, if applicable.
- Copies of testing results – Cog AT, Iowa Assessments, reading readiness, SAT’s.
