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A case study of the academic and behavioral support provided to military-connected children in public schools

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A case study of the academic and behavioral support provided to military-connected children in public schools

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Content Running head: ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 1

A CASE STUDY OF THE ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT PROVIDED
TO MILITARY-CONNECTED CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

by

Bertha J. MacMillan

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2018

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 2
Dedication
This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, whose love and support throughout my entire
life can never be quantified nor repaid. To my dad, who I promised 24 years ago when I
announced that I was going to forgo finishing graduate school to join the military, that I would
go back to school and get a doctorate one day. It may have taken a little longer than I expected,
but it was my desire to always make him proud that has pushed me to always want to do more
than anyone ever expected of me. And to my mother, her quiet beauty and never-ending love
has always given me the strength to push through even the worst days, because I know that at the
end of the day, I will always have the love and support I need to face another day.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 3
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge and formally thank those who have supported and inspired
me during my journey to completing this degree. First, as I learned many years ago, even a bad
leader can help you to learn something about leadership and the kind of leader you want to be.
Similarly, even those who do not believe in you or support you can help you find success and be
a better person. There are those who did not believe I could achieve this, or who were less than
supportive in my journey, but they are truly some of my greatest inspirations. I work hardest
when I am trying to prove someone wrong, so as unlikely as it may seem, I thank you for your
lack of support and for giving me the inspiration to push through and show you that I can do
anything I set my mind to.
To the many positive influences I have encountered in my journey, I give you my
sincerest thank you and appreciation for your support. To the members of my dissertation
committee, Dr. Briana Hinga and Dr. Monique Datta, thank you for your patience and support as
I have worked through this process. I value your insight and knowledge, but more importantly I
appreciate your time and commitment to helping to make me a better student and researcher.
To Dr. Julie Slayton, my dissertation chair, I thank you for finally being the mentor I
have been looking for for so long. In my 20 years in the military, I never truly felt that I had a
true mentor that epitomized the type of person I wanted to be, especially as a woman. You are
intelligent, honest, committed, passionate, tough when you need to be, but always supportive and
giving of your time, expertise, and friendship. Thank you for not giving up on me.
To my friends and family, thank you for always being there to encourage my goals and
dreams. I thank my parents from the bottom of my heart for their constant love and support.
Wanting to make a better life for himself and his family, my father joined the military and
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 4
introduced me to the life of a military child. I wouldn’t trade my military life and experiences
for any other. I also want to thank my son, who has also endured the life of a military-connected
child, and done it with strength and grace that he may not yet realize. During almost two years
of this dissertation process, he had to step in and be the man of the house in true military kid
fashion while his father was deployed and stationed away from us. It wasn’t always easy, but we
are stronger individually and as a family because of our journey. I love you more than words for
giving me the inner strength to keep going when I thought I couldn’t juggle one more ball in the
air. Together, we retired, survived a deployment, packed up one house, unpacked another house,
started a new school, made new friends, and finished a doctorate degree. Finally, to my husband,
I give my eternal love and gratitude. As I said at my retirement, you lift me up, you talk me
down, you are my biggest supporter, and my best friend. Thank you once again for being my
wingman on this journey and in life. There are many days you believed in me more than I did,
and pushed me to “get it done!” Thank you for never letting me quit, and for always loving me.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 5
Table of Contents
Dedication 2
Acknowledgements 3
List of Tables 7
List of Figures 8
Abstract 9
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 11
Background of the Problem 12
Statement of the Problem 17
Purpose of the Study 18
Significance of the Study 18
Organization of the Study 20
Chapter Two: Literature Review 21
Addressing the Needs of Military-Connected Children 23
Educators’ Perspectives 23
Administrators’ Perspectives 28
District, School, and Community Perspectives 31
Highly Mobile Children 36
Impact of Frequent Transition 36
Mobility and Student Performance 41
Positive Outcomes of Transiency 45
School Climate 52
School Climate and Student Achievement 52
Classroom Climate and Student Achievement 55
Conceptual Framework 59
Educator Behavior 62
Administrator Behavior 64
Positive School Climate 65
Summary 66
Chapter Three: Methods 67
Research Design 67
Site Selection 69
Eagle Middle School 70
Participant Selection 70
Instrumentation and Data Collection 71
School Staff and Administrator Interviews 72
School Environmental and Climate Observations 73
Document and Artifact Collection 75
Data Analysis 76
Credibility and Trustworthiness 79
Ethics 82
Limitations and Delimitations 83
Conclusion 84
Chapter Four: Findings 85
Finding 1: The School Does Not Provide Specific Support to Military-
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 6
Connected Students and Instead, on the Surface, School
Personnel Believe Military-Connected Students’
Needs Can Be Met Through Programs Geared
Towards Meeting the Needs of All Students 86
Providing a Positive Climate for All Students 86
Providing Programs for All New Students 89
Providing a Family Like Environment and Community 94
Finding 2: Tension Between Being Seen as Doing the Right Thing
For Military-Connected Children and Admitting the
Need for Specific Programs for Military-Connected
Students 97
Doing the Right Thing 98
Acknowledging or Identifying the Unique Needs of Military-
Connected Children 99
Why No Military Specific Programs 105
Finding 3: Military-Connected Adults Have Greater Empathy for
Military Life 107
Faculty and Staff with a Military Connection 107
Empathy for Military-Connected Children 109
Appreciation for the Need for Specialized Training an Programs 113
Summary of Findings 117
Chapter Five: Discussion, Implications, and Recommendations 119
Summary of Findings 120
Implications and Recommendations for Practice, Policy, and Research 122
Implications and Recommendations for Practice 123
Implications and Recommendations for Policy 126
Implications and Recommendations for Future Research 127
Conclusion 129
References 130
Appendix A: Information Sheet 135
Appendix B: Interview Protocols 138

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 7
List of Tables
Table 1: Characteristics of Study Participants 71

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 8
List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework 62

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 9
Abstract
Military-connected children face many unique challenges and stresses while growing up
as part of a military family. Although military-connected children attending schools on military
installations are more successful and experience less stress in adapting to school environments,
the vast majority of military-connected students do not attend school on military installations.
Little is known about the types of support provided to military-connected children in public
schools because few qualitative studies exploring the support given to military-connected
children in public schools exist. This qualitative case study specifically looked at the academic
and behavioral support provided to military-connected children in a public school in a
community with a large military population. The study was based on interviews with 13 school
administrators, faculty, and staff in a middle school with a military-connected student population
greater than 20 percent.
Findings revealed that school personnel believed that they were meeting the academic
and behavioral needs of military-connected students by offering a positive school climate that
was welcoming and inviting. Secondly, there appeared to be an unspoken tension among the
staff and administrators whereby they wanted to be seen as doing the right thing and providing
support to military-connected children, but did not want to label the support as specific or
exclusive to military-connected children for fear of looking as if military-connected children
received special attention or treatment. Finally, school staff and personnel with a military
affiliation appeared to be more willing to support military-connected students and had greater
empathy for the unique challenges they faced.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 10

Are these the hands that held you when you cried
That patted you on the back
That showed you to your class
That pushed you away
That grasped your hand
That left and imprint on your heart
And are these the hands that will never wave goodbye
--- Wall mural, authors’ identities withheld

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 11
CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Children of military service members face unique challenges as they navigate through
childhood as part of a military family (Bradshaw, Sudhinaraset, Mmari, & Blum, 2010; De Pedro
et al., 2011; Esqueda, Astor, & De Pedro, 2012; Park, 2011). In addition to the normal stressors
of growing up, military children face the added stressors of frequent moves, lengthy and repeated
deployments of their parents, military-connected parental disability or illness, and the constant
reminder of the possibility of death on the job for their military parent (De Pedro et al., 2011;
Esqueda et al., 2012; Park, 2011).
Although there are schools specifically established to serve military children, only 86,000
of the 1.2 million school aged children of military members attend these Department of Defense
schools, which are primarily located in overseas locations (De Pedro et al., 2011). The vast
majority of military children attend public schools, private schools, or other schools operated by
civilian administrators (De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al., 2012). Frequently these public
schools are not equipped or trained to deal with the unique issues military children face
(Bradshaw et al., 2010; Brendel, Maynard, Albright, & Bellomo, 2014; De Pedro et al., 2011;
Esqueda et al., 2012).
Research has shown that military children attending schools on military installations or in
communities with a large number of military-affiliated families experience less stress in adapting
to school environments (Bradshaw et al., 2010). However, since the majority of military-
connected children do not attend schools on military installations (De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda
et al., 2012), public schools must find ways to address the needs of military-connected children.
As such, this study addressed the ways one public school worked to meet the academic and
behavioral needs of military-connected children.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 12
In the remainder of this chapter, I will present the background of the problem and the
context within which this study was grounded. Then, I will offer the statement of the problem,
the purpose and significance of the study, and the organization of the study.
Background of the Problem
Since 2001, America’s military forces have been involved in the largest sustained
deployment since the inception of its all-volunteer force (Military Child Education Coalition,
2012). The cost of this prolonged deployment has implications beyond the service members who
fight to maintain our country’s freedoms and interests. The families of military service members
also pay the price and sacrifice greatly for the freedoms enjoyed by all. In 2011, then President
Barak Obama made the support and care of military families a top national security policy
priority (White House, 2011). The government-wide review outlined in the White House
directive was described by then First Lady Michelle Obama as a review that would “bring
together the resources of the Federal Government, identify new opportunities across the public
and private sectors, and lay the foundation for a coordinated approach to supporting and
engaging military families for years to come” (White House, 2011, p. 1).
Although progress has been made in terms of identifying issues related to military-
connected children and establishing programs or policies to support them, there remains a need
for research in this area. Ongoing and continued efforts are needed to coordinate and share
information about existing programs to increase their use and implementation in new areas (De
Pedro et al., 2011; De Pedro, Esqueda et al., 2014).
While there is conflicting data in the literature with regard to the impact of the military
lifestyle on military-connected children, there is agreement that military-connected children face
added and unique stressors, in addition to those normal, age-related stressors all children face
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 13
(De Pedro et al., 2011). These added stressors are likely to impact their well-being and
psychosocial health and adjustment (Brendel et al., 2014). There is currently not a body of well-
documented literature and research establishing the evidence base for community-based
interventions to encourage resilience in military-connected children and support their emotional
and educational success (Brendel et al., 2014). Consequently, the federal government has made
the well-being and care of military families and children a national priority (Brendel et al., 2014;
Esqueda et al., 2012; White House, 2011).
Focusing on the needs of military-connected children, a number of researchers have
recently suggested that military-connected children have increased risk of adverse behaviors
when compared to their non-military peers (Brendel et al., 2014; Sullivan et al., 2015). These
adverse behaviors include increased instances of substance use, physical violence and
nonphysical harassment, carrying weapons, risky behaviors, increased suicidal ideation, and
increased feelings of depression and hopelessness (Brendel et al., 2014; Sullivan et al., 2015).
However, for every research article identifying increased risk for negative behaviors, there are an
equal number of studies that report positive characteristics and behaviors that military-affiliated
children possess in greater frequencies than their non-military peers, such as resiliency,
adaptability, maturity, responsibility, and a greater respect for authority (Esqueda et al., 2012;
Park, 2011).
Researchers consistently report that military children experience a unique set of issues
they must deal with as a result of the lifestyle their parents have chosen for them. One of the
greatest stressors military children experience is the frequent relocation due to military transfer.
One study reports that military children, on average, move nine times before graduating from
high school (Bradshaw et al., 2010). More conservative estimates report military children move
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 14
on average every 2 to 3 years (Park, 2011). Concerns related to frequent relocation and
transition include poor adjustment to new schools, academic problems as a result of transfer or
records or credits, resistance to or difficulty with making new friends, difficulty assimilating to
school cultures or environments, and missed opportunities for inclusion with sports or other
extracurricular activities (Bradshaw et al., 2010; De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al., 2012;
Park, 2011).
Another unique challenge military children face is the frequent deployment of their
military parent. Frequent parental deployment can impact a student’s academic performance,
physical health, behavioral and emotional well-being, feelings of anxiety, engagement in school,
and overall school adjustment (De Pedro et al., 2011; Park, 2011). How well a child is able to
adjust to parental deployment depends on several factors, including family preparedness and
community and social support (De Pedro et al., 2011; Park, 2011).
A child’s ability to adjust to the stressors involved in a military lifestyle can be
influenced by many things. For example, being surrounded by children with similar life
experiences and faculty sympathetic to the unique challenges of military life can create a
supportive environment that decreases adjustment problems and increases positive behaviors and
academic performance (Brendel et al., 2014; De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al., 2012). The
greatest example of this involves schools within the Department of Defense Education Activity
(DoDEA). DoDEA schools operate primarily in foreign countries and U.S. territories, although
there are several schools located within the continental United States (Brendel et al., 2014;
Esqueda et al., 2012). Because DoDEA schools’ sole purpose is the education of military-
affiliated children, they are designed to provide support structured to the unique needs of military
children and their families (Esqueda et al., 2012). In addition, DoDEA teachers encompass a
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 15
strong and stable teaching force within the military community, with many teaching within
DoDEA schools their entire teaching career (Smrekar & Owens, 2003). This stability within and
long-standing connection to the military community allow DoDEA teacher and administrators to
better understand the military culture as they become part of it throughout their tenure.
In fact, because of their understanding of the military culture and the adverse effects
deployment and frequent transitions can have on military children, education professionals
within the DoDEA system are more invested in developing and maintaining support systems (De
Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al., 2012). The result is military children in DoDEA schools have
high levels of functioning despite parental deployments and multiple moves, consistently score
above average on standardized tests, have smaller achievement gaps between racial and ethnic
groups, and are more accepting of diversity (Brendel et al., 2014; De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda
et al., 2012). Although this is a positive finding, the fact that fewer than 7% of school-aged
military children attend DoDEA schools highlights the need for programs and support systems in
civilian-run public schools to assist military children in adjusting to new environments and
dealing with unique stressors.
Acknowledging the conflicting research and complexity of issues impacting military-
connected children, Esqueda et al. (2012) noted President Obama’s 2011 presidential directive
making the education of military children a priority for all federal agencies. As articulated in the
directive, the goal should be to find military-connected children the help they need regardless of
the school they attend or the community where they reside. Based on the positive findings and
results of attending DoDEA schools, the focus should logically fall to public schools serving
military-connected children.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 16
One of the problems many public schools face in supporting military-connected children
is the difficulty they have in identifying a military affiliation with the children enrolled in their
schools. Kudler and Porter (2013) describe communities of care that expand responsibility for
supporting military families and children into the schools and neighborhoods where the military
families reside. However, in order to take advantage of these communities of care, military-
connected children must first be identified as such. While not an easy task, the first step needs to
be systematically identifying military-affiliated children in order to recognize additional help
might be needed to meet their unique needs (Kudler & Porter, 2013).
In addition, many studies highlight the fact that personnel in public schools are not
equipped to handle school transitions and the unique stressors experienced by military-affiliated
children (Bradshaw et al., 2010; Esqueda et al., 2012; Kudler & Porter, 2013). The fault does
not lie in the school staff and administration’s desires, or lack thereof, to help military children,
or any child for that matter. The greatest failing seems to be in the lack of understanding for the
services provided by military-affiliated agencies available to school staff and administrators in
the public arena in order to provide the assistance needed to support military-connected children.
Finally, school staff and administrative personnel may not understand cultural anomalies
connected to being a military-connected child (Brendel et al., 2014; Esqueda et al., 2012).
Despite the lack of understanding for the life of a military-connected child or the lack of
awareness for existing programs available to provide support to them, school personnel and
mental health professionals are well positioned to provide much needed support and
interventions to military-connected children (Brendel et al., 2014). Although funding and
attention have been directed at the problems associated with educating military children, research
continues to be lacking in areas where the greatest impacts can be made (Esqueda et al., 2012).
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 17
Because schools in communities located in the vicinity of military installations will
undoubtedly serve military-connected children, knowing what services and supports that are
currently in place would help to highlight the academic and behavioral support provided to
military-connected children. In addition, knowing the support currently provided would aid in
identifying gaps in the public school system where military-connected children’s needs are not
being met. It is for this reason that I chose the topic of academic and behavioral support
provided to military-connected children enrolled in public schools for my dissertation. The life
of a military child is stressful enough with constant relocation and parental absences due to
deployment. Gaining insight as to the amount and level of support provided to military-
connected children will help educators and the military community know if additional support is
needed to ensure children in military families succeed academically, emotionally, and socially
despite the challenges they face.
Statement of the Problem
Many schools do not know how to effectively deal with problems unique to military
children (Bradshaw et al., 2010; Brendel et al., 2014; De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al.,
2012). As noted by Esqueda et al. (2012), in 2011 President Obama issued a presidential
directive making the education of military children a priority for all federal agencies. Although
funding and attention has been directed at the problems associated with educating military
children, research continues to be lacking in areas where the greatest impacts can be made
(Esqueda et al., 2012). Research documenting effective programs, best practices, and successful
interventions is needed (De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al., 2012; Park, 2011).
While some schools do not know how to address the needs of military-connected
children, programs not specifically aimed at supporting military children can provided needed
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 18
academic and behavioral support. To adequately address whether or not the needs of military-
connected children are being met, it must first be determined what is currently being done to
provide academic and behavioral support in public schools serving military-connect children.
Purpose of the Study
This dissertation was a case study of a public school in a community where a large
number of military families resided and explored the following research question: How do
school personnel work to meet the academic and behavioral needs of military-connected
students? A case study is defined as an in-depth description and analysis of a bounded system,
an empirical inquiry that investigates contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context
(Merriam, 2009). Furthermore, Merriam (2009) describes a qualitative case study as a search for
meaning and understanding where the researcher is the primary instrument for data collection
and analysis, producing a richly descriptive end product through the use of an inductive
investigative strategy. The research question presented above was designed to capture insights
into the academic and behavioral support provided to military-connected children in a public
school.
The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which school personnel worked to
meet the academic and behavioral needs of military-connected students. Specifically, this study
examined the supports in place at the time of the study that provided academic and behavioral
support to military-connected children.
Significance of the Study
Leaders at the highest levels of our government have recognized the sacrifices made by
not only our military service members, but also their families. In 2011, then President Obama
made the support and care of military families a top national security policy priority (White
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 19
House, 2011). The White House directive outlined a government-wide review to integrate the
resources of the Federal Government by identifying innovative approaches across the private and
public sectors and establishing a coordinated effort for supporting and engaging military families
(White House, 2011).
Keeping in mind the impacts of the federal review were at the local school level where it
was thought the impact could be most directly felt by military families and their children, this
study looked at the academic and behavioral supports currently in place for military-connected
children at one public school. This study sought to understand the specific policies, programs,
and academic or behavioral supports in place to help military-connected children integrate and
adapt in the public school environment. By contributing to our knowledge of the supports
currently in place, and highlighting areas where more work might be needed, this study can help
to ensure military-connected children have every opportunity to succeed in a public school
setting.
Finally, this study contributes to the limited literature and empirical research available on
the impacts of military life to the children who live it. While this study may not be generalizable
to all public schools in military communities, given its case study design, its findings may prove
useful to other public schools in military communities looking to provide additional support to
military-connected children within their districts. As Merriam (2009) notes, the purpose of
applied research is to improve the quality of practice of a particular discipline in the hope that
their work will inform, or be used by policy makers to improve the way things are done.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 20
Organization of the Study
This study will be organized into five chapters. Chapter One introduced the topic of this
study and discussed the statement of the problem, background, purpose, importance, research
questions, limitations and delimitations.
Chapter Two provides a comprehensive review of the relevant literature on the topics of
school culture, school climate, leadership and the strategy of reconstitution. The conceptual
framework is then presented. Chapter Three presents the methodology used in the study which
includes the participation selection process, rationale, research design and the procedures used
for data collection and analysis. Chapter Four presents the findings of the study. It discusses
themes that emerged from the respondents which was analyzed through the lens of my
conceptual framework. Chapter Five summarizes the findings, discusses implications and offers
recommendations for the study.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 21
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Research has shown that military children attending schools on military installations or in
communities with a large number of military-affiliated families experience less stress in adapting
to school environments than their peers attending schools with low numbers of military-affiliated
families or far from military communities (Bradshaw et al., 2010). While this is promising
information, the overwhelming majority of military-connected children do not attend military-
affiliated schools or schools on military installations (De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al.,
2012). In addition, research shows most schools do not know how to effectively deal with
problems unique to military children (Bradshaw et al., 2010; Brendel et al., 2014; De Pedro et
al., 2011; Esqueda et al., 2012). As noted by Esqueda et al. (2012), in 2011 then President
Obama issued a presidential directive making the education of military children a priority for all
federal agencies. The goal should be to find military-connected children the help they need
regardless of the school they attend or the community where they reside.
Although attention has been directed at the problems associated with educating military
children, research continues to be lacking in areas where the greatest impacts can be made
(Esqueda et al., 2012). Research documenting effective programs, best practices, and successful
interventions is needed (De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al., 2012; Park, 2011). In fact, many
researchers note the lack of research in this area and the need for more emphasis on this subject
to better support military-connected youth (Brendel, Maynard, Albright, & Bellomo, 2014; De
Pedro, Esqueda et al., Esqueda et al., 2012; Park, 2011). However, the problem lies in connecting
the programs with the schools housing the military children in need, or more specifically,
educating the school staff and administrators on available resources and specific needs of
military children.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 22
In order to answer the question, How do school personnel work to meet the academic and
behavioral needs of military-connected students? I explored three bodies of literature. In this
chapter I present that literature. First, I examine the literature as it pertains to the ways school
and school personnel recognize they behave in response to the challenges faced by military-
connected children. I review literature that helps garner an understanding of what we already
know about what school personnel recognize as the needs of military-connected students, and the
ways in which they have already begun working towards addressing the needs of military-
connected children. I also look at empirical pieces showing the successfulness, or lack thereof,
and approaches used by schools and school personnel to address the needs of military-connected
students.
Because the research literature is limited when looking at military-connected students
exclusively, I broadened my search to data that will address populations with similar
demographics and circumstances as military-connected children. My research question explores
the needs of military-connected children, who are also included in populations of highly mobile
children. Therefore, in addition to looking at literature that specifically addresses the ways that
schools have and have not effectively met the needs of military-connected children, I explore
literature that specifically focuses on the needs of high mobility children, to include children in
migrant or poor families who frequently relocate in search of employment or housing. Included
in this section, I also look at successes within communities of highly mobile students, such as
Department of Defense Schools, which consistently yield positive student outcomes,
academically as well as with the behavioral and socioemotional development of the students.
Finally, similar to the aforementioned strategy of exploring populations with similar
circumstances as military-connected children to gain a better understanding of how schools and
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 23
school personnel are meeting the needs of military-connected children, I look at school climate
and how it can play a role in creating an environment in which military-connected students feel
welcomed and better integrate into the school setting. I consider how aspects of school climate,
such as feelings of safety and specific programs implemented, impact student achievement and
well-being for all students, and how this can translate into providing an atmosphere that is
supportive to military-connected children.
Addressing the Needs of Military-Connected Children
In this section, I review literature addressing the ways school and school personnel
recognize their behaviors in response to the challenges faced by military-connected children. To
begin, I present literature that helped me to obtain an understanding of what we already know
about what school personnel recognize as the needs of military-connected students, and the ways
in which schools have already begun working towards addressing the needs of military-
connected children. I also offer empirical pieces showing the successfulness, or lack thereof, and
approaches used by schools and school personnel to address the needs of military-connected
students. To ensure the plight of the military child was well understood, I turned to literature
related to the many problems faced by military-connected children. Finally, I offer pieces that
describe the perspectives of issues faced by military-connected children from the lens of various
members in the academic setting, including educators and school administrators at the school and
district level.
Educators’ Perspectives
The needs of military-connected children can be viewed from multiple perspectives.
Beginning with the perspective of the front-line personnel, or people with the most direct and
frequent contact with military-connected children, the first section of literature looks at
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 24
educators’ perceptions of the needs of military-connected children. Garner, Arnold, and
Nunnery (2014) examined educators in military-connected public schools with regard to their
perceptions of the needs of military-connected students and perceptions of the impact the
enrollment of military-connected students had on the educator’s work. In addition, Garner et al.
(2014) explored what qualities educators might possess that would assist them in working with
military-connected children.
This mixed-methods study was conducted in an area with a high population of military-
connected students. Participants were purposefully sampled from schools in four large, urban
districts. The schools were intentionally selected based on their location and proximity to
military installations, thus yielding schools with large percentages of military-connected
students. Although the exact percentage of military-connected students was uncertain due to
schools not monitoring military connection, administrators estimated between 15% and 50% of
the students enrolled were militarily affiliated (Garner et al., 2014).
Focus groups were conducted with the participants, which included seven principals, 55
teachers, eight school counselors, and four educational support staff. Demographic data on the
participants was not collected. During the 1-hour focus group meetings, sequential prompts were
used to solicit responses from the participants. Time was allowed for written responses and note
taking, and presentation and discussion time was allotted to gather thoughts and ideas on the
needs of military-connected children. A Likert scale questionnaire was distributed at the
conclusion of each focus group to allow participants to respond to topics they might not have
been comfortable discussing in a public forum. Finally, the researchers met individually with
principals and counselors, using a semi-structured interview protocol (Garner et al., 2014).
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 25
Significant findings from this study showed that even without being prompted, educators
consistently reported transitions and deployments as factors that they perceived as having an
impact on the academic achievement and social-emotional well-being of military-connected
children (Garner et al., 2014). All participants (teachers, principals, and counselors) recognized
the importance of welcoming transitioning students. In addition, educators in this study reported
the need to quickly assess transitioning students and provide remediation to mitigate the
differences in curriculum these students might have been exposed to prior to arrival at their new
school. While teachers focused on assessment and instructional needs, principals relayed the
administrative requirements of meeting the educational needs transitioning students might
generate in terms of the increased number of academic referrals (Garner et al., 2014).
With regard to deployment related issues, Garner et al. (2014) found that teachers and
counselors reported military-connected children with deployed parents required additional
support to address behaviors displayed, including anxiety, sadness, anger, and distractedness.
The participants in the study felt these behaviors increased the need for emotional support;
however, only 38% of the teachers believed they were well equipped to meet the emotional
needs of the military-connected children in their classrooms (Garner et al., 2014).
Overall, the educators in this study reported not only were they not well equipped to
handle the needs of military-connected children, but fewer than half of the educators agreed that
they understood the military culture. In addition, fewer than 10% stated they had received any
type of training specifically targeted at helping to meet the needs of military-connected children.
Furthermore, 27% of the survey participants conveyed their lack of knowledge about available
resources, with a third of the teachers not even aware of the existence of school liaison officers
or other military community-based resources (Garner et al., 2014).
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 26
In general, Garner et al. (2014) found the perceptions of educators in the military-
connected schools under study were that military-connected students had needs as a result of
multiple transitions, and other military life events such as deployments, which impacted their
academic achievement and social-emotional well-being. Furthermore, the study found that the
participants did not perceive themselves to be well equipped or trained to deal with the needs of
military-connected students.
Looking specifically from the teacher’s perspective of the needs of military-connected
children, Arnold, Garner, and Nunnery (2013) examined how teachers understood and responded
to military-connected children in relation to their academic and social development. The study
sought to determine what knowledge, skills, and traits teachers perceived as necessary to make
the experiences of military-connected students in the school environment supportive. Arnold et
al. (2013) used the lens of a culturally responsive pedagogy as a framework to look at how
military-connected students were taught within the classroom, and provided support within the
school context.
A culturally responsive pedagogy recognizes that a student’s background impacts the
way a student learns, and constructing a pedagogy that aligns with a student’s background will
have positive impacts on learning and behavior. Arnold et al. (2013) discussed a culturally
responsive pedagogy as a way to frame an approach to teaching that focuses on equally high
standards for all students and facilitates learning for culturally diverse groups, to include
sociopolitical consciousness. Specifically, the researchers wanted to address the perceptions of
elementary teachers in a public school with regard to their views on the needs of military-
connected children and the supports within the school to meet the academic and socioemotional
needs of these children (Arnold et al., 2013).
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 27
The study used a mixed-method approach in elementary school settings. Eight
elementary schools in four school districts were purposefully selected based on their geographic
locations near military installations. Participants were selected using a snowballing strategy,
where principals and superintendents were asked to identify schools and teachers serving high
military populations. The percentages of military-connected students enrolled in the selected
schools ranged from 15% to 99% (Arnold et al., 2013).
Fifty-five teachers participated in focus groups and were then asked to complete follow
on questionnaires. The researchers used scripted prompts in the focus groups to solicit teachers’
perceptions on what types of knowledge or understanding was necessary to teach military-
connected students. In addition, Arnold et al. (2013) sought to gather information regarding
challenges teachers faced with military-connected students, and if teachers used military
students’ experiences to enhance classroom learning. Finally, the researchers conducted
individual interviews with 19 principals and counselors to gather additional information related
to the challenges and supports provided to military-connected students in their schools (Arnold et
al., 2013).
With regard to culturally sensitive pedagogy, the findings indicated that teachers who
were culturally sensitive to the military lifestyle and military-connected students were better able
to have empathy and provide support to military-connected children facing difficulties related to
transition or deployment. Many teachers reported being culturally sensitive was difficult because
military affiliation is not an outwardly observable trait (Arnold et al., 2013). Teachers expressed
the need for more knowledge on military-related issues impacting the children in their schools,
particularly those who did not previously have military experiences. In addition to identifying the
need for effective and efficient assessment of students’ prior knowledge and current levels of
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 28
academic functioning, teachers also articulated the need to be accommodating and flexible
toward absences as they related to transitioning and deployments (Arnold et al., 2013).
With regard to socioemotional needs of military-connected students, the researchers
found teachers recognized military-connected students had specific needs related to the effects of
stress and anxiety generated by parental deployments and potential transitions (Arnold et al.,
2013). Behaviors such as social isolation and confusion about behavioral and social expectations
were identified by the educators, who also commented about the link between socioemotional
well-being and academic performance (Arnold et al., 2013). Teachers reported using a number
of strategies to support the socioemotional needs of military-connected students in their
classrooms, including building personal connections such as peer-to-peer relationships between
military-connected students and their civilian peers (Arnold et al., 2013).
Finally, Arnold et al. (2013) found educators in their study discussed the necessity of a
cultural awareness for the military lifestyle and culture, and the importance of creating strong
home-school connections. Participants expressed a pervasive desire to be culturally responsive
to the needs of military-connected students, although many of the participants did not believe
they had sufficient knowledge in military culture or lifestyle (Arnold et al., 2013).
Administrators’ Perspectives
In addition to looking at how the needs of military-connected students are addressed from
the perspective of educators, researchers have also looked at the needs of military-connected
children from the perspective of administrators. De Pedro, Atuel et al. (2014) contend that many
administrators find it difficult to adequately provide support to military-connected students.
Their study examined philosophies and perceptions of administrators in military-connected
schools, including programmatic efforts with regard to military-connected children (De Pedro,
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 29
Atuel et al., 2014). De Pedro, Atuel et al. (2014) focused on administrators’ perceptions of the
needs of military-connected students based on their belief that administrators played an
important role in shaping the school’s climate and defining the school’s mission.
This study was conducted in conjunction with the formation of the Building Capacity
Consortium, a partnership between a major university and eight civilian public school districts
located in the San Diego metropolitan area and near military installations (De Pedro, Atuel et al.,
2014). The main purpose of the consortium, which was comprised of 140 schools serving
approximately 117,000 students, was to ensure public schools had the capacity to create military-
friendly school environments that could improve the academic, social, and behavioral outcomes
for military-connected students (De Pedro, Atuel et al., 2014). This study was a result of the
development of the consortium during its first year of existence.
An online feedback tool was developed during the consortium’s first year and
administered to all administrators within the consortium during both the fall and spring
semesters. During the fall administration of the survey, 137 participants from 130 different
schools responded; during the spring administration, 129 participants from 129 schools
responded (De Pedro, Atuel et al., 2014). A link to the survey was sent to each principal for
participation, with some principals choosing to extend the invitation to participate to their vice-
principals or other school administrators resulting in some schools having more than one
respondent. Overall, almost every school within the consortium submitted at least one response
(De Pedro, Atuel et al., 2014).
The survey yielded both quantitative and qualitative data. Survey questions centered
around five main interest areas: awareness and responsiveness to military-connected students,
programmatic efforts to support military-connected students, parental involvement, placement of
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 30
interns within the school setting, and participants’ interest in additional resources for military
families and children (De Pedro, Atuel et al., 2014). The items of interest most relevant to the
research questions posed for my study included the administrators’ awareness and
responsiveness to military-connected students and the programmatic efforts administrators had
implemented to support military-connected students.
Survey questions in these areas included asking about the administrators’ philosophy
toward military-connected students, such as did they believe military-connected students have
special needs or circumstances that required specific programs or activities focused on them.
Additionally, the survey asked if the participants’ school had activities aimed at supporting
military-connected students. Finally, the participants were asked if they were interested in
additional information regarding ideas and practices focused on military-connected students (De
Pedro, Atuel et al., 2014). With regard to programmatic efforts existing in the schools surveyed,
participants were asked about the programs currently implemented in their schools related to or
impacting military-connected students, specifically those involving cultural celebrations, school
climate, or those meant to improve the school setting (De Pedro, Atuel et al., 2014).
The survey results showed that fewer than a third (29.9%) of school administrators
believed that military-connected students had special needs or circumstances that required
programs or activities specifically aimed at them (De Pedro, Atuel et al., 2014). These
administrators included military-connected students in current programs meant for all students.
In addition, almost a quarter of the participants (24.1%) did not believe military-connected
students should be seen as a distinct group, instead reporting all students should be evaluated
individually and referred to the appropriate programs or resource. When addressing the question
related to special programs or activities focused on military-connected students, only 21.2%
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 31
reported have such activities (De Pedro, Atuel et al., 2014). Although most administrators
reported no specialized programs existed for military-connected students, there was still a
common interest in learning more about programs aimed at supporting military-connected
students, and a vast majority (84%) expressed an interest in examples and ideas about programs
or activities aimed at supporting military-connected students (De Pedro, Atuel et al., 2014).
Finally, most school administrators described their school as having activities and events
celebrating military culture, such as military-related events on Veterans Day and Memorial Day
(De Pedro, Atuel et al., 2014).
De Pedro, Atuel et al. (2014) noted that as the results indicated a considerable portion of
the administrators surveyed did not believe military-connected students should be viewed as a
distinct group, it was not surprising that less than a quarter of the respondents stated they had
programs or activities aimed at supporting military-connected students. In addition, an
overwhelming majority of school administrators (87.6%) relayed any programs aimed at
improving school climate were focused on the student body as a whole, and most did not
presently have programs aimed at military-connected students as a group (De Pedro, Atuel et al.,
2014). De Pedro, Atuel et al. (2014) cite research indicating the additional stresses placed on
military-connected students, and point to the need for future research and evidence-based
programs focused on changing the beliefs of school administrators with regard to military-
connected students as a unique cultural group requiring special programs and services supporting
them.
District, School, and Community Perspectives
In a comprehensive study, De Pedro, Esqueda, Cederbaum, and Astor (2014) looked at
the experiences of military-connected students from the perspective of multiple professional
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 32
roles within a school district in order to understand each stakeholders’ perspective in relation to
military-connected students’ challenges in civilian public schools, and the strengths of these
students when faced with these challenges. The researchers also explored school-based
strategies promoting positive academic, emotional and psychological outcomes of military-
connected students employed by the schools and school personnel who participated in the study
(De Pedro, Esqueda et al., 2014).
Using a qualitative study format and semi-structured interview protocols, the researchers
purposefully selected participants based on their close interaction with military-connected
students or their position within military-connected schools. A purposeful selection process was
employed to encompass perspectives from all levels of professionals serving military-connected
children, including personnel at school level, district administrative offices, military-focused
nongovernmental organizations, and military organizations. Participants were drawn from eight
school districts in the Southern California area. The districts varied in size of enrollment, which
ranged from 1,977 to 30,183 students, and percentage of military student enrollment, which
ranged from 2.0% to 27.3%. In total, 31 stakeholders were selected to participate in the study.
Participants included five district-level stakeholders, three principals, five educators, one school
liaison officer, three licensed social workers, 10 Master of Social Work student interns, and four
education researchers (De Pedro, Esqueda et al., 2014).
As outlined by De Pedro, Esqueda et al. (2014), the interviews focused on gathering
information related to the following key research questions: (a) the experiences and challenges
faced by military-connected children; (b) the ways public schools respond to these challenges;
(c) strategies or best practices currently used by the schools to respond to these challenges; and
(d) recommendations school reforms that will benefit military-connected children or military-
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 33
connected schools. The interviews took place over a 2-day period, and lasted between 25-45
minutes.
In analyzing the data collected, De Pedro, Esqueda et al. (2014) found four major themes
emerged. First, as expected and consistent with prior research, the researchers found that
military-connected children faced unique challenges related to the military lifestyle, and had
unique needs and stressors not experienced by their non-military-connected peers. Stakeholders
identified stressors such as fear of death or injury of a parent, multiple and extended
deployments, and frequent school transitions as some of the unique stressors faced by military-
connected students. Stakeholders also recognized that civilian-run schools often lacked the
awareness and knowledge to support and respond to the emotional and social needs of military-
connected students that effected their school experiences. Compounding these unique stressors
and challenges military-connected students faced, the stakeholders in this study also reported
that, because of the strong sense of ability to solve problems independently and fear of looking
weak, many military-connected families were hesitant to seek help (De Pedro, Esqueda et al.,
2014).
A second emergent theme that De Pedro, Esqueda et al. (2014) found was that several
schools had developed a number of homegrown practices to address the needs and challenges of
military-connected students (De Pedro, Esqueda et al., 2014). Several participants expressed the
need for educators to deliver support in ways that specifically met the needs of military-
connected children. Participants described various programs such as designated spaces where
military-connected students could gather to share experiences and provide one another with
support in a safe environment for sharing. Other participants described lunch-time or after
school programs, and teacher-led activities that centered around recognizing the needs of
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 34
military-connected children to stay connected to their military parents. The participants
identified and expressed the positive results of such programs when in existence.
Despite the positive results described in the homegrown school-based practices above,
the third theme De Pedro, Esqueda et al. (2014) found in their study identified feelings of poor
responsiveness on the part of public schools to meet the needs of military-connected children.
The participants described a lack of assistance from schools when dealing with transitions, a lack
of understanding with regard to military deployments, and the need for more school-based
supports and interventions. School personnel also recognized issues with identifying military-
connected students within their schools and districts (De Pedro, Esqueda et al., 2014). Although
stakeholders generally reported poor support and responsiveness to the needs of military-
connected children, many of them expressed this was as a result of competing demands such as
being confronted with multiple school reform priorities and having to address the needs of
military-connected students without added resources or increased professional education.
The fourth theme that emerged from the De Pedro, Esqueda et al. (2014) study was the
perception by all stakeholders that public schools needed to be a stable environment for military-
connected children, one that provided a welcoming and supportive atmosphere academically,
emotionally, and socially. The general consensus was that because so much about the lives of
military-connected children were in a state of constant flux as a result of relocation, repeated
deployments, and lack of civilian community support, the school environment needed to be a
place where military-connected children could find stability. In conjunction with this finding,
stakeholders reiterated the need for systematic identification of military-connected students and
resources to provide support to them.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 35
Although this study is limited in its scope, centering on eight school districts in the
Southern California area, there was a high concentration of military-connected students in this
region and its findings could have implications in other military communities as well. This
literature related to my topic in that it specifically addressed the question of how schools and
school personnel were working to meet the behavioral and academic needs of military-connected
children. This study covered a breadth of perspectives from various stakeholders involved in the
education of military-connected children, and helped me to get an overview of some of the issues
identified by personnel in the academic arena with regard to meeting the needs of military-
connected children.
In this section, I discussed what the research currently tells us about what school
personnel recognize as the needs of military-connected students, and some of the ways in which
educators have found useful in addressing the needs of military-connected children. I presented
literature related to the problems faced by military-connected children, offering pieces that
describe the perspectives of issues faced by military-connected children from the lens of various
members in the academic setting, including educators and school administrators at the school and
district level. Overall, research shows military-connected children face unique challenges such
as frequent transitions and deployment of family members (De Pedro, Esqueda et al., 2014; De
Pedro, Atuel et al., 2014). Research also shows that culturally responsive pedagogy that is
sensitive to the military lifestyle (Arnold et al., 2013) and schools that function as stable
environments in the midst of turmoil (De Pedro, Esqueda et al., 2014) are able to meet the needs
of military-connected children. While these findings were important, they were not enough to
provide me with the insights to answer my research question. As such, I will turn my attention to
the next body of literature, that of characteristics of highly mobile children, to help further
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 36
articulate the needs of military-connected children by looking at a demographic that shares many
experiences of military-connected children.
Highly Mobile Children
In this section I will be presenting literature related to issues connected to populations of
highly mobile children who may not necessarily be military-connected children. These
populations might include children in migrant or poor families who frequently relocate in search
of employment or housing. Because research literature is limited when looking at military-
connected students exclusively, I broadened my search to data that would address populations
with similar demographics and circumstances as military-connected children. I also look at
successes within communities of highly mobile students, such as Department of Defense
Schools, which consistently yield positive student outcomes, both academically as well as with
behavioral and socioemotional development of the students.
Impact of Frequent Transition
Bradshaw, Sudhnaraset, Mmari, and Blum (2010) conducted a study to look at stress and
coping during school transitions for military adolescents. Using qualitative methods and a
phenomenological approach, the researchers studied stressors experienced by mobile military
students during transition, and efforts by school staff employed to help military-connected
students during transition. In addition, the researchers identified strategies that could be used by
school staff and to help ease transition for mobile students (Bradshaw et al., 2010).
Bradshaw and his fellow researchers (2010) used focus groups with military-connected
students, their families, and staff within their respective schools to determine the impacts of
transition and mobility on military-connected students. A total of 11 focus groups were
conducted using participants from eight different military installations. Installations were
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 37
purposefully selected and included representatives from all branches of service with high
concentrations of mobile military students. A contact within the Department of Defense selected
the installations to include, and a local staff member was responsible for recruiting group
participants. Three focus groups were conducted at each selected installation: military students,
parents, and school staff (Bradshaw et al., 2010).
The researchers used focus groups because they believed this approach would allow them
to gather information from participants without being tied to predetermined response sets, thus
allowing for more comprehensive and in-depth accounts of participants’ perceptions and
opinions (Bradshaw et al., 2010). Focus groups were also chosen over individual interviews
because the study was exploratory in nature, and the focus was on the phenomenology of
military-related school transitions from the perspectives of all involved parties: students, parents,
and school staff. Each focus group session included 8-10 participants, the facilitator, and a
notetaker. The facilitator used questions developed in a semistructured format focused on
gathering information relevant to the primary goals of the study, such as asking participants to
describe transition-related stressors, description of efforts used to help students cope with their
stress, and strategies used by schools to ease the transition for mobile military students
(Bradshaw et al., 2010).
Results across all three groups indicated a common set of themes with regard to the
perceived stressors experienced by mobile military students, which included stress on the family
system, stress on the students’ social support systems, stress related to adapting to new
environments and contexts, and academic challenges (Bradshaw et al., 2010). However, relevant
to the present literature review, the pertinent findings were those related to what schools were
doing to address the stressors experienced by mobile military students.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 38
With regard to strategies to ease the transition process for mobile military students,
participants were asked what approaches worked best to help students better cope with school
transitions. Four main strategies were described as useful for reducing stress related to school
transitions. First, participants reported increased communication between schools and with
families eased transition stressors (Bradshaw et al., 2010). Although there were differing
perception regarding whose responsibility it was to provide information, parents and school staff
agreed that communication regarding transferring of records was useful in easing transition.
While schools with large military-connected students might have had a school liaison officer to
help facilitate communication, few students reported being aware of the position (Bradshaw et
al., 2010).
The second strategy reported by participants to help with transitioning students was
fostering of connections among students (Bradshaw et al., 2010). Students reported feeling safe
and having a sense of belonging or inclusion with the new school when they felt a connection
with other students at the school and were familiar with the physical layout of the school.
Several students recommended pairing new students with another student initially to help
facilitate the transition by helping the new student to navigate the layout of the school, find
classes, and meet other students (Bradshaw et al., 2010).
Another strategy identified to assist mobile military students with transition was to
provide training to teachers and other school staff on useful strategies for connecting with
military students (Bradshaw et al., 2010). Respondents varied with what type of intervention
would be most helpful for connecting with military students, with some not wanting to be singled
out and others welcoming the idea of talking about their military-related experiences. However,
across all focus groups participants agreed there was a need to have someone emotionally
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 39
available to military-connected students to listen to their concerns and assist them with transition
stressors (Bradshaw et al., 2010).
The final strategy found by Bradshaw et al. (2010) was the ability and willingness to alter
policies and procedures to support military-connected students. Parents and students reported
difficulties related to school policies and procedures, particularly related to graduation
requirements and grade promotions (Bradshaw et al., 2010). Parents most often cited difficulties
with meeting specific requirements for graduation, such as state history or language
requirements, and strongly recommended flexibility and accommodations for military students to
help them meet the criteria. Other parents recommended waivers for special education testing
for new students with documented special needs. Overwhelmingly, both parents and school staff
agreed on the need for standardization across schools and states with regard to students’
academic requirements and services provided (Bradshaw et al., 2010).
A unique aspect of the Bradshaw et al. (2010) study was the researchers’ inclusion of the
perspectives of all involved parties: students, parents, and school staff. The researchers believed
the parents provided valuable insight into their child’s adjustment and adaptability based on the
context of the transition, such as large school versus small school or on base versus off base
(Bradshaw et al., 2010). Parents reported being most concerned with programs and policies to
help ensure their child’s success in school, in addition to delivery of a quality education. School
staff most often reported their struggle to identify military-connected children from civilian
students, as well as balancing the desire for privacy versus sharing the military-related
experiences of students (Bradshaw et al., 2010). Finally, students most often reported concerns
for making connections, fitting in, and forming relationships in their new schools (Bradshaw et
al., 2010).
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 40
While the previous article looked at students with high mobility, it still focused on
military-connected students. In contrast, Schafft (2005) looked at student transiency in civilian
public school districts, specifically school districts in rural upstate New York. This article
helped me to understand the unique stressors faced by highly mobile students and the responses
by schools or other community institutions to ease the impact to the students with high
transiency. According to the author, the results of this study depicted a significant and high need
potion of the population in upstate New York that received little attention, support, and was risk
both academically and socially (Schafft, 2005).
Schafft (2005) conducted a quantitative method study targeting persistently poor and
economically disadvantaged school districts in upstate New York, with upstate referring to the
entire state of New York with the exception of Long Island, New York City, and Rockland and
Westchester Counties. One page surveys were sent to superintendents in 136 disadvantaged
districts, as well as 141 wealthy or advantaged districts for comparison. The author defined
disadvantaged districts as those where the combined wealth ratio of the district represented the
bottom third of the 504 districts in the state (Schafft, 2005).
While the surveys were sent to the superintendents, they were asked to pass them to the
most knowledgeable administrator with regard to enrollment if not completing the survey
themselves. Of the 277 surveys sent to the persistently poor and disadvantaged district
superintendents, 86 of the 136 were returned for a 63% response rate. For the wealthier districts,
76 of the 141 surveys were returned for a 54% response rate. Upon gathering the survey data,
Schafft (2005) then conducted follow-up telephone interviews with 51 administrators in the
responding districts, 41 of whom were from disadvantaged districts. The interviews were semi-
structured in nature, lasting between 20 and 60 minutes (Schafft, 2005). The surveys asked
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 41
respondents to report on beginning enrollment numbers for the previous year, number of new
students admitted during the previous year, and the numbers of students transferring out during
the previous year. In addition, the surveys asked respondents to relate their perceptions of
changes in transiency over time, the relative socioeconomic status of mobile students, and the
typical distance students moved when leaving or entering the district (Schafft, 2005).
The results indicated that the average transfer and admission rate for each district was
about 5%, although this number varied significantly from one district to another with some
having transfer rates as high as 20% (Schafft, 2005). Superintendents in both wealthier and
disadvantaged school districts reported low income students transferring at higher rates and
within shorter distances. In fact, impoverishment and poverty were most often cited as casual
factors for chronic student mobility (Schafft, 2005).
Respondents reported many fiscal and administrative consequences for student transiency
where residential mobility for disadvantaged student who typically had greater needs made
planning and support difficult (Schafft, 2005). Administrators reported that student transiency
required additional administrative resources from teachers, counselors, and other school staff, as
well as created unpredictability for budgeting and planning purposes based on the
unpredictability of student movement (Schafft, 2005). Based on the results of the study, Schafft
(2005) highlighted the strong need to systematically gather basic information on mobile students,
as well as the need for further research on the impact of mobility and transiency on student
performance.
Mobility and Student Performance
It was important to look at highly mobile and transient students because of the impact of
mobility on academic performance. Without understanding the impact to academic performance,
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 42
as well as other measures of student well-being, implementing programs to provide support to
military-connected students, or any mobile or transient student, becomes increasingly difficult.
The following articles discuss the relationship between student mobility and student
performance. Again, because research is limited when looking at military-connected students
exclusively, research looking at the issue of mobility and student performance in general is also
reviewed.
Engec (2006) conducted a quantitative study to determine if the performance of
nonmobile students was significantly different from the performance of mobile students. He
further differentiated the mobility status of students by investigating differences in obligatory
versus optional mobility situations. Finally, Engec (2006) considered the suspension rates of
students to determine if there was a difference in rates between mobile and nonmobile students.
For the purpose of this literature review, only findings specific to student mobility and
performance will be discussed.
The study was conducted with students in Louisiana public schools by comparing scores
on standardized tests for mobile and nonmobile students (Engec, 2006). The researcher used
school year data to determine the mobility percentages for students both from year to year and
within-school year. Specifically, student mobility was looked at from both within the school
year, such as when a student enrolls on more than one occasion within the school year, and year
to year, where students change schools at the completion of a school year (Engec, 2006). In
addition, the researcher differentiated between obligatory mobility, such as when a required
grade was not offered and a student had to change schools, and optional mobility where the next
grade was offered but the student chooses to attend a different school.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 43
Consistent with prior research, Engec (2006) predominantly found a negative relationship
between mobility and student performance. Most significantly, his research showed a negative
relationship between mobility and student performance and behavior. As this was a quantitative
study, beyond relational findings, no further in-depth information about the data was available.
However, based on his findings, Engec (2006) made several recommendations for educators with
sizable populations of mobile students. First, Engec (2006) recommended educations pay
particular attention to students with one or more transfers within schools as these students were
more likely to experience performance and disciplinary problems. In addition, based on his
findings that children who changed schools frequently faced challenges that might impede their
success in school and make learning more difficult, Engec (2006) reported educators needed to
develop strategies specifically targeting mobile students. Finally, as other researchers have
reported (cf., Arnold et al., 2013; Bradshaw et al., 2010; De Pedro et al., 2014), Engec (2006)
stressed the need for student record systems that allow timely and effective assessments of
student performance so that mobile students did not incur additional negative consequences as a
result of their mobility.
Heinlein and Shinn (2000) also looked at student achievement and mobility, however
their focus was on mobility in the urban setting, specifically within one of the most mobile
public elementary schools in the New York City Community School Districts. For the purpose
of analysis, data was pulled from 764 permanent student records for sixth grade students in the
1996-97 school year. Only data from students who were enrolled in the school during their
kindergarten year was used (Heinlein & Shinn, 2000). Demographically the students were
largely low-income, minority, and English speaking, with 46% being male and 54% female
(Heinlein & Shinn, 2000).
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 44
To determine mobility, the researchers (Heinlein & Shinn, 2000) looked at the number of
admissions and discharges in each student’s record since entering kindergarten. Students who
had moved more than three times during this period were considered highly mobile. The
researchers also differentiated periods of mobility to look at impact on mobility before third
grade to determine its impact on sixth grade performance. For this data set, moving more than
two times before third grade garnered highly mobile status (Heinlein & Shinn, 2000). The
primary dependent variable studied was math and reading standardized test scores administered
in sixth grade.
Despite the manipulation and controlling for of variables within the study, such as
gender, when the mobility occurred, and using third grade performance to predict sixth grade
performance, overall initially these researchers found no association between mobility and
student achievement (Heinlein & Shinn, 2000). Heinlein and Shinn (2000) found student
performance in third grade largely predicted student performance in sixth grade regardless of
mobility status. However, delving further, results that did not control for prior performance
depicted strikingly different results. Analyzing results for students with high mobility, Heinlein
and Shinn (2000) reported highly mobile students scored 5.5 percentile points lower in reading
achievement and 3.8 percentile points lower in math achievement. The researchers expressed
this finding another way, showing that whereas 48% of students who had moved fewer than three
times were performing at or above grade level in math, only 38% of highly mobile students
(more than three moves) were performing at or above grade level in math. For grade-level
performance in reading, 27% of the low-mobility group met the criteria versus only 18% of the
high-mobility group (Heinlein & Shinn, 2000).
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 45
Ultimately, Heinlein and Shinn (2000) found a strong association between high mobility
and third grade achievement. Students who experienced high mobility before third grade scored
3.0 percentile points lower in reading achievement and 6.2 percentile points lower in math
achievement, controlling for both gender and socioeconomic status (Heinlein & Shinn, 2000).
Heinlein and Shinn (2000) conclude that using conventional analysis yielded results consistent
with prior research: a strong negative association between high mobility and achievement in
reading and math. Heinlein and Shinn (2000) report the cumulative results from their findings,
as well as previous literature, showed students who frequently moved were more vulnerable to
difficulties in school, suggesting the need for educators to provide additional supports to highly
mobile children in their new schools.
Positive Outcomes of Transiency
While many studies report on the negative aspects of high mobility (Bradshaw et al.,
2010; Engec, 2006; Heinlein & Shinn, 2000; Schafft, 2005), there are some instances when being
part of a mobile population yields positive outcomes. Smrekar and Owens (2003) focused on the
academic performance of students in the United States Department of Defense Education
Activity (DoDEA) school system, characterized as one that serves the highly mobile population
of military-connected students. Smrekar and Owens (2003) contended that while many
researchers would attribute the success of DoDEA schools as a function of the community
characteristics of the students and middle-class family structures, the academic success of
students in DoDEA school systems was instead of a result of schools that “do the right things”
and “do things right” by responding to the needs of their highly mobile student population.
Smrekar and Owens (2003) conducted a mixed method study consisting of interviews,
observations, and data collection of an array of school documents and community resource
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 46
information. The researchers visited 15 middle schools in 10 school districts located within the
United States, Japan, and Germany. Schools were deliberately selected to reflect a variety of
enrollment sizes, mobility rates, differing training and deployment patterns, rank and pay
compositions of parents, and percentage of children eligible for free and reduced lunches
(Smrekar & Owens, 2003). While the schools reflected an average minority enrollment for
DoDEA schools, some of the schools do reflect a higher than average minority enrollment when
compared to traditional public schools.
Across a 4-month data collection period, Smrekar and Owens (2003) conducted
approximately 130 interviews with principals and language arts teachers at each school studied.
In addition, at the district level, interviews were conducted with superintendents, assistant
superintendents, curriculum specialists, military commanders, and school liaison officers.
Finally, at some installations, parent leaders, school counselors, assistant principals, and teacher
union representatives were also interviewed. Data collection included school and district
documents, such as student demographics, curriculum guides, accountability reports, staff
development plans, benchmark standards, school handbooks, and parent newsletters. Data
collected from the installation included information on available services, such as housing, health
care, recreation, and social services. Finally, the researchers conducted classroom observations
and participated in extensive school and base tours (Smrekar & Owens, 2003).
Upon analyzing standardized academic test measures, Smrekar and Owens (2003) found
students in Department of Defense schools performed at high achievement levels in reading and
writing. Using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores, the Smrekar
and Owens (2003) study reported scores for all DoDEA students were among the highest in the
nation, and found similar results when comparing results for minority subgroups. Specifically,
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 47
analysis of the 1998 NAEP scores in reading and writing showed students in Domestic
Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) were second in the nation for writing
proficiency with 38% of the students scoring at or above proficiency levels. DoDDS students
(students attending Department of Defense schools in overseas locations) ranked fourth in the
nation with 31% of the students scoring at or above proficiency in writing. Both findings
compared favorably to the national average of 24% proficiency in writing (Smrekar & Owens,
2003). For reading proficiency, DoDDS and DDESS schools ranked second in the nation with
only two states having greater proficiency than either respectively (36% in Maine and 37% in
Connecticut). Again, DoDEA schools scored well above the national average for reading
proficiency (Smrekar & Owens, 2003).
Interview results pointed to several factors that were attributed to high student
achievement despite the high levels of student transiency and mobility. The factors identified by
research participants as contributing to high student performance included a strong and stable
teaching force, sufficient staffing, small school size, racial diversity and integration, high
expectations, a robust sense of community, corporate commitment to education, and social
capital (Smrekar & Owens, 2003). The following discussion briefly highlights study results and
conclusions in each of these areas as they relate to the positive outcomes for schools with high
mobility populations.
Respondents reported DoDEA schools had a strong and stable teaching force (Smrekar &
Owens, 2003). Despite a highly mobile student population, teachers were undaunted by the
constant influx and departure of students. Teacher, counselors, and principals in DoDEA schools
were united in their understanding of the military lifestyle, which included frequent relocation,
parental deployments, and time away from home (Smrekar & Owens, 2003). The stability of the
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 48
workforce was also reinforced by the fact that DoDEA teachers tended to remain in one place for
many years as “career teachers,” thus creating a stable foundation in the midst of high mobility.
Not only were the teachers career oriented, but almost every teacher in the DoDEA school
system was a licensed teacher, had extensive work experience with fewer than 10% having fewer
than 3 years in the profession, and held a graduate degree (Smrekar & Owens, 2003).
In addition to a strong and stable workforce, DoDEA schools were reported to have
sufficient staffing to meet the needs and challenges of serving a highly mobile population
(Smrekar & Owens, 2003). Full-time registration and records clerks were in place at each
DoDEA school to facilitate the efficient transfer of records for each relocating student. School
counselors met individually with each student and buddy systems were implemented, which
ensured new students were linked with current, more experienced students to help ease the
transition. When students relocated without records, or records did not arrive in a timely
manner, staff members conducted informal assessments to provide timely, flexible, and
immediate response to a student’s academic standing and transition needs (Smrekar & Owen,
2003).
In analyzing the sizes of DoDEA schools as compared to other schools within the
respective state systems, Smrekar and Owens (2003) found a large proportion of DoDEA schools
were considered small, with small schools being defined as fewer than 350 students at the
elementary level, fewer than 600 at the middle level, and fewer than 900 at the high school level.
As described by Smrekar and Owens (2003), smaller schools “lead to more productive
relationships between teachers and students by establishing an environment focused on
achievement and development, not control and discipline” (p. 172). Respondents in this study
believed the small school size allowed for greater familiarity with the students and a better
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 49
personal knowledge of each student’s strengths and instructional needs, to include their unique
family situations (Smrekar & Owens, 2003). Teachers and school staff in DoDEA schools were
familiar with the stressors of military life, and were prepared to lend support when dealing with
the difficulties of separation or relocation (Smrekar & Owens, 2003).
Not only did DoDEA schools benefit from their small school sized, but DoDEA schools
also functioned counter to the national portrait of educational segregation due to minority
clusters in large urban school districts also delineated by socioeconomic status (Smrekar &
Owens, 2003). Due to the diversity and cross-cultural composition of the nation’s military force,
DoDEA schools benefited from racial diversity and integration.
Study participants described high expectations as the norm within DoDEA schools
(Smrekar & Owens, 2003). High expectations were demonstrated through the use of elevated
academic standards and the sense of personal accountability by the teachers by using a proactive
approach to educating highly mobile students without ability grouping. Teachers reported not
wanting their students to be average, but to achieve more than expected (Smrekar & Owens,
2003). In addition, student participants in the Smrekar and Owens study (2003) corroborated the
high expectations teachers had for them. As part of the NAEP reading test, students were asked
to rate teacher expectations for student achievement. Whereas 58% of students in the national
public school sample reported that teachers’ expectations of students were very positive, 81% of
DDESS students reported very positive teacher expectations (Smrekar & Owens, 2003).
Furthermore, 85% of Black students and 93% of Hispanic American DDESS students reported
very positive teacher expectations for students, as compared to 52% and 53% of Black and
Hispanic students respectively in the national sample (Smrekar & Owens, 2003).
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 50
Another aspect of DoDEA schools that allowed for positive outcomes for highly mobile
students was its robust sense of community. Participants in the study referred to the sense of
community as a “village” culture, where the strong sense of familiarity and school community
begins in the on-base neighborhoods (Smrekar & Owens, 2003). The residential, educational,
and social environments were distinguished by high levels of support, safety, and cohesions.
The on-base neighborhoods where military families typically resided were the basis for a
cohesive network characterized by routine, discipline, commitment, and accountability, which
began in the military member’s workplace and transferred to all aspects of military life (Smrekar
& Owens, 2003). There was a shared sense of responsibility for each child’s safety and well-
being. As a result, children did not get lost in a robust school community or become invisible
within a large system. In addition, the researchers noted the economic stability of the military
community, and the virtual absence of negative influences such as drug activity and gang
violence (Smrekar & Owens, 2003).
The robust sense of community led to what Smrekar and Owens (2003) described as a
“corporate” commitment to public education. The success of DoDEA schools reflected the high
commitment of the United States military in both materialistic and symbolic ways. As Smrekar
and Owens (2003) found, this commitment “includes an expectation of parent involvement in
school- and home-based activities” (pp. 173). During their observations, Smrekar and Owens
(2003) found many incidents of groups of military members volunteering in schools and
classrooms, and often the volunteers did not even have school-aged children of their own but
were interested “in helping out our kids” (p. 173).
Finally, contributing to findings of positive outcomes for highly mobile students in
DoDEA schools, Smrekar and Owens (2003) found the schools studied embraced the notion of
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 51
social capital. As defined by Smrekar and Owens (2003), social capital was “the norms, the
social networks, and the relationships between adults and children that are of value for the
child’s growing up” (p. 174). The researchers believed social capital in military communities
existed and was cultivated because the critical elements of social capital, such as shared attitudes,
values, and norms, encouraged open communication, trust, and resulted in meaningful activities
benefiting both students and adults in the schools. The effects of social capital spilled over from
the military communities into the schools because of the common affiliation among community
members who were tied together in predictable, stable, and enduring social networks (Smrekar &
Owens, 2003).
Smrekar and Owens (2003) reported many of the disciplinary problems, such as drug use,
alcohol abuse, and violence, that often occurred in public schools were rare in DoDEA schools.
The researchers cited the ability of school officials to contact the parents’ commanding officers if
attempts to correct school related problems were not successful, although participants reported
rarely needing to resort to enacting that option. Finally, severe disciplinary problems were often
not found in DoDEA schools because the military did not tolerate those behaviors on its
installations, and families could lose their housing privileges for disciplinary infractions
(Smrekar & Owens, 2003).
Because research literature is limited when looking at military-connected students
exclusively, I broadened my search to data that addressed populations with similar demographics
and circumstances as military-connected children. Research has shown that highly transient
students have greater needs (Schafft, 2005) and are more likely to experience behavioral and
academic problems (Engec, 2006; Heinlein & Shinn, 2000). In addition, the preceding
discussion looked at the effects, both positive and negative, of high mobility on student
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 52
performance. Looking at the successes within communities of highly mobile students, such as
Department of Defense Schools, can yield insight into what types of strategies work to alleviate
some of the problems encountered by highly mobile students. Research has shown that
communication is essential to easing transition for highly mobile students (Bradshaw et al.,
2010). In addition, not only is it important to have strategies and programs specifically targeting
mobile students (Engec, 2006; Smrekar & Owens, 2003), but it is also important for educators
and administrators to be willing to alter policies and programs to support highly mobile students
(Bradshaw et al., 2010). Because the atmosphere of the school could have an impact on the
experiences of the military-connected child, I also examined literature related to school climate.
School Climate
In this section I talk about the school climate and how it can play a role in creating an
environment in which military-connected students feel welcomed and better integrate into the
school setting. I will discuss how aspects of school climate, such as feelings of safety and
specific programs implemented, impact student achievement and well-being. As noted by
Kutsyuruba, Klinger, and Hussain (2015), school climates that are not welcoming and hospitable
to learning are not conducive to student achievement. It is from this perspective that I look at
school climate as it relates to military-connected children: the nomadic nature of military life
requires a welcoming environment to ensure continued success and well-being of military
children as they transition from location to location. I will round out the discussion on school
climate by also looking at school climate from a classroom perspective.
School Climate and Student Achievement
Kutsyuruba, Klinger, and Hussain (2015) conducted a meta-analysis of literature relating
to school climate, school safety, and student achievement and well-being. The researchers used
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 53
a systematic review approach to conduct an overview of technical reports and empirically-based
research findings, surmising that school climate, safety, and well-being of students were
significant precursors to academic achievement.
The researchers set out to address the primary research question of what was the
relationship between school climate, school safety, student well-being, and student achievement
(Kutsyuruba et al., 2015). Kutsyuruba et al. (2015) conducted their overview of technical reports
and empirically based research findings using a systematic approach, which included addressing
the following research sub-questions: (a) how is school climate as a social construct connected
with school safety, (b) what are the conditions contributing to an environment in which a student
feels safe, (c) what are the characteristics of particular groups of students who feel unsafe, and
(d) what is the impact of a negative school environment on student achievement and well-being.
The researchers also included a three-stage thematic synthesis in their systematic literature
review that included a line-by-line coding of the text, the development of descriptive themes, and
the generation of analytical themes (Kutsyuruba et al., 2015). After developing specific
inclusion criteria, the resulting data included in the literature review included 20 systematic
reviews, 157 primary studies, and 13 non-scholarly or not peer-reviewed resources (Kutsyuruba
et al., 2015).
As cited in Kutsyuruba et al. (2015), the National School Climate Council suggested
school climate was created through patterns of people’s experiences around school life and was a
reflection of organizational structures, norms, goals, values, learning and teaching practices, and
interpersonal relationships. Based on this perspective of school climate, the council further
described a positive school climate as one where the values, norms, and expectations supported
the feeling of being safe emotionally, physically, and socially (Kutsyuruba et al., 2015). Finally,
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 54
according to the researchers, the council identified five key elements of school climate to
consider when looking at school climate: (1) safety, including physical security, rules and norms,
and social-emotional security, (2) teaching and learning, specifically support for learning and
social and civic learning, (3) interpersonal relationships, including social support from adults and
peers and respect for diversity, (4) institutional environment, referring to physical surroundings,
connectedness, and engagement, and (5) staff relationships, including leadership and
professional relationships (Kutsyuruba et al., 2015).
When looking at how the academic dimension of school climate impacts students,
Kutsyuruba et al. (2015) found in their review that the presence of a positive school climate was
associated with lower disciplinary problems and higher student achievement. In contrast, the
findings indicated that a negative school climate could be a major barrier to student learning.
Similarly, when looking at a student’s emotional health, Kutsyuruba and his fellow researchers
(2015) found that a student’s emotional health was influenced more by his/her connections with
his/her peers as opposed to his/her interactions with teachers. While student-teacher interactions
were important, Kutsyuruba et al. (2015) reported a student’s emotional health was more
influenced by peer-to-peer connections than through his/her interactions with teachers.
With regard to leadership and school climate, Kutsyuruba et al. (2015) found the climate
of the school was related to the role the principal took through behaviors and actions to maintain
a safe and positive learning environment. Those schools in which the administrators invested
time, effort, and funds towards programs to improve school climate, such as anti-bullying
initiatives, created school environments that were safer and more conducive to learning for the
students (Kutsyuruba et al., 2015).
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 55
Although school administrators did not directly affect student achievement and learning,
by taking actions to directly influence the climate of the school, school administrators could have
a positive influence on the learning environment and well-being of the students by creating a
positive school climate (Kutsyuruba et al., 2015). Kutsyuruba et al. (2015) reported that by
virtue of their positions of authority, power, impact, principals were able to influence the school
climate by developing feelings of trust and encouraging open communication. Ultimately,
Kutsyuruba et al. (2015) found having strong school leadership contributes to the school climate
in the academic, physical, and social dimensions.
Classroom Climate and Student Achievement
While the preceding discussion centered on the impact of overall school climate to
student achievement, on a more intimate scale, classroom climate can also have an impact on
student achievement. Reyes, Brackett, Rivers, White, and Salovey (2012) looked at classroom
emotional climate, student engagement, and academic achievement. Using a multilevel,
multimethod approach, Reyes et al. (2012) studied the link between classroom emotional climate
and academic achievement. The researchers collected data from 63 fifth and sixth grade
classrooms and included 1,399 students. Data collection included classroom observations, report
card grades, and student reports (Reyes et al., 2012).
Reyes and her fellow researchers (2012) used student engagement when looking at
academic achievement because they believed engaged students showed interest and motivation
to learn, paid attention and participate in classroom discussion, and put forth effort in class
activities. In addition, Reyes et al. (2012) postured their research on the ecological model of
child development, which stated that developmental outcomes were influenced by the quality of
the interactions between a child and elements in the child’s proximal environment. For the
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 56
purposes of their study, the researchers defined classroom emotional climate as the quality of
emotional and social interactions in the classroom, both between and among students and
teachers (Reyes et al., 2012).
Reyes et al. (2012) further differentiated between classrooms with positive and negative
emotional climates. Classrooms with high or positive emotional climate had the following
characteristics: warm, caring, and nurturing teacher-student relationships, teachers who were
sensitive to the needs of the students, teachers who valued their students’ perspectives, and
lacked harsh disciplinary practices that did not use sarcasm. Teachers in these classrooms
encouraged cooperation between students, and fostered student comfort and satisfaction by
showing respect, interest, and warmth toward the students (Reyes et al., 2012). In contrast,
classrooms with a negative emotional climate were those with little warmth and respect shared
by the teacher and students, and where there was little emotional connection between or among
the students and teacher (Reyes et al., 2012).
The original data pool included 155 classrooms; however, 60 classroom teachers did not
consent to videotaped observations. The sample population was collected from 90 fifth and sixth
grade ELA classrooms in 44 schools in one school district in the Northeastern United States.
Other demographics for the sample population included the following: 73% were minority status
in terms of race or ethnicity, 28% received free or reduced lunches, 12% were English language
learners, 31% were low in reading achievement, 50% of the students were female. With respect
to the teachers who participated in the survey, the student to teacher was 25:1 and the following
demographics were reported: 89% of the teachers were female, the average time teaching was
15 years, with over 9 years in the current school, 36% had earned bachelor’s degrees, 41%
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 57
master’s degrees, 14% were working towards master’s degrees, and 3% had earned higher than a
master’s degree (Reyes et al., 2012).
Observational data was collected with teachers self-recording classroom sessions.
Teachers were provided with video recording equipment and asked to record three entire classes
during a 2-week period. Teachers were given instructions on how to position the cameras during
the recording, and students without parental permission were not visible during the recording
(Reyes et al., 2012). Teachers were provided with preaddressed envelopes to return the recorded
observations. The recordings were then coded by the researchers for analysis, with all coders
being trained and certified on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). The
elementary version of CLASS was used in this study to asses three domains of classroom
climate: emotional support, instructional support, and classroom organization (Reyes et al.,
2012).
In addition to recorded classroom observations, data was gathered from students to
determine their level of engagement. A modified version of the Engagement vs. Disaffection
Scale was administered to students to determine their perception of their own interest, effort, and
enjoyment while engaged in learning activities, specifically engagement in ELA (Reyes et al.,
2012). Finally, student academic achievement data was collected through review of year-end
report cards gathered from each school.
After completing multilevel mediation analysis, the researchers found a significant effect
of classroom emotional climate on student achievement after controlling for all co-variables
(Reyes et al., 2012). Specifically, Reyes et al. (2012) reported that higher levels of classroom
emotional climate were related to higher grades, such that each unit of increase in emotional
climate equated to an increase in grades by 3.83 points. When looking at levels of engagement,
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 58
higher levels of classroom emotional climate were found to be related to higher ratings of
engagement (Reyes et al., 2012). Overall, Reyes et al. (2012) found both direct and indirect
links between classroom emotional climate and student academic achievement.
The most significant findings from this study were that classrooms with high levels of
positive climate and low negative climate displayed characteristics of connectedness and
belonging among the students, as well as enthusiasm, respect, and enjoyment in the learning
environment (Reyes et al., 2012). Additionally, Reyes et al. (2012) found that students were
more successful academically when teachers were responsive and sensitive to their needs,
academic, social, and emotional. Variables such as classroom organization and instructional
support did not play a statistically significant role in impacting the classroom climate. Similarly,
teacher demographics and experience were not predictors of student academic success.
Ultimately, the findings indicated that students were more engaged in learning and successful
academically when the teachers created a classroom environment marked by a positive emotional
climate (Reyes et al., 2012).
In this section, I looked at school climate and how it can play a role in creating an
environment in which students feel welcomed and better integrated into the school setting.
While not specifically related to military-connected students, the research findings in the
preceding discussion show that aspects of school climate, such as feelings of safety and specific
programs implemented to improve school climate, impact student achievement and well-being
(Kutsyuruba et al., 2015). Further, a positive school climate is associated with higher student
achievement and lower instances of disciplinary problems (Kutsyuruba et al., 2015). From the
classroom perspective, classroom environments that are cultivated to be welcoming and
supportive to the needs of students, improve academic success (Reyes et al., 2012). While the
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 59
Reyes et al. (2012) study did not look specifically at the needs of military-connected students,
the findings show that military-connected students transitioning into classroom environments
with positive emotional climates will benefit emotionally, socially, and academically.
Ultimately, the research discussed in this section shows that students are more successful when
teachers are responsive to their needs (Reyes et al., 2012) and when administrators create a
positive school environment by creating feelings of trust and open communication (Kutsyuruba
et al., 2015). While all students can benefit from a positive school climate, military-connected
students will be more likely to have their needs met in a school with a positive school climate.
Conceptual Framework
In this section, I present the conceptual framework, using the bodies of research
discussed above, that guided my study and enabled me to answer my research question: How do
school personnel work to meet the academic and behavioral needs of military-connected
students? As Maxwell (2013) describes, a conceptual framework serves to provide context for
the idea the researcher intends to study. Stated differently, the conceptual framework serves to
provide a model for the study by depicting the researcher’s understanding of the phenomena
under investigation, thus offering a tentative theory of the subject (Maxwell, 2013). My
conceptual framework laid the foundation for how I collected, analyzed, and interpreted the data
revealed in the course of my study.
The conceptual framework for my study had two main objectives. First, as previously
mentioned, the conceptual framework served as a model and basis for the research methods
proposed in Chapter Three. Secondly, the conceptual framework explains the way schools and
school personnel typically recognize and behave in response to the needs of military-connected
children.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 60
The literature review revealed that a school’s climate and the welcoming culture that a
school creates can greatly influence the experiences of military-connected children, as well as the
needs of other highly mobile children. In developing my conceptual framework, I took this
information, in conjunction with what we know is good practice for creating environments and
school climates conducive to learning, as well as what we know about the needs of highly mobile
students, and came up with a theory on what I could expect to see in a school that was working
to meet the needs of military-connected children.
The model for this conceptual theory has been revised slightly due to the findings that
emerged in the analysis of the data received from my study. My original conceptual framework
was based on the premise that the interrelationships between the school personnel, school
climate, and characteristics of highly mobile children in the educational environment, work
together to create the experience of the military-connected child in a public school. Drawing
from the work of Bradshaw et al. (2010) and Garner et al. (2014), I asserted that a positive
school climate had programs designed to provide support to military-connected students by
fostering connectedness among students. Also, related to a positive school environment and
drawing form the work of De Pedro, Esqueda et al. (2014), I asserted that a positive school
climate provided a stable and welcoming environment, and provided emotional as well as
academic support to its military-connected students. In addition, based on the work by Arnold et
al. (2013), I argued that educators in schools that worked to meet the needs of military-connected
children used culturally responsive pedagogies that were sensitive to the military lifestyle and
ensured the expedient academic assessments of military-connected children so that learning was
not impeded in the transition process. And finally, based on the work of Bradshaw et al. (2010),
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 61
I asserted that administrators must be willing to alter policies and develop specific programs in
order to create an environment which works to meet the needs of military-connected children.
Because all these components work together and interact within the school environment
to influence the experience of the military-connected child, I used them to develop the model
necessary to understand the finding discovered in my study. Where my conceptual framework
differed from my original beliefs involved the extent to which school administrators and
personnel had prior personal military connection or experience. My revised conceptual
framework asserts that when school administrators, staff, and faculty had a prior personal
military connection or experience working with the military, these school personnel were better
able to understand the specific need of military-connected children and worked harder to make a
school climate that was positive and welcoming in order to create a supportive environment for
military-connected children.
The model for this conceptual framework, outlined below, shows that school personnel
influence the school climate, and the school climate influences how highly mobile children are
accepted into the school and how they perform within the school. The interrelationship between
the school climate, school personnel, and needs of highly mobile students, as well as the way
school personnel respond to those needs, has a direct impact on the support provided to military-
connected children. Additionally, school personnel with a prior personal military connection
will be more sympathetic to the needs of military-connected children, and would be more likely
to recognize the need for and support specific programs designed to support military-connected
children or other populations of highly mobile children. A graphic representation of the
conceptual framework is presented below. I will then explain each of these ideas in more detail
below before turning my attention to the methods section.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 62

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

Educator Behavior
Based on the work of Arnold et al. (2013) and Garner et al. (2014), I assert that educators
have a significant impact on the experience of military-connected children as they typically have
the most frequent and meaningful interaction with these students. Educators are in the best
position to recognize the factors impacting the academic and socio-emotional well-being of
military-connected students, and thus are in the best position to provide support to ensure the
impacts are not negative. In addition, I argue that when an educator has prior personal
experience or connection to the military, the educator will be my empathic in their dealings with
military-connected children. I define supportive behavior as any behavior which leads to
creating an atmosphere that is supportive academically and emotionally to the military-connected
child. From the teacher’s perspective, this would include actions or behaviors which
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 63
immediately provide a welcoming environment, such as efforts made to integrate the child into
the classroom by introductions or pairing of the transitioning child with a child familiar with the
classroom routine and school culture. In additional to creating a welcoming environment,
academic support would be evidenced by teachers who ensure assessments and evaluations are
done in a timely manner so as not to impede the academic progress of military-connected
students during transition.
Arnold, Garner, and Nunnery (2013) argue that the use of a culturally responsive
pedagogy is important when responding to the needs of military-connected children. A
culturally responsive pedagogy is one that recognizes that a student’s background will have
impact on the way a student learns, and constructing a pedagogy that aligns with student’s
background will have a positive impact on learning and behavior (Arnold et al., 2013). Again,
educators with prior personal experience or connections to the military will recognize the
military culture as a separate culture requiring responses differing from those used to deal with
other populations of students.
Finally, in order to show that educators respond the emotional needs of military-
connected students, I would expect to see evidence of educators, especially those with prior
personal connections to the military, being sensitive and recognizing specific needs related to
stress and anxiety not experienced by their non-military students, such as stressors related to
parental deployments and frequent relocation. Evidence of supportive behaviors and perceptions
about military-connected children would be displayed by using methods of open communication
with parents and counselors with regard to the needs of military-connected children.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 64
Administrator Behavior
Another critical component of this conceptual framework is a discussion on the impact of
administrators’ behavior on meeting the needs of military-connected children. The role of the
administrator plays an important part in shaping the school’s climate and defining the school’s
mission. Thus, the perceptions of school administrators in terms of observable practices and
behaviors with regard to the needs of military-connected students are an integral part of this
study. Drawing upon the works of Bradshaw et al. (2010) and De Pedro, Atuel et al. (2014), I
assert that administrators invested in supporting military-connected children will foremost
acknowledge the needs of military-connected children are different than those of civilian
children. When an administrator does not have a prior personal military connection, they are not
likely to recognize the unique needs of military-connected children and therefore are not likely to
establish programs specifically designed to support military-connected children.
School administrators, as leaders, need to clearly articulate the school’s mission, vision,
and expectations because they set the tone for how the rest of the school personnel will view
their roles. I assert that administrators supportive of military-connected students will implement
programs and activities that celebrate military culture, such as recognition on days like Veterans
Day or Memorial Day. Because of the frequent relocation and transition of military-connected
students, having flexibility with regard to academic requirements and inclusion in extracurricular
activities is also beneficial to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for military-
connected students. Participation in activities such as sports, band, choir, drama, or other
academic teams can help students make new friends and adjust better to a new environment. I
contend flexibility with allowing late try outs or waiving eligibility criteria is important as
military children relocate because of their parent’s military service. School administrators
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 65
exercising an inclusive and thoughtful approach in the oversight of their school’s programs can
greatly enhance a positive school experience for military-connected children, but to do this,
administrators much recognize military-connected children face unique challenges and specific
consideration must be made when establishing policies for dealing with them. Finally, I assert
that administrators need to show the ability and willingness to alter polies and procedures to
support military-connected students, such as allowing for excused absences for family
reintegration or flexibility with graduation requirements and grade promotions. Conveying
empathy for the military-connected child without have specific programs or policies in place to
provide academic and behavioral support allows for gaps in support to military-connected
children.
Positive School Climate
The final component of this conceptual framework is school climate. Relying on the
works of Bradshaw et al. (2010), De Pedro, Esqueda et al. (2014), and Garner et al. (2014), I
argue that attributes within the organizational structure that define school climate support student
academic and behavioral needs and significantly influence student achievement. Kutsyuruba et
al. (2015) contends that school climate is created through a pattern of people’s experiences
around school life and is a reflection of organizational structures, norms, goals, values, learning
and teaching practices, and interpersonal relationships. I contend that a positive school climate is
one where students feel safe and supported, interpersonal relationships are respectful and
appreciative of diversity, expectations are high, and the environment is welcoming and
supportive to students. In such an environment, I would expect to see evidence of programs such
as the Student 2 Student program, or similar programs, which are student led organizations
aimed at assisting transitioning students. Not only do these programs provide a supportive and
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 66
welcoming environment for military-connected students, but they set the tone for the entire
school climate by embracing new students and attempting to integrate them into the school.
The conceptual framework model for this study asserts that administrators are responsible
for establishing the culture and climate that then influences the school staff, both of which are
influenced by their perceptions and beliefs about student with high incidents of mobility. These
perceptions and beliefs influence their behaviors when interacting with military-connected
students, and ultimately determine the amount of support provided to and the resulting
experience of the military-connected child. When school personnel have prior personal military
experience, they are better positioned to provide academic and behavioral support to military-
connected students by recognizing the need for specific programs and policies addressing the
needs of their military-connected students. Thus, this study examined school staffs’ and
administrators’ perceptions of the climate of their school as it related to the military-connected
child, specifically did it support the academic and behavioral needs of military children.
Summary
This chapter explored several bodies of literature that have informed the conceptual
framework for this study. The literature has revealed an interactive and interrelation connection
between school climate, administrators, school staff, and characteristics of highly mobile
children that together create the experience of the military-connected child in a public school
setting, and thus sets the framework for how school climate and staff work to meet the academic
and behavioral needs of the military-connected child. I now turn my attention to Chapter Three
where I will present the methodology for this study.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 67
CHAPTER THREE: METHODS
In this chapter I will describe the study design, which includes the sample population,
instrumentation, data collection, and process for analyzing the data. The methods I employed
were designed to support the purpose of my study as outlined in Chapter One. The study was
also by driven by the conceptual framework outlined in Chapter Two, which was formulated
based on the literature reviewed in the same chapter. This dissertation had one main research
question guiding it: How do school personnel work to meet the academic and behavioral need of
military-connected students in public schools?
Research Design
Qualitative research is about understanding how people make sense of some part of their
world and how they assign meaning to it (Merriam, 2009). Additionally, the focus of qualitative
research is on the process and how people interpret their experiences (Merriam, 2009). As
quoted in Merriam (2009), Patton describes qualitative research as an attempt to understand the
uniqueness of a situation while it is still part of a particular interaction or context. Merriam
(2009) says, “This understanding is an end in itself, so that there is not attempting to predict what
may happen in the future necessarily, but to understand the nature of the setting” (p. 14).
Based on the afore mentioned description of qualitative research, this study utilized a
qualitative case study design. As defined by Merriam (2009), a case study provides an in-depth
description and analysis of a bounded system, defined as a single entity for which there are given
boundaries. The bounded system or unit I studied was a public middle school located within a
city that had a large military population, thus serving a population of military-connected students
consisting of at least 20% or greater of the overall enrollment.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 68
One distinctive feature of qualitative research is that the researcher is the primary means
for data collection (Merriam, 2009). I conducted interviews with school personnel and
administrative staff to uncover the types of support provided to military-connected children, if
any. In addition to interviews, I used other data collection techniques, such as collecting relevant
documents and conducting observations, including observations around the school, during
school, and of interactions of school personnel, to determine if programs or policies were in
place to provide academic or behavioral support to military-connected students when
transitioning or adjusting to other unique stressors induced by military lifestyle. Observations
allowed data collected from interviews to be confirmed or verified. In addition, observations in
the form of data mining provided background or supporting information useful for developing
additional lines of questioning for interviews.
As presented in Chapter Two, the topic of this study was the supports provided to
military-connected students. The literature review covered studies addressing the needs of
military-connected children, and then expanded the information gathering for relevant data to
studies which, while not directly focused on military-connected students, looked at issues
impacting military-connected students and for which additional support is needed. These areas
included studies focused on populations of highly mobile children, and studies that focused on
school climate as it relates to student achievement and well-being. The literature revealed that
issues relating to mobility, adjustment, and socio- and emotional well-being affect or influencing
student learning and achievement. Being aware of the needs of students dealing with these
issues can help mitigate negative impacts to student success. The research design was developed
specifically to determine the types of support provided to military-connected students enrolled in
public schools.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 69
Site Selection
As the study was intended to look at the support provided to military-connected children
in public schools, the site was purposefully selected for its location in a district serving a high
percentage of military-connected students. For the purposes of this study, a high percentage was
defined as 20% or more of the student population being military-connected. Studies vary on the
percentage of students in their population which are significant enough to warrant consideration
when looking at military-connected students. As previously discussed, schools do not always
have an accurate count of their military population. In addition, the size of the military-
connected student population can vary depending on the proximity to a military installation. In
order to ensure there was a sizeable enough population for school staff and administrators to
have considered the impact and needs of military-connected students, a population size of 20%
or greater military-connected students was determined to be desirable for this study.
Purposeful sampling was used because of its premise of using a sample that will help the
investigator understand, discover, and gain insight from a sample from which the most can be
learned (Merriam, 2009). Contact was made will six schools in two different school districts in a
community with multiple military installations located in the western portion of the United
States. Of the schools contacted, three responded with follow up questions regarding the study.
Only one principal agreed to meet to discuss the study in greater detail, therefore an in-person
meeting was conducted to discuss the specifics of the study, including the purpose and
methodology. After determining the ability and willingness to participate, the principal granted
permission to conduct the study in his school. District level approval was required and obtained,
finalizing the site selection based on meeting the demographics necessary (at least 20% military-
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 70
connected student population), and willingness to participate in the study. Based on meeting all
the afore mentioned criterion, Eagle Middle School was selected to participate in this study.
Eagle Middle School
Eagle Middle School included grades six through eight, with a student body population of
980 students and 55 faculty and staff members. The military population of the school, as
reported by the district military student transition consultant, was 29%. Eagle Middle School
resides in a suburb of a city in the western United States with four military installations located
within its borders.
Participant Selection
The participants selected for this study were school personnel and administrators who
were in a position to know what types of support, if any, were provided to military-connected
children. Participants from various levels of the school hierarchy were included to gain multiple
perspectives of the needs of military-connected children and the supports provided to them. The
study was introduced to the staff of Eagle Middle School by the principal at a staff meeting, and
willing participants were asked to contact the investigator to be included in the study. A total of
13 faculty, staff, and administrators volunteered to participate in the study. While each interview
included a request for the participant to recommend other participants to be included in the study,
the pool of volunteers did not extend beyond the initial group, with one exception: one of the
counselors was unable to participate due to illness, but she reached out to another counselor who
agreed to participate. Table 1 lists the characteristics of the study participants.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 71
Table 1
Characteristics of Study Participants
Name Role Prior Personal Military
Experience/Exposure
Mr. Jones Principal No
Ms. Leary Dean of Students No
Ms. Green Administrative Secretary Yes
Mr. Gordon Counselor Yes
Mr. Heath Counselor No
Ms. Hickory School Registrar No
Mr. Scott Military Family Life
Counselor
No
Ms. Smith Military Student Transition
Consultant
Yes
Ms. Brand 6th and 7th Grade Math
Teacher
Yes
Ms. Crisp Specific Learning Disability
Teacher
Yes
Ms. Harris 6th Grade Reading Teacher No
Ms. Pine Art Teacher No
Ms. Victor 7th Grade Reading Teacher Yes

Instrumentation and Data Collection
Two interview protocols were developed, one for faculty and one for staff and
administrators, which were a mixture of a semi-structured and unstructured interview formats.
The interview protocols provided a mix of structured interview questions with open-ended
questions intended to be exploratory in nature (Merriam, 2009). As the types of supports in
place for military-connected children at Eagle Middle School were unknown, the use of open
ended questions allowed unconstrained insight into the academic and behavioral supports in
place, as well as relevant characteristics of the school climate. Other data collection methods
used were school environment observations and document collection. A total of 8 hours of
observation was conducted in the school during different times of the day and in different
locations.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 72
As previously discussed in this chapter, this study used a qualitative case study design.
The intent was to explore the types and nature of support provided to military-connected student
as outlined in the conceptual framework presented in Chapter Two. I will now discuss the
procedures used during the data collection process.
School Staff and Administrator Interviews
According to Merriam (2009), an interview is a positive interaction between a researcher
and a participant where a conversation focused on questions related to a research study
transpires. More specifically, Merriam (2009) claims an interview is “a conversation with a
purpose” (p. 88). When conducting a qualitative case study, interviews can be the most effective
technique for collecting in-depth and data-rich information from a selected group of individuals.
As previously mentioned, I used both semi-structured and unstructured interview formats. The
interview protocols developed contained more questions than time allowed for each interview.
While I had initially hoped to spend 45 minutes to an hour with each participant, I was asked to
limit my interviews to 20 minutes each so as not to overburden school personnel. I grouped
similar questions together, and expanded the questions as time allowed during each interview.
Although each participant allotted 20-30 minutes in their schedule for the interview, each
interview lasted longer with most participants eager to talk and share their insight.
Qualitative research uses interviews in all forms, often being the sole means of data
collection (Merriam, 2009). Whereas unstructured interview formats are ones in which open-
ended questions are used, often because the researcher does not know enough about the
phenomenon under study, semi-structured interviews are guided by a list of questions centering
around the issues to be explored (Merriam, 2009). Semi-structured interviews use a mixture of
more and less structured interview questions in order to remain as flexible as possible in data
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 73
collection (Merriam, 2009). Semi-structured interview questions will be used in this study to
allow the collection of data specifically related to how, and if, the needs of military-connected
children are being met.
Interview questions were developed to gather information on the direct and indirect
supports provided to military-connected children at Eagle Middle School. In addition, questions
were asked that provided insight into the culture, climate and leadership practices of the bounded
system being studied. Information revealed each respondent’s perspective of the support
provided to military-connected students. Interviews were scheduled at the interviewee’s
convenience, and lasted 30-60 minutes in length depending on the depth of responses provided.
As part of the district approval process, audio recording of the interviews on school property was
prohibited. As such, all interview responses were recorded on printed copies of the interview
protocols, with summaries and reflective notes written to document additional ideas,
interpretations and thoughts at the conclusion of each interview.
School Environmental and Climate Observations
While an interview takes place in a prescribed location, an observation takes place in a
naturally occurring setting where a phenomenon naturally occurs (Merriam, 2009). In addition,
according to Merriam (2009), data derived from an observation is a firsthand encounter with the
phenomenon under study as opposed to a secondhand account of the world gathered from the
point of view of an interviewee. Observations can provide fresh perspectives and can be used to
establish reference points for subsequent interviews (Merriam, 2009).
For this study, observations were conducted before, during, and after each interview.
Observations provide knowledge on the context of events and make it possible to record
behavior as it happens (Merriam, 2009). Observations were made of the school climate, as well
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 74
as interactions of the faculty and staff amongst each other, with the students, and with visitors to
the school in order to ascertain if the information obtained from interviews regarding the school
climate was consistent with what was actually observed. While much of the data collected was
in the form of interviews, observations not only served to validate interview responses, but as
Merriam (2009) notes, observations provided reference points for subsequent interviews.
Observations allowed me to draw insight into the culture and climate of the school setting, as
well as provided points of validation for data gathered during interviews.
Most of the observations were conducted either prior to or immediately following
individual interviews, and lasted approximately 10 to 15 minutes each observation. Those
observations conducted prior to an individual interview were conducted in the front office area of
the school. The front office area consisted of a large open area where the desks of the
administrative personnel were situated. A counter separated the waiting area from the desk area,
with a swinging gate for access from one area to another. Individual offices for the principal,
vice principal, and the dean of students were located off of the open administrative desk area, in
addition to a conference room and a staff lounge. The observations were made while sitting in
the outer waiting area.
Observations in the waiting area included listening to the nature and content of the
conversations that transpired, to include the tone and verbiage used to communicate amongst the
staff, to visitors, to students, and between students. All conversations observed were friendly
and professional. Even those that transpired between parents or other visitors in the waiting area
were friendly and included helpful insight or recommendations shared between the parties
involved. Frequent pleasantries were observed, such as “Good morning!” or “Have a good day!”
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 75
Students who entered the front office area appeared to be polite and respectful towards the staff
and each other, and were greeted warmly, often by name, by the front office personnel.
Observations conducted at the end of individual interviews included walks through the
halls of the school. School spirit signs and signs of school pride were on display all over the
school. On the occasions where students were present in the halls in between classes,
observations were made as to the general climate and interactions between the students. The
students appeared to congregate in groups and individuals did not appear to be excluded or
ostracized. Teachers were often present in the hall, and spoke to students in a friendly manner,
greeting students as they passed or reminding them of assignments due or upcoming suspenses.
The longest period of observation, 4 hours, occurred on a day in which the school held a
carnival for the students during school hours. While parents were invited to attend or volunteer
for certain activities, the carnival was primarily for the students as a reward for successfully
completing state achievement tests. The principal invited the researcher to attend, and allowed
unobstructed access to the entire school during the event. As the researcher, I was allowed to
roam freely from activity to activity, observing student behavior, interactions between students
and staff, the school climate, the atmosphere of the school, and to get a general sense of what it
was like to be a member of Eagle Middle School. Events and activities included a color run,
numerous bounce houses and inflatables, relay races, a video game trailer, a karaoke machine,
and various food and snack trucks. A pep rally announcing the winners of the color run was also
held during the day, and involved the entire school population of students, faculty, and staff.
Document and Artifact Collection
School related documents, such as website information and pamphlets or brochures
displayed in common areas, were collected. I had intended to collect artifacts available while
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 76
visiting and observing the school, such as pictures of the physical environment or items that were
on display at the school (e.g. posters, murals, bulletins, etc.). However, again as part of the
stipulations for approval to conduct the study from the school district, photography was not
allowed on school property. Artifacts not available for public distribution were observed and
documented in the form of written notes and observations.
Documents collected and artifacts observed provided insight into the policies and
programs implemented within the school which supported military-connected students. In
addition, documents and artifacts served as another data point to illustrate the existing culture
and climate of the school. Documents and artifacts included published academic goals and
expectations, school bulletins, posters, brochures, parental hand-outs, school handbooks and
other resource guides, calendars, agendas, any materials passed out to staff members, public
photographs of school murals or artwork, or any other material found to provide evidence of
academic or behavioral support provided to military-connected children.
Data Analysis
Qualitative research is about understanding how people make sense of some part of their
world and how they assign meaning to it (Merriam, 2009). The focus of qualitative research is
on the process and how people interpret their experiences (Merriam, 2009). As quoted in
Merriam (2009), Patton describes qualitative research as a way to understand unique situations as
part of the greater context of the interactions involved, with the ultimate goal of understanding
the interaction and the nature of the setting. Ultimately, analysis is about making sense of the
data (Merriam, 2009).
Based on the afore mentioned descriptions of qualitative research, I determined the best
approach to analyzing the data collected would be by looking for overarching themes across the
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 77
data to gain understanding and meaning, as is most common with the generic approach to
qualitative research analysis (Lichtman, 2014). Analysis of this sort involved organizing the data
collected into manageable units, coding the data to search for patterns, and synthesizing to make
the data understandable (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007). Because I was not allowed to record my
interviews, I used hard copy interview protocols and wrote each response in the space I left after
each question on the protocol. I then typed each interview with the responses and notes I had
made during the interview, leaving space on the side of each transcript for the analysis process.
Simultaneous data collection and analysis occurred throughout the study process,
although true analysis did not occur until data collection was complete. As Merriam (2009)
describes, data analysis is the process of making sense of the data collected by consolidating,
reducing, and interpreting what people has been said by the participants and what has been seen
and read by the researcher. It is the process of making meaning of all the data collected.
To best make sense of the data collected, I used open coding as the first phase of analysis,
which involved making notations in the margins as I read through transcribed interviews and
observational data. Coding of this fashion is called open coding because you are open to
anything the data might reveal and are not looking for specific instances of behavior or verbal
reports (Meriam, 2009).
For the analytic process, I used the analytic tools described by Corbin and Strauss (2008),
including the use of questioning, making comparisons, drawing upon personal experience, and
looking at language and emotions expressed. These analytic tools were applied to the coding
process and in writing the analytic memos to help me make sense of the data, ensuring I truly
understood the data and was not just assuming I knew what the data was telling me.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 78
For example, I used the analytic tool of questioning to ensure I correctly interpreted the
data. I used questioning in each step of the analytic process, from the first simple question of
what does a piece of information mean to more in depth questioning that ensured I was
considering the full range of possible meanings for understanding the perceptions and behaviors
of each study participant. As Corbin and Strauss (2008) described, beyond the who, what, when,
where, how, and with what consequence questions, I also asked temporal questions of my data,
such as how often, at what point, and for how long did feelings or behaviors transpire. Similarly,
through the use the analytic tool of comparisons, I was not only able to find similarities in the
responses, but also to use constant comparison to make sense of data that otherwise might seem
outside the range of normal responses.
By using the analytic tools of looking at the language and looking at emotions
experienced, I tried to ensure I truly understood what the participant was expressing and that I
was not biased by my own meanings and interpretations of words or behaviors. Although I used
caution to avoid bringing my own personal biases into the analysis of the data, by using the
analytical tool of drawing from my own personal experience as a military-connected child
myself and a former military member, I used my knowledge of military culture and my
experiences to gain insight into what respondents considered supportive behaviors or their
perceptions of the needs of military-connected children.
My coding process was multi-phased. I began the open coding process by rereading each
transcript and underlining key thoughts or phrases reported by each respondent. I first used a
priori codes drawn from my conceptual framework and themes incorporated from my literatures
review. The a priori codes or themes I focused on included school climate, high mobility, school
personnel, and the military child experience. I noted words, phrases, thoughts, and questions I
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 79
had related to these main themes in the margins. I then transcribed the words in the margins to a
spreadsheet, and further organized my data into sub-codes or categories to gain a better
understanding of the similarities and differences in responses. I color coded these spreadsheets
and noted which responded had reported each data point.
It was at this point that I realized my spreadsheets were not giving me the full picture that
I hoped to gather from my data. I then devised a second method of coding my data using colored
tabs on my interview transcripts. Used in conjunction with my spreadsheets, this allowed me to
get a better understand of how the data represented the findings across all the respondents.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
Regardless of the degree of trust that has been or can be developed, people often have
reasons to select, omit, or distort data when being interviewed (Miles, Huberman, & Saldaña,
2014). In addition, each encounter is experienced differently by each individual, and each
person will differ on how they make meaning or come to understand a certain process or
phenomenon (Merriam, 2009). To increase credibility and trustworthiness of data collected,
multiple sources of data can be compared to find consistency and validity with findings
(Merriam, 2009).
In this study, triangulation was accomplished by interviewing multiple people within the
school to gain insight into the academic and behavioral supports provided to military-connected
students. Triangulation was achieved by not only using multiple sources for interviews, but also
by collecting data from multiple sources, such as through observations and data mining websites
or other published documents (Merriam, 2009).
Validity and reliability are not the same when used within the context of qualitative
research. Validity refers to how closely research findings correspond with reality. Conversely,
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 80
reliability refers to the extent to which research findings can be replicated (Merriam, 2009). To
increase the validity or credibility of the findings, I employed the strategy of triangulation.
Triangulation uses multiple sources of data to compare and cross-check the data with multiple
interviews and by varied observations (Merriam, 2009). The data collection procedures included
interviews with various faculty, staff, and administrators across the school. In addition, school
environmental and climate observations were conducted, and document and artifact collection
were accomplished. These multiple data collection methods addressed the internal validity of
my study, and helped to ensure I measured what I intended to measure based on my research
questions.
In addition, I used member checks during data collection, clarifying information during
interviews or asking follow-up questions to ensure rich and descriptive data was collected. I was
forced to narrow down my interview questions due to time constraints and limitations, so each
question was carefully selected to gather as much data as possible related to the research
question and shaped by my conceptual framework.
Whereas validity ensures that research findings capture what is actually transpiring,
reliability refers to the extent to which research findings can be replicated (Merriam, 2009).
According to Merriam (2009), qualitative researchers seek to describe and explain the world as
those in the world experience it. Because each person has their own perception of the world and
because there are many interpretations of what is happening, it can be said there is no benchmark
by which to take repeated measures and establish reliability (Merriam, 2009). As the researcher,
to achieve reliability I must ask myself whether the results were consistent with the data
collected. In this sense, as Merriam (2009) describes, reliability means that a researcher wants
outsiders to agree that given the data collected, the results make sense.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 81
Finally, as a researcher I also recognized that researcher bias and reactivity can
jeopardize results (Maxwell, 2013). As Maxwell (2013) identifies, the researcher is the primary
instrument for data collection and analysis in a qualitative study. As such, there are two main
threats to a study’s validity which need to be controlled, or at least acknowledged: researcher
bias and participant reactivity. Researcher bias is the values, expectations, and predispositions
that influence the researcher’s conduct and conclusions of the study (Maxwell, 2013). Maxwell
(2013) goes on to explain reactivity as the presence of the researcher which influences the
individuals being studied.
To mitigate researcher bias, I attempted to recognize and eliminate, to the best of my
ability, any bias, personal subjectivity, or preconceptions relevant to the topic of study. As a
former military-connected child myself, a retired military service member, and the mother to a
military-connected child, I knew that my experiences could bias my study if not carefully
accounted for. I made a concerted effort to control for reactivity, which is the influence of the
researcher on the setting or individuals studied (Maxwell, 2013). I was careful not to mention
my experiences to the interviewees, and worked hard to maintain an air of impartiality when
conducting the interviews. While writing my field notes and making my analytic notes, I
constantly asked myself if my interpretation was based on what I heard and not based on my
personal experiences, especially as related to perceptions of military-connected children and the
military lifestyle. I questioned my interpretations of the data, and talked with my dissertation
chair about my thoughts and perceptions to ensure my biases were not tainting my data.
Although, I could not eliminate researcher bias totally, I could control for it by understanding
how I influenced the setting and how this affected the validity of the inferences I drew from the
data I had gathered.
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Because of my great passion for the subject, my biggest challenge was to not allow my
personal biases to influence the findings as they emerged. I strongly feel there is a great need to
find ways to help military-affiliated children cope with the many stressors they experience as a
result of military life. I constantly checked myself to ensure I was allowing the story to unfold as
opposed to guiding the data along a preconceived path. As Patton is quoted in Merriam (2009),
the task of the interviewer “is first and foremost to gather data” (p. 231). Taking that to the next
step, after the data is gathered, the researcher’s dilemma is to present what is found in such a way
that it is an accurate and thought-provoking account of the stories told as they relate to the
research questions being asked.
Ethics
To ensure the credibility of qualitative research, three indispensable components of
research are required: rigorous methods, a basic appreciation of qualitative inquiry, and the
credibility of the researcher (Merriam, 2009). Merriam (2009) further asserts that the reliability
and validity of a study are fundamentally the result of an ethical investigator. Ethical behavior in
any study includes protecting the subjects from harm, ensuring their privacy is protected,
acquiring informed consent, and avoiding deception in the course of the study (Merriam, 2009).
In this study, I ensured ethical behavior on my part, as the researcher, by receiving the
necessary permissions to conduct my study on school grounds, securing informed consent of the
subjects interviewed, ensuring anonymity of all subjects and the specific location of the study,
and by protecting the electronic and written documentation of the data collected. In addition, I
conducted myself with integrity when collecting data by allowing all voices to be heard and
carefully considering any biases I may have had at the onset of the study (Merriam, 2009).

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 83
Limitations and Delimitations
The limitations of this study relate to those imposed on me by the school district when
granting me approval to conduct my study at Eagle Middle School. I was not allowed to record
my interviews and was forced to collect all of my interview data by hand. Therefore, there is a
strong possibility that I was not able to capture verbatim all of the information that was told to
me. While I attempted to write as much and as quickly as possible, I was also limited by my
desire to maintain a good rapport with my interviewees by maintain eye contact and
acknowledging their responses as they reported them to me. This was difficult to do as I was
attempting to accurately record all their responses in a legible manner.
In addition, data collection was further limited by the school district in the name of
protecting student privacy by prohibiting data collection by any means other than escorted
observations on school property or written observer notes. These limitations in my data
collection activities meant that I did not capture other data points that might have revealed other
insights into the school community with respect to the school’s culture and climate and efforts to
support military-connected children. While I was allowed some open access to the school, I was
careful not to overstep my privileges which might prevent me from further access.
One final limitation was the reliance on the participants’ willingness to be honest with me
and tell me the truth as opposed to “their truth.” As one of my findings indicated a tension
between wanting to do the right thing for military-connected children in a large military
community and conceding to the fact that the needs of military-connected children are different
than the average student and require separate and unique programs, the accuracy of the data
relied heavily on the willingness of participants to be open and honest with regard to the support
actually provided to military-connected children.
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Delimitations to my study centered on the reality that I am a novice researcher. Because
I am the primary instrument for data collection, my status as a novice researcher meant that I
might not have known everything I needed to write down when conducting my interviews. I
might not have probed when I needed to, or known to ask follow-up questions that would have
been helpful in gathering richer and more descriptive data. As I was responsible for writing my
interview protocols, I might not have included or properly formulated questions the help me get
the data I needed to answer my research question. In my observations, being a novice researcher
meant that I might have missed key observational data that would have helped me to better
understand the school climate and environment supporting the military-connected students in the
school. Finally, because I am not an experienced interviewer, I might have missed cues or
markers that could have influenced my findings.
Conclusion
This qualitative case study sought to examine the academic and behavioral supports
provided to military-connected students in public schools. This study examined the policies,
programs, and school climate as they pertain to the academic, emotional, and social support in
place in public schools for military-connect children which led to student learning and
achievement by creating a welcoming environment for this highly mobile population. The staff
members and administrators of Eagle Middle School served as the unit of study for this
qualitative case study. Data was collected through semi-structured faculty, staff, and
administrator interviews, school environmental and climate observations, and document
collection. Finally, my conceptual framework guided the data analysis process. In the next
chapter, I present the findings from the data analysis.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 85
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS
The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which school personnel work to
meet the academic and behavioral needs of military-connected students. Specifically, the study
examined the supports in place in one public middle school that provides academic and
behavioral support to military-connected children. As such, the data collected and the findings
of this study address the following research question: How do school personnel work to meet the
academic and behavioral needs of military-connected students?
Using a qualitative study approach, interviews were conducted with 13 administrators
and staff members in a public middle school located in a community with a significant military
presence. The school under study had a military-connected student population of 29 percent.
Pseudonyms were used for both the participant names and in reference to the specific school
under study in order to provide confidentiality to the participants. Three major findings evolved
through data analysis.
Overall, school personnel believed that they were meeting the academic and behavioral
needs of military-connected students by offering a positive school climate that was welcoming
and inviting. Although no specific programs existed to support military-connected children, the
positive school climate lent itself to supporting the needs of all new students, the majority of
whom were military connected. More specifically, school administrators and staff believed that
by providing a family-like feeling and a good work environment, they were able to support
military-connected students’ academic and behavioral success by responding to needs as they
arose or were identified. While a majority of school personnel offered this perspective, an
additional finding emerged in which there appeared to be an unspoken tension among the staff
and administrators whereby they wanted to be seen as doing the right thing and providing
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 86
support to military-connected children, but did not want to label the support as specific or
exclusive to military-connected children for fear of looking as if military-connected children
were receiving special attention or treatment. Finally, based on data analysis, it appears that
school staff and personnel with a military affiliation were more willing to support military-
connected students and had greater empathy for the unique challenges they faced. I will address
each of these findings below.
Finding 1. The School Does Not Provide Specific Support to Military-Connected Students
and Instead, on the Surface, School Personnel Believe Military-Connected Students’ Needs
Can Be Met Through Programs Geared Towards Meeting the Needs of All Students
Interview and observation data revealed that Eagle Middle School did not provide
specific programs to support the academic and behavioral needs of military-connected students.
Instead, school personnel generally believed that they were meeting the academic and behavioral
needs of military-connected students by offering a positive school climate that was safe, secure,
and welcoming for all students. In addition, military-connected students participated in
programs established for all students who were new and transitioning to the school. Finally,
school personnel at Eagle Middle School believed that the family like environment that existed
in the school and community at large, aided in meeting the academic and behavioral needs of all
students.
Providing a Positive Climate for All Students
The majority of respondents (9 of 13) did not distinguish between the needs of military-
connected students and any other student population on campus. Instead, they focused on
creating a positive climate for all students and believed this met the needs of their military-
connected students. The remaining four respondents distinguished needs specific to military-
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 87
connected children, but did not report being in a position to act on those needs other than by
reinforcing the positive environment created within the school. As such, respondents spoke to
their approach of creating a safe, secure, and welcoming school environment without identifying
ways that this overtly supported the needs of military-connected students. One example of this
perspective could be seen in sixth grade reading teacher Ms. Harris’s statement, “We are serious
in that we want kids to do well all the way around. We want them to have a safe place to be
kids, no matter what. It is open and welcoming.” Here Ms. Harris suggested that there was a
desire to create a space where the students did not have to act older than their years, “to be kids,”
where they did not have to put on the responsibilities of adults, and were protected from more
serious life experiences. Instead she expressed a desire for them to feel safe and to be welcomed
by the school. This statement referred to all students and did not identify specific needs that
might be associated with being a military-connected student and suggests a belief that meeting
the needs of all students met the needs of military-connected students.
Similarly, Ms. Brand, a sixth and seventh grade math teacher, reported that she tried her
“best to make it a positive environment. The school tries to make it a positive environment and I
try to mirror that. It’s a safe environment.” In discussing her desire to mirror the environment
created by the school, Ms. Brand suggested the idea of a consistent and stable environment as a
means for making students feel safe and cared for. She also reinforced the belief that creating a
positive environment was an effective means to meet the needs of the students in school, whether
military-connected or not. This finding supports the conceptual framework that school personnel
work to create a positive and stable climate where students can thrive.
In addition, there was a collective belief that a positive climate required that students
have school pride and respect for each other. For example, the principal, Mr. Jones, indicated
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that he set out to structure an environment where school pride and respect were instilled in all
students from the day they initially entered the campus. He said,
It starts in the sixth grade with what it means to be a Soaring Eagle. You can walk
around the school and see signs of what it means to be a Soaring Eagle in each place. We
celebrate Soaring Eagles. We recognize kids with what we call the Eagle Award each
month.
Here Mr. Jones suggested that all students were initiated into the expectations associated with
being a member of the school community from the beginning of their tenure at the school. They
all learned “what it means to be” a member of that community by associating with the school’s
mascot, a Soaring Eagle. Moreover, that mascot was in their line of sight on a continual basis,
reminding them of the school’s expectations for community membership. There was no
distinction between military-connected students and other newly initiated members of the
community. As prior studies have shown, the climate of a school can be related to the role the
principal takes through behaviors and actions to maintain a safe and positive learning
environment (Kutsyuruba et al., 2015). Mr. Jones, as the principal, took an active role in making
the school a cohesive environment, and what he believed to be a positive environment for all
students, by indoctrinating students into learning what it means to become a Soaring Eagle.
Mr. Gordon, one of the school counselors, reiterated the principal’s assertion for creating
a positive environment where all students felt welcomed. He stated, “We aim to be welcoming
and openly inclusive to new students. There are supports in place to catch students in need. Yes,
it is open and inclusive. There is a strong emphasis on being positive and proactive.” Here Mr.
Gordon discussed the goal of being welcoming and “openly inclusive” to new students. Mr.
Gordon spoke to the goal of including all students and not singling out any specific group.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 89
While Mr. Gordon discussed the need to create a welcoming environment for all students, he
failed to understand that the needs of military-connected children may be different than those of
other children. As Brendel et al. (2014) and Esqueda et al. (2012) showed, school staff and
administrative personnel may not understand the cultural anomalies related to being a military-
connected child. In describing the activities and programs in place to meet the goals of creating
a positive school climate, Mr. Gordon stated the “programs are school wide, and some are grade
specific.” He made no mention of programs that were in place to specifically meet the needs of
military-connected students. As he expressed, the programs were targeting the entire school, and
in some cases set up to serve specific grade levels; however, none of the programs were set up to
specifically target its military-connected population.
Providing Programs for All New Students
Almost all faculty and staff (10 of 13) reported formal programs for new students, such as
a sixth grade transition program for students moving from elementary school to middle school,
or an orientation day for all other new students, both of which occurred at the start of each year.
These programs were not exclusively for military-connected students, but were focused on all
new sixth grade students transitioning from elementary grades and other new students to the
school. As Mr. Jones, the principal described it:
We have the sixth grade transition program for all new sixth graders coming to middle
school. They come the day before school starts for everyone else and get a tour of the
school and get their schedule and the lay out of the land. The eighth grade students give
tours, and they do teambuilding exercises. They figure out how to open their lockers and
where the lunch room is. Then we have a big kick off assembly. It’s a very big deal,
very exciting. It’s where they first learn about what it means to be a Soaring Eagle.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 90
Here Mr. Jones emphasized the significance of the transition for students from elementary school
to middle school and the need to make the transition as easy as possible for the incoming sixth
grade students. In recognition of the importance of easing the apprehension for students moving
from the elementary school setting to the middle school setting with greater demands for
independence and self-direction, a formal and structured program had been established to
alleviate the stress students might feel about starting middle school. Mr. Jones also described the
process by which new students were introduced to school pride and how the indoctrination of
being a Soaring Eagle was begun in a manner that was both fun and meaningful for the students
through the use of teambuilding and mentorship by older, more experienced students. The goal
was to make students feel safe and secure in their new environment, and to help foster a
connection with the school and other new students. Whether these decision were made
specifically because the new students were military-connected or not, the approach is consistent
with literature suggesting that military-connected children who are surrounded by other children
with similar life experiences and faculty sympathetic to the unique challenges of military life can
create a supportive environment that decreases adjustment problems and increases positive
behaviors and academic performance (Brendel et al., 2014; De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al.,
2012). Thus, intentionally or inadvertently, the principal and others were likely providing
supports that benefited military-connected children.
Although some thought had been given to new students in other grades who also arrived
at the start of the school year, the orientation program did not appear to have the same level of
attention for easing the stress and apprehension of new seventh and eighth grade students. The
half day program for these students served to familiarize them with the school layout, but did not
have the same focus on connecting with other new students or integrating the students into the
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 91
school and instilling school pride. As Mr. Gordon described it, “They are able to meet their
teachers and get a tour of the school. It’s our way to integrate new students that come in the
beginning of the year.” The program was also not exclusive for military-connected students, but
for all new seventh and eighth grade students who arrived prior to the start of the school year.
A majority of the faculty and staff (10 of 11) described the buddy or student ambassador
program for new students arriving in the middle of the year. New students who arrived after the
start of the school year received a one-on-one tour of the school and were assigned a peer
ambassador or buddy to help them transition to their new school. The peer or buddy program
described by the faculty and staff was a way to welcome not just military-connected students, but
all new students to the school. As Ms. Crisp, the specific learning disability teacher described
the program:
We have student ambassadors. They are picked from each grade level. They are buddies
that show new students to their classrooms and introduce them to their teachers. They sit
with them at lunch and introduce them to their friends until they are able to make friends
of their own. The teachers also try to sit new students next to someone they know will
work with them and be positive for the new student to be around.
Ms. Crisp reported what other faculty and staff members also described, an informal means for
integrating new students into the school. The hope was that by selecting students who were
positive and outgoing, specifically those who perhaps embodied the culture of the school that the
leadership was hoping to impart, new students would better adjust to their new school
environment. Student ambassador were screened and specifically selected for their character and
positive disposition with regard to the school in the hopes of carrying forward the culture of the
school to new students as they arrived.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 92
There was, however, some concern reported for the duration or length of time for the new
student support provided. As Mr. Gordon, one of the school counselors, noted, “There is a lot of
support (for new students) on the first day, but they are on their own for the rest of the time.”
Similarly, Ms. Victor, a seventh grade reading teacher, noted, “They pair the new students with a
peer guide to stick with them the first couple of weeks. It lasts for a week or two.” While
neither expressed disappointment or inadequacy with the program, both articulated a concern
that the length of support might not be sufficient to allow new students to integrate into the
school. Mr. Gordon went on to report, “It’s okay for the outgoing kids, but not so much for the
other kids. There are not enough resources for them.” While Mr. Gordon and Ms. Victor were
among the school personnel who reported the buddy or ambassador program as a program aimed
at supporting support to newly arriving students, both expressed concern that the support was
limited to an initial welcome and introduction and did not bear long term or continued support to
the new students. In addition, the program did not target military-connected students
exclusively, but was established in support of all new students. As has been shown in prior
research in this area, some success with supporting military-connected children can be found by
developing homegrown school-based practices; however, often the lack of support leaves
feelings of poor responsiveness on the part of public schools to meet the needs of military-
connected children, particularly when dealing with transitions, a lack of understanding with
regard to military deployments, and the need for more school-based supports and interventions
(De Pedro, Esqueda et al., 2014).
Finally, almost a third (4 of 13) of the school personnel interviewed referred to programs
such as the Student-2-Student program, developed by the Military Child Education Coalition, as
a benchmark program for welcoming new students. However, while the program was
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 93
implemented at the high school, its companion program for middle schools had not been
implemented at Eagle Middle School. Mr. Jones, the school principal, reported patterning the
new student welcome program after the Student-2-Student program and incorporating parts of
the program into existing programs within the school, but noted, “Some parts of it I don’t think
fit with the culture.” Although he did not refer specifically to what parts had been implemented
in the school, it appeared that the “parts that didn’t fit with the culture” were those that required
using the program to specifically target military-connected students. As De Pedro, Atuel et al.
(2014) noted in their study, a considerable portion of the administrators surveyed did not believe
military-connected students should be viewed as a distinct group, and fewer than a quarter of the
respondents stated they had programs or activities aimed at supporting military-connected
students. Mr. Jones’ beliefs were consistent with this finding that programs specifically targeting
military-connected students were not necessary in the Soaring Eagle community.
Another staff member, Ms. Green, who implemented the Where Everybody Belongs
program in the school, also reported that components of the Student-2-Student program were in
place, but “we haven’t been able to implement the official program.” While she did not
elaborate on why the official program had not been implemented, it is likely the principal’s lack
of support for implementing the program attributed to her lack of success with implementing for
formal program. While the desire to create an environment to support new students was evident
and expressed frequently by school faculty and staff, responses suggested that the desire
extended only to creating programs which supported all students and not to implementing those
in which the perception was that they overtly supported military-connected student exclusively.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 94
Providing a Family Like Environment and Community
While Eagle Middle School was a public middle school located in a community with a
large military presence and not a school on a military installation serving military-connected
children exclusively, the sense of family and community often present in schools located on
military installations was reported by almost half (6 of 13) of the school personnel interviewed.
Of the six personnel reporting a family-like environment, only two had a military affiliation.
School personnel described the climate as family oriented or used terms specifically equating a
feeling of family with the atmosphere of the school. As Ms. Harris, a sixth grade reading
teacher, described it,
We are like a family, truly like a family. We try to make the kids understand this. We
work hard, and the priority is always the kids and their wellbeing. We come together in
times of trouble. We are like family more than coworkers. It’s just like a real family.
Some get along and some don’t, but we are still a family. The whole place just has a
feeling of family. It’s the best place in the world to be a teacher.
Ms. Harris referred to the concept of family as being a large group of individuals with diverse
personalities, who shared a strong tie to a singular unit, and had a bond for each other and the
group as a whole despite differences or challenges faced. While not a true family per se, the
family type feeling in the school, as perceived by Ms. Harris, helped to create a connection
amongst and within the school personnel and students. This was supported by observations
made where school staff were observed taking the time to greet each other and students in a
warm and connected manner, leading to a perceived relationship that was more than professional
or superficial. Even though Eagle Middle School was a public school, based on the perceptions
expressed by Ms. Harris, it presented a family-like, bonded community feeling often present
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 95
when describing the success of military-connected schools in supporting military-connected
children (Smrekar & Owens, 2003). This perception on the part of faculty and staff was
indicative of what Smrekar and Owens (2003) described as a “village” culture often present in
DoDEA schools, where there is a strong sense of familiarity and community distinguished by
high levels of support, safety, and cohesion.
Additionally, as in a family, even though all members might not always agree or get
along, according to Ms. Harris, when times were tough or challenges were encountered, the
family pulled together to help each other. The feeling of family described by Ms. Harris and
other school personnel was this sense of secureness in knowing that the bonds of trust and
support that existed in a blood family could also exist in the school family when the climate was
positive and supportive. Ms. Green reported her desire to “take care” of people. She further
described the Soaring Eagle Nation as being “all about pride and the support you give to each
other.” The village culture, as described by Smrekar and Owens (2003), also included a shared
sense of responsibility for each child’s safety and well-being from members of the community.
This was also described by faculty and staff as present in Eagle Middle School.
The feeling of family also extended to the community surrounding the school. School
personnel described their connection to the community, and several reported living in the
community as well as working there. Ms. Harris went on to describe a recent series of tragic
events that had affected the school and community, including two suicides over the last year, the
death of a high school student who was killed by a drunk driver, the loss of a district leader in a
biking accident, and the loss of a local family in an out-of-state vehicular accident. She said,
“It’s just too much for one small community to endure.” Although the victims were not all
members Eagle Middle School, the losses were felt across the entire community as those
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 96
involved had either once been a part of the school, had siblings in the school, were neighbors, or
were otherwise known to participants. A local grassroots campaign was initiated as a result of
the suicides to let students know they were not alone and that their lives mattered. Signs were
observed posted around the school, as well as chalk drawings on the sidewalk entering the
campus depicting the “You are loved” motto. Community members stood outside of the schools
in the area with signs reading, “You are loved.” According to Ms. Brand and Ms. Green, the
response was so overwhelming that the group continued to stand outside the schools each
morning for a week, and car stickers bearing the same supportive phrase were made and
distributed by members of the community. In another example of community support described
by Ms. Harris, a local business hosted a night where proceeds from food sold that day would be
donated to the family of the boy killed by a drunk driver. She noted,
The turnout was unreal. There was a line of cars in the drive through all the way down
the street, but nobody got mad. There was no yelling or horn honking. Everyone just
waited their turn. I went inside and it was just packed and there were no tables to sit to
eat. Students just came up to me and hugged me. I gave one kid a hug, and others just
started coming up to me and asking for hugs. There were lots of tears, but it was so
amazing to see all those people there to support Michael. I always tell my kids that once
they are in my class, they are my kid forever and always.
Ms. Harris described the deep sense of attachment to the community, and the deep relationships
created that endure through time. Ms. Harris had taught the student killed years before, but still
felt a strong connection to one of her “forever kids.” Whether all the people attending the fund
raiser had connections to the deceased was not important, it was the support of the community to
a member in need that was most significant. Smrekar and Owens (2003) described social capital
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 97
that existed in military communities and was cultivated because the critical elements of social
capital, such as shared attitudes, values, and norms, encouraged open communication, trust, and
resulted in meaningful activities benefiting both students and adults in the schools. In similar
fashion, the values and attitudes of the community surrounding Eagle Middle School worked to
reinforce the sense of belonging and support to at least some portion of its members.
While Eagle Middle School was not located on a military installation, it had the same
sense of cohesion and shared responsibility resulting in a sense of community that is positive and
supportive to all its members, as described by Ms. Harris, Ms. Green, and Ms. Brand.
Observations of the school climate also supported a sense of cohesion. Transferring this concept
to the school environment in Eagle Middle School, by setting the expectation for and creating a
positive school climate where students felt welcomed, safe, and secure in their learning
environment, administrators and staff believed they meet the needs of all their students,
including military-connected ones. While staff and administrators reported there were no
specific programs in the school targeting military-connected students specifically, they did
believe the needs of all students were being met.
Finding 2. Tension Between Being Seen as Doing the Right Thing for Military-Connected
Children and Admitting the Need for Specific Programs for Military-Connected Students
Parallel with the first finding, the second finding that emerged from analysis of interview
and observation data centered on the inability or unwillingness of school personnel to recognize
the need for specific programs set up to provide support to military-connected children. As
indicated by Finding 1, virtually all school personnel reported that the positive and welcoming
school climate present in Eagle Middle School adequately supported the needs of all students and
did not necessitate the need for programs designed specifically for military-connected students.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 98
However, the feeling that there was not a need for programs set up to specifically address the
needs of military-connected students appeared to conflict with the data reflecting that the
overwhelming majority of the school personnel also recognized the unique challenges faced by
military-connected children. On one hand, the faculty and administrators at Eagle Middle
School recognized that frequent moves and parental deployments were significant challenges
faced by military-connected students; however, the same faculty and staff believed the positive
and supportive school climate in place for all students was sufficient to meet the needs of
military-connected students, even if the challenges they faced were not the same as the
challenges faced by other non-military connected students.
Doing the Right Thing
Eagle Middle School was a public school situated in the outskirts of a mid-sized
municipality with four military installation located within its borders. In addition, Eagle Middle
School resided in a community that could be described as having strong community bonds and
middle-class family structures. As Mr. Heath, one of the school counselors, described, “This is a
middle ground community. There is a good mix of all kinds of people. It’s a good area to move
to.” His description of the area expressed the perception of a diverse community with mix of
people from all walks of life. Because the school resided in a town that, as one respondent
described, had “a massive military presence and everyone is supportive of that,” saying or doing
anything that could be construed as counter-military would be undesirable. The majority of
respondents (10 of 13) expressed their support for the military and appreciation for the sacrifices
military families made, because in a community highly supportive of the military, anything less
would be seen as un-American and not doing what is right or honorable for those defending our
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 99
country. As Mr. Gordon, one of the school counselors relayed, “This town loves the military.
There is a massive military presence, and everyone is very supportive of that.”
Correspondingly, a majority of respondents (7 of 13) reported doing “whatever it takes”
to support the students. Faculty and administrators both expressed the desire to provide support
to students with comments such as “we do everything we can to support them,” we “do whatever
it takes to support students,” we “will do anything to help them,” and we “go above and beyond
to make sure kids are successful.” As Mr. Jones, the principal reported, “Teachers and staff do
whatever it takes to support the kids. That’s the culture of this building. If a kid or family needs
something, we jump in to do what needs to be done.” Mr. Jones reiterated the expectation of
doing what was needed to support the students, lending to the belief that this was the right thing
to do, although not specifically referring to the needs of military-connected students exclusively.
Just as making comments appearing not to support the military in a military town would be
inappropriate, to make a comment or state a belief that would imply a lack of support from an
educator for the needs of his or her students would be unacceptable in the eyes of the
participants. Participants overwhelmingly shared a desire to do the right things by being
supportive to all students and being supportive to the military in general, albeit without providing
specific programs in the school to meet the needs of its military-connected students.
Acknowledging or Identifying the Unique Needs of Military-Connected Children
Without exception, concerns related to frequent relocation and transition, difficulty
adjusting to a new school or making new friends, academic problems faced by military-
connected students, difficulty assimilating to school cultures or environments, and missed
opportunities for inclusion with sports or other extracurricular activities were expressed by
participants in the current study. This finding is consistent with previous studies in which
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educators consistently reported transitions and deployments as factors which they perceived as
having an impact on the academic achievement and social-emotional well-being of military-
connected children (Garner et al., 2014). When asked about the challenges faced by military-
connected children at Eagle Middle School, all of the respondents (13 of 13) reported frequent
moves, parental deployments, making new friends, and taking on adult roles as some of the
challenges experienced by the military-connected students in Eagle Middle School. Ms. Brand, a
math teacher, described the challenges faced by military-connected children as follows:
Every kid has struggles, but military kids are different. The roles that military kids have
to fill is very different. They take on parental roles and grow up fast because they have
to. Military kids are constantly moving, and they have deal with their parents being gone.
When a parent is gone and a change in behavior happens, it is heartbreaking to see.
Here Ms. Brand depicted the unique struggles faced by military-connected children which are
not experienced by other children in the school. She also expressed the collateral effects of the
issues faced by military-connected, specifically changes in behavior, and displayed great
empathy when encountering these issues. Ms. Brand, as a military spouse and mother to
military-connected children, supports the assertion in the conceptual framework that school
personnel with a personal military connection have more empathy for the challenges faced by
military-connected children. This was also in line with findings from the Arnold et al. (2013)
study that found that teachers who were culturally sensitive to the military lifestyle and military-
connected students were better able to have empathy and provide support to military-connected
children facing difficulties related to transition or deployment.
Participants in the current study also highlighted another challenge frequently faced by
military-connected children as a result of frequent transitions: academic gaps in learning and
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problems with receiving school records in a timely fashion. Prior research supports this finding
where educators reported the need to quickly assess transitioning students and provide
remediation to mitigate the differences in curriculum these students might have been exposed to
prior to arrival at their new school (Garner et al., 2014). Over a third of the participants (5 of 13)
in the current study reported problems with consistency and continuity from the academic
perspective. Ms. Victor, a seventh grade reading teacher, described some of the academic
concerns as follows:
They need better continuity from where they are coming from to where they are going.
It’s not the same from state to state. Sometimes they are ahead when they get here, and
sometimes they are behind. We need to find a way to close gaps or find out sooner if
they need something. It just gets harder to recover from the longer it takes to find out.
And they shouldn’t be expected to jump right in. There is enough change and turmoil in
their lives.
Here Ms. Victor described the factors that she believed could impact the academic achievement
of military-connected children, or any child, who experienced a transition from one location to
another. Not only were the variations in academic progress noted, but the need to receive
records in a timely fashion to properly place students in classes consistent with their current level
of learning. Three of the thirteen participants specifically referenced issues with receiving
student records in a timely manner. Underlining this need, Mr. Gordon, one of the counselors,
relayed,
It’s important to know the kids’ needs coming in. Most of the time the parents report
what the needs are for the kids, but there is a delay in getting records or what the parents
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told isn’t correct. We put the kid in one place, but then find it’s not the best place for
them.
Both Ms. Victor and Mr. Gordon underscored the importance of receiving student records in a
timely manner to ensure students the students’ needs are met both academically and emotionally,
although neither specifically referred to whether they were talking about military-connected
children or any new student entering the school. Without knowing the specific needs of the
students, situations could arise, and faculty and staff would not be prepared to best address it.
Ms. Leary, the dean of students and instruction, relayed the following account as an example of a
situation that escalated because not all the relevant information was provided for a transitioning
student:
We do everything we can to support them, but if we are missing important information.
It is helpful to get records in advance. For example, we had one kid we weren’t prepared
to handle. The first day of school was awful. He was suffering from PTSD and had been
in an in-house treatment facility. The parents moved him here and didn’t tell anyone
about his problems. We didn’t know how to handle the situation because we didn’t have
all the information. It was a bad situation and we had to call in the sheriff because we
were so concerned about the safety of the students.
While an extreme example, Ms. Leary was explaining the importance of having all relevant
information upon the arrival of transitioning students in order to insure all their needs could be
met. Ms. Leary’s observations are consistent with findings from Garner et al. (2014) where
educators reported the need to quickly assess transitioning student and provide remediation when
necessary.
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Analysis of interview data received from the current study also showed participants
recognized military-connected children had distinct needs from a relational perspective. More
than a third of the respondents (5 of 13) reported military-connected students at Eagle Middle
School needed help making connections or help with skills on how to form new peer
relationships. Prior research has shown the importance of addressing the social needs of students
in transition due to the link between socioemotional well-being and academic performance
(Arnold et al., 2013). As Mr. Jones, the principal, described, “Middle school is all about social
skills, so that is important.” Here Mr. Jones did not specifically talk about the relational needs of
military-connected children, but the need for all middle school aged children to develop social
skills. In making this statement, however, he acknowledged the importance of making social
connections in middle school. While all children at that age might experience problems with
social skills, the fact that military-connected children must repeatedly make new friends and
connections with each move could create added challenges. Ms. Victor, a seventh grade reading
teacher, described the struggles of some military-connected students to balance academic
requirements with wanting to fit in socially:
One girl moved here and excelled right away. She hasn’t stopped. But one girl that I can
think of is still struggling to stay with everyone else academically. Not so much socially,
but academically she just can’t catch up. I think it’s because she feels like she needs to
compensate with social skills because she knows she is going to move again, so she
wants to have more friends. That is what is important to her, having lots of friends.
Here Ms. Victor highlighted another unique challenge faced by military-connected children: the
struggle to fit in and make friends, even at the expense of their academic progress. While
discussing the socioemotional needs of military-connected students, Ms. Victor also noted the
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needs of military-connected students could be layered and complex, not existing in isolation, but
compounded with normal emerging teenage challenges. This is consistent with findings that
showed behaviors such as social isolation and confusion about behavioral and social expectations
identified by educators in prior research (Arnold et al., 2013).
Finally, another unique challenge faced by military-connected students reported in the
current study concerned what participants referred to as “trigger events.” Eagle Middle School,
like many other schools under study, reported having activities and events celebrating military
culture, such as military-related events on Veterans Day and Memorial Day (De Pedro, Atuel et
al., 2014). However, several of the interviewees (4 of 13) in the current study reported the need
to be sensitive to specific days or events that might trigger emotional responses from military-
connected children not shared by other children. Examples included holidays like Memorial Day
or Veterans Day, which have military connections or connotations. In addition, holidays like
Christmas or birthdays might cause military-connected children to become emotional when
thinking about parents who are absent due to deployments or death. Ms. Green, one of the
administrative staff, described the instance of trigger events as follows:
They are dealing with a lot with deployed parents and being away often. Another
challenge is being more sensitive with activities, like Donuts for Dads. It is hard on the
kid when the dad is away and there is an event like this and dad is not here. We need to
make accommodations for the kids. We need to think about what it feels like to be that
kid.
Here Ms. Green, a former military members and mother to military-connected children, relayed
that even common or routine school activities could cause emotional distress when not taken into
consideration that a child’s parent might be absent. This supports the assertion presented in the
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conceptual framework that points to school personnel with a prior military connection could be
in a position to better recognize the needs of military-connected children based on their military-
connected experience. Similarly, Mr. Heath, the eighth grade counselor, articulated,
Veteran’s Day can be triggering for a handful of military kids. They might have lost a
parent in combat or to suicide. I sit down and walk through with them those thoughts or
pain or hurt. Usually kids at this age are pretty open, but they don’t want to be seen as
weak, so they don’t tell their friends what they are feeling. I try to be there for them, and
I try to understand for them. But it’s not something a lot of people have experience with.
Whereas Ms. Green highlighted routine or typical school activities which might trigger
uncommon emotions from military-connected children because of their life experiences, Mr.
Heath pointed out events which have specific meaning or significance to military-connected
children and their families and can have dramatic effect on military-connected children.
Why No Military Specific Programs
Given the reported challenges faced by military-connected students at Eagle Middle
School, the question then becomes why there were not programs in place to address those
challenges and concerns. The most prevalent reason expressed by participants in this study for
why there were no specific programs in place to support military-connected children was a
prevailing belief that military-connected children were not significantly different than other
children, or that their needs were not such that existing programs could not meet them. This
finding was consistent with prior research that showed fewer than a third (29.9%) of school
administrators interviewed believed that military-connected students had special needs or
circumstances which required programs or activities specifically aimed at them (De Pedro, Atuel
et al., 2014). Interview data from the current study showed that approximately one third of the
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respondents (4 of 13) expressed viewpoints that alluded to the perception that military-connected
children’s needs were not different than those of other children. Ms. Pine, the art teacher,
reported that being a military-connected child was “just one of the variables” to consider when
looking at how to meet the needs of the child, and Mr. Owen, one of the counselors, expressed
that “military-connected kids are just kids with needs.”
This view was expressed at the highest levels of leadership within the school, which lent
support to the assumption that military-connected children did not need support different from
other children in the school. In his interview, Mr. Jones, the school principal reported: “Most
problems are not identifiable to military kids exclusively. Sometimes problems are just normal
kid problems and military kids have them the same as other kids.” Here Mr. Jones was a prime
example of the conflict between wanting to do the right thing by supporting military-connected
children based on the recognition that they faced unique challenges, and not providing program
specific programs to provide that support. Whereas Mr. Jones reported becoming emotional and
“no dry eyes in the room” during welcome home meetings for returning deployed parents, he
also reported military kids are “just normal kids” with “normal kid problem.”
In another attempt to liken military-connected children’s needs to those of other children,
several school personnel (2 of 13) expressed the view that the issues faced by military-connected
children were similar to issues like divorce. As Ms. Pine, the art teacher surmised,
It only becomes important if it’s affecting a student’s school life. It’s just like anything
else, like divorce. We don’t identify kids whose parents are going through a divorce. We
don’t have special groups for kids of divorce. I mean we could, but we don’t.
Here Ms. Pine expressed a rather strong belief that problems faced by military-connected
children were no more significant or important than problems faced by other children, such as
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children of divorce. In her opinion, special programs were not needed for military-connected
children for the same reasons there were no programs for children of divorce.
Finding 3. Military-Connected Adults Have Greater Empathy for Military Life
Interview and observation data revealed that, whether intentional or not, having staff
members at Eagle Middle School with a military connection supported military-connected
students by having personnel familiar with the military lifestyle and the unique stressors and
challenges faced by military-connected children and their families. Comparable findings from
prior research also indicated that teachers who were culturally sensitive to the military lifestyle
and military-connected students were better able to have empathy and provide support to
military-connected children facing difficulties related to transition or deployment (Arnold et al.,
2013). By hiring staff that had a military connection, whether by having previously served in the
military, by having been a military spouse or dependent, or by having previously worked in a
Department of Defense Dependents School, it appeared that Eagle Middle School was able to
meet the academic and behavioral needs of the military-connected students in their school. In
addition, data revealed that school personnel with a military connection themselves had greater
empathy and understanding for the plight of the military child, and could therefore better
appreciate the need for programs specific to military-connected children. This finding supports
the assertion made in the conceptual framework that school personnel with a prior personal
military connection were in a position to better empathize and support military-connected
children.
Faculty and Staff with a Military Connection
Providing adequate academic and behavioral support to military-connected children is
difficult when school personnel are not aware of the types of support needed or how to best
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provide that support. As prior research has shown, knowledge of military-related issues
impacting the children in their schools was needed, particularly for those who did not previously
have prior experiences with the military (Arnold et al., 2013). Findings from the current study
showed that approximately half of the personnel interviewed (6 of 13) had a military connection
of some sort, with two being retired military members, three being military spouses (two of
which were also prior military-connected children), and two having worked previously in a
Department of Defense Dependents School (one of whom was also a military spouse). School
personnel with a military affiliation not only recognized their ability to connect better with
military-connected students because they know “what it is like” and could relate, but school
personnel with some type of military affiliation were also more likely to recognized the need for
programs specifically targeting military-connected children and professional staff development
opportunities to sensitize school personnel to the unique needs of military-connected students
and how to best support them. These conditions of prior experience or knowledge of the military
that led to greater empathy for military-connected children and greater understanding for
programs specifically designed for military-connected children are those found in the conceptual
framework guiding this study.
Almost half of the respondents (6 of 13) at Eagle Middle School recognized the benefits
of having a military connection when working with military-connected students. Ms. Brand, a
math teacher, stated, “It’s hard to understand something you haven’t lived through.” Regarding
the relationship she had with military-connected students and their families, she further
elaborated by saying, “It’s very different, very close. I connect with them on a different level,
deeper, because I am a military spouse and was a military dependent. It’s a completely different
connection with the kids because I know what it’s like.” Here Ms. Brand emphasized the
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importance of being able to relate to military-connected children and the challenges they face.
Because she herself had experienced the life as a military child, she was able to relate to the
children and their families and appreciate the struggles they faced, again reinforcing the ideas set
forth in the conceptual framework.
Empathy for Military-Connected Children
Interview data showed that of the 13 participants interviewed, nine expressed empathy
specifically related to the plight of the military child. Six of the nine participants who expressed
empathy had a military affiliation. Ms. Crisp, a specific learning disability teacher who had been
a military spouse and also previously worked in a Department of Defense Dependents School,
relayed the following when asked if knowing that a child’s parent was deployed affected the way
she interacted with them:
Yes, it affects the way I interact with them because I’ve been through it and I have more
empathy for the kid. I try to check in more when I know. Most of the time they are okay,
but the hard times are right at the beginning or around the holidays.
Here Ms. Crisp was using her personal experience as a military spouse and mother of military-
connected children who had dealt with the deployment of her spouse to relate with the military-
connected children at Eagle Middle School who had deployed parents. Her personal experience
allowed her to recognize critical times during a deployment when a child might need more
attention or understanding. Her experiences are consistent with findings from prior research that
showed the positive outcomes of DoDEA schools because teachers, counselors, and principals in
those schools were united in their understanding of the military lifestyle of frequent relocation,
parental deployments, and time away from home (Smrekar & Owens, 2003), and connects to the
assertions in my conceptual framework that school personnel with a prior military connection
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were in a better position to provide support because of their shared experiences and
understanding of the challenges faced by military-connected children. In addition, consistent
with the assertions of the conceptual framework, the climate in the school and classrooms
created by school personnel with a personal prior military connection would be more conductive
to supporting military-connected children because it would be sensitive to their unique needs and
cognizant of specific aspects of the military culture creating those unique needs.
Similarly, Ms. Victor, a seventh grade reading teacher, military spouse, and former
military dependent, discussed her relationship with the parents of military-connected children.
I think I have a stronger relationship with military-connected parents. I have more
common ground with them. I grew up in the military. My dad is a retired officer and my
husband was in the military before being medically discharged. I just connect better with
military parents because we have more common ground.
Ms. Victor formed closer connections to military-connected parents because of her past and
current affiliation with the military. While she did not say that she was unable to connect with
other parents, her experience with the military life allowed her to feel closer to military-
connected parents and understand some of the challenges they and their children experienced
with frequent moves and deployments. When talking specifically about the way she interacted
with her military-connected students and if knowing they were military-connected affected that
interaction, she reported,
Personally, it does for me. I try to relate to the child in a more personal level. I don’t
share personal things with my students usually, but I do with a military child. I let them
know that I know what they are going through and that they can talk to me.
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Ms. Brand shared similar sentiments: “I am definitely more vulnerable to them (military-
connected children). I might talk about my personal life a little bit more and tell them everything
is going to be okay.” Both Ms. Victor and Ms. Brand articulated that while they wanted to
maintain professional relationships with their students, having a military connection themselves
allowed them to better relate with their military-connected students and parents on a more
personal level because of the sense of shared experiences related to the military lifestyle, both
positive and negative. It also allowed them to be in a unique position to help students having
difficulties with transitions or deployments, because they themselves had experienced those same
challenges.
While it was beneficial for faculty and staff to have a military connection, it was not
absolutely necessary in order to express empathy and understanding for the military-connected
child. Three of the nine participants who conveyed empathy for the military-connected child had
no personal military affiliation, but were still able to express some concern for the challenges
military-connected children faced. Both Mr. Smith, the principal, and Ms. Harris, a sixth grade
reading teacher, reported feeling compassion for military-connected students and the fact that
they moved frequently. Mr. Smith acknowledged that military-connected kids “move so often
and it’s hard because they know they will leave again.” Ms. Harris expressed her concern by
saying,
I worry about the military kids. I worry about all my kids, but I worry even more about
the military kids. I worry when they leave, especially in the middle of the year, but any
time when they leave. I worry that they will find a new “home.” Military kids seem to
find home anywhere, but it has to be hard to always be finding another “home.”
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Although Mr. Smith and Ms. Harris did not personally relate to being forced to move frequently,
they were able to appreciate the hardship it must cause for the family, and especially the child.
In addition, Ms. Harris recognized the need to find “home” as the need to find connection and
feelings of belonging in each new school a military-connected child attended. Although the
conceptual framework contends that school personnel with a prior military connection would
provide greater support to military-connected children, it also contends that it is the interaction
and interplay between all the school personnel, the positive and welcoming school climate
created by those personnel, and the understanding of the challenges faced by highly mobile
students that determine the level of support provided to military-connected children and the
overall experience of a military-connected child in a public school. The ability of school
personnel with no prior military connection or experience to sympathize with the plight of the
military-connected child showed that the presence of school personnel who did have that prior
military connection could impact more than just the military-connected child. Having members
of the Eagle Middle School community who were passionate about supporting the military, such
as Ms. Green, who made great efforts to send care packages to deployed military parents and
organize military recognition events, incited other staff members to show support for military
families.
Finally, Mr. Heath, one of the counselors with no military affiliation or experience,
recognized that it could be beneficial to have staff members with a military affiliation. He
shared,
The staff members that are former military connect with military students a lot easier
because they can relate to them. We have a lot of former military that are staff members
in this building, and they connect with the military kids.
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While his role as a school counselor required him to provide academic, behavioral, and
emotional support to students as needed, he was still able to understand that some levels of
support could better be provided by individuals who had personal experience or insight into the
challenges being faced by certain students, in this case military-connected children. Even though
Mr. Heath talked at length about the various types of support he provided to students, he was not
one of the participants who specifically expressed empathy for military-connected students. He
spoke freely of various issues faced by military-connected students and how those issues were
addressed, but his general impression was that “it’s just something else we need to process” and
not a separate or unique category of challenges which required special attention. However, even
though he did not express empathy for military-connected children and their issues, he still
acknowledged that there was some merit to having staff members who were able to connect with
military-connected children. As he stated, “To those outside of the military community, they
don’t always understand the ebbs and flows of the military people.” He recognized that military
life is not easily understood by those who do not have experience with it.
Appreciation for the Need for Specialized Programs and Training
An overwhelming majority of the school personnel interviewed (10 of 13) reported they
had received no training or any form of professional development to help them understand the
military culture or how to help meet the academic or behavioral needs of military-connected
children. Similarly, only slightly more than one third (4 of 13) of the respondents mentioned the
Military Family Life Counselor or Military Student Transition Coordinator assigned to the
school, or knew the role of these positions and resources they were able to provide. Despite
having received little or no training related to military-connected children and their needs, most
of the respondents at Eagle Middle School (7 of 13) expressed the need for such training,
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particularly those who had no military affiliation or familiarity with the military lifestyle. This
finding was in line with findings from previous research that showed that teachers wanted more
knowledge on military-related issues impacting the children in their schools, particularly those
who did not previously have military experiences (Arnold et al., 2013). Mr. Heath, one of the
school counselors, communicated,
Overall it would be a good idea to have some type of training. I think more information
would be good, especially coming from the DoD environment. You know, what does the
everyday life of military life look like. I was never exposed to the military before
moving here, so it would be good to have more information.
Here Mr. Heath supported the need for training or professional development to familiarize school
personnel on the military culture and challenges faced by military-connected children, especially
for personnel with no previous exposure to a military population.
From the perspective of someone with a military connection, Ms. Brand, math teacher
and military spouse, reinforced the need for training for school personnel to help them provide
support to military-connected children.
Schools need to work to create strong support systems for military kids. School need
training. They need to know how different military kids are. Maybe we need to have the
kids talk to the teachers to let them know what their expectations are and how they can
help them.
Here Ms. Brand suggested that school personnel did not fully grasp the differences between
military-connected children and other children in the school, and that training was necessary to
make school personnel aware of the differences and ways in which to support the military-
connected children in the school. She also proposed a creative solution to helping school
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 115
personnel understand the needs of military-connected children: by having military-connected
children themselves describe their experiences first hand to their teachers.
In another example of a staff member with a military connection lending insight into the
need for training, Ms. Crisp, SPED teacher and former teacher in a DoDDS school shared:
When I worked in the DoDDS schools, they had different training. There was training in
family readiness groups and leadership training with the families. There is training all
the time in DoDDS. Not in the district here. Maybe they are going to start. I know there
was a grant with the Department of Defense. Maybe that will bring in some
opportunities. We need that.
It appeared that Ms. Crisp was contemplating out loud why there was so much training in
schools with a high military concentration, and yet an absence of training in schools in other
areas serving populations of military-connected children, but where training might be just as
relevant and necessary. As with Ms. Brand and Mr. Heath, Ms. Crisp shared the desire for help
with knowing how to support military-connected children.
In addition to seeing the value in training or professional development related to working
in an environment serving military-connected children and their families, data suggested that
school personnel with a military affiliation were more likely to see the need for and value of
programs specifically targeting or designed for military-connected children. Over half of the
respondents (7 of 13) reported the need for programs specifically designed for military-
connected children to help them deal with issues such as frequent moves and parental
deployment, as well as helping military-connected children know they were not alone and afford
them the opportunity to meet other children facing similar circumstances. Of the seven
respondents that stated the need for programs designed specifically for the needs of military-
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connected children, five had a personal military connection, supporting the asserting that school
personnel with a military connection were more likely to believe in the necessity for programs
specifically designed for military-connected children to address their unique needs. Ms. Leary,
one of the respondents without personal experience with the military, supported programs
specifically for military-connected children. In expressing her support for such programs, she
stated,
I think military kiddos need a support group for them. I don’t have a military connection,
so I don’t know what it feels like to have deployed parents or to have to move all the time
and change schools and make new friends. Military kids are a very specific group. They
are different from say divorcing parents. I think there should be a DoD program for
military kids with after school activities planned and supervised by the school for military
kids. It should be supervised by someone who can help military kids. It would give them
something to do and give them a sense of commonality.
Although Ms. Leary had no prior military affiliation, she could understand some of the unique
challenges military-connected children faced and stressed the importance of establishing
programs within the school to support them. Similarly, Mr. Gordon, one of the school
counselors who had previously worked in a DoDDS school, shared his concerns for the need for
providing programs specifically for military-connected children:
The biggest thing is having kids know they are not alone. We could be doing support
groups. Not because we see the need popping up, but so the kids can know they are not
alone and there are others in the same situation. Finding kids with the same experience,
if we could get them together to hang out. There is a range of needs, but something in a
non-threatening and normalized setting. There is a need for that.
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Here Mr. Gordon, like Ms. Leary, recognized that the needs of military-connected children were
different than the needs of other children in Eagle Middle School. Both underscored the need to
have supports available in such a way that, as Mr. Gordon described, were “non-threatening and
normalized.” Mr. Gordon’s emphasis was on programs that did not single out military-
connected students in a negative way, but would serve to make their experiences shared ones
among others who had similar experiences or troubles. As Ms. Victor corroborated,
They can share what they are going through. Sure, they can share with their friends, but
the friends don’t always get what they are going through. You need someone who is
going through the same thing. That makes you feel less alone.
As such, having personnel in the school with prior military-connected experience
increased the chances of understanding the military culture, awareness of military-based
resources, and understanding for military-related concerns, as asserted in the conceptual
framework. Although the data indicated having a military affiliation was not necessary to feel
empathy for military-connected children, see the need for training related to supporting military-
connected children, or recognize the importance for having programs specifically designed to
address the academic and behavioral needs of military-connected children, school personnel with
a military connected were more likely to connect with military-connected children and see the
need for specific training and programs directed at understanding the military culture and the
challenges faced by military families.
Summary of Findings
The data revealed three main findings regarding the academic and behavioral support
provided to military-connected children at Eagle Middle School. First, school personnel
believed that they were meeting the academic and behavioral needs of military-connected
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students by offering a positive school climate that was welcoming and inviting. Although
participants reported there were no specific programs in place to support military-connected
children, the positive school climate established in the school lent itself to supporting the needs
of all new students, including those who were military connected. In addition, school
administrators and staff believed that by providing a family-like feeling with a positive work
environment, they were able to support military-connected students’ academic and behavioral
success by responding to needs as they arose or were identified. The second finding that
emerged was that there appeared to be an unspoken tension among the staff and administrators
whereby they wanted to be seen as doing the right thing and providing support to military-
connected children, but did not want to label the support as specific or exclusive to military-
connected children for fear of looking as if military-connected children were receiving special
attention or treatment. Finally, based on data analysis, the third finding revealed that school staff
and personnel with a military affiliation appeared to be more willing to support military-
connected students and had greater empathy for the unique challenges they faced.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 119
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This study examined how a public middle school worked to meet the academic and
behavioral support of the military-connected students attending the school. Studies have shown
that children of military service members face unique challenges as they navigate through
childhood as part of a military family (Bradshaw et al., 2010; De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda,
Astor, & De Pedro, 2012; Park, 2011). However, frequently public schools are not equipped or
trained to deal with the unique issues military children face (Bradshaw et al., 2010; Brendel et
al., 2014; De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al., 2012). This study presented findings to provide
insight into the ways in which school personnel worked to meet the academic and behavioral
needs of military-connected students attending a public school in a military community.
The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which school personnel worked to
meet the academic and behavioral needs of military-connected students. Specifically, the study
examined the academic and behavioral support in place in one public school located in the
vicinity of a town with a large military population. Although funding and attention has been
directed at the problems associated with educating military children, research continues to be
lacking in areas where the greatest impacts can be made (Esqueda et al., 2012). Research
documenting effective programs, best practices, and successful interventions is needed (De
Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al., 2012; Park, 2011). As such, interviews were conducted with
school personnel and administrators in one public school, Eagle Middle School, to determine
what supports administrators, teachers, and staff believed they were providing to military-
connected children. As this was a case study, data was obtained from only one school. Once the
data was collected from both interviews and observations, analysis was conducted using both
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 120
data coding and inductive data analysis to identify patterns or themes in the data. Three
overarching findings emerged and will be discussed below.
Summary of Findings
The three main findings suggested school personnel at Eagle Middle School believed that
they were meeting the academic and behavioral needs of military-connected students. In order to
meet those needs, school personnel and administrators at Eagle Middle School worked to provide
a positive school climate that was welcoming and inviting. No specific programs existed to
support military-connected children. Instead, they believed that creating a positive school
climate was sufficient to supporting the needs of all new students, the majority of whom were
military-connected. In addition, findings showed that school administrators and staff believed
that by providing a family-like feeling and a good work environment, they were able to support
military-connected students’ academic and behavioral success by responding to needs as they
arose or were identified. The second finding that emerged was that there appeared to be an
unspoken tension among the staff and administrators whereby they wanted to be seen as doing
the right thing and providing support to military-connected children, but did not want to label the
support as specific or exclusive to military-connected children for fear of looking as if military-
connected children were receiving special attention or treatment. The third finding suggested
that school staff and personnel with a military affiliation were more willing to support military-
connected students and had greater empathy for the unique challenges they faced.
The first finding showed that Eagle Middle School did not provide specific programs to
support the academic and behavioral needs of military-connected students. Instead, school
personnel generally believed that they were meeting the academic and behavioral needs of
military-connected students by offering a positive school climate that was safe, secure, and
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 121
welcoming for all students. Military-connected students participated in programs established for
all students who were new and transitioning to the school. Finally, school personnel at Eagle
Middle School believed that the family-like environment that existed in the school and
community at large, aided in meeting the academic and behavioral needs of all students, to
include its military-connected students.
The second finding revealed that there was an incongruity between the desire of school
personnel and administrator to provide support to the military-connected children in their school
and their inability to recognize the need for programs specifically designed to meet their needs.
School personnel reported that the positive and welcoming school climate present in Eagle
Middle School adequately supported the needs of all students and did not necessitate the need for
programs designed specifically for military-connected students. However, school personnel also
recognized that military-connected children faced unique challenges not typical of other
adolescents in their school, such a frequent relocation and parental deployments. While school
personnel wanted to be seen as doing the right thing for military-connected children in a
community with a large military population, the data showed conflicting messages expressed of
1) military-connected children face unique challenges, but 2) specific programs are not necessary
in order to support these children in dealing with these unique challenges.
The third finding was that school personnel with a personal military connection
themselves provided greater support to military-connected students in that they were familiar
with the lifestyle and the unique stressors and challenges faced by military-connected children
and their families. By having staff that had a military connection, whether by having previously
served in the military, by having been a military spouse or dependent, or by having previously
worked in a Department of Defense Dependents School, it appeared that Eagle Middle School
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 122
administrators, faculty, and staff believed that they were able to meet the academic and
behavioral needs of the military-connected students in their school. Additionally, school
personnel with a personal military connection had greater empathy and understanding for the
plight of the military child, and could therefore better appreciate the need for programs specific
to military-connected children. The next section provides a discussion of the implications and
recommendations for practice, policy, and further research related to these findings.
Implications and Recommendations for Practice, Policy, and Research
Although research has shown that military children attending schools on military
installations or in communities with a large number of military-affiliated families experience less
stress in adapting to school environments (Bradshaw et al., 2010), the vast majority of military-
connected children do not attend schools on military installations (De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda
et al., 2012). Many schools do not know how to effectively deal with problems unique to
military children (Bradshaw et al., 2010; Brendel et al., 2014; De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et
al., 2012). Because of this, public schools must find ways to address the needs of military-
connected children.
This study provided qualitative data on the academic and behavioral support
administrators, faculty, and staff provided to military-connected children in one public middle
school. Although funding and attention have been directed at the problems associated with
educating military children, research continues to be lacking in areas where the greatest impacts
can be made (Esqueda et al., 2012). Research documenting effective programs, best practices,
and successful interventions is needed (De Pedro et al., 2011; Esqueda et al., 2012; Park, 2011).
This study sought to discover the types of support presently provided to military-connected
children in public schools by conducting a case study of one public school in a military
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 123
community. Although not a complete review of all support provided to military-connected
children in a public school system or district serving a military community, the data gathered
from this case study disclosed relevant themes that provide implications for practice, policy, and
future research. As such, the recommendations offered below can be used as a foundation for
practices currently in place which can help to develop further practices, policies, and research on
military-connected children.
Implications and Recommendations for Practice
The findings suggest that school personnel and administrators at Eagle Middle School
believed that they provided sufficient academic and behavioral support to military-connected
students by creating a positive environment that was warm and welcoming. However, from a
first-person perspective, military families often do not believe that the civilian public
understands or supports them properly (Mmari, Roche, Sudhinaraset, & Blum, 2009). While
schools can be positive settings that work to create a buffer for children from external risk factors
such as community violence, family stress, natural disaster, and war (Astor, Benbenishty, &
Estrada, 2009), merely having a positive school environment may not adequately address the
specific needs of military-connected children. Having supports specifically designed for
military-connected children can potentially contribute to more positive schooling experiences for
military-connected children by creating a school environment that acts as a protective setting
where they can work through the many unique military-related stressors they face (De Pedro,
Esqueda et al., 2014). To so do, however, schools must have programs specifically designed for
military-connected children.
As findings also indicated, school personnel did not believe programs specifically
targeting military-connected children were necessary nor warranted. School personnel and
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 124
administrators believed that the needs for all students were being met by the programs in place,
and if a previously unidentified need should arise, it would be addressed as necessary. The
dissonance between the beliefs of school personnel that the programs in place worked to support
all students, yet acknowledging that military-connected children faced challenges not
experienced by their non-military connected peers, suggests the possibility that the needs of
military-connected students might not be met because they are in fact different than the needs of
other students. Having programs specifically targeting military-connected children and their
needs, even if these programs also served other students, would formally recognize the
challenges military-connected children face as unique and warranting of specific programs or
novel approaches for dealing with their issues. While research highlighted that most schools do
not have specialized programs targeting military-connected children, there was a common
interest in learning more about programs aimed at supporting military-connected students
(DePedro, Atuel, et al., 2014). Even simple programs whose only purpose is to bring military-
connected students together to share experiences and recognize they are not alone can provide
social and emotional support without expending significant time or resources on the part of
school. As participants on one study described, programs such as designated spaces where
military-connected students could gather to share experiences and provide one another with
support in a safe environment for sharing were useful in meeting the needs of military-connected
children (De Pedro, Esqueda et al., 2014).
Similarly, awareness of programs and resources outside of the school could also serve to
enrich the support provided to military-connected students at Eagle Middle School. Recent
studies have found that many teachers were often not aware of school liaison officers attached to
their schools or available as a resource (Garner et al., 2014). Consistent with this finding, data
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 125
from the current study suggested that available resources were often not utilized because of lack
of knowledge, lack of emphasis by leadership, or lack of trust. While both a school liaison
officer and a district level military liaison were available, school personnel did not understand
their role or seek their support for military-related issues. In addition, both liaisons at the school
and district level did not actively insert themselves into the school environment for various
reasons, to include newness to the position and fear of “stepping on toes.” In the interest of
serving the military-connected children, better collaboration between the military liaisons and
school personnel would help to make available resources for military-connected children. As
prior research has shown, school personnel are often not even aware of the existence of school
liaison officers or other military community-based resources (Garner et al., 2014). Efforts to
increase awareness would help the school staff gain an understanding of the available resources,
and the military school liaisons could better understand the needs of military-connected children
in the servicing schools.
Finally, to ease the challenges faced by military-connected children, Eagle Middle School
could work to make integrating into the school easier. Students with high rates of mobility, such
as military-connected children, have to contend with many issues, such as differences in
academic and state performance standards, changes in educational missions and philosophies,
delays in schools receiving student records, and course sequencing. When entering a new
school, highly mobile children might encounter barriers to becoming involved in extracurricular
activities or sports, missed or repetitive entrance or exit exams, or differing graduation
requirements (De Pedro et al., 2011). Establishing flexible practices of maximum inclusion for
newly arriving students would help to ease the already heavy burden faced by military-connected
children in transition. This would include flexible practices of extending deadlines for tryouts to
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 126
sports or clubs, which military-connected children might have missed if tryouts or signups
occurred prior to their arrival, or allowing participation even if the student arrived after the
beginning of a sport season.
Implications and Recommendations for Policy
Findings from this study suggested that school personnel believed military-connected
students at Eagle Middle School received the academic and behavioral support they needed due
to the positive school environment. This is consistent with prior research showing that a
supportive and positive school climate may have a positive impact on the academic, social, and
emotional outcomes of military-connected children (Astor et al., 2009). However, school
personnel at Eagle Middle School were often assuming military-connected children were
receiving the support they needed without typically knowing who was or was not a military-
connected child. One of the problems many public schools face in supporting military-connected
children is the difficulty they have in identifying a military affiliation with the children enrolled
in their schools (Kudler & Porter, 2013).
The data from this study also showed that identification of children with a military
connection was recognized as a problem in the school, as well as at the district level, with no
systematic or reliable means for identifying military affiliation. Although identifying military-
connected children would not seem to be a difficult task, as with prior research, concerted
attention on accurately identifying children with a military affiliation has not been a priority
despite many faculty and staff recognizing the usefulness in knowing which students were
military-connected. Knowing the population of military-connected students in each school
would also allow districts to better allocate resources aimed at providing support to this
demographic. Similarly, military agencies could provide service and support to military-
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 127
connected children in public schools if they knew in where they were located. Adding check
boxes or drop-down menus to registration programs and packet would allow for data on military
affiliation to be collected.
The first step in supporting military-connected children is knowing who they are, but
beyond identifying them, recognizing military families as a distinct cultural group with separate
and unique needs is the next step in providing support. To this end, including classes on military
culture and problems faced by military-connected children in teacher degree programs at
colleges and universities can serve to expose future educators to the issues faced by military-
connected children and give them strategies on how to respond to the academic, social, and
emotional needs of military-connected children. In addition, training programs as part of
schools’ continuing professional education programs can help teachers understand the challenges
faced by military-connected children and familiarize them with the military culture so that they
can better support military-connected children. Prior research has shown that there are only a
small number of known teacher education or personnel training programs offering evidence-
based training modules, materials, or courses on military-connected children (De Pedro et al.,
2011). As suggested by the finding of this study, training is needed to give school personnel the
background information and context for providing support to military-connected children.
Implications and Recommendations for Future Research
Findings of this study revealed that military-connected children often exist in schools
with little known about the level or type of support they need, or if the support that is provided is
adequate to meet the unique issues and stressors they face. Few empirical studies on the
strategies that civilian public schools use to respond to or support military families are currently
available in the literature. Given the United States’ long history with many wars, it is surprising
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 128
that there is a lack of research examining the potential role of civilian schools in supporting
military families and that military families are not included in civilian school reform agendas and
national educational policies (De Pedro et al, 2011). As this study was a case study of only one
public school serving military-connected students and the support it provides to its military-
connected students, more research is needed to know if the implications and findings from this
study are consistent with findings in other public schools across the nation serving military
populations. In addition, the findings from this study were collected exclusively from school
personnel and administrators. Expanding research to include parents and student’s perceptions
will give a better overall picture of the academic and behavioral support provided to military-
connected children.
Research is needed on how schools can identify and group military children in schools or
classes to help them integrate and adapt, as well as how to systematically monitor and respond to
behavioral indicators and psychological stress they experience. Findings from this study with
regard to the impacts that a positive school environment can make on the support provided to
military-connected students were incomplete. As such, a longer study should be conducted to
provide more data for examination. In addition, more insight into specific programs designed to
meet the needs of military-connected students is needed, particularly programs in use which are
designed to support military-connected children and have been shown to be a valued resource for
helping these children to deal with the stresses of military life. Recommendations from prior
research has included creating supportive school environments for military-connected children
by specifically focusing attention when developing and defining school reform agendas (De
Pedro et al., 2011). In addition, more research is needed to identify how much prior experience
with military culture is necessary to encourage empathy for the plight of the military child, and
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 129
to be able to provide the support needed. Finally, it would useful to look at how programs and
practices used in predominately military-affiliated schools, such as the Department of Defense
Dependents Schools, can be implemented in public schools.
Conclusion
This study provided qualitative data that documented the academic and behavioral
support provided to military-connected children in a public school. Analysis of the data
provided implications and recommendations for practice, policy, and future research. Based on
the findings that emerged from this study, the implications and recommendations for practice,
policy, and future research could provide support to military-connected students in public
schools in communities supporting military populations in order to ease their transition and
integration into new schools, and more importantly, their success and achievement academically,
socially, and emotionally.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 130
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Appendix A: Information Sheet

A CASE STUDY OF THE ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT PROVIDED TO
MILITARY-CONNECTED CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Bertha MacMillan, Doctoral
Candidate, under the supervision of the Faculty Advisor, Julie Slayton, PhD., at the University of
Southern California, because you are an administrator, staff, or educator in a public school with
military-connected students. Your participation is voluntary. You should read the information
below, and ask questions about anything you do not understand, before deciding whether to
participate. Please take as much time as you need to read the consent form. You may also decide
to discuss participation with your family or friends. You can keep this form for your records.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study is to examine the academic and behavioral support provided to military-
connected children attending a public school.

STUDY PROCEDURES
If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will be asked to participate in one formal, semi-
structured interview. The questions will be open-ended and center around your knowledge of the
academic and behavioral support provided to military-connected students in your school. This
meeting can be scheduled at a location and time of convenience to you, and can be conducted in
person, over the phone or over the Internet based on your preference. Handwritten notes will be
taken to record interview responses.

As part of the interview procedures, you may be asked to share documents with the researcher,
such as program descriptions, course syllabi, student learning outcomes and textbooks.

The researcher will also ask to be allowed to conduct between 8 and 10 observations within the
school setting totaling up to 9 hours. During these visits, the researcher will be looking at the
school climate and environment which lends to the support of military-connected students. She
will be looking at the interactions of the faculty and staff with students which lends to a welcoming
a supportive environment for all students, but most specifically for military-connected students.
No information identifying the faculty, staff, or students will be recorded. The researcher will take
handwritten notes of her observations and will not interact with any faculty, staff, or students
during the observations.

This study should take approximately 4 weeks to conduct and will begin with the formal interview
(Week 1), followed by on-campus observations (for a total of 9 hours) during 4 consecutive weeks
(Weeks 1-4). Informal interviews will be conducted on an as needed basis.

Interviews will last approximately 30-45 minutes. Observations will last approximately 1 hour
per visit. The researcher will spend a total of 9 hours conducting observations over the course of
the study.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 136
POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
There are no anticipated risks in participating in this study. You may feel discomfort being
observed or answering questions.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
You may not directly benefit from your participation in this study—although you may gain insight
into the academic and behavioral supports currently provided to military-connected students in
your school. This study may benefit society in identifying and gaining insight into the support
currently provided to military-connected students in public schools in an effort to meet their
academic and behavioral needs.

CONFIDENTIALITY
Any identifiable information obtained in connection with this study will remain confidential.
Recordings of the interviews will be transcribed by a professional transcription service. The data
will not be maintained by that service; it will be transcribed then returned to me.

The data, including identifiers, audio recordings and transcriptions will be stored on a password
protected computer. This is called “raw data.” The researcher and the faculty advisor will have
access to the raw data in a Dropbox folder, and if you would like to see your raw data, you will be
given access to it. The raw data, including identifiers, will be retained for future research. If you
don’t want your data or identifiers retained for future studies, you should not participate.

The members of the research team and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects
Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research studies
to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.

When the results of the research are published or discussed in conferences, no identifiable
information will be used. Study findings will not be shared with your employer.

PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
Your participation is voluntary. Your decision whether or not to participate will involve no penalty
or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You may withdraw your consent at any
time and discontinue participation without penalty. You are not waiving any legal claims, rights
or remedies because of your participation in this research study.

ALTERNATIVES TO PARTICIPATION
Your alternative is to not participate in this study; your relationship with your employer will not
be affected, whether or not you participate in this study.

INVESTIGATOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact the Principal
Investigator, Bertha MacMillan, via phone at (719) 205-1509; email at bjmacmil@usc.edu or using
the address at the top of this document.

RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT – IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 137
research in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone
independent of the research team, please contact the University Park Institutional Review Board
(UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or
upirb@usc.edu

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 138

Appendix B: Interview Protocols
Interview Protocol – Admin/Staff
Introduction
Thank you for agreeing to participate in my study. I appreciate the time that you have set
aside to answer some of my questions. The interview should take about 20 – 30 minutes. Does
that work for you?
Before we get started, I want to provide you with an overview of my study and answer
any questions you might have about participating. I am currently a doctoral candidate at the
University of Southern California. I am completing this study as part of my dissertation. I will
be conducting both interviews and making observations which will help me to answer my
research question, which is how do school personnel work to meet the academic and behavioral
needs of military-connected students in public schools.
I want to assure you that I am strictly wearing the hat of researcher today. What this means is
that the nature of my questions (and observations) are not evaluative. I will not be making any
judgments on how you are performing your duties. None of the data I collect will be shared with
your peers, coworkers, or other staff. I will not be using any names or identifying information. I
will be using pseudonyms in anything I write and will mask the name of the school in addition to
the identity of the respondents/participants. In addition, in the name of student privacy, I ask that
you not use names or situational specifics that could be used to identify students when answering
questions.
Do you have any questions about the study before we get started? If you don’t have any (more)
questions, I would like to have your permission to begin the interview.
Setting the Stage
1. I am hoping we could start with you telling me a little bit about your role and
responsibilities in the school.

2. How long have you been in this position?

3. How would you describe the climate of your school?

4. What would be a good example of the climate in your school in terms of how the students
behave?

5. What would I expect to see if I were to walk onto your school campus on any particular
day?

6. How do people interact with each other?
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 139
7. Please describe the environment where you perform your duties, both the physical
environment and how working in this environment makes you feel.
8. What would be a good example of an interaction that you think represents the climate?
9. Describe a recent day. What happened that communicates the climate of the school?
10. What is the climate for adults? Kids? Teachers? Faculty and staff?
11. How do people get along with each other here?
12. Would you say it was a warm and inviting place or a hard place for people to get to know
each other?
13. Would you say that new staff have an easy or hard time becoming part of the school
community?
14. What are some of the things you do in your school to make new students feel welcome?

15. Would you say that the students think this is a welcoming place? Why or why not?

16. Would you say that parents think this is a welcoming place? Why or why not?

17. What are the interactions like between you and the parents in particular?

18. Do your interactions with the parents of military-connected kids sound different than the
interactions with other parents? Why? In what way?

19. How do you become aware if a parent of a military-connected child is deployed?

20. Does that have any effect in the way you interact with the child?

21. Are there programs in the school targeted at kid with deployed parents? Please describe
them.

Interview
22. Now I’d like to look at your role as it relates to military-connected children. To begin with,
how are military-connected children identified in your school?

23. To your knowledge, what is the current population of military-connected students in your
school?

24. Is it difficult to identify military-connected children? If so, why? If not, why not?

25. What would you say tells you, if anything, that this child is military-connected?

26. What are some of the ways you know a child is military-connected?
27. Think about a child you know to be military-connected. Tell me about him or her.
28. How frequently do you have contact with military-connected students?
29. Can you tell me a little about your role as it relates to military-connected children?
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 140

30. What types of support do you believe military-connected children need that are different
from other children in the school?

31. Tell me about a recent event that you think would demonstrate these differences, or lack
thereof.

32. What are other populations of highly mobile children that attend your school, if any?

33. Tell me a little bit about what distinguishes them from other kids in school, if any.
34. Are there differences in the way those kids experience the school versus the way that
military-connected children experience the school?

35. What types of programs currently exist in your school to support military connected
children? Please describe them to me.

36. Who is the target audience for each of these programs?

37. Do you believe these programs are helping military-connected children adjust to the
school? If so, in what ways? Or if not, why?

38. What are some of the ways you see other personnel in your school providing support to
military-connected children? Think about a recent example and tell me about it.

39. Please describe for me some of the types of problems you see military-connected children
encounter in general, or as they transition to your school?

40. Think about a particular child who you think had this problem. What happened?

41. What is an example of how a need is not being met for military-connected children?

42. What do you think you could personally be doing better or more of to help military-
connected children?

43. What process is used at your school to identify military-connected children who need
assistance? Who is involved in that process?

44. What do you think the greatest challenge is in supporting military-connected children?

45. Think about a time when you have been able to provide the support, either academically or
behaviorally, to a military-connected child at your school. Describe that experience to me.
46. Are there barriers in your school that make it difficult for you to do what you believe is in
the best interest of military-connected children? If so, what are those barriers?
47. Think about a time when you found it difficult to meet the needs of a military-connected
child. Tell me about that.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 141
48. Think about a time when you were able to work with a military-connected child to
successfully meet their needs. Please describe the experience to me.
49. Now think of a particular instance where you have found yourself unable to provide the
support needed to a military-connected child at this school. Talk to me about that
experience.
50. What types of programs do you believe would be helpful for military-connected children in
your school?

51. If you were able to do anything you believed you needed to do to meet the needs of the
children you serve, what would you differently than you do right now?

52. What do you feel is the greatest need of military children that you, in your role, can help
fill?

53. What would you say are the challenges you face in supporting military-connected children
with whom you work?

54. Think about a time a student might have come to you and expressed concern that he or she
had not made any friends since their arrival. What did you do or say?
55. What other members of the school staff or administration do you work with to identify
military-connected children in need of assistance?
56. Think of a particular instance where you have found yourself unable to provide the support
needed to a military-connected child at this school. Talk to me about that experience.
57. If you were able to do anything you believed you needed to do to meet the needs of the
children you serve, what would you differently than you do right now?
58. Suppose a student came to you and expressed concern that he had not made any friends
since his arrival. How might your respond in that situation?

59. So we have spent most of our time talking about your role as it pertains to military-
connected children. Now I would like to change gears a bit and ask about any specialized
training you might have received to help you in working with military-connected children?

60. By whom was the training provided?

61. How, if at all, does the training support your ability to work with military-connected
children?

62. If it doesn’t help, what is it that you think the training is missing?

63. Are there things you believe you need to know or be able to do in order to do a better job in
serving military-connected children?

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 142

Closing Question
64. I am wondering if there is anything that you would like to add to our conversation today. Is
there anything we have not talked about that would help me understand your experiences in
supporting military-connected children?
Closing
Thank you so much for you sharing your thoughts with me today! I really appreciate
your time and willingness to share. Everything that you have shared is really helpful for my
study. If I find myself with a follow-up question, I am wondering if I might be able to contact
you, and if so, if email is ok? Again, thank you for participating in my study and for all you do
to help military families.
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 143
Interview Protocol – Faculty
Introduction
Thank you for agreeing to participate in my study. I appreciate the time that you have set
aside to answer some of my questions. The interview should take about 20-30 minutes. Does
that work for you?
Before we get started, I want to provide you with an overview of my study and answer
any questions you might have about participating. I am currently a doctoral candidate at the
University of Southern California. I am completing this study as part of my dissertation. I will
be conducting both interviews and making observations which will help me to answer my
research question, which is how do school personnel work to meet the academic and behavioral
needs of military-connected students in public schools.
I want to assure you that I am strictly wearing the hat of researcher today. What this means is
that the nature of my questions (and observations) are not evaluative. I will not be making any
judgments on how you are performing your duties. None of the data I collect will be shared with
any teachers, the principal, or the district. I will not be using any names or identifying
information. I will be using pseudonyms in anything I write and will mask the name of the
school in addition to the identity of the respondents/participants. In addition, in the name of
student privacy, I ask that you not use names or situational specifics that could be used to
identify students when answering questions.
Do you have any questions about the study before we get started? If you don’t have any (more)
questions, I would like to have your permission to begin the interview.
Setting the Stage
1. I am hoping we could start with you telling me a little bit about your role and
responsibilities in the school.

2. How long have you been in this position?

3. Please describe the environment where you perform your duties, both the physical
environment and how working in this environment makes you feel.

4. Let’s talk about your classroom. Tell me about the climate in your classroom.

5. What do you expect the climate to be like, and how do you accomplish that?

6. What would be a good example of the climate in your classroom in terms of how the
students behave?
7. What would I expect to see if I were to walk into your classroom on any particular day?
8. Describe a recent day. What happened that communicates the climate of the class?

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 144
9. What are some of the things you do in your classrooms to make new students feel
welcome?

10. How would you describe the climate of your school?

11. How do people interact with each other?

12. What would be a good example of an interaction that you think represents the climate of
the school?
13. What is the climate for adults?
14. What is the climate for kids?
15. What is the climate for teachers?

16. What are some of the things your school does to welcome new students?

17. How do people get along with each other here?

18. Would you say it was a warm and inviting place or a hard place for people to get to know
each other?

19. Would you say that new staff have an easy or hard time becoming part of the school
community?

20. Would you say that parents think this is a welcoming place? Why or why not?

21. Are there particular experiences, or one particular experience, that you can point to that you
think demonstrates how parents interact with the school?

22. What are the interactions like between you and the parents?

23. What would you say is the kind of relationship you have with the parents of guardians of
military-connected children?

24. Do parent/teacher conferences with the parents of military-connected kids sound different
than the conferences with other parents? In what way?

25. How do you become aware if a parent of a military-connected child is deployed?

26. Does that have any effect in the way you interact with the child?
Interview
27. Now I’d like to look more at your role as it relates to military-connected children. To
begin with, how are military-connected children identified in your school?
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 145
28. When a new child comes into your class, do you know if that child is a military-connected
child? If so, how do you know?

29. At the beginning of the year, do you know who the military-connected kids are or if there
are any in your class? How do you know?

30. To your knowledge, what is the current population of military-connected students in your
school?

31. Is it difficult to identify military-connected children? Why or why not?

32. Think about a child you know to be military-connected. Tell me about him or her.
33. What would you say tells you, if anything, that this child is military-connected?

34. What types of support do you believe military-connected children need that are different
from other children in the school?

35. What are other populations of highly mobile children that attend your school, if any?

36. Tell me a little bit about what distinguishes them from other kids in school, if any.

37. Are there differences in the way those kids experience the school versus the way that
military-connected children experience the school?

38. Please tell me a little about your role as it relates to military-connected children?

39. Are there particular responsibilities you have with respect to working with them? Please
describe these, if any.

40. What types of programs currently exist in your school to support military connected
children? Please describe them to me.

41. Who is the target audience for each of these programs?

42. Do you believe these programs are helping military-connected children adjust to the
school? If so, in what ways? Or if not, why?

43. What are some of the ways you see other personnel in your school providing support to
military-connected children? Think about a recent example and tell me about it.

44. Please describe for me some of the types of problems you see military-connected children
encounter in general, or as they transition to your school?

45. Think about a particular child who you think had this problem. What happened?
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 146
46. What is an example of how a need is not being met for military-connected children?

47. What do you think you could personally be doing better or more of to help military-
connected children?

48. What process is used at your school to identify military-connected children who need
assistance?

49. Who is involved in that process?

50. What do you think the greatest challenge is in supporting military-connected children?

51. Think about a time when you found it difficult to meet the needs of a military-connected
child. Tell me about that.

52. Think about a time when you have been able to provide the support, either academically or
behaviorally, to a military-connected child at your school. Describe that experience to me.

53. Are there barriers in your school that make it difficult for you to do what you believe is in
the best interest of military-connected children? If so, what are those barriers?

54. Describe an experience where one of those barriers existed.

55. Think about a time when you were able to work with a military-connected child to
successfully meet their needs. Please describe the experience to me.

56. Now think of a particular instance where you have found yourself unable to provide the
support needed to a military-connected child at this school. Talk to me about that
experience.

57. If you were able to do anything you believed you needed to do to meet the needs of the
children you serve, what would you differently than you do right now?

58. Think about a time a student might have come to you and expressed concern that he or she
had not made any friends since their arrival. What did you do or say?

59. So we have spent most of our time talking about your role as it pertains to military-
connected children. Now I would like to change gears a bit and ask about any specialized
training you might have received to help you in working with military-connected children?

60. By whom was the training provided?

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT TO MC CHILDREN 147
61. How, if at all, does the training support your ability to work with military-connected
children?

62. If it doesn’t help, what is it that you think the training is missing?
63. Are there things you believe you need to know or be able to do in order to do a better job in
serving military-connected children?

Closing Question
64. I am wondering if there is anything that you would like to add to our conversation today. Is
there anything we have not talked about that would help me understand your experiences in
supporting military-connected children?

Closing
Thank you so much for you sharing your thoughts with me today! I really appreciate
your time and willingness to share. Everything that you have shared is really helpful for my
study. If I find myself with a follow-up question, I am wondering if I might be able to contact
you, and if so, if email is ok? Again, thank you for participating in my study and for all you do
to help military families.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Military-connected children face many unique challenges and stresses while growing up as part of a military family. Although military-connected children attending schools on military installations are more successful and experience less stress in adapting to school environments, the vast majority of military-connected students do not attend school on military installations. Little is known about the types of support provided to military-connected children in public schools because few qualitative studies exploring the support given to military-connected children in public schools exist. This qualitative case study specifically looked at the academic and behavioral support provided to military-connected children in a public school in a community with a large military population. The study was based on interviews with 13 school administrators, faculty, and staff in a middle school with a military-connected student population greater than 20 percent. ❧ Findings revealed that school personnel believed that they were meeting the academic and behavioral needs of military-connected students by offering a positive school climate that was welcoming and inviting. Secondly, there appeared to be an unspoken tension among the staff and administrators whereby they wanted to be seen as doing the right thing and providing support to military-connected children, but did not want to label the support as specific or exclusive to military-connected children for fear of looking as if military-connected children received special attention or treatment. Finally, school staff and personnel with a military affiliation appeared to be more willing to support military-connected students and had greater empathy for the unique challenges they faced.

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Asset Metadata

Creator MacMillan, Bertha Jean (author)

Core Title A case study of the academic and behavioral support provided to military-connected children in public schools

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 01/18/2018

Defense Date 12/14/2017

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag academic and behavioral support,military-connected children,OAI-PMH Harvest,Public schools

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Slayton, Julie (committee chair), Datta, Monique (committee member), Hinga, Briana (committee member)

Creator Email bjmacmil@usc.edu,robberalm@aol.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-462981

Unique identifier UC11267237

Identifier etd-MacMillanB-5960.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-462981 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-MacMillanB-5960.pdf

Dmrecord 462981

Document Type Dissertation

Rights MacMillan, Bertha Jean

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA