Easing Transitions of Military Dependents into Hawaii Public Schools: An Invitational Education Link.

Abstract

Over 15, 000 military dependent students attend Hawaii public schools, about 8% of the total student population. The transition to Hawaii schools has been identified by many military families as a challenge and one more difficult than other transitions their families have made. A generally acknowledged negative perception of Hawaii public schools among the military community worldwide does nothing to ease this transition, especially when schooling ranks near the top of military families' quality-of-life issues Other factors that have made the transition difficult include cultural differences and some local school policies This study draws on the following: federally funded research and programs to ease school transitions for military dependent students, five years of customer satisfaction surveys done with military families in Hawaii, and descriptions of the numerous programs and activities underway in the state. These programs and activities are sponsored jointly by the military and the Department of Education to welcome military dependent students into the public schools and provide them with a quality education. From a broad overview of the situation for military dependent students worldwide, this study hones in on efforts in Hawaii and the connections to the research literature including Invitational Education (IE). The study includes a description of the prevalence of IE at the University of Hawaii and its congruence with Hawaiian values as well as with the research on school connectedness that underlies much of the national-level effort at easing military student transitions. Background There are over half a million children of military families in the United States (Association of the United States Army [AUSA], 2001). These children move three times more often than other children and attend from six to nine schools during their K-12 school years (Military Child Education Coalition [MCEC], 2001). Moving every 1 to 4 years, military families live all over the United States and the world. These families have all the same hopes, dreams, and needs as other American families, among them the education and welfare of their children. However, unlike most of our citizens, military families have no choice in where they live, work, and raise their families. Additionally, they live with the uncertainty and stress that attends having a parent mobilized for duty in dangerous places whenever called (UA there are more than 600 autonomous local school districts serving military children (AUSA, 2001). …