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Notes from May 9 PLC Session #8 - Coordinated Systems of Support

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Coordinated Systems of Support

5/9/2024

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Notes from the April PLC Session #7 - Strategies to Identify Military-Connected Students and Inform Stakeholders

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Strategies to Identify Military-Connected Students and Inform Stakeholders

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Notes from the March PLC Session #6 - Coordinating Successful Welcome and Exit Transitions

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Notes from the February PLC Session #5: Successful Application and Implementation

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Coordinating Successful Welcome and Exit Transitions

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Successful Application and Implementation

2/8/2024

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Strategies to Identify Military-Connected Students and Inform Stakeholders

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Strategies to Identify Military-Connected Students and Inform Stakeholders

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Coordinating Successful Welcome and Exit Transitions

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Coordinating Successful Welcome and Exit Transitions

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Notes from the December PLC Session #4: Military Family Webpages

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Military Family Webpages 12/07/2023

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Recognition Events for Military-Connected Students and Families

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Recognition Events for Military-Connected Students and Families

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Notes from the November PLC Session #3: Peer-Led Student Transition Teams

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Peer-Led Transition Teams

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Notes from the October PLC Session #2: Recognition for Military-Connected Students and Families

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Notes from the September PLC Session #1: Building Your Team and Creating Buy In

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Recognition Events for Military Students and Families

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Building Your Team and Creating Buy-in

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https://mic3.net

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https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/other-services/military-families/purple-star-campus-faq.pdf

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https://tea.texas.gov/academics/special-student-populations/purple-star-campus-application-rubric-2022.pdf

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https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/other-services/military-families/purple-star-campus-designation

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The Purple Star Campus Designation recognizes Texas district and charter schools that show their support and commitment to meeting the unique needs of military-connected students and their families.

This special honor was created by the 86 th Texas Legislature through SB 1557 and further described in agency rule (19 TAC, § 61.1063), effective April 9, 2020.

Every fall, TEA awards the Purple Star Campus designation to campuses that apply and meet the established criteria (see below). Campuses that are selected will receive a special Purple Star recognition to display on campus or on the school website. Campuses selected will also have their designation featured on the TxSchools.gov web page.

Purple Star Campus Designation Awardees

New Awardees

2023-24 Purple Star Campus awardees will be announced Fall 2023

Previous Awardees

Criteria at a Glance
1) Designate a campus-based military liaison that must:

Support military connected students and their families.

Offer professional development opportunities for staff members on issues related to military-connected students.

2) Create and maintain an easily accessible web page that includes information for military-connected students and their families. 3) Must have a campus transition program that includes:

Introductions to school environment and processes.

Student leaders or ambassadors should be support or sponsored by a campus-based staff member.

Participate in organizing and hosting newcomer social events, facilitating guided tours of the campus, and accompanying new students to lunch the first week of school.

4) Offer at least one of the following initiatives:

A resolution showing support for military-connected students and families;

Participation in Month of the Military Child or Military Family Month; or

Partnership with a school liaison officer to encourage and provide opportunities for active duty military members.

To see the Purple Star Campus Designation rule in its entirety visit: 19 TAC, Chapter 61. School Districts, Subchapter FF. Commissioner's Rules Concerning Veterans and Military Dependents. Division 2, Military-Connected Students, § 61.1063.

How to Apply

Applications for the 2023-24 school year closed on June 2, 2023. Those applications are currently under review. Purple Star Campus awardees will be announced in Fall 2023. Applications for the 2024-25 school year will open in April 2024.

SY 2023-24 Purple Star Campus Application Information

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The Purple Star Campus Designation recognizes Texas district and charter schools that show their support and commitment to meeting the unique needs of military-connected students and their families. This special honor was created by the 86 th Texas Legislature through SB 1557 and further described in agency rule (19 TAC, § 61.1063), effective April 9, 2020.

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https://www.militarychild.org/upload/images/Purple%20Star%20Schools/2022_602_PSS_CPRL_Report.pdf

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https://www.militarychild.org/upload/files/resources/FAQs_on_Military_Connected_Stude.2%20-%20Copy%201.pdf

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https://www.militarychild.org/upload/files/purple%20star/MCEC_Purple_Star_Report_Final_20.04.pdf

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https://www.militarychild.org/purplestarschools

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A Purple Star School is a public or charter school that has committed to supporting the unique educational and social-emotional needs of military-connected children.

These schools recognize that military-connected students must move whenever their active-duty parent receives a relocation order (called a Permanent Change of Station) and will uproot and change schools far more often than their civilian peers.

In fact, a military-connected child can expect to move six to nine times from kindergarten through their high school graduation, with approximately 200,000 students transitioning to a new school in any given year.

Purple Star Schools help military-connected students transition successfully with measures that include:

Training a staff member to ease entry into the new academic environment,

Student-led programs to help create social connections,

A military family webpage on the school website to inform parents, and

Relevant professional development opportunities for additional school staff.

State programs may require schools to meet additional criteria such as holding school-wide military recognition events that encourage tolerance and inclusion.

A primary goal of these programs is to ensure that staff can help manage the challenges military-connected children face when they move between schools with different cultures, curricula, standards, course offerings, schedules and graduation requirements.

Purple Star Schools are especially attentive to students who arrive mid-year, missing out on the normal cycles of sports and club activities.

Finally, Purple Star Schools acknowledge that every military-connected child has left behind friends and support networks and may be dealing with a parent who is away from home on deployment.

A national, grassroots effort, the Purple Star School initiative encourages states to develop a certification program that designates qualifying schools as friendly to, and familiar with, the unique education and social-emotional needs of military-connected children.

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to Purple Star School programs, most states create an application process in which schools apply for designation as a Purple Star School by showing they have, at a minimum, met the four basic criteria noted above. Learn more about the criteria under the requirements section below.

The initiative has been so successful in certain states, military parents now routinely seek out Purple Star Schools for their children due to the level of support they can expect from these schools and their awareness of the challenges of life in a military family.
School District programs
The Purple Star School initiative is intentionally flexible: individual school districts are encouraged to start a program when their state department of education is unable to do so. MCEC can provide comprehensive guidance and consultation for states and school districts seeking to launch a program.

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A Purple Star School is a public or charter school that has committed to supporting the unique educational and social-emotional needs of military-connected children. These schools recognize that military-connected students must move whenever their active-duty parent receives a relocation order (called a Permanent Change of Station) and will uproot and change schools far more often than their civilian peers.

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MCEC® Purple Star Readiness ECHO® - Session 1Building Your Team & Creating Buy In | MCEC® Purple Star Readiness ECHO® - Session 1 Building Your Team & Creating Buy In

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MCEC® Purple Star Readiness ECHO® - Session 1 Building Your Team & Creating Buy In