The work of the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) is focused on ensuring quality educational opportunities for all military children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition. A 501(c)(3) non-profit, world-wide organization, the MCEC performs research, develops resources, conducts professional institutes and conferences, and develops and publishes resources for all constituencies.

Military children generally move six to nine times during their K-12 school years. Many make multiple moves during high school years alone, some even during their senior year.

In addition to giving up friends and routines, students must deal with other frustrations as they move across state lines or even from school to school, such as:

• academic standards and courses,
• access to programs,
• promotion and graduation requirements,
• programs for children with special needs,
• and transfer and acceptance of records.

Separation from a deployed parent (or parents) raises an additional issue. The role of the MCEC is to help families, schools, and communities be better prepared to support military-connected children throughout their academic careers.

To do this, the MCEC will:

• Develop information to support the transitioning military student.
• Develop and maintain an alliance of school districts for the purposes of communication and networking.
• Determine the support military installations could potentially provide local districts.
• Examine technologies (teleconferencing, Internet, etc.) and develop procedures to support information sharing between military impacted school districts.
• Examine sources of funding to support the alliance.
• Develop an action plan to implement the above objectives.