Fairchild Air Force Base 2016-2017 Military Family Education Handbook School Liaison Officer 4 W. Castle St. Fairchild AFB, WA. 99011 Com: 509-247-2246 DSN: 657-2246 E-mail: [email protected] DISCLAIMER: This Military Family Education Handbook is not intended to be exhaustive, but instead should serve as a tool for military parents and families assigned to Fairchild AFB. Contents are current as of October 2016. Written and Designed By Steve McMullen 1 Table of contents Welcome to Fairchild Air Force Base………………………………………………………..5 Section One: General Information………………………………………………………………..6 Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction…………….……………6 Interstate Compact……………………………………………………………………………6 School Locator………………………………………………………………………………….6 New Student Registration process…………………………………………………….6 Graduation requirements………………………………………………………………….7 Learning Standards……………………………………………………………………………7 Student Assessments’…………………………………………………………………..7 Compulsory Attendance……………………………………………………………………7 Running Start Program………………………………………………………………….8 Section Two: Public School Information……………………………………………………8 Medical Lake School District……………………………………………………………..8 Cheney School District………………………………………………………………….8 Spokane School District…………………………………………………………………9 Mead School District…………………………………………………………………….9 Reardan-Edwall School District………………………………………………………….9 Central Valley School District…………………………………………………………….9 West Valley School District………………………………………………………………10 East Valley School District……………………………………………………………….10 Nine Mile Falls School District………………………………………………………….10 2 Section Three: Private School Information………………………………………………….11 Northwest Christian School……………………………………………………………..11 All Saints Catholic School…………………………………………………………………11 Saint George’s School………………………………………………………………………11 Gonzaga Preparatory School………………………………………………………..12 Section Four: Home Schooling Information……………………………………………..12 Home school information……………………………………………………………12 Section Five: Special Education and Schools…………………………………………….12 Spokane Regional Health District Infant and Toddler Network…………12 Head Start/ECEAP/Early Head Start…………………………………………………13 Spokane Guild School…………………………………………………………………13 Hope School for the deaf and hard of hearing………………………………….13 Domino Project……………………………………………………………………………….14 Section Six: Colleges and Universities…………………………………………………………14 Spokane Falls Community College……………………………………………………14 Spokane Community College…………………………………………………………..14 North Idaho College………………………………………………………………………..14 Whitworth University……………………………………………………………………..14 Gonzaga University…………………………………………………………………….14 Eastern Washington University……………………………………………………15 Washington State University Spokane Campus…………………………….15 Spokane Falls Community College on Fairchild AFB………………………15 Embry Riddle Aeronautical University on Fairchild AFB…………………15 Park University on Fairchild AFB……………………………………………………..15 3 Southern Illinois University on Fairchild AFB……………………………………15 Webster University on Fairchild AFB……………………………………………16 Section Seven: Academic Help for Students……………………………………………16 Club Z…………………………………………………………………………………………16 Sylvan Learning Centers………………………………………………………………16 Tutor.com………………………………………………………………………………….16 Khan Academy……………………………………………………………………………16 4 Welcome to Fairchild Air Force Base! Fairchild Air Force Base is home to the 92d Air Refueling Wing and the 141st Air National Guard. If you are new to Fairchild AFB, congratulations on your assignment and welcome! Fairchild AFB is a great place for families. In addition to wonderful on-base amenities and recreational facilities, our location offers some of the best outdoor activities you will find anywhere in the country. The purpose of this is handbook is to help you make educated decisions for your child’s education. It has been divided into sections and organized by topics for ease of use. There are a multitude of local school districts and all are committed to providing your child(ren) with quality educational experiences. Each district is briefly discussed and website links are provided for additional information. Washington State is a “free choice” state meaning you may choose the school district that is best for your child. Please be aware that if you “choice” into a district that is not your home district, transportation to and from school will be your responsibility. Michael Anderson Elementary school is located on base and available for individuals living and working on Fairchild. The Spokane area has several private schools that can meet the educational needs of children in kindergarten through 12th grade. You also have the option of Homeschooling your child. As the School Liaison Specialist, my role is to improve transitional support for school age children of Fairchild AFB personnel by establishing partnerships between the base and local schools and advocating for military children. I am also responsible for increasing the awareness of the unique needs of military children and providing a process to address and resolve military specific issues affecting students in kindergarten through 12th grade. If you have any questions about the schools that serve Fairchild AFB and the Spokane area please contact the School Liaison Officer at DSN: 657-2246, commercial 509-247-2246 or e-mail at [email protected] 5 Section one: General information Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI): http://www.k12.wa.us/ The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the primary agency charged with overseeing K-12 public education in Washington State. Led by State School Superintendent Randy Dorn, OSPI works with the state’s 295 school districts to administer basic education programs and implement education reform on behalf of more than one million public school students. OSPI is housed in Olympia, WA. Each district has a report card highlighting how their schools scored on the state assessments available on the OSPI website. For more information and to view a district’s report card, visit: http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/Summary.aspx?groupLevel=District&schoolId=1&reportLevel=State&y ear=2010-11 Interstate Compact Military families move between postings on a regular basis. While reassignments can often be great for a person’s career, they can be difficult for the children of military families. The average military student faces transitioning more than twice during high school. Most military children will attend six to nine different school systems from kindergarten to 12th grade. The Compact seeks to make transition easier for the military-connected children so they are afforded the same opportunities for educational success as other children and are not penalized or delayed in achieving their educational goals. Washington State is part of the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3). The goal of this compact is help ease education transition issues for military families. Being a part the Compact allows your child(ren)’s school records, transcripts, IEPs and other school related documentation to be more easily accepted by this state and the local school districts. Not every state has joined the Compact. If the state you are coming from is not a member, there may be challenges with credits and transcripts being accepted. To find out more information, and to see if your previous state is a part of the compact, please visit the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission website at: http://www.mic3.net/index.aspx School Locator If you live on base, your home district is the Medical Lake School District. Otherwise, your physical address will determine your home school district. However, Washington State is a “free choice” state meaning you may choose the school district best for your child. Please be aware that if you “choice” into a district that is not your home district, transportation to and from school will be your responsibility. Most school district websites will have a link to the district and or school boundary map so you will know what school or district your child would be served by. New Student Registration process Most school districts in the Spokane area require the following documents at the time of registration: A copy of your child’s birth certificate 6 Your child’s immunization records -- (Required immunizations can be found at: http://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Schools/Immunization/VaccineRequireme nts Registration form Transcripts or school records from previous district IEP or 504 plan Washington State Graduation Requirements Graduation requirements, as established by the State Board of Education, represent a portfolio of a student’s high school career. At the present time, Washington State requires public school graduates to complete a minimum of 19 credits. Beginning with the Class of 2013, the minimum number of credits increases to 20 with the addition of a third math credit. Many local school districts require students to earn additional credits beyond these minimum requirements. Students must pass the state tests. In addition, students must complete a “High School and Beyond Plan” and a Culminating or “Senior” Project. For additional information about this topic, and to find OSPI’s Graduation Toolkit, visit the OSPI website at: http://www.k12.wa.us/GraduationRequirements/Requirement-CAA-CIA.aspx Learning Standards In Washington State the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has developed a set of learning standards that all students should know and be able to do in accordance to