For children of highly mobile, active-duty military parents, finding stability and support at school can be a challenge. To address this issue, Renée Spencer, principal investigator and professor of social work at Boston University, and co-investigators including Tim Cavell of the University of Arkansas; Amy Slep of New York University and Carla Herrera of Herrera Consulting were awarded a four-year, $1.4 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

The mixed-methods study will investigate school resources offered to military students in grades K-5 as well as students' level of school connectedness and educational outcomes. Results are expected to guide how schools can mitigate the negative effects of high mobility common to students whose parents are active-duty military.

"Military students experience about six to nine moves during their K-12 years — a mobility rate three times that of non-military children," Spencer said. "Many are resilient and weather these disruptions well, but some are negatively affected by the strain of multiple moves."

The project is sited in Lacey, Washington, home of North Thurston Public Schools, a school district near Joint (Army/Air Force) Base Lewis McChord. North Thurston Public Schools was also the site of this research team's previous grant-funded study. In that project, led by UA's Cavell ("Developing a Model for Delivering School-Based Mentoring to Students in Military Families"), the team developed and evaluated a school-based mentoring program for miltarty students.

"Schools need a better understanding of the sacrifices made by miltary parents and the risks associated with high student mobility," Cavell explained. "This understanding can go a long way to provide more and better support for military famiilies who serve our country."