The Purple Star School Program, a successful state-sponsored effort that military families rely on when moving from one installation to another and that also plays important role by bolstering military readiness, needs an upgrade.
The program provides a powerful tool for service members when weighing whether to stay in the armed forces. It recognizes schools as “military friendly” once they have met certain criteria. These include designating school staff as a point of contact for military students and families, requiring certain professional development for staff and providing dedicated communications about resources and information.
What started out as a grassroots effort has swelled to a national success. According to the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), 42 U.S. states have the Purple Star School designation, and five states have proposed legislation or pending legislation. The program is an essential piece of the readiness puzzle for the armed forces and for parents in the military, who move every two to four years and use the designation to assess whether a school is a good fit for their child.
In one state example that is illustrative of many others, Michelle Richart, a regional liaison with the Department of Defense’s Defense-State Liaison Office, stressed the value of the Purple Star Schools Program for military families based in Colorado, which is home to nearly 67,000 active duty, National Guard and reserve members and some 46,403 military-connected children.
“A Colorado Purple Star School is not only a badge of honor for the school and district, it is a recognition of effort that signals to incoming families that they will be welcomed and well-supported,” Richart told a state committee last year.
Report finds need for improvements
But like any effort that reaches a certain maturation point, the Purple Star School Program could benefit from improvements, especially as the military services work to overcome recruiting and retention challenges.
A report last year by Penn State researchers found plenty good with the program and plenty that could make it even more useful for military personnel. The report is commendable because it is among the first major examinations of the program and its value.
The researchers noted several aspects of the Purple Star School Program that are working well, including boosting awareness of military culture in a designated school, overall improvements to school culture, social-emotional benefits for students and the professional development for school staff.
But in their survey of servicemembers, school personnel near an installation and others, the researchers also noted areas for improvement.
“These include the program being a `check-the-box’ designation with little meaningful action attached to it, a lack of funding (e.g., at the state level, for a banner at the school), staffing challenges, a lack of consistency in implementation, difficulties with the application process, a lack of standardization of professional development, and challenges encountered implementing the peer-to-peer program,” the report found.
Survey points to several options
As a way forward, survey respondents laid out a robust plan of options, several of which revolve around ensuring a Purple Star designation means the same everywhere in the country.
Suggestions include “ensuring consistency across states, increasing state-level excitement for the award, funding awardees to ensure implementation, implementing stronger enforcement measures, adjusting the timing of the deadlines, sharing best practices among schools or states, and connecting the program to school-wide goals (e.g., student belonging).”
The report is instructive because it comes as the U.S. military is in a war for talent—not just new enlistments but more seasoned servicemembers who have completed initial tours of duty and now serve key roles as leaders and mentors. As those veterans consider whether to stay or to move to the private sector, they are sizing up factors beyond pay and bonuses. They’re considering things like access to quality education for their children.
That can mean a lot more than just a rigorous curriculum. Does the school maintain teachers and staff who recognize the unique characteristics and stresses of military life? Can they help with aligning transcripts from previous schools and meet graduation requirements? Do they provide networks that help students adapt to a new school and community?
States are faced with huge education requirements and responsibilities. It’s understandable that they would be reluctant to take on large programs requiring additional funding and management. A solution to this may exist with non-profit organizations that can evaluate the Purple Star programs, hold up, reward and promote the best of the best, discuss the differences and ensure that information is shared with servicemembers and military advocacy organizations.
On any given day, thousands of military children are facing a new school, new teachers and a new school culture. A school with a Purple Star designation smooths those transitions and gives military parents peace of mind. With a few thoughtful upgrades, the program could become even more valuable for parents and to military readiness alike.
