VICENZA, Italy — As the summer approaches, more and more members from the Vicenza and Darby communities will permanently change station, or PCS.
Whether they will soon be receiving orders or will depart before summer break, some families will have to remove school-age children from Vicenza and Livorno schools earlier than the official end of the 2017-2018 school year.
This process — called accelerated withdrawal or early acceleration — generates questions and can seem like a complicated process. The school liaison officer, however, has compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions in order to help those families understand the early acceleration process and how they can prepare now for an upcoming PCS.
What is early acceleration?
Early acceleration is a unique Department of Defense Education Activity provision that, under specific circumstances, allows a student to withdraw from school up to 20 days in advance and still be granted full semester credit.
This can be significantly beneficial when the student moves to his or her new school, as they have completed all of the associated tests and assignments of their semester classes and will not be subject to repeating those classes at the new school.
This policy recognizes that due to military necessity, families are occasionally required to move before the first or second semester and that children should not be penalized for this.
How do my children get full credit?
Students who are scheduled to make a permanent change of station after May 17 (the earliest date that a student can withdraw from school and receive credit for the second semester) may request to "accelerate" and receive full credit for the second semester and/or school year depending upon the student’s date of enrollment.
In order to do so, a sponsor must submit a request in writing to the school as soon as possible and preferably within 30 days of the proposed acceleration date. The student must attend school for a full day May 17, in order to receive credit for the first semester.
Upon receipt of a request for "acceleration," teachers will provide assignments and/or projects that must be completed prior to withdrawal from school. A sponsor may request for their child or children to accelerate at any date between May 17 and June 13. This policy only applies to sponsors and students who are PCSing.
If parents or guardians have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, they must contact the Main Office at the school.
How soon can I pull my children out of school?
Every state in America has mandated school attendance policies with the maximum allowed absences in a school year ranging from no more than five to 20 days per year.
When parents register their student at the gaining school, they will be required to authorize the release of records from their student's previous school.
All school records — both within the continental U.S. and outside the continental U.S. — note the total number of days a student has been absent from school. Because the gaining school will include the absent days from totals noted on the losing school’s records, it is highly encouraged to keep students in school until the day before the family is scheduled to fly. In some states, students who do not meet the minimum attendance days have been prevented from matriculating (graduating) to the next grade.
What if I still have questions?
Front office school staff will walk parents through the process. If parents have a child at the Vicenza/Darby schools, visit or call the individual school. Parents may also call the United States Army Garrison Italy school liaison officer, in Vicenza at DSN 654-8284, comm. 0444-71-8284 or the SLO at Camp Darby, DSN 633-8075, comm. 050-548075.
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.05.2018 09:24 |
| Story ID: | 271831 |
| Location: | IT |
| Web Views: | 11 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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