DDESS and No Child Left Behind

Funding, responsibility, and operation of what are now the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) has evolved since the 1950's.  The DDESS system has expanded and contracted over the years as a result of base realignments and closures and periodic reviews by Congress.   The schools that remain, located in the Continental United States, provide education for children living on military installations that are adjacent to communities where the local schools had at one time been deemed unable to provide a "suitable" education. 

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, while a valuable educational initiative, is not applicable to DoDEA school because our schools are funded entirely by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The DoDEA Community Strategic Plan (CSP) provides the strategic direction for all DoDEA schools.

While DoDEA does not fall under the legislative requirements of NCLB, we recognize that we have an ethical responsibility to our stakeholders to implement the intent of NCLB. In terms of the outcomes or expectations articulated in NCLB, DoDEA is moving forward and, in some areas in fact, leads the way.  The similarities between NCLB and the DoDEA CSP can be seen in the pillars of NCLB and the goals of DoDEA's CSP.

4 Pillars of NCLB

  1. Stronger accountability for schools
    • Close the achievement gap
    • Make sure all students, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve academic proficiency.
  2. More freedom for states and communities 
    • Increase flexibility in how states and schools use federal education funds
    • Allows districts to use funds for their particular needs, such as:
      • hiring new teachers
      • increasing teacher pay
      • improving teacher training and professional development.
  3. Proven education methods 
    • Puts emphasis on determining which educational programs and practices have been proven effective through rigorous scientific research.
    • Federal funding is targeted to support proven programs and teaching methods that work to improve student learning and achievement.
  4. More choices for parents.  Parents of children in low-performing schools have new options:
    • Parents may transfer their children to a better-performing public school, including a public charter school, within their district if their child's school does not meet state standards for at least two consecutive years.
    • Students from low-income families in schools that fail to meet state standards for at least three years are eligible to receive supplemental educational services, including tutoring, after-school services, and summer school.
    • Students who attend a persistently dangerous school or are the victim of a violent crime while in their school have the option to attend a safe school within their district.

4 Goals of DoDEA's Community Strategic Plan

  1. Highest Student Achievement
    • Outcome A: Student Performance and Assessment
    • Outcome B: Opportunities to Learn and Citizenship
  2. Performance-Driven, Efficient Management Systems
    • Outcome A: Efficient Management System of Facilities, Equipment, and Materials
    • Outcome B: Resource Allocation/Academic and Student Support Services
    • Outcome C: Secure and Safe Environment
  3. Motivated, High Performing, Diverse Workforce
    • Outcome A: Personnel Management Practices
    • Outcome B: Continuous Professional Development and Training
  4. Promoting Student Development through Partnerships and Communication
    • Outcome A: Partnerships
    • Outcome B: All schools, districts, areas, and headquarters will effectively communicate using a planned, systematic approach

 

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