Department of Defense Education Activity The Department of Defense Education Activity ( DoDEA ) is a civilian agency of the United States Department of Defense that manages all schools for military children and teenagers in the United States and also overseas at American military bases worldwide . DoDEA also provides support to more than one million military - connected students who attend public schools throughout the United States . It is headed by a director who oversees all agency functions from the Mark Center in Alexandria Virginia . DoDEA ' s schools are divided into three areas , each of which is managed by an area director . Within each of these three areas , schools are organized into districts headed by superintendents . Serving the military community . DoDEA ' s schools serve the children of military service members and Department of Defense civilian employees throughout the world . Children of enlisted military personnel represent 85 percent of the total enrollment in DoDEA schools . Instructional program . The DoDEA instructional program provides a comprehensive prekindergarten through 12th grade curriculum that is competitive with that of any school system in the United States . DoDEA maintains a high school graduation rate of approximately 97 percent . The 3 , 102 graduating seniors in DoDEA ' s Class of 2002 earned more than US $ $ 35 million in scholarships and grants . Assessment . DoDEA monitors student progress through the use of standardized tests . Students take the TerraNova achievement tests , a series of norm - referenced test s for students in grades 3 through 11 . Every year , at every grade level tested , and in every subject area , DoDEA students score above the national average . DoDEA 4th and 8th grade students also take the National Assessment of Educational Progress ( NAEP ) , " the Nation ' s Report Card . " DoDDS and DDESS student scores consistently rank at or near the top of the scale when compared with the scores of other participating states and jurisdictions . Furthermore , the performance of African American and Hispanic students is among the highest in the nation . Though achievement gaps persist between white and minority students , the academic performance gap is far narrower for DoDEA students than for students throughout the United States . Students also take the SAT . History . Shortly after the end of World War II , the United States military established schools for the children of its servicemen stationed in Europe and East Asia ( at that time , servicewomen were not allowed to be mothers and remain on active duty ) . Schools for children of military members stationed in the United States were established in the South after President Truman ' s 1949 order desegregating the United State military services . The need for integrated schools can be seen in the pattern of today ' s Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools ( DDESS ) . First administered by the military branches they served , the growing number of schools was soon transferred to civilian managers . Federal schools in the United States meant to serve the children of military and federal personnel were known as " Section 6 schools , " and defined in federal directives as , " When a DoD - operated school is established on Federal property to provide a free public education for eligible children or , if not established on such property , the eligible child resides on such property . " Overseas schools were often titled , " American Dependent Schools . " They were staffed mainly by teachers recruited from the United States . The European branch of the overseas dependent schools was called the United States Dependents Schools , European Area ( USDESEA ) . Later , the various organizations were combined and two separate but parallel systems developed : the Department of Defense Dependents Schools ( DoDDS ) overseas , and the Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools in the United States . In 1994 the two systems were brought together under an umbrella agency , the Department of Defense Education Activity ( DoDEA ) . In June 2011 , an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General , U . S . Department of Defense substantiated allegations of abuse of power by DoDEA ' s former director , Shirley Miles . The abuses included violations of federal law and DoD policies in hiring and personnel practices and travel entitlements . Miles was removed as director in June 2010 and replaced by Marilee Fitzgerald . DoDEA today . As of February 1 , 2013 , the DoDEA operates 193 schools in 14 districts located in 12 foreign countries , seven states , Guam , and Puerto Rico . All schools within DoDEA are fully accredited by U . S . accreditation agencies . Approximately 8 , 700 teachers serve DoDEA ' s nearly 84 , 000 students . Organizational structure . DoDEA is divided into three Area Service Centers — DDESS / DoDDS - Cuba , DoDDS Europe , DoDDS - Pacific / DDESS - Guam . While the three Service Centers are still officially named as mentioned previously , a new concept , known as " Team DoDEA " has been introduced with the three " areas " more frequently being referred to as DoDEA America , DoDEA Pacific , and DoDEA Europe . This concept is hoped to create a more stream - lined approach in administration and implementation of new programs . Operates all DoDEA schools on the U . S . mainland , Puerto Rico , and the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba . Operates schools in Europe and the Mediterranean .