“Who Runs the Best U.S. Schools? It May Be the Defense Department” was the headline of a New York Times article published this week looking at the successes at DODEA-run schools across the country.

“With about 66,000 students — more than the public school enrollment in Boston or Seattle — the Pentagon’s schools for children of military members and civilian employees quietly achieve results most educators can only dream of,” Sarah Mervosh’s article said.

Mervosh noted that DODEA students outscored those in every school jurisdiction in math and reading last year, adding to gains they have made over the past decade on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

One success factor noted in the article is that military families have access to housing and health care, which is often lacking for public school students.

“Having as many of those basic needs met does help set the scene for learning to occur,” said Jessica Thorne, the principal at EA White Elementary School at Fort Moore, Georgia.

New York Times photo by Kendrick Brinson