Education: Dependents - Military Education & G.I. Bill Information - Military Times

Education: Dependents

Nearly 1 million military children attend public school in districts operated by local educational agencies. Some schools operated by local districts are physically located on military installations; but the Defense Department also operates schools on some military bases.

School officials increasingly are working to make the transition easier for military children when they move from one school to another because a military parent changes duty stations.

More than half the states have adopted a new Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children — meaning they agree to implement policies to help level the educational playing field for military children as they move from one state to another. These states educate more than 80 percent of military children attending off-base schools.

Groups such as the Military Child Education Coalition and the Military Impacted Schools Association have been working with schools on a variety of issues related to military children. Defense officials also have begun working with school districts that want to learn more about helping military children in transition and in dealing with aspects of the military lifestyle.

Since 2007, Defense Department education officials have worked with the Department of Education to ease the transition of military children moving to and from defense-run schools to local civilian school systems that educate military children.

This Educational Partnership Program promotes quality education, seamless transitions and deployment support for military students. It also provides authority to issue grants to military-connected local education agencies for programs that enhance student achievement.

Contact: The Department of Defense Education Activity operates a Web site with information about such partnership efforts at militaryk12partners.dodea.edu/