An Assessment of the USAFE School Board Test Program

Abstract

Abstract : This paper provides an independent assessment of the United States Air Force Europe (USAFE) School Board Test Program which was conducted at six locations in Europe to determine if school boards provide an improved way for parents to voice concerns about their children's education It includes the findings of extensive interviews with military leaders parents, administrators and teachers in Europe the Continental United States (CONUS) and the Pacific; a review of relevant documents; and quantifiable analyses of objective and subjective data about Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) advisory organizations and Local Educational Agency (LEA) school boards. The 2 year test was conducted during School Year (SY) 00-01 and 01-02 During that time school boards which had elected parents as members replaced Installation Advisory Committees (IACs) with an equal number of parents and teachers elected from the School Advisory Committees (SACs) at the installation The USAFE School Boards were evaluated against the current IAC system in the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDSS) and the school board system used in the Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) The assessment concluded that the school board system did not increase the parents ability to influence school system decisions or increase parental participation in the education process The current systems in DoDDS and DDESS are effective and should continue. Parents need to be educated continuously on how they can be effectively involved in their children's education.