FIVE & THRIVE: EDUCATION 

School Liaisons are installation subject matter experts to families, installation leadership staff, and commanders who assist with all local Pre-K through grade 12 school issues and challenges facing military children. You can find your local School Liaison here. 

DAF School Liaison Program Division 2024 Strategic Plan
The plan highlights five Strategic Directions to organize the Division's efforts to maintain strength and grow where opportunities arise to support student success and contribute to installation communities, the Department of Defense, the nation, and the world.

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) operates 50 schools in seven states, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, and 64 schools in Germany, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Bahrain, and Italy. In the Pacific, DoDEA operates 45 schools located in Korea, Japan, and Guam. DoDEA also operates a full time 9-12 virtual school option. Additionally, DoDEA administers the the Non-Department of Defense Schools Program (NDSP). NDSP provides educational support and financial assistance to eligible dependents to defray costs of education and to facilitate educational continuity in international locations where there is no DODEA school. DoDEA administers the Department of Defense Impact Aid Program as a supplement to the Federal Impact Aid Program and provides assistance to public school districts with specific concentrations of military-dependent children. To advance the lives of our military-connected students, the DoDEA relies on one true vision: “Excellence in Education for Every Student, Every Day, Everywhere.” The DoDEA Education Partnership Grant Program showcases this vision. Through our grant program, we are building partnerships that help military-connected students be college and career ready. By sharing resources, we can empower students to work toward clear, consistent, and high-reaching goals and exceed learning expectations in order to achieve rich, rigorous, and quality education opportunities.

Key Issues for Education include Purple Stars Schools Program, Advance Enrollment, Open Enrollment Flexibility, and In-State Tuition Continuity.

This publication was developed to support Command Teams – commanders, senior enlisted leaders, and spouses – who want (or need) to enhance public education options for their personnel.  It provides an approach, resources, and examples to help you address the most common K-12 challenges affecting military installations.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) helps you pay for school or job training. If you’ve served on active duty after September 10, 2001, you may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33). Find out if you can get this education benefit.

The EFMP Family Vector website provides Exceptional Family Member Program families direct access to decision-making information, including specific details on special education support, resources, and guidance. 

The Compact addresses key educational transition issues encountered by military families including enrollment, placement, attendance, eligibility, and graduation. The Compact leverages consistency: It uses a comprehensive approach that provides a consistent policy in every school district and in every state that chooses to join.