The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is a federal school system headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia,[1] responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behalf of the United States Department of Defense (DoD).

DoDEA operates 163 accredited schools in 8 districts located in 11 foreign countries, 7 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

[2] DoDEA employs 15,000 employees who serve 71,000 children of active duty military and DoD civilian families.

[2] DoDEA operates as a field activity of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness).

[3] Shortly after the end of World War II, the United States military established schools for the children of its servicemembers stationed in Europe and the Pacific.

Schools for children of military members stationed at various bases in the United States were already well-established.

In 1994 the two systems were brought together under an umbrella agency, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).

The TerraNova standardized test provides DoDEA with results that it can compare to a nationwide sample.

[2] Schools submit annual reports of data, and every five years they host an on-site validation visit led by education experts from the United States.

The Star-Tribune contrasted this with the lesser-funded Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) network, also federal and serving Native American students.

"[6] The nature of military employment means that students have parents with jobs and support structures, and according to Mervosh, the DoDEA campuses are "well-funded, socioeconomically and racially integrated, and have a centralized structure that is not subject to the whims of school boards or mayors.

As of May 2019, it educates approximately 22,000 students of U.S. military and eligible DoD civilian personnel families.

Most off-post persons associated with NSF Dahlgren send their children to King George County schools.

As of May 2019, the DoDEA European region educates approximately 27,000 children of U.S. military and eligible DoD civilian personnel families.

As of May 2019, the DoDEA Pacific Region educates over 22,000 children of U.S. military and eligible DoD civilian personnel families.