Military Education: DOD Needs to Align Academy Preparatory Schools' Mission Statements with Overall Guidance and Establish Performance Goals
GAO-03-1017
Published: Sep 10, 2003. Publicly Released: Sep 10, 2003.
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Highlights
Each year, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy combined spend tens of millions of dollars to operate preparatory schools that provide an alternative avenue for about 700 students annually to gain admission to the service academies. Service academy officials screen all applicants to identify those who they believe could succeed at the academies but who would benefit from more preparation. The Department of Defense (DOD) pays the full cost of providing this preparation. GAO was asked to review the three service academy preparatory schools, and this report specifically assesses (1) the adequacy of their current mission statements, (2) the effectiveness of these schools in accomplishing their missions, and (3) the effectiveness of DOD oversight of these schools.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, in concert with the service headquarters and service academies, to clarify the preparatory schools' mission statements by aligning these statements with the department's guidance and the academies' expectations, which target student groups for primary enrollment consideration. |
Closed – Not Implemented
In February 2012, GAO reported that DOD had only partially implemented GAO's 2003 recommendation regarding the preparatory schools. Specifically, while conducting a follow-up review of DOD's oversight of the academies and preparatory schools, GAO determined that the Air Force had clarified the mission statement of its preparatory school, but the Army and Navy had not. See Military Education: Additional DOD Guidance Is Needed to Enhance Oversight of the Service Academies and Their Preparatory Schools (GAO-12-327R) for GAO's February 2012 report.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, in concert with the service headquarters and service academies, to establish quantified performance goals and measures, linked with the schools' mission statements. |
Closed – Not Implemented
In February 2012, GAO reported that DOD had only partially implemented GAO's 2003 recommendation regarding the preparatory schools. Specifically, while conducting a follow-up review of DOD's oversight of the academies and preparatory schools, GAO determined that the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness had not established performance goals and quantifiable measures across the services. GAO determined that the Air Force, however, had taken independent action that was consistent with the intent GAO's recommendation. See Military Education: Additional DOD Guidance Is Needed to Enhance Oversight of the Service Academies and Their Preparatory Schools (GAO-12-327R) for GAO's February 2012 report.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, in concert with the service headquarters and service academies, to enhance the existing oversight framework by using quantified performance goals and measures to objectively evaluate the performance of the preparatory schools. |
Closed – Not Implemented
In February 2012, GAO reported that DOD had only partially implemented GAO's 2003 recommendation regarding the preparatory schools. Specifically, while conducting a follow-up review of DOD's oversight of the academies and preparatory schools, GAO determined that the Air Force was using performance goals and quantifiable measures to evaluate the performance of its preparatory school, but the Army and Navy were not. See Military Education: Additional DOD Guidance Is Needed to Enhance Oversight of the Service Academies and Their Preparatory Schools (GAO-12-327R) for GAO's February 2012 report.
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Topics
Agency missionsBest practicesCost effectiveness analysisFederal service academiesPerformance measuresReporting requirementsSchoolsStudentsU.S. Air ForcePerformance goals