DOD Schools: Additional Reporting Could Improve Accountability for Academic Achievement of Students with Dyslexia
Highlights
Many of our nation's military and civilian personnel depend on Department of Defense (DOD) schools to meet their children's educational needs. These schools provide a range of educational services including programs for students with disabilities and those who struggle to read, some of whom may have a condition referred to as dyslexia. To determine how DOD supports students with dyslexia and how it used $3.2 million in funds designated to support them, GAO was asked to examine: (1) what professional development DOD provides its staff to support students with dyslexia and how the fiscal year 2004-to-2006 funds designated for this purpose were used, (2) what identification and instructional services DOD provides to students who may have dyslexia, and (3) how DOD assesses the academic achievement of students with disabilities, including dyslexia. To address these objectives, GAO conducted a survey of all school principals and interviewed agency officials, school personnel, and parents in six school districts.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | To improve DOD's accountability for the academic achievement of its students with disabilities, including certain students who may have dyslexia, the Secretary of Defense should instruct the Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity to publish separate data on the academic achievement of students with disabilities at the systemwide, area, district, and school levels when there are sufficient numbers of students with disabilities to avoid violating students' privacy. |
In response to our recommendation, DOD began publicly reporting data on the academic achievement of students with disabilities at the system-wide and area levels by posting them on its Web site. According to DOD, it has initiated, and will continue to provide each district and school with separate data reports on the academic achievement of students with disabilities so that programmatic and service delivery decisions can be made at all levels to further improve programs for students.
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