|
|
 |
|
|
About Us |
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
|
Education Services
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
Events
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
Publications
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
Support Services
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
• |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Newsletter
Office of the Director |
|
|
The DoDDS•P
Newsletter is a publication of the Director’s
Office to inform military and educational leaders
of issues concerned with policy, trends, research,
programs, and practices related to DoD dependent
educators.
|
|
|
DoDDS Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary. The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) officially marks its 60th Anniversary in the overseas areas during the 2006/2007 School Year. The Department of the Army established the first dependents schools, on and off military installations, in 1946 in the occupied countries of Germany, Austria and Japan. Within three years, there were nearly 100 schools which were operated separately by the three U.S. military services (Army, Navy and Air Force) in countries around the world.
In 1964 the Secretary of Defense combined the three separate school systems into the Department of Defense Overseas Dependents School System. The worldwide system was then divided into three geographic areas. The Army operated all schools in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The Air Force operated all schools in the Pacific (Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, the Philippines, Korea and Midway Island). The Navy operated all schools in the Atlantic (Iceland, Labrador, Newfoundland, Bermuda, Antigua and Cuba). During the 1960s and 1970s, worldwide enrollment averaged 160,000.
Today, DoDEA operates more than 218 public schools in 14 districts located in seven U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Guam and 12 foreign countries to serve the children of military service members and Department of Defense civilian employees. All schools are fully accredited by U.S. accreditation agencies. Some 90,000 students are enrolled with approximately 63,000 students in the DoDDS system and approximately 25,000 students in the Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) system.
Congratulations to Kubasaki High School, Sullivans Elementary School, and Yokota West Elementary School for 60 years of service to children of military families.
|
| |
|
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Addresses Principals at Annual Conference. The annual principals’ conference for SY 06-07 continued the Pacific focus on enhancing instructional leadership skills. Principals engaged in sessions presented by a national consultant, Dr. Victoria Bernhardt, to increase their capacity to use data for continuous school improvement. Sessions facilitated by peers or by Pacific Area staff were designed to help principals support rigorous learning in all content, especially math, science, and literacy, and to use effective and efficient processes to manage personnel, technology, and other resources. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Leslye A. Arsht, attended the conference, stating, “The exchange of information among principals, in particular the session on “rigor” allowed me to keep learning about your focus and goals for educating our military children. Most importantly, thank you for everything you do on behalf of service members, Department of Defense civilians, and their families in the Pacific.”
|
| |
|
DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam Recognizes Teachers of the Year. Well trained and dedicated teachers are what makes an exceptional learning environment for students. This year we honor the following educators who were selected as Teacher of the Year within our four districts: Jennifer M. Smith, Taegu American School, South Korea; Bonnie Seeley, Yokota High School, Japan; Timothy Black, Kadena High School, Okinawa; and Eric Eisaman, Guam High School, Guam.
|
| |
|
Foreign Language Initiative. The goal of the DoDEA Foreign Language Initiative is to build capacity in foreign languages by starting learning at the earliest age possible. A second goal of the Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) program is to implement foreign language instruction as an integral part of the core curriculum for all K-8 students. This fall Spanish was implemented in selected Pacific elementary schools. Implementation will begin with grades K-1 and then will move to grades 2-3 in year two and grades 4-5 in year three. Additionally, five schools in the Pacific are piloting Mandarin Chinese as part of our focus on increasing proficiency in strategic languages.
|
| |
|
Leading Learning School Site Visits - Ensuring a Rigorous Curriculum. Leading Learning school site visits are conducted annually. The purpose of the school site visits is for administrators to learn to assess the level of rigor in classrooms and to collaboratively consider feedback to the teacher to help increase the rigor in the lesson. Rigor can be defined as the three R’s – rigor, relevance, and respectful relationships. The visits:
- Improve ability to observe and analyze rigor in the classroom.
- Develop leadership and expertise in giving high quality feedback to teachers to assist them in designing and implementing rigorous lessons and to reflect on their practice in the classroom.
- Increase expertise in conferencing skills that positively influence change in the teacher’s instructional delivery using reflective feedback.
|
| |
|
Sure Start – New Eligibility Criteria Includes Non Appropriated Funds (NAF) Employees. Sure Start, modeled after the Head Start Program, continues to provide a quality preschool experience for four-year-old children and their families in selected locations. Children are selected for the program based on set eligibility criteria. This fall, the eligibility was extended to include children who have a sponsor employed under (NAF) Levels 1-4. Applications for the program are accepted throughout the school year. For more information please contact your local elementary school.
|
| |
|
Mathematics Labs Provide Support for Rigorous Classes. DoDEA currently offers three mathematics lab courses at the high school level: Algebra I Lab, Geometry Lab, and Mathematics Lab III. These courses are designed to assist students who need additional support to succeed in their rigorous mathematics class. A new Mathematics Lab Guide that will assist teachers, principals, counselors, and parents to implement these lab courses successfully is now available. The Guide provides recommendations for identifying students who could benefit from participation in the Lab courses as well as ways to integrate the Lab courses effectively into the school curriculum. The Guide also includes a variety of suggested resources and strategies for high quality instruction.
|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last Updated:
January 8, 2007
|
|
| |
|
|
