DOD - 381 - Advisory Council on Dependents' Education - Statutory (Congress Created)
Advisory Council on Dependents' Education
Chief, Educational Partnership
Public Law 114-328
20 U.S.C. SEC. 929
kathleen.facon@hq.dodea.edu
Enacted
The Council uses formal advisory committee meetings, webinars, web conferences, working groups, and other methods to accomplish its goals, consistent with the requirements of the FACA. The ACDE does not have subcommittees. The ACDE did not meet in FY 2015 as there was not a quorum for members to meet.
The Council membership is Co-Chaired by the Secretary of Defense or his/her designee; the Secretary of Education or his/her designee. In addition the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Education have one represenative that serves on the Council. The DoDEA Director serves as Executive Secretary of the Council. Public Law 112-90 outlines that the members shall include 1) representatives of professional employee organizations;2) school administrators;3) parents of dependents enrolled in the Defense dependents' education system, and;4) one student enrolled in such a systemEvery effort is made to ensure that the membership of DoD federal advisory committees is fairly balanced in terms of points of view represented and the committee's function.
The Council is required to meet at least twice annually, it does not specify in the statute that this within the fiscal or calendar year. The ACDE did not meet in FY 2014 as there was not a quorum for members to meet. A membership package was submitted in December 2013 for membership appointments and to date appointments have not been made, and therefore there is not a quorum to convene the council. DoDEA fulfills the originally intended oversight responsibilities of ACDE and has moved beyond it with a formal collaborative relationship with the Department of Education (ED) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Both ED and CCSSO provide guidance and support on DoDEA's educational programs and oversight responsibilities. There is no valid rationale for why DoDEA should still have a federal advisory committee providing recommendations on curriculum and other areas, especially when the recommendations are generally complimentary and have not impacted any changes with respect to the operation of these schools. In addition, the costs of operating the ACDE have more than doubled since 1994.
The ACDE, established in 1978 by Public Law 95-561, Education Amendments of 1978, was enacted 30 years ago to ensure DoD effectively operated this overseas school system since DoD was not an educational entity. The defense dependents' education system and the defense domestic elementary and secondary schools (located on installations in the United States) are operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). The DoDEA worldwide schools are recognized as some of the best compared to public schools in the United States. DoDEA, as the parent organization for both the DoD K-12 overseas and domestic school systems, performs an oversight function for these systems not present when the ACDE was established. DoDEA fulfills the originally intended oversight responsibilities of ACDE and has moved beyond it with a formal collaborative relationship with the Department of Education (ED) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Both ED and CCSSO provide guidance and support on DoDEA's educational programs and oversight responsibilities. There is no valid rationale for why DoDEA should still have a federal advisory committee providing recommendations on curriculum and other areas, especially when the recommendations are generally complimentary and have not impacted any changes with respect to the operation of these schools. In addition, the costs of operating the ACDE have more than doubled since 1994.
The ACDE does not have subcommittees.
The Advisory Council on Dependents Education provides insight, perspectives, expertise and advice to the Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity on the full spectrum of policies for operation of the defense dependents' education system with respect to the curriculum selection, administration, and operation of the system.
The Council advises on topics such as: school and system governance, community relations, trends and best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment, potential updates to DoDEA policy, and overall function of DoDEA schools.
The Council discusses the state of DoDEA schools in practice with relation to policy, organizational initiatives, school governance, trends in teaching learning, and assessment, and best ways to educate the military-connected child.
The Council expertise and experiences help identify ways in which DoDEA can leverage experience, resources, and research to enhance education of DoDEA students.
Addition, modification, or removal of educational programs for students.
This committee was created in 1978 (34 years ago) to provide recommendations on general policies for operation of the defense dependents' education system with respect to curriculum selection, administration, and operation of the system; and to provide information from other federal agencies concerned with primary and secondary education with respect to education programs and practices which such agencies have found to be effective and which should be considered for inclusion in the DoD dependents' education system.
The ACDE public web site address is: http://acde.dodea.edu/
The Council reports to the Director for recommendations involving the DoD dependents' education system that are within the Director's purview. All matters outside the Director's purview shall be reported to the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Education, or the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (hereafter referred to as "the Under Secretary"), as appropriate.The Under Secretary or the Director, as appropriate, may act upon the Council's advice and recommendations.
The Advisory Council on Dependents Education provides insight, perspectives, expertise and advice to the Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity on the full spectrum of policies for operation of the defense dependents' education system with respect to the curriculum selection, administration, and operation of the system. The Council advises on topics such as: school and system governance, community relations, trends and best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment, potential updates to DoDEA policy, and overall function of DoDEA schools. The Council discusses the state of DoDEA schools in practice with relation to policy, organizational initiatives, school governance, trends in teaching learning, and assessment, and best ways to educate the military-connected child.The Council expertise and experiences help identify ways in which DoDEA can leverage experience, resources, and research to enhance education of DoDEA students.
Advisory Council on Dependents' Education 2016