The U.S. government’s military base K-12 schools significantly outperformed other public schools, a recent analysis revealed.
According to data from the National Assessment for Educational Progress, which is colloquially known as the Nation's Report Card, test scores in math and reading at the Department of Defense's network of schools were higher than those of any state.
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The DOD schools are located on military bases belonging to the United States and provide educational services to the children of America's service members.
The DOD schools actually saw an increase in average student test scores following the COVID-19 pandemic, while every state saw declines. These schools were among the first to reopen during the 2020 pandemic, and strong results held across racial and ethnic backgrounds.
The schools count some 66,000 students dispersed around the world at the U.S. military's many bases. In 2022, student test scores in reading indicated that 55% of eighth grade students at DOD schools were proficient in reading, a 13% difference from first-place New Jersey, which had an eighth grade reading proficiency rate of 42% in the same year.
The 55% proficiency in reading was a 10% increase from 2013. In the meantime, the national average for reading proficiency among eighth graders dipped from 34% in 2013 to 29% in 2022.
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The story was similar for math scores. In 2013, 40% of eighth graders in DOD schools were proficient in math, which ticked up to 41% in 2022. Meanwhile, Massachusetts's proficiency rate fell from 55% to 35% in the same period.
“If the Department of Defense schools were a state, we would all be traveling there to figure out what’s going on,” Martin West, a professor of education at Harvard, told the New York Times. The outlet noted that higher pay for teachers, resulting in stronger retention, and stable home environments likely contributed to the success of students at these schools.