The Department of Defense Education Activity is seeking feedback from parents and students in the form of an online stakeholder survey until March 3, 2026. With the current format, there is no option to add comments in the 2026 survey. (Jason Ragucci/Defense Department)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — A new survey of Defense Department school parents and students seeks input on a variety of topics, but anyone who wants to flesh out their feedback with comments is out of luck this time.
The current solicitation by the Department of Defense Education Activity is based on a survey developed by University of Chicago researchers.
Known as the 5Essentials Survey, it seeks to gauge school climate and academic quality from a stakeholder perspective and provide data comparable to other public schools.
The DODEA survey is open through March 13 and takes about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
In late January, the agency began emailing an online survey link to sponsors and parents of students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. Students in fourth through 12th grades will be surveyed in the coming weeks, DODEA spokeswoman Jessica Tackaberry said.
The goal is “to gather parent and student feedback on experiences, reinforcing parental rights and ensuring stakeholder voices are heard,” Tackaberry said in statement this week.
However, this year’s survey does not include a space where stakeholders can expand on any topics or concerns that aren’t covered by the list of questions provided.
That’s not unique to DODEA. All “5Essential” survey items are multiple choice questions; there are no open-ended responses, according to a University of Chicago website about the survey.
Some DODEA parents are disappointed in the format change, though.
“I can’t think of a time I have ever taken a survey without an open comment box,” said Carolyn Pickering, a parent at Camp Humphreys, South Korea. “An open comment allows the entity to hear what actually matters to participants instead of asking them to only tick predefined boxes. It provides a balance.”
In response to a Facebook post by DODEA late last month, a user who goes by Linda Jo pointed out that there are no questions about extracurricular activities and Exceptional Family Member Program resources, which she said are “the top two concerns” at most overseas locations.
The latter is a program offered by the services to support military families with special medical and educational needs.
“If the purpose is to ‘share their experiences and perspectives to help strengthen’ the schools I think there should be more ability to provide input,” she said, adding that she had completed the survey.
DODEA in May 2024 administered a similar survey, calling it a “pilot” at the time.
“Results were used to refine survey design and implementation,” Tackaberry said.
She added that approval was sought and granted to implement the survey this school year and next school year.
In 2023, a different stakeholder survey allowed for written responses in some areas, such as one about whether children had experienced bias or discrimination at school.
Separate spaces were also provided for messages to school staff, district leadership and DODEA leadership.
The 2023 solicitation was more of a “feedback mechanism” than a survey and it was used to help shape the agency’s “blueprint,” a strategic plan for the next five years, according to the agency.
Parents are welcome to email their school with concerns anytime or bring issues to school advisory committee meetings, which parents and students are invited to attend, Defense Department schools officials have said.
Prior to the 2023-24 school year, stakeholder surveys were administered twice since 2011 — in 2021 and 2017 — said Pickering, who tracks the information.
Tackaberry said summary results from this year’s survey will likely be published on DODEA’s website later this year.
The survey covers the broad areas of academic instruction, school outreach, parental involvement and connectedness, school quality, school safety and overall satisfaction, according to the agency.
That aligns with the “five essentials” that University of Chicago researchers say are key to a school’s success: effective leaders, collaborative teachers, involved families, supportive environment and ambitious instruction.
Schools that are strong in at least three of these areas are 10 times more likely to improve student outcomes, including attendance and academic growth, according to their research.
One section of the DODEA survey asks parents to rate a series of statements that include whether their child feels safe at school; whether their child is affected by bullying and how the school addresses bullying; and whether a teacher or staff member communicates if there is a problem with the child’s behavior.
Other sections ask parents to rate the quality of school facilities and, for parents of high schoolers, how well the school is preparing one’s child for college.
Despite Pickering’s reservations about the survey, she encourages all parents and eligible students to participate so that their input “lands directly” with DODEA.
“In addition to completing the survey, the best thing families can do is talk the survey up among their friend groups and spread the word throughout their communities,” she said.
