This paper describes U.S. Department of Defense Schools, an education system with significant outcomes that may be pertinent to raising academic achievement among minority students. A research group examined the high achievement of African American and Hispanic students in Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools. Results find that the DoDEA instructional program provides a comprehensive K-12 curriculum. Students of color account for 40 percent of DoDEA enrollment, similar to the proportion in New York state public schools. Roughly 50 percent of DoDEA students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. Military assignments cause frequent family moves, resulting in a 35 percent mobility rate in DoDEA schools, comparable to the rate in inner city schools. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the average academic performance of all students in DoDEA schools is high, and the performance of African American and Hispanic students is among the highest in the nation. The military context in which DoD schools operate supports achievement in particular ways, but other factors are decisive. The success of DoD schools rests on many in- and out-of-school efforts: DoD commitment and expectations; establishment of goals; effective resource deployment; a culture of high expectations; small school size; flexibility of organization; data-driven decision making; teacher quality and professional development; pre-school and after school programs; community involvement; alignment between central direction and local decisions; and focus on, and expectations of, high achievement. (SM)