Academy Preparatory Schools

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the: (1) military services' positions regarding the costs and operation of military service academy preparatory schools compared to private schools; and (2) Department of Defense's (DOD) test program to determine the effectiveness of using private schools as an alternative to service-operated schools. GAO found that the: (1) services did not conduct any new research in their determination that the military academies' preparatory schools are superior to private schools academically; (2) services are concerned that private schools would not sufficiently prepare women, minorities, and enlisted personnel for academy attendance; and (3) DOD test program on the cost effectiveness of private preparatory schools should use a baseline that reflects the military preparatory schools' cost-saving initiatives.