Perceptions of High School Principals and Senior Army Instructors Concerning the Impact of JROTC on Rates of Dropout and Transition to College.

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of high school principals and their Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) senior Army instructors about the cost effectiveness and value of JROTC in impacting dropout and transition-to-college rates at their schools. The purposeful sample for this study included principals and senior Army instructors at three high schools, two in northwest North Carolina and one in northeast Tennessee. The research investigated the per-student costs for the operation of the JROTC programs; the dropout rates for JROTC and non-JROTC students; the transition-to-college rates for JROTC and non-JROTC students; and the perceptions of the administrators as to the value and cost effectiveness of JROTC in impacting dropout and transition rates. The study found that the average annual JROTC program cost was $731 per student; JROTC students had a dropout rate of 22.2% and the non-JROTC students had a dropout rate of 21.2%; and, 52.4% of JROTC students indicated that they would transition-to-college, and 84.6% of non-JROTC students indicated that they would transition-to-college. The administrators’ perceptions were evaluated in pretest posttest scenarios utilizing first a 30 question survey employing a Likert-type scale from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” The administrators were then interviewed using a semi-structured format. Principals and senior Army instructors stated that their JROTC programs were cost-effective in reducing the dropout rates and increasing the college attendance transitioning rates at their schools. In general, principals perceived a higher value for their JROTC programs than did the JROTC senior Army instructors

Principals\u27 Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the JROTC Program

The purpose of this national study was to investigate the perceptions of public high school principals regarding the effectiveness of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program. The study examined the perceived influence of the program regarding the social development of the cadet, the behavior of the cadet, and the overall school environment. Data for this study was collected through an anonymous online survey emailed to current principals in public high schools across the United States where JROTC is offered as a course selection. Of the 3,062 schools identified as the population, 491 usable surveys provided participant information for data analysis. Principals indicated their level of agreement; from strongly disagree to strongly agree, regarding the perceived effectiveness of the JROTC program influence related to three constructs: social development of the cadet, behaviors of the cadet, and school environment. Responses were also compared based on demographic data related to the principals and to the schools. Findings indicated that high school principals perceived participation in the JROTC program as having a positive influence on the cadets’ social development, cadets’ behaviors, and on the overall school environment. Additionally, the study concluded that the strongest concentration of statistical significance based on demographics appears in the items measuring cadets’ social development. Findings resulting from the quantitative data and qualitative data, collected by open ended survey questions, suggest that the JROTC does more than merely prepare students for a successful military career. Findings from this study suggest that principals in schools with JROTC find the program to be effective in helping cadets meet goals and satisfy needs

Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Instructor Perceptions of Instructional Delivery in a Virtual Environment

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) instructors at the secondary level as they adapted to teaching in a virtual environment during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Although the literature indicated that the delivery method for the content and curriculum aligned to Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps was best suited for face-to-face instruction, no evidence existed to indicate cadet overall success based on the implementation by virtual delivery, using one or multiple online platforms. The objective of each JROTC Program is to ensure that cadets successfully complete the program with advanced skill sets in leadership. Leadership skills are most often taught in a traditional environment wherein instructors and cadets learn in real-world and face-to-face environments. This study was a phenomenological qualitative study selected to examine the experiences of JROTC instructors who taught portions of their curriculum utilizing a virtual platform during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Data collection strategies included semi-structured, one-on-one interviews conducted via a virtual platform with JROTC instructors who taught the JROTC curriculum utilizing a virtual delivery instruction model. The results revealed that JROTC instructors perceived that virtual instruction of their curriculum did not produce an impact on leadership development of cadets as it would have had cadets been instructed in a face-to-face environment. The results reveal how cadets missed out on the development of valuable leadership skills by participating in virtual instruction and instructors perceived themselves to be less effective to ineffective as virtual instructors of their curriculum. The results yielded five themes: (a) virtual delivery model of instruction does not permit instructors to teach certain concepts of the JROTC curriculum adequately; (b) the importance of a face-to-face delivery model of instruction connects to the growth of a JROTC cadet in leadership development; (c) an overall lack of instructor preparation for using virtual instruction, but military training prepared them to be adaptive; (d) instructor perception of being ineffective in delivering instruction in a virtual environment; and (e) a new-found comfort in delivering overall instruction in both a virtual and face-to-face environment

An Embedded Single-Case Study: Identifying JROTC Teachers\u27 Leadership Practices That Influence Secondary Learning Environments

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory embedded single-case study was to identify the effective JROTC teacher’s leadership practices in five U.S. public secondary schools in Virginia that positively influence classroom learning environments. This study’s central question was: How can JROTC teachers’ leadership practices and behaviors influence innovative classroom instructions? The conceptual framework was Kouzes’ and Posner’s leadership model on positive leadership transformation. The research was conducted to identify factors attributed to the problem that leadership used by the JROTC teachers was ineffective, despotic, and irrelevant to modern students’ needs. The methodology used a qualitative exploratory embedded single-case study design because the inquiry was appropriate for descriptive studies to describe a phenomenon’s features, context, and process. This study identified how a purposively selected sample of ten JROTC teachers effectively integrated leadership practices into their teaching. The setting was five U.S. public secondary schools in Virginia. Semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and focus group discussions were used to develop a detailed description of each case. Themes and coding were used to analyze the data collected to be compared to the school culture as a cross-case analysis. There was a literature gap on the effectiveness of leadership practices within the JROTC program. This study confirmed that JROTC teachers were instrumental in effective leadership practices because students were transformed by growth mindsets and ideologies that shift their worldviews as they obtained new information. Therefore, teachers provided the structure for promoting critical reflection and empowerment that created growth mindset transformations based on the student’s unique needs while promoting awareness of leadership practices and innovations

Educational barriers for refugee high school students literature review

This report contains a review of the literature concerning the schooling experience of recently migrated refugee high school students. The report first distinguishes the refugee dilemma and why it is a focus of research. This work reviews citations that include literature reviews, empirical studies, ethnographic studies as well as practitioner pieces. The themes found throughout the research fall into the two categories of social and academic context of a school. The aim is to see what the literature has in terms of these categories and then to assess critical issues for future research. The review concludes with a series of recommendations for practitioners to implement in their classrooms with refugee students.Curriculum and Instructio

Military Recruitment on High School and College Campuses: A Policy and Legal Analysis

[Excerpt] In recent years, many academic institutions have enacted rules that protect individuals who are gay from discrimination on campus. As a result, some high schools and institutions of higher education have sought to bar military recruiters from their campuses and/or to eliminate Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs on campus in response to the military\u27s Don\u27t Ask, Don\u27t Tell (DADT) policy, which prohibits homosexual conduct by members of the armed services. These efforts, however, have largely been thwarted due to several laws that bar giving federal funds to campuses that block access for military recruiters. These laws include the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, which amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by requiring high schools that receive federal funds to provide certain student contact information to military recruiters upon request and to allow recruiters to have the same access to students as employers and colleges. This provision is different from similar Department of Defense (DOD) provisions that allow DOD to compile directory information on high school students for military recruitment purposes and that require colleges and universities that receive federal funds to give military recruiters the same access to students and campuses that is provided to other employers. Known as the Solomon Amendment, the latter provision was upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court in the 2006 case Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights (FAIR). This report describes the various laws regarding military recruitment on high school and college campuses, as well as discusses the policy and legal issues that they may raise. Meanwhile, several bills that would amend these military recruitment provisions have been introduced in the 111th Congress, including H.R. 1026, H.R. 1091, and S. 87

Perceptions of Mentoring, Dropout Rates, School Attendance, and Academic Achievement in Core Subject Areas Among Students in the Various Branches of JROTC

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of cadets in the Army, Navy, and Air Force JROTC program regarding their beliefs about mentorship and how it affects students’ perceptions. Funding for education is constantly under review and programs that are considered unnecessary are facing increased scrutiny. Schools are held accountable for educating students and this accountability includes both the quality of the program provided by the district and also the commitment among students to be successful in life. Haveman, Wolfe, and Wilson (2001) reported that graduating from high school provides benefits to society both socially and economically. Graduating from high school is but one variable that is discussed in this study; however, the research suggests that mentorship, academic achievement, and school attendance are all vital components for at-risk students. Just as students themselves report a variety of reasons for quitting school, the research literature presented in this study identified a number of factors that appeared to influence the decision. This research study examined whether differences existed within the context of three branches of JROTC concerning the variables of school completion/dropping out, school attendance, academic achievement, and mentoring. Results from the Air Force, Army, and Navy respondents indicate that there are no statistical differences in how students perceive these variables. Respondents viewed these school outcomes favorably, indicating that participation in a JROTC program could positively influence behaviors that pertain to these tested variables. Perceptions of mentorship ranked highest among all variables researched during this study