This study examined the perceptions that Virginia public high school counselors have towards the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program in their schools. Specifically, four areas of research questions were addressed: (1) knowledge; (2) beliefs and attitudes about benefits to students; (3) the extent to which JROTC is recommended to all students; and (4) the appropriateness of JROTC for particular students. Data for this study were obtained from high school counselors in Virginia who were working in a school which offered JROTC as an elective. A questionnaire containing statements about the claims of JROTC was generated. The questionnaire contained a combination of true/false questions, Likert-type scale questions, a checklist of student characteristics, open-ended questions, and a final section on demographics. The investigator conducted follow-up interviews with school counselors at selected schools. Data analysis were relational and descriptive. Results indicated that school counselors were knowledgeable about the relationship between JROTC and the military. School counselors indicated that they were in general agreement with the claims of benefits to students by JROTC, and indicated a positive attitude about these benefits to students. School counselors identified specific characteristics of students for whom they would recommend JROTC. School counselors also indicated for whom JROTC is an appropriate elective, and for whom it may not be appropriate or feasible. It was concluded that school counselors have a generally positive perception towards JROTC in Virginia public schools. Recommendations for future research were presented. / Ph. D.

The JROTC program is one of service and commitment. Its mission is to build better citizens and give them a sense of pride in service to their fellow man. Today these core principles are still needed, but with the increase in the student dropout rate, the JROTC program can be one of many alternatives needed to help public education reach today's youth who are struggling to stay in school. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the impact of the Air Force JROTC Leadership Program on the grade point average (GPA), attendance rate, disciplinary referrals, and dropout rate of JROTC students at an urban high school in southeastern Virginia. The study also addressed the perceptions of school administrators, Air Force JROTC instructors, teachers, JROTC students and their parents on students enrolled in the program during the 2005-2009 school years. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the means, standard deviations and frequency distributions for the groups in the study. Three independent sample t-tests and seven one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA's) were used to determine where there was a statistically significant difference for each group. The Tukey post hoc procedure was used to determine where the difference occurred in the variables. There were three major findings revealed in this study. The first finding indicated that students who participated in the JROTC program had lower grade point averages (M =2.47, SD = 1.17) than non-JROTC participants (M = 3.00, SD = 0.94). Second, administrators had higher levels of agreement (100%) than AFJROTC instructors, teachers, JROTC students and parents that leadership skills were developed in the AFJROTC program. Third, JROTC students (12%) and parents (7%) had lower levels of agreement than administrators, AFJROTC instructors and teachers that the AFJROTC program is used as a recruitment tool. Focus groups results showed strong support for the program from administrators, teachers, JROTC students and parents. These findings suggest that if school districts and educational leaders are to benefit from implementing the AFJROTC program they must understand that the program is not designed to impact academics. The program is designed to develop leadership skills along with helping students become better citizens. Educational leaders in school districts should read the findings and consider utilizing the program as a possible alternative to help students to develop skills to keep them from dropping out of school. / Ph. D.

Approved for public release; distribution in unlimited. / Our primary research interest is whether participation in the Junior Reserve Offices Training Corps (JROTC) program influences youths' propensity to enlist; and for those who subsequently enlist, the influence on retention rates and propensity to reenlist. The novelty of this thesis lies in conducting multivariate analysis of the impact of JROTC participation on enlistment, retention and reenlistment. Our data sources are (1) the 1980 High School and Beyond (HS & B) survey and (2) Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) enlisted personnel cohort files from Fiscal Year (FY) 1980 to 2000. We employ a number of econometric models with the HS & B data, including single equation PROBIT and LOGIT models, two-stage least squares (2SLS) with instrumental variables (IVs) and bivariate PROBIT equation. Our results show that JROTC positively influence enlistment when we treat JROTC participation as exogenous for both high school seniors and sophomores. The impact of JROTC participation on military enlistment decisions becomes negligible however, when we account for self-selection into the JROTC program of high school students. Using PROBIT and LOGIT models on the DMDC data, we find that enlisted personnel who graduated from JROTC are more likely to reenlist than non-JROTC graduates. Using the Cox proportional hazard survival analysis method, we find that JROTC graduates personnel tend to stay longer and complete their first-term than non-JROTC graduates. Synthesizing the results, we conclude that policy-makers might find it worthwhile to actively target JROTC cadets for enlistment because in the long run, it pays off in terms of higher first-term completion rates which results in cost savings in the form of enlistment bonuses and training costs. One possible extension of our study is to monetize our results for a cost-benefit analysis of the JROTC program vis--̉vis other recruitment programs. Quantifying the net benefits and costs of the JROTC program will allow policy-makers to make more informed decisions with regard to the future direction of the JROTC program. / Lieutenant, United States Navy / Civilian, Ministry of Defense Singapore

Federal and state descriptions of gifted and talented services include identifying and developing leadership talent, but in many states, services are not mandated or funded. Consequently, leadership development is often left to extracurricular programs (e.g., student organizations, athletics). The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) provides school-based military-focused leadership education and opportunities to apply emergent leadership skills. This qualitative descriptive study examined leadership talent development in JROTC and the postsecondary paths participants chose. A self-report survey was distributed to graduating seniors enrolled in JROTC in Texas public high schools and semi-structured interviews were conducted with JROTC instructors across the state. The findings highlighted characteristics of students in the sample who chose to pursue military-focused education or careers after high school and themes about the experiences and key considerations related to choosing postsecondary paths. JROTC instructors supported students with differentiated development plans and information about flexible pathways to reach postsecondary goals. Students benefitted from broad definitions of success, exposure to career options, realistic self-assessment, and alignment between intentions and preparation.

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.