Marshall University Marshall Digital Scholar Theses, Dissertations and Capstones 2016 Principals' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the JROTC Program Patty Jean Blake blake68@marshall.edu Follow this and additional works at: http://mds.edu/etd Part of the Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, and the Military, War, and Peace Commons Recommended Citation Blake, Patty Jean, "Principals' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the JROTC Program" (2016). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Marshall Digital Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Marshall Digital Scholar.
For more information, please contact zhangj@marshall.edu, martj@marshall. PRINCIPALS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE JROTC PROGRAM A dissertation submitted to the Graduate College of Marshall University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction by Patty Jean Blake Approved by Dr. Meisel, Committee Chairperson Dr. Louis Watts Dr.
Sandra Stroebel Keywords: Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, JROTC, high school, principals. Marshall University May 2016 ii © 2016 Patty Jean Blake ALL RIGHTS RESERVED iii DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my family---past, present, and future. I am wholly thankful to all who have gone before me to pave the way for me to walk the path I am on today. To my father, Richard Roberts, who always told me I should be a doctor.
I wish you had lived to see your words become a reality. To my mother, Mary Roberts, who is always in my corner and who has never doubted my ability to succeed; you are the best. To my brother, Mark and my sister, Debbie, thank you for traveling with me. We have come a long way.
To Michael, my amazing husband, thank you for not cracking foxy on me during this adventure. Your patience is astounding. To my children, Natalie and Ricky, you are the reason Icontinue to move forward and look ahead. I hope that I have smoothed the way and helped you to find a path toward a richer life.
I love you all more than you will ever know. To my four-legged family, especially Rocky and Bill; I cannot imagine life without you. You were there with wiggles, wags, and kisses when the challenges of this endeavor threatened to bring me down. Your unconditional love and acceptance kept me going.
Most importantly, to my Holy Father, the Lord God Almighty—all glory and honor is yours. This dissertation proves that with God, all things are truly possible. You have given me blessings beyond my wildest dreams. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my Committee Chair, Dr.
Without your patience, expertise, and encouragement this dissertation would have remained an unwritten dream. Not only were you a perfect fit for me, but you were also a trusted mentor and a kindred spirit. Additionally I thank my committee members. Louis Watts, thank you for being the first person at Marshall who suggested that I pursue a doctoral degree.
Thank you for seeing the potential in me and for helping me to reach that potential. Ronald Childress, thank you for your support. It meant the world to me to have you at my presentation half way around the world in Finland. Thank you for your keen mind and critical thinking.
You asked the hard questions and demanded rigor in my work. Sandra Strobel, thank you for agreeing to be on my committee without much notice. I appreciate you and the perspective you provide. I would like to extend a special thank you to all the wonderful professors at Marshall University.
I especially would like to thank Dr. Elizabeth Campbell and Dr. Lisa Heaton for going beyond the call of duty. Thank you all for taking a personal interest in me and in my education.
I hope I can pay it forward. To the principals and JROTC instructors who took an interest in this study, I offer my gratitude. Your calls and emails were the spark to ignite the occasional faltering conviction that I could complete this dissertation. Your enthusiasm and passion for students is evident.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the JROTC instructors who are the backbone of the program. Without your leadership and dedication, it is unlikely we would be celebrating a century of JROTC. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION. v TABLE OF APPENDICES.
viii LIST OF TABLES. viii LIST OF FIGURES. ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION. 9 Purpose of the Study.
12 Rationale of the Study. 12 Significance of the Study. 13 Assumptions of the Study. 15 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW.
26 JROTC and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. 28 The Role of the Principal. 31 Facilitating Buy-In. 36 Characteristics of JROTC Cadets.
42 Principals' Perceptual Understanding of JROTC Within the School Environment. 46 Advantages and Disadvantages of Having JROTC in High Schools. 48 Demographic Influences on JROTC Programs. 52 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY.
63 Data Collection Procedures. 65 Methods of Data Analysis. 68 CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS. 88 Open-Ended Responses.
94 Summary of Findings. 96 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 99 Purpose of the Study. 100 Conclusions of Findings.
113 vii Curriculum and Instruction. 116 Recommendations for Further Research. 127 TABLE OF APPENDICES Appendix A: Pilot Study Survey. 141 Appendix B: Permission for Pilot Study.
144 Appendix C: Principals' Perceptions of JROTC Survey. 145 Appendix D: IRB Approval. 148 Appendix E: Anonymous Survey Consent. 149 Appendix F: Curriculum Vita.
150 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Number of Principals with Prior Military Experience. 73 Table 2: Demographic Characteristics of Principals. 73 Table 3: Demographic Characteristics of Schools. 74 Table 4: Research Question 1 Chi Square Analysis of JROTC Influence on Cadet Social Development.
76 Table 5: Research Question 2 Chi Square Analysis of JROTC Influence on Cadet Behaviors. 77 Table 6: Research Question 3 Chi Square Analysis of JROTC Influence on School Environment. 78 Table 7: National Geographic Distribution of JROTC Units by Sponsoring Branch of Military. 81 Table 8: Geographic Distribution of JROTC Units by Sponsoring Branch of the Military (Responses Returned for this Study).
81 Table 9: Research Question 4 Kruskal-Wallis Analysis: Influence of Demographics on Principals' Perceptions. 82 Table 10: Research Question 4 Kruskal-Wallis with Mean Ranks. 83 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. 27 Figure 2: Sergiovanni's Leadership Forces.
33 Figure 3: Census Regions of the United States. 80 Figure 4: Comparison of National Data with Study Data. 82 Figure 5: Advantages of JROTC. 90 Figure 6: Disadvantages of JROTC.
92 Figure 7: Additional Comments about JROTC. 94 viii ABSTRACT 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. ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION High schools across the United States are under increasing pressure to produce students who are college and career-ready.
Twenty first century skills focus on technology and collaboration. Employers repeatedly ask for employees who demonstrate the high level of responsibility, leadership, teamwork, and critical thinking necessary for success in the modern work place. The passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) focused the nation’s attention on accountability and held teachers and administrators to an exacting level of responsibility in ensuring that educational goals were met (United States Department of Education, 2004). Schools and school districts must demonstrate that they are utilizing best practices and research- based models to prepare students to be competitive in a global society while a shift toward the Common Core brings with it a common standard of measure (Common Core Standards Initiative, 2015).
With the call for accountability showing no signs of fading, administrators and school systems must carefully consider curriculum. Administrators will want to select and maintain programs that facilitate goals and lead to student success. Principals must weigh carefully the advantages of a program against the disadvantages. In addition to curriculum, principals will need to explore various programs and practices in terms of how they influence the individual student and how they provide support within the context of the public high school system.
This study examines The Junior Reserves Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program that has been in existence for nearly a century. As a voluntary curricular program, JROTC is perhaps one of the most long-lived, well-known, and controversial educational programs in America. Data from each of the sponsoring military branches show over 3,000 schools across America host a JROTC program. In 2008, there were an estimated 700 schools on waiting lists for the program (Arnoldy & Lubold, 2008).
Despite arguments from opponents who claim that 1 JROTC is a military recruitment tool that targets minority and disadvantaged youth, the program, open to all students over the age of 14, continues to grow. Some attribute program growth to shared funding with the U. Department of Defense (Coumbe, Hartford, and Kotakis, 2010). Schools considering the addition or continuation of JROTC might wish to consider the potential efficacy of the program.
Principals will want to know if the program is academically sound and relevant to 21st century learners. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of high school principals regarding the efficacy of the JROTC program in terms of its influence on social development, its influence on cadet behavior, and its influence on the overall school environment. Background The concept of a citizen soldier predates our nation’s birth. Prior to the Revolutionary War, each settlement in the new land provided its own protection.
All able-bodied men bore a share of the responsibility for protecting the community; thus, every able-bodied male was both a citizen and a soldier (Bateman, 2007). As the country grew, so, too did the concern over the expanding separation between citizen soldiers and an elitist group of officers trained by military academies (Downs, 2011). This concern fueled three significant events in the history of American military education. First, the United States saw the formation of civilian-led military academies such as the Citadel and Virginia Military Institute.
Next, the country passed the Morrill Act of 1862 that required military training in all land-grant universities. Finally, the National Defense Act of 1916 allowed military education in all civilian educational institutions (Downs, 2011).