Atlantic Community High School JROTC Mission:
"To Motivate Young People to be Better Citizens"

The JROTC Curriculum

Since 2005, the U.S. Army JROTC program has been accredited as a Special Purpose Program by the national accrediting agency known as AdvancED (www.advanc-ed.org). The JROTC curriculum provides equitable and challenging academic content and authentic learning experiences for all Cadets. All lessons are designed using a four-part model to motivate the Cadet, allow the Cadet to learn new information, practice competency, and apply the competency to a real-life situation. Moreover, the four-part model requires Cadets to collaborate, reflect, develop critical thinking skills, and integrate content with other disciplines. The JROTC curriculum includes lessons in leadership, health and wellness, physical fitness, first-aid, geography, American history and government, communications, and emotional intelligence.

JROTC Co-Curricular Activities

Cadets participate in a myriad of co-curricular activities to demonstrate their attainment of lesson outcomes. Some of these activities include Precision and Exhibition Military Drill competitions, Air Rifle competitions (Sporter and Precision), Raider Challenge competitions, Robotics, JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl (JLAB), and a physical fitness competition known as JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge (JCLC). Cadets who complete 4 years of JROTC co-curricular activities and its challenging curriculum will be more college and/or career ready.

National Impact

Arguably, JROTC is one of the most successful and significantly impactful youth-oriented programs in American history. As educators and others measure success, we have identified five Quality Indicators used to measure the effectiveness of the program in high schools. These five Quality Indicators are attendance, graduation, indiscipline, drop-out rate, and GPA. JROTC exceeds schools’ averages in each of these categories:

Quality Indicators

The JROTC curriculum, which fully or partially addresses a number of national academic standards - to include Common Core State Standards (CCSS) - includes course work on leadership, civics, geography and global awareness, health, and wellness, language arts, life skills, and U.S. history. The curriculum is based on the principles of performance-based, learner-centered education and promotes development of core abilities: capacity for life-long learning, communication, responsibility for actions and choices, good citizenship, respectful treatment of others, and critical thinking techniques.

More important than "what" is learned in JROTC is "how" it is learned. Every classroom is equipped with leading edge technologies to teach, assess, and report student progress. Teachers are trained to utilize a range of technologies and develop social/emotional skills, support academic content through gaming and simulations, and promote the role of social media. Thus, students engage in meaningful, purposeful activities that lead them to demonstrate success through a portfolio of accomplishments.

Every learning experience in the curriculum addresses Core Abilities, Program Outcomes, and Course Competencies; building on their developing skills and abilities, which are critical to success in high school and post-secondary career.

Core Abilities

Core Abilities describe the broad, life-long skills that every Cadet needs for success in future life and career endeavors. The core abilities are a result of the goals and values that drive the JROTC program and are built upon the program’s four years through integrating various lesson competencies and skills throughout the JROTC curriculum. The Core Abilities are:
*Apply critical thinking techniques
*Build your capacity for life-long learning
*Communicate using verbal, non-verbal, visual, and written techniques
*Do your share as a good citizen in your school, community, country, and the world
*Take responsibility for your actions and choices
*Treat self and others with respect

Program Outcomes

Program outcomes describe what JROTC Cadets will know and be able to do upon successful completion of the JROTC program. These outcomes also provide documentation for growth and development of the student and program for re-accreditation purposes, school visitors, parents, and the community. As Cadets complete each LET, their journey toward program outcomes will occur; each program outcome is linked to every LET lesson in the curriculum. Evidence of learning can be witnessed through a Cadet’s Portfolio, which will showcase continued development of program outcomes. The JROTC Program Outcomes are:
*Act with integrity and personal accountability as you lead others to succeed in *a diverse and global workforce
*Engage in civic and social concerns in the community, government, and society
*Graduate prepared to succeed in post-secondary options and career pathways
*Make decisions that promote positive social, emotional, and physical health
*Value the role of the military and other service organizations

Course Competencies

Competencies describe discipline-specific measurable and observable skills, knowledge, and attitudes. They are targeted in each lesson of the curriculum. Performance standards (criteria and conditions) provide the specifications for assessing mastery of a competency. Cadets show they have learned competencies by applying them in the completion of assessment tasks that require them to do one or more of the following:

*Make a decision
*Perform a skill
*Perform a service
*Solve a problem
*Create a product
 

POC LTC (RET) James L. Rodriguez  
561-243-1519
james.rodriguez@palmbeachschool.org
edwin.velazquez@palmbeachschools.org
rafael.perezneris@palmbeachschools.org
ron.evans@palmbeachschools.org