Diploma Endorsement
Career and Technical
Area of Concentration: JROTC


 

UPDATE   21 FEBRUARY 2007 
 

Cutting to the chase, what we in Ascension Parish want:
1. Approval by the State Board of Education of JROTC as a viable career cluster, eligible for a Diploma Endorsement

2. State Board of Education Recognition of JROTC instructors as industry experts authorized to conduct and document work based learning

3. The State Board of Education to recognize and authorize Cadet job performance in their assigned JROTC position as work based learning experience

4.  The State Board of Education to approve the exclusion of the requirement for an "Industry Certification" for the career cluster JROTC, based on the existing Congressional authorization for JROTC students to enlist in the military in an advanced pay grade.  Authorization is found within Title 10 of Federal Law.

5.  Authorize the use of the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) as a metric in-lieu of the "Industry Certification" requirement.

Major Bailey, USAF (Donaldsonville High School) and I met 21 Feb 07, with the Industry Based Certification Committee.  The committee was receptive to our proposal, but, they were unsure whether their committee possessed the authority to approve our requests.  They voted to take the issue under advisement and further research the committees authority under this issue.    The committee agreed to advise us of their progress on this issue.  They indicated that they believed that our presentation should be made directly to the state board of education.

I asked the Industry Based Certification Committee, a sub-committee of the Workforce Commission of the Louisiana State Board of Education to approve the following:

1.1. Approve an Industry Based Certification  called:
“Pre- military Service Certification”

2.   Modify the “Louisiana High School Diploma and Diploma Endorsement Requirements”, Other Performance Indicators for Career /Technical Endorsement
3.
3.  Approve/acknowledge the military science instructors for the JROTC program as industry representatives responsible for the Mentoring, monitoring and documenting of Work Based Learning
hours
 
4. Approve/acknowledge that JROTC service hours are Work-Based learning experiences and in fact exceed any comparable experience currently available to high school students

To view a copy of the Power Point presentation for the 21 Feb meeting, click HERE

Background and efforts to date

On 8 November I presented the following information to a group of Louisiana school board Superintendents at Nichols University, in an effort to earn their support in forwarding an initiative to the Louisiana State Board of Education to include JROTC as a Career and Technical field eligible to earn a diploma endorsement.  The Superintendents passed a unanimous motion to submit the issue to the State Board and requested that I present the initiative to the State.  Though I only represent one military service, this issue has ramifications across all military services and more importantly the students within the JROTC programs.

Background:  The state board of education for Louisiana has a Diploma Endorsement process for graduating high school seniors.  The specific endorsement of concern to JROTC instructors is the Cluster for "Government and Public Administration, JROTC".  Currently, this cluster is not eligible for a Diploma Endorsement in the Career and Technical category.  The instructors at St Amant High School, Ascension Parish School Board, have submitted an updated/more correct career cluster and provided the state with up to date rationale for the change.  See the following text out of our submission.

The following changes are proposed to the Louisiana Career Cluster and Area of Concentration: Government and Public Administration; Area of Concentration: JROTC

Proposed changes:

  1. Approve the career cluster for Career/Technical Diploma Endorsement "JROTC"
  2. Change the category “Postsecondary Education Programs;” to include: All college degree programs (medical, allied health, engineering, political science, education, law, law enforcement, etc.)
  3. Change “Training Programs:” to read: completion of the SACS accredited NJROTC program.
  4.  Change “Occupations:” to include the following technical and specialist occupations:

On this web site you can view the following files:

1.  The proposed change (MSWord)
2.  The proposed area of concentration (MSWord)
3.  The proposed career cluster "JROTC" (MSWord)
4.  Copies of the state of Arkansas curriculum frameworks for Air Force, Navy and Army. (Adobe Acrobat)
5.  A point paper to the Naval Service Training Command proposing a military (Navy) Pre-Military Service Certification. (MSWord)
6.  A copy of the presentation made to 10 Louisiana School Board Superintendents, 8 November 2006. (MS PowerPoint)
7.  Louisiana High School Diploma & Diploma Endorsement Requirements (Adobe Acrobat File)

The presentation to the Superintendents details the logic and rationale for the change.  Any instructor desiring further information please contact Captain Dennis Beaver at 225-621-2537 or 504-258-4837.

Naval Service Training Command JROTC office received Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation of the NJROTC curriculum.  That accreditation process was completed in September 2006 and the NJROTC headquarters was advised of their accreditation in the attached letter.