Written by: Major (R) L. Garcia
Army JROTC is proud to be nationally accredited by Cognia, an esteemed accrediting agency dedicated to educational excellence. In a rigorous review of the entire JROTC program, Cognia awarded an impressive score of 368 out of 400 on its Index of Education Quality — a benchmark for how effectively institutions meet national teaching and learning standards.
On November 14, 2025, 5th Brigade JROTC/ROTC Headquarters as well as active duty Army recruiters visited Veterans Memorial High School to conduct the program formal inspection. The JROTC cadets underwent evaluation in Continuous Improvement Plan briefing, Service Learning Briefing, curriculum portfolio interview, uniform inspection, color guard sequence, marching drill sequence and finally the instructor portfolio.
The formal JPA inspection occurs every three years. The end state for the accreditation visit was to accurately assess the JROTC program’s performance and compliance with applicable U.S. Army and Cadet Command regulations and Brigade-Level policies, and to provide data to Cadet Command Headquarters for program accreditation.
Our VMHS cadets excelled in every facet of the inspection helping them retain the coveted Army JROTC Honor Unit with Distinction scoring 98.75% out of 100. Less than 10% of Army JROTC units earn the Honor Unit with Distinction (HUD) rating, which is the highest rating they can receive. To earn HUD, a unit must score 95% or higher on its JROTC Program of Accreditation (JPA) evaluation.