Low attendance, poor behavior, low test scores, and low graduation rates among at-risk students have created a concern in urban school districts. The purpose of this study was to illuminate the impact of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Academy programs on students' academic performance. The theoretical foundation of the research was based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory, which holds that a child's environment can affect his or her development and success. A pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design was employed to compare the biology and literature End of Course Test (EOCT) scores for 9th grade JROTC students and students from a traditional small school learning community. Research questions determined if there were significant differences between the groups's biology and literature EOCT scores, controlling for differences in pretest scores. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance. Significant differences were found between JROTC academy students' and traditional students' EOCT biology scores. These results suggest that the JROTC academy concept might be useful in other urban environments with a high percentage of at-risk students. Positive social change could occur from this study by informing educators of the utility of the Junior ROTC academy concept for enhancing students' social development and academic achievement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]