More Than Sows, Cows and Plows:

School-based Agricultural Education Today

In the beginning At the dawning of the 20th Century the public was disenchanted with public education curriculum was still primarily classical no relevancy to an agrarian society no practical application lecture and rote memorization were extensively used

In the beginning... USDA, agricultural societies, and others demanded change in the educational system Many states started teaching agriculture (and other applied subjects) in the public schools There was a nation-wide movement to teach agriculture in the schools which culminated in the passage of the Smith-Hughes Act in 1917

Smith-Hughes Act (1917) Federal funds were made available to states to support the teaching of agriculture, home economics and trades in the public schools The objective of vocational agriculture was to train those “...who have entered upon or who are preparing to enter upon the work of the farm…”

Smith-Hughes Act... Strict federal guidelines were to be followed in operating the vocational programs An independent Federal Board for Vocational Education was established to develop policy and oversee the operation of vocational education Congress did not trust the educational bureaucrats (Bureau of Education, Department of Interior) to provide federal leadership for this new endeavor; that is why the Federal Board was created

Smith-Hughes Act... Agriculture students were required to have a supervised farming project of at least six (6) months duration. This led to the federal ruling that Smith-Hughes Men (agriculture teachers) were to be employed for 12 months so they could supervise these projects during the summer.

Memorandum of Understanding After the passage of Smith- Hughes, a Memorandum of Understanding was enacted between the Federal Board and the USDA (in 1918) defining the roles of: agriculture teachers extension agents

Vocational Education Act of 1963 Smith-Hughes remained in place until the passage of the Vocational Education Act of 1963 which: Broadened the scope of vocational agriculture to include all areas of agriculture, not just farming Dropped the requirement that students have “farming projects” Reduced federal control greatly

Carl Perkins Act (1984, 1990, 1998) The current federal legislation related to vocational education is the Carl Perkins Act Virtually no mention is made of specific vocational programs such as agriculture. There are no provisions regarding agriculture in this legislation Legislation appears to be aimed at helping “special populations”

School-based Agriculture Today The mission of Agricultural Education is to prepare and support individuals for careers, build awareness and develop leadership for the food, fiber and natural resource systems. National Mission Statement

School-based Agriculture Today The agricultural education program is designed to develop technical, leadership, and management expertise needed by middle and high school students preparing for careers in agricultural occupations and to further education in an agriculturally-related field. North Carolina DPI Statement

The Agriculture Curriculum What is taught varies greatly from state to state and school to school Some states still have a heavy emphasis on farming (production agriculture) Many states have diversified their course offerings

The Agriculture Curriculum Typical Courses Horticulture Forestry Agricultural Mechanics Agribusiness Animal Science Crop Production Agriscience Natural Resources

The Agriculture Curriculum Many states have a smorgasbord of suggested courses Texas has 26 courses Specialized courses have been developed equine science aquaculture Local community needs determine which courses are actually offered at the local level

Curriculum Some states have very active agricultural education curriculum development centers that produce excellent products for sale Texas Ohio Missouri New York Oklahoma

The NC Agr. Educ. Curriculum Exploring Biotechnology (Middle School) Agriscience Applications (Introductory Course) Animal Science I & II Horticulture I & II Horticulture II – Turfgrass Horticulture II – Landscape Construction

The NC Curriculum Agricultural Production I & II Animal Science I & II Animal Science II – Small Animal Equine Science I & II Biotechnology & Agriscience Research I & II

The NC Curriculum Agricultural Mechanics I & II Agricultural Mechanics II – Small Engines Environmental and Natural Resources Studies I & II Agricultural Leadership I & II Local schools determine which courses they will offer.

VoCATS VoCATS (Vocational Competency & Accountability Tracking System) is the accountability system used in agricultural education in North Carolina

VoCATS For each agricultural course there is a: Curriculum Guide (with a detailed listing of content, instructional objectives, & time recommendations. This is called the blueprint) Test Banks Pretest is given at the start of the course Posttest is given at the end of the course

The NC Curriculum In additional to classroom and laboratory instruction, agricultural students are expected to: Have a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Program. This is a hands-on learning activity (experiential learning) carried on outside of the school day. Belong to and be active in the FFA

SAE Major categories of SAE in NC: Entrepreneurship - Student operates an agricultural business, grows crops or raises livestock Placement - Student works in an agricultural business for experience or pay Experimental - Student plans and conducts a major scientific experiment Analytical - Student studies an agricultural program and recommends a solution

FFA FFA is the leadership laboratory for agricultural students Historically and legislatively, FFA is considered to be an integral (intracurricular) part of the curriculum

FFA Mission Statement: FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

Adult Education At one time many agricultural teachers in North Carolina conducted adult programs Very little adult education in agriculture is conducted in school-based programs today because of Strong extension programs Community Colleges There are viable school-based adult programs in agriculture in about 25 states

Other School Ag. Ed. Programs Ag in the Classroom Agriculture is infused into the elementary curriculum USDA has an individual who coordinates Ag in the Classroom Farm Bureau is a very active supporter Program varies from state to state Typically high school teachers are not involved

Other School Ag. Ed. Programs Project Learning Tree Environmental education lessons and activities sponsored by the American Forest Foundation

Agricultural Education Leadership Federal Prior to individuals were employed in the US Office of Education with Ag. Ed. responsibilities Today - 2 individuals in the US Department of Education have Agricultural Education responsibilities. No real authority Public Law 740 (the federal FFA charter) is the reason for their existence

National Leadership and USDA Prior to the Smith-Hughes Act the USDA provided assistance to secondary agricultural education The Farm Bill of 1996 tried to move federal agricultural education leadership to USDA (it was partially successful) A $500,000 challenge grant program for secondary agricultural education was established

Agricultural Education Leadership Because of the decline in Federal leadership, the profession created an independent National Council for Agricultural Education in the mid- 1980s. The National Council for Agricultural Education provides leadership, coordination and support for the continuous improvement of agricultural education.

Reinventing Agr. Educ. For the Year 2020 Council Projects: Local Program Success Agri-Entrepreneurship Program Aquaculture

Leadership in North Carolina During the Smith-Hughes era, the NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI) had agricultural education “supervisors” After 1963 the number steadily declined until there were 3 in 1994 With the downsizing of DPI in 1995, this number was cut to one (1)

Leadership in North Carolina Effective in 1996 five (5) state level “leadership” positions for school-based agricultural education were established by the General Assembly The positions were located in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NCSU These individuals work with schools across the state. Most states have Agricultural Education Supervisors in their State Dept. of Education

Leadership in North Carolina The state coordinator position is at NCSU but is currently vacant. Josh Bledsoe is the FFA coordinator and is at NCSU Benjie Forrest is the Eastern Coordinator stationed at Plymouth David Harris is the Western Coordinator stationed at Fletcher Horace Johnson is the Central coordinator, stationed at NCSU

Leadership in North Carolina The state is divided into six regions

Agriculture Teachers About 12,000 teachers nationally The majority of the teachers teach in single teacher departments The largest agriculture departments are in: W. B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences (Philadelphia) W. B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences

Agriculture Teachers The professional organization is the NAAE - National Association of Agricultural Educators (until recently the National Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association)

NC Agriculture Teachers About 375 at the middle and high school this number is rising by 5-10 per year, until recently there was a decline annually About 3/4 have 12 month contracts Starting salary around $30,000 Annual conference is held in late July in Greensboro or Raleigh

Teacher Preparation B.S. degree in Agricultural Education needed North Carolina A&T and North Carolina State have teacher preparation programs Due to the acute teacher shortage in agriculture, individuals with a B.S. degree in any area of agriculture can enter teaching through a “lateral-entry” program. They learn to teach while on the job.

Professional Journal The Agricultural Education Magazine designed for practitioners in the field six issues per year cost $10 each issue addresses a theme

Professional Journal The Journal of Agricultural Education is a research based publication for university agricultural educators.

Trends and Issues Block Scheduling - increasing enrollments in agricultural education, schools adding additional teachers Curriculum is becoming more scientific Expanding into private schools and home schooling Trying to distance the profession from the word “vocational”