Developing an Agricultural Education Curriculum for 2015

Curriculum standards based reform introduction modern standards-based education reform movement started with the 1983 report, Nation at Risk. Over the last 24 years, several state and national reform efforts have been established. Nationally, the Child Left Behind Act is designed to target federal, state and local attention and resources to the schools that are most in need of help. No Child Left Behind (NLCB) ... outlines what it takes to implement high standards-a curriculum aligned with standards, multiple assessments, quality teachers, and public accountability (Puriefoy, 2003). Does agricultural education have curriculum aligned with standards? Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) has conducted research in schools and districts around the country. Goertz (2001), one of the principal investigators of a major CRPE study, examined the ways in which districts can implement standards-based educational reform. Because implementation of state and federal policy occurs at the district level; school districts can choose to ignore, adopt, coordinate, or expand the policy as the district implements the policies. Does agricultural education have curriculum standards that school districts embrace and adopt locally? Puriefoy (2003) suggests that [r]equiring all students to meet the same high standards makes the process of learning and everything about education public. As states adopt standards, they can help provide a level of consistency to the educational experiences provided in all schools. This should help narrow the achievement gaps between different populations. Does agricultural education have curriculum standards that will help narrow achievement gaps between different populations ? One of the major strengths of standards-based educational reform is the change in the dynamics of the organization to provide higher standards for all students. Puglielli (2003) suggests that this reform will help an organization increase its capacity to establish a more focused set of priorities for improvement and...[to] assure that scarce resources are being applied effectively (p. 12). Does agricultural education have curriculum standards that focus our efforts? Content standards provide a set of clear and rigorous expectations for all students. These standards are designed to provide clear, specific statements that describe what a child is expected to know and be able to do in content areas at each grade level. Battelle for Kids (n.d.) partnership suggests that must insist on high standards - when we expect more from students, they achieve more. Does agricultural education have curriculum standards that expect more from students, all students? It is apparent that there is a need for clear and ambitious agricultural education curriculum standards. Can agricultural education develop curriculum standards that: * are aligned with academic content standards, * are embraced and adopted locally by school districts, * help narrow achievement gaps between different populations, * set priorities for improvement, and * expect more from students? education Context A little over 40 years ago the agricultural education profession debated over the inclusion of science in vocational agriculture. Today, the issue is still with us but with ever-increasing complexity. Features of Education Magazine in the 1960's included: * Making Vo-Ag Broader Vocationally, * The Effect of Vo-Ag on Success, and * Agricultural Education at the Crossroads. Articles included: * Agriculture is more than production farming, * College success with and without vocational agriculture in the high school, and * Virginia study reveals need for new type of vocational training. Why have these issues not changed? …