Exploring Strategies for Improving Agricultural Education Programs in our Schools

Troy, NY

March 31, 2006

                                       

Trends in high school reform

Dr. Richard Jones

PART A:

 

I.                Current trends in educational reform.

 

1.      High school reform

a.      What are we really teaching?

b.     Do we have the right curriculum in our schools?

 

2.     Small schools – creating new small schools

 

3.     Math, science, technology

a.      Increasing numbers of highly qualified teachers

 

4.     Biotechnology

a.      Agriculture production for food and medical needs

 

5.     Reading in content areas

 

6.     Assessment backlash

a.      Mistakes in scoring

b.     Federal regulation of high stakes testing

 

7.     Increased assessment

 

Comments from the agricultural science teachers:

 

·       The critical need for science, math, and technology integration in agricultural education curriculum.  We could consider expanding this to include other areas.  This means increasing/improving local and state marketing of agricultural education and joint writing of curriculum with other teachers.

·       The need to build relationships with external groups and individuals (colleges, students, businesses, academic teachers)

·       Reading & Reading Appreciation – When did students start to hate to read?  We need to teach students to appreciate reading. We need to make sure our curriculum strengthens reading skills because it is is an industry need.

·       Professional development – we need to expand on ideas we’ve had and to develop teachers’ skills.  These need to be interdisciplinary and utilize content experts to help us with the integration.  External funding would ease the burden of local schools.

 

II.        Best practices of high performing schools.

 

1.     Model schools conference

 

2.     High schools – current characteristics (from students’ perspective)

a.      Traditions have become ruts – school holds up façade that school is a great place

b.     Attendance required – Learning optional

c.      Isolated teacher-centered instruction

d.     Students falling through cracks, some shining successes

e.      Students are overwhelmed and bored

 

3.     Video

a.      High school diploma is not the finish line, but the gateway to many other possibilities

                                                                        i.     Kids and parents have learned to “play” the educational “game”

                                                                      ii.     How to get into college, versus how to learn

b.     High school should be more about learning how to think rather than learning how to fill in the bubble.

c.      More inclusion of teachers’ opinions and ideas, rather than just the cold material

d.     Every student has something to offer – enable students to continue to learn

e.      Create a “spark” for learning

 

4.     Articulation with post-secondary programs

 

5.     Make high school education more meaningful for students

 

6.     Positive relationships between teachers and students are pervasive in high performing schools

 

Comments from the agricultural science teachers:

 

·       Develop higher expectations of our students – industry has high expectations.  We might want to bring in industry reps to add to curriculum.

·       Show that college is part of workforce.  People think college is just school

 

IIIA.   Exemplary characteristics.

 

  1. Personalized learning
    1. Students didn’t fall through the cracks
    2. Meet all students where they are, then take them further
    3. Customized learning

 

  1. High expectations
    1. Everyone can succeed, and believe it!

 

  1. Data-driven decisions

 

  1. 9th grade transition to high school
    1. Teachers get to know students
    2. Students get to know each other
    3. Identify potential problems w/in first 4 weeks of school

 

  1. Challenging 12th grade

 

  1. Rigorous and relevant curriculum
    1. Real world application

 

  1. Effective leadership

 

  1. Relationships driven by guiding principles
    1. Staff and students
    2. Deep commitment

 

  1. Sustained professional development
    1. Collaboration among staff

 

IIIB.    Personalized learning.

 

1.     Multiple pathways

a.      Non-hierarchical classes

b.     Equivalent courses

c.      Multiple paths w/in same courses and curriculum

d.     Challenge all students w/in same/different courses

 

2.     Early intervention

 

3.     Disaggregation of data

 

4.     Leveling w/ respect

a.      Equal respect among teachers and students

 

Comments from the agricultural science teachers:

 

·       Decisions regarding the direction of agricultural education programs and curriculum must be data driven.  We need to share our ideas across the board and connect lessons to academic subjects so we have reinforcement.

 

·       Student leadership relationship – make the importance known, try to move away from stereo types.

o      We get kids to experience things outside of their comfort zone

o      We get kids outside of the classroom

 

IV.       Learning Strategies

 

A.              Small learning communities.

 

1.     Building relationships

2.     Identifying student needs

3.     Articulation of curriculum

4.     Staff collaboration

5.     Creating positive school culture

6.     Contextual learning

 

B.              9th grade practices.

 

1.     Transition procedures

2.     Social activities

3.     Early interventions

4.     Avoiding front loading

a.      Getting all of the requirements out of the way during the freshman year

b.   Work with content area teachers to reinforce basics for students who struggle with requirements, then test at the end of high school

b.     Rounded Rectangular Callout: In agricultural science education, we provide the relevance; do we provide the rigorous academically oriented curriculum? Do we teach MSR concepts within the context of agriculture? Or, do we teach how to “do” agriculture? Practice within content area (math), then test after much practice in different contexts

5.     Differentiation

6.     Parent relationships

7.     Adult advisory

8.     Peer relationships

 

C.              Early college

 

1.     Full scheduling

2.     Advanced placement

3.     Dual enrollment

4.     College application support

5.     Senior projects

6.     Community service

a.      120 hours of community service required for graduation

b.     Administrator hired for developing community service

7.     Internships

 

Doesn’t matter what career theme you choose, the career theme provides context, focus, engagement, interest, relevance to what students are learning. Finding a context and relevancy helps translate learning to the “real world.”

 

D.        The Lexile Framework

 

I.         Rigor/Relevance Framework

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


II.                            Reading in content areas.

 

1.     Grade equivalent (many disadvantages to real conversations about improving reading)

a.      Semantic difficulty

b.     Syntactic complexity                  

c.      Readability scales are not uniform

 

2.     Lexile framework

a.      Scale 200-2000 (midpoint = 1000, Black Beauty)

b.     Free service online to determine readability

 

3.     Reading requirements findings

a.      Entry-level – higher levels of reading at entry-level positions

                                                              i.     Highest reading level required in 6/16

                                                            ii.     2nd highest reading level in 7/16

b.     Consistent across country

 

c.      25%ile - 75%ile

                                                              i.     Ag science and natural resources = 1270-1510

                                                            ii.     College text ~ 1000 – 1100

                                                          iii.     Regents exam ~ 1200

d.     White paper: www.leadered.com

 

4.     Consider what students read comfortably (comparative analysis of texts that students read)

 

5.     Not that students don’t understand the math/science concepts, it’s that they can’t read the problem.

 

6.     “If you’re going to take students to a higher level, you’ve got to get them to read.”

 

7.     Time doesn’t necessarily make reading better. Practice makes permanent.

 

8.     Good reading products – Scholastic

a.      One of major problems is lack of background knowledge

b.     Use videos as pre-reading activities

c.      Find ways in agricultural science education to develop background knowledge among all students

 

9.     Must spend time with reading if you are a quality high school teacher. (“All teachers are teachers of reading.”)

 

E.        Assessment project – determining successful schools.

 

1.     Criteria grid

 

2.     Determined by school

 

3.     12-15 measures of learning, but 4 core areas

a.      Core academic areas

                                                              i.     Several measures

b.     Stretch learning

                                                              i.     Unique focuses

                                                            ii.     Different ways of learning

                                                          iii.     Taking learning further

c.      Student engagement

                                                              i.     Continuous learning

                                                            ii.     Excited and committed students

d.     Personal skill development

                                                              i.     Sensitivity

                                                            ii.     Leadership (FFA)

                                                          iii.     Community service

                                                          iv.     Help students identify personal skill development

 

4.     Determinants of each measure

a.      Learning desired (actual measure)

b.     Quantity of the measure

c.      Trend over time

 

d.     Disaggregated data

e.      Comparison with other schools, other educational measures

 

5.     Broadened definition of successful high schools

 

Comments from the agricultural science teachers:

 

·       We need to help change the mindset of students and parents to recognize the attainment of a high school diploma as the beginning.  We need to balance time out of school and academics.

·       We need to remind our own peers at our local schools that FFA is “good stuff”.

·       Marketing – we offer so many of the key services but don’t tell anyone or don’t do so effectively.  We need to develop strategies to minimize teacher time and provide administrative support.

·       Relationship building with students.  We are already doing this in agricultural education.  It is not enough to say that we do it, we need to create more opportunities to do it.

 

F.               Opportunities and Challenges in Agricultural Science Education.

 

I.   Opportunities

 

1.     Relevance

a.      Bring expertise to the “table”