AgrowKnowledge
History

AgrowKnowledge, The National Center for Agriscience and Technology Education will improve the math, science, and technical competencies of agriculture technology graduates across the nation who are preparing for careers that support the most efficient and sustainable food and fiber production in the world. Kirkwood Community College with partner colleges, secondary schools, and universities, guided by the vision of the agriculture industry, will institutionalize improvements in select agriculture technology education programs. These programs will serve as models for the nation.

To accomplish this vision, AgrowKnowledge will focus on three areas of activity: curriculum development, faculty development and capacity building. Specific directions in each of these activity areas will be determined annually by a Critical Issues Conference. Conference breakout sessions will address needs and establish outcomes for annual projects and faculty development activity. Projects and activities will be accomplished by 18 Agriculture Technology Education Teams and then institutionalized, in following years, by all appropriate partners. The annual conferences will also address best practices in the three primary areas of activity as improvements are institutionalized.

Curriculum Development

  • Define advanced technological careers in Agriculture Business/Services, Agriculture Production, Agriculture Science and Advanced Agriculture Technology, and identify the knowledge and skill competencies required by students entering careers in these fields.
  • Validate and enhance existing curriculum and develop new curriculum driven by emerging technologies and critical issues influencing 21st century agriculture.
  • Develop all courses/modules with strong science, math and technical skill components.

Faculty Development

  • Host workshops for college and high school instructors to strengthen their skills in using and applying new technology, curriculum, and electronic resources.
  • Coordinate instructor internships at agricultural research centers and in industry.
  • Identify and promote model agriculture teacher education programs at four-year colleges and universities.
  • Assist partner colleges and high schools to integrate advanced math, science and technology through one-on-one mentoring and technical assistance.

Capacity Building

  • Enroll categories of students previously denied access to advanced Agriculture Technology Education by identifying and implementing successful recruitment and retention models.
  • Maintain a national clearinghouse of electronic resources and reports to be used by the nation's educational institutions for program improvement.
  • Facilitate 2 + 2 + 2 articulation between high school, two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
  • Receive ongoing assistance from
      • An Industry Council of leading agri-businesses.
      • A University Council of leading university agriculture programs.
      • Agriculture Technology Education Teams of community colleges, universities and secondary agriculture programs.
  • Have progress reviewed by a National Visiting Committee composed of prominent educators and members of professional organizations and the agriculture industry.

Implementation/Organization

Kirkwood will partner with 15 community colleges that have well established agriculture technology programs. These colleges, identified as Agriculture Technology Education Teams are:

Arizona Western
College		 Blue Mountain
Community College		 College of Southern Idaho
Hawkeye Community
College		 Kirkwood Community College Lansing Community
College
Mississippi Delta
Community College		 Ohio State Agricultural
Technical Institute		 Parkland
College
Ridgewater
College		 Southwest Wisconsin
Technical College		 Thompson School
of Applied Science
Valencia Community
College		 Ventura College Vincennes University 

These colleges will each work as a team of local agriculture educators and businesses to improve their secondary and post-secondary programs and to establish programs and practices for the rest of the nation to model. These best practices will be shared with the nation's agriculture educators at AgrowKnowledge's annual conference and on this Web site.

The local team will consist of community college agriculture faculty member(s), agriculture or math/science faculty members from neighboring high schools, transfer colleges and universities, and an advisory committee representing local business and industry. Each team will receive up to $7,000 annually to support organizational efforts and travel for representatives of the team to attend the AgrowKnowledge conference, to provide input, expertise and materials for the Center and to work toward institutionalizing advanced science, math and technology within their team. Projects and activities resulting from the workshops will be implemented at the local level by the team. The local team will also agree to pre- and post-test students and to track agriculture technology program graduates.

ACT, Inc will identify and assist in preparing pre-tests to establish baseline data about the math, science and technical skills with which students enter two-year college programs at partner colleges. ACT, Inc will identify and assist in preparing post-tests to determine the gain in knowledge and skills upon completion of two years of study. College partners will administer pre-post tests to Agriculture Science and Technology students at their institutions. Partners will track graduates through their first three years of employment. ACT (or RISE) will survey employers to determine satisfaction with graduates' skills and knowledge. ACT will also determine the demand for graduates in each career field by surveying industry partners.

ATEEC, because of their strong curriculum design center and their close relationship and proximity to Kirkwood, will be contracted to lead workshops and prepare reports related to defining agriculture technology careers and developing competency profiles within career fields. ATEEC will also provide guidance related to required environmental competencies of agriculture technicians across careers.

First Year work in the three activity areas is described below.

Curriculum

Groundwork for curriculum improvements will occur through the following events:

  • The annual AgrowKnowledge Critical Issues Conference will identify goals and objectives for program improvement based on input from a wide cross-section of industry, professional associations and educators.
  • A Defining Agricultural Technologies Workshop will be held to identify career fields and the job tasks completed by technicians in each career area.
    1. Agriculture Production
      • Animal
      • Crop
      • Food
      • Horticulture
    2. Agri-Business and Services
      • Mechanics
      • Sales
      • Service
    3. Advanced Agriculture Technology
      • Genetics
      • Geospatial
      • Sensors
      • Information Specialist/E-Commerce
    4. Agriculture Sciences
      • Education
      • Research
      • Management
  • Competency Profile Workshops will be conducted in two of the above career fields the first year and in another two the second year. The workshops will identify the specific knowledge and skills that two-year graduates need to attain in these four broad career fields and in specialties within each career field. ATEEC will facilitate the workshops and prepare reports.

Faculty Development

Two faculty development workshops will be held in each of two curricular areas each Spring, for a total of four workshops per year. The first year will focus on the curricular areas of Agriculture Production and Advanced Agriculture Technology. The second year will focus on Agri-Business/Services and Agriculture Science.

Workshops will be four days in length with 50% time devoted to curriculum, 25% to technology skill development, and 25% to capacity building best practices including recruitment and retention of students. Each workshop will be attended by 25 persons. Priority will be given to members of the Local Teams of agriculture educators and industry. Following the workshops, participants will focus on improving local programs through AgrowKnowledge recommended curriculum, technology and practices.

Curriculum: Curriculum presenters will include the AgrowKnowledge curriculum designer, ACT and ATEEC. Participants will study 2+2+2 career pathways including recommended knowledge and skills that result from the Career Competency Workshop. In small groups, participants will study existing curriculum and resources as identified by ACT. Information about existing secondary and post-secondary programs will be collected by ACT, Inc. through program surveys prior to the workshop. Participants will conduct a gap analysis to identify needed improvements. They will consider improvements that allow students to transfer courses to baccalaureate institutions. The outcome of the workshop will be to name existing courses/programs that satisfy recommended career competencies and to identify curriculum needs. This information will be posted on the AgrowKnowledge Web site.

Technology

Technology presenters will come from AgrowKnowledge staff, from universities, and from business and industry. Presentations will focus on critical skills for faculty members as identified during the annual Critical Skills Conference.

Capacity Building

Speakers will come from the Agriculture Technology Education Teams and from University Council recommendations. Presentations will cover key areas recommended through the Critical Issues Conference.

Capacity Building

At the conclusion of Faculty Development Workshops, participants will be charged with returning to their local areas with plans to implement program improvements. Participants will set goals of implementing local improvements or developing new materials during the coming fiscal year. These goals will be reported at the annual Critical Issues Conference. The Lead Teams of Agriculture Educators will be assisted by two Councils who will be notified of their plans for improvement. Each Council will be asked to study these improvements and respond to with suggested resources to assist.

The University Council is comprised of five lead agriculture universities. All members will participate in the annual Critical Issues Conference. And, a representative of the University Council will participate in all other Center activities, representing the resources of four-year colleges related to curriculum development, faculty development and capacity building. In addition to responding to the plans of local Agriculture Education Teams for program improvement, each university will provide an annual status report in a particular area of expertise. Council members and their areas of expertise include:

Iowa State -- articulation

Mississippi State -- remote sensing technology integration

Purdue -- teacher education

U.C. Davis -- biotechnology integration

Michigan State -- retention and recruitment of non-traditional students.

The Industry Council is composed of leading agriculture business and industry with an interest in technology education. Council members will all participate in the annual Critical Issues Conference. A representative of the Council will attend all other Center events. The Council will conduct fundraising to support Center activities, host faculty interns, locate expert scientists/technicians to work on course/module development, donate equipment and materials, and build a national scholarship fund to encourage diversity in student enrollment.

Second Year Activity.

Program improvements will be implemented by Agriculture Technology Education Teams in the curricular areas of Agriculture Production and Advanced Agriculture Technology. For those Teams that are making significant advances, projects may be enhanced in the second year with mini-grants for a defined result that is based on the Center’s objectives and Critical Issues Conference, builds on previous years work and will be shared with other Teams.

First year activity in curriculum development, faculty development and capacity building will be repeated in the two new curricular areas of Agri-Business/Services and Agriculture Sciences.

Third Year Activity.

Projects initiated in the first and second year by Agriculture Technology Education (ATE) Teams will move into full implementation and completion.

Having completed an analysis and recommendations for specific Agriculture Technology careers or program areas in the first and second years, the third year will address standards and instructional materials with applicability to all programs. These might include developmental materials in science and math, career academies providing dual secondary/post-secondary credit. The third year will result in broadening the impact of enhancing science and math in agriculture technology programs through the efforts of the ATE Teams. More secondary schools, community colleges and universities will be provided the resources of the Center.

Staffing

The AgrowKnowledge Curriculum Specialist will work to support curriculum development endeavors. The AgrowKnowledge Information Specialist/Webmaster will post findings on the AgrowKnowledge Web site along with other instructional resources identified by partners. The Information Specialist will also serve as lead writer or editor of all reports published for AgrowKnowledge. The Events/Marketing Planner will plan and schedule all speakers, participants, events and workshops and prepare marketing materials for the Center. Additional materials will be prepared for use by colleges to recruit students into Agriculture Technology Programs. The PI and Project Manager will oversee the work of staff, subcontractors, and direct the work of the University Council and the Industry Council. They will work with advice and direction from the National Visiting Committee.

The quantitative measures of goal attainment are listed below. RISE will conduct the third-party evaluation to measure attainment of goals.

Project Evaluation

Annual third party evaluation will be conducted by the Research Institute for Studies in Education (RISE) at Iowa State University. Outcomes by which the Center's success will be measured are listed below.

Curriculum Development

Define advanced technological careers in Agriculture Business/Services, Agriculture Production, Agriculture Science and Advanced Agriculture Technology, and identify the knowledge and skill competencies required by students entering careers in these fields.

  • Publish the list of knowledge and skill competencies in each of the four fields (Two fields, year 1 & two additional fields, year 2).
  • Publish the list of advanced technological careers in each of the four fields (Two fields, year 1 & two additional fields, year 2).

Validate and enhance existing curriculum and develop new curriculum driven by emerging technologies and critical issues influencing 21st century agriculture.

  • In each of the four fields, comprehensive curricula that meet the needs of industry will be developed (years 1 & 2) and pilot tested (years 2 & 3).
  • Industry will demonstrate demand for advanced technology agricultural skills by hiring graduates and will express satisfaction with the program graduates knowledge and skills.

Develop all courses/modules with strong science, math and technical skill components.

  • 100% of the courses/modules will address appropriate science, math, or technical skill competencies (years 2 and 3).

Follow direction and advise provided at the annual Critical Issues Conference regarding curriculum development needs.

  • Conference proceedings will be recorded. The NVC and evaluators will determine if activities reflect direction and advise as recorded.


Faculty Development

Host workshops for college and high school instructors to strengthen their skills in using and applying new technology, curriculum, and electronic resources.

  • 75% of the college and high school instructors will rate the workshops as effective (years 1 and 2).
  • 50% of the workshop participants from Year 1 will have applied skills learned in the workshop to their classes (year 2).
  • 60% of the workshop participants from Year 2 will have applied skills learned in the workshop to their classes (year 3).

Coordinate instructor internships at agricultural research centers and in industry.

  • 18 instructors will participate in internships at agricultural research centers or in industry (year 1).
  • 27 instructors will participate in internships at agricultural research centers or in industry (year 2).
  • 36 instructors will participate in internships at agricultural research centers or in industry (year 3).

Identify and promote model agriculture teacher education programs at four-year colleges and universities.

  • Publish best practices reports (years 1, 2 and 3).
  • University partners will make 6 presentations to promote model agriculture teacher education programs (years 1, 2, and 3).

Assist partner colleges and high schools to integrate advanced math, science and technology through one-on-one mentoring and technical assistance.

  • 18 community college programs will show more advanced requirements in math, science and/or technology in agriculture programs (year 2)
  • 18 high schools will show more advanced requirements in math, science and/or technology in agriculture programs (year 3)
  • 9 other community colleges will show more advanced requirements in math, science and/or technology in agriculture programs (year 3)

Follow direction and advice provided at the annual Critical Issues Conference regarding faculty development needs.

  • Conference proceedings will be recorded. The NVC and evaluators will determine if activities reflect direction and advise as recorded.


Capacity Building

Enroll categories of students previously denied access to advanced Agriculture Technology Education by identifying and implementing successful recruitment and retention models.

  • 20% of new student growth in enrollment will be from underrepresented categories (years 2 and 3).
  • 25% of the total enrollment in Agriculture Technology Education programs will be from underrepresented categories (year 3).

Maintain a national clearinghouse of electronic resources and reports to be used by the nation's educational institutions for program improvement.

  • There will be 300 hits per day (year 1), increasing by 10% each year (years 2 and 3).
  • Materials will be downloaded from 5% of the hits (years 2 and 3).

Facilitate 2 + 2 + 2 articulation between high school, two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

  • The 18 partner institutions will each make progress in reaching a 2 + 2 + 2 articulation agreement in at least one program area (year 3).

Receive ongoing assistance from:

      • An Industry Council of leading agri-businesses.
      • A University Council of leading university agriculture programs.
      • Agriculture Technology Education Teams of community colleges, universities and secondary agriculture programs.
  • The councils and teams will be established and operating (year 1).
  • The Industry Council will provide an average $100,000 in support each of three years for Center activities and student scholarships.
  • The Industry Council will be responsible for identifying faculty internships.
  • The University Council will review the plans of Agriculture Technology Education Teams for program improvement and provide advice.
  • The University Council will prepare annual status reports on articulation, research integration, teacher education and retention and recruitment of non-traditional students.

Follow direction and advise provided at the annual Critical Issues Conference regarding capacity building needs.

  • Conference proceedings will be recorded. The NVC and evaluators will determine if activities reflect direction and advise as recorded.

Have progress reviewed by a National Visiting Committee composed of prominent educators and members of professional organizations and the agriculture industry.

  • The National Visiting Committee will provide a report of its findings (years 1, 2, and 3).