Systems of education intentionally evaluate students and teachers in the teaching and learning process. For many of the same reasons, the case can be made that programs should undergo systematic evaluation to discover where and how growth can occur. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a practical overview of the SBAE program evaluation process. The authors are careful not to be overly prescriptive in the recommendations for how these should be conducted, in part because effective program evaluation is tailored to the local program. Still, the case is made for why program evaluations should be conducted, what the research indicates good program evaluations look like, and how one should go about conducting one at the local level.
TopIntroduction
In most states, a school-based agricultural education program in good standing must have components of all three circles within the Agricultural Education model (Instruction, FFA, and SAE). While being in good standing is important for funding and participation, there is little accountability on the quality of each circle. A program should be assessed periodically to determine if success is being achieved, changes to be made, and how growth should occur.
The evaluation of an agricultural education program is primarily a tool for the local school district but in some states, evaluations are required. A difficult fact for Agricultural Education is each state has differing expectations. Some states expect specific processes and outcomes and at the opposite end, some states have very little guidance for any Career and Technical Education program. Fortunately, Agricultural Education does have National Quality Program Standards and National Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Content Standards. While both sets of standards are important, this chapter will focus on the role of the Program Standards.
The objectives of this chapter are to:
- 1.
Identify the benefits of conducting a SBAE Program Evaluation
- 2.
Discuss the different theories and models on program evaluation in Career and Technical Education as it pertains to secondary SBAE programs
- 3.
Outline the process of conducting a Program Evaluation
TopBenefits Of Conducting A Program Evaluation?
It is always difficult for a person to put themselves in a situation where they feel criticized. While a program evaluation is putting oneself out there, it should be seen as a process for improvement and not as criticism. The ultimate goal of program evaluation is to collect information that will assist in the improvement of a program.
Every teacher has multiple roles to fulfill but especially an agriculture teacher. A Google search will lead you to find many lists of teacher roles. One such list of broad roles of teachers from Harden and Crosby (2000) is: Information provider, Resource developer, Planner, Assessor, Facilitator, and Role model.
As a teacher reviews each of these roles, one may wonder how they should know if they are doing their jobs. Are each of these being fulfilled? How could a teacher do each of these better? An evaluation of a program should give insight to determine if roles are being met or if they could be done better. All teachers can see each of the roles of a teacher in their daily instructional life. Interestingly, an agriculture teacher should be able to see each of the roles within the three circles of Agricultural Education.
In school-based agricultural education (SBAE), the development of students occurs in formal instruction, a student organization, and an actual or simulated workplace. Teachers are continually accessing their performance in the classroom through student performance and feedback. Performance in advising and guiding the FFA chapter and Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE) is not as easily assessed. To gain insight into the FFA and SAE a teacher must look beyond their students and collect information from multiple sources, many outside of the school itself. The community holds much insight as to the performance of the program and the direction it could go.
Knowing that every SBAE program must reflect the community in which it is held, adds an additional layer of accountability. All three circles of the program should either reflect or impact the community at large. Instruction should be determined by interest and industry, activities of the FFA chapter should have a positive influence on the surrounding people, and SAEs should be conducted in surrounding industries. All of these combined elements demand the need for a program assessment that incorporates all facets of the agricultural education complexity. Therefore, a systematic approach is required to give insight to the program, a program evaluation.
Just as an evaluation can provide a program with information for improvement, it can also validate the job a teacher has been doing. A systematic evaluation can reveal that the teacher is leading students to learn and impact the local community. Many evaluations have led to the expansion of teachers’ contracts or the addition of teachers. While a program evaluation can show areas of improvement, it can also reveal opportunities for growth and planning for the future.