Programs of Study Suggestions

BY: RAY PIENIAZEK AGRICULTURE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Programs of study will be required for the 2020-2021 school year. If you have not discussed this with your counselor or CTE director, you should do that very soon. As you plan them out, please think about trying to meet Perkins V requirements of Concentrators and Completer status.

CTE Concentrator – A student that completes and receives credit in two or more CTE courses for at least two credits within the same program of study.

CTE Completer – A student that completes and receives credit for at least four credits including level three or four course within the same program of study.

Please note CTE weighted funding is not tied to Concentrator or Completer status.

Suggestions

1) All AFNR programs of study need Principles of AFNR as the level one course. Consider placing Principles of AFNR at the 8th grade level. This gives a student five years to have academic and FFA opportunities. Imagine the opportunities for growth and development of a student in multiple academic and career and leadership development programs.

2) Add Laboratory courses and attach them to create more two credit opportunities. Many of our courses have a specific laboratory

PEIMS code that can attach to level two, three and four courses.

3) Use the practicum course. You could put practicum in for all pathways and teach them all in one course since the PEIMS number will be the same for all. Also, practicum can be on or off campus. One great example is of a school writing training plans related to their SAE projects where the students then go home and work with their SAEs. They meet once per week to record in journals and share their experiences and needs with the teacher. Internships, whether paid or unpaid, could also be used as a practicum.

4) Don’t eliminate the Wildlife class. Keep the Environmental pathway and offer Wildlife (Fisheries and Ecology Management.) Simply add the lab to it, and now they have three credits. Add a practicum and now you have a completer. Students could work or intern at a wide variety of places in a community for a wildlife experience.

5) Be creative in ways to meet some of your programs of study. Consider project based research or scientific research and design as an option.

Additional information on programs of study can be found on the Texas Education Agency website by typing "programs of study" in the search bar. If you have questions, reach out to Ray Pieniazek at 512-472-3128 or Les Hudson with the Texas Education Agency at 512-463-9315.

“IF YOU HAVE NOT DISCUSSED PROGRAMS OF STUDY WITH YOUR COUNSELOR OR CTE DIRECTOR, YOU SHOULD DO THAT VERY SOON.”