Standard 3 Aspect D

Preparation programs ensure that candidates, upon completion, are ready to engage in professional practice, to adapt to a variety of professional settings, and to grow throughout their careers. Effective program practices include: consistent offering of coherent curricula; high-quality quality, diverse clinical experiences; dynamic, mutually beneficial partnerships with stakeholders; and comprehensive and transparent quality assurance processes informed by trustworthy evidence. Each aspect of the program is appropriate to its context and to the credential or degree sought.

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Description of Recruitment and Admissions Process (Also see Appendix A):

How are shortages identified in region/state? 
The California Department of Education Agricultural Education Division annually releases their report on the number of secondary and post-secondary agriculture teaching positions. Our faculty, along with those from the other four Ag Specialist granting institutions in California, utilize this report to stay aware of the overall and regional teaching positions and potential areas suffering from a shortage. Link to the report - CDE Ag Ed Teacher Supply Demand Data Summary & Student Teacher Sites 2019

How are candidates recruited to meet these shortages?
Our program primarily focuses recruitment efforts on our undergraduate Agricultural Education program, and we collaborate with our statewide Teach Ag California campaign.  Our undergraduate program currently includes 205 Ag. Education - Teacher Preparation students.  These students are recruited through our College’s Agriculture Ambassador outreach program and by our university recruitment office staff, which includes a counselor assigned specifically to the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. Our counselor, Michelle Perez, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education at Fresno State, so she serves as an outstanding representative for our program.

The California Department of Education Agricultural Education Division supports  state-wide teacher recruitment through the Teach Ag California campaign - see their website at https://www.teachag.org/  Our program faculty collaborate with the Teach Ag California staff and provide support for prospective students who express an interest in attending our program. Students can access our program information from the Teach Ag California website and request information about career opportunities in secondary agricultural education.

Description of Selection Process:

What are institutional and state program requirements for admission? 
Students who wish to earn the Agriculture Specialist Credential are required to also complete their Agriculture Single Subject Credential simultaneously.  Therefore, admission to the Agriculture Specialist program is contingent upon the student being admitted to the Single Subject credential program.  Please refer to the Single Subject Credential admission requirements.

Fresno State Single Subject Credential Program Admissions Requirements:

What is the process used to determine who gets admitted?
Applications are accepted for the Ag. Specialist / Ag. Single Subject Credential each semester for consideration for the following semester. Candidates’ applications are evaluated by the Single Subject program staff who determine if each candidate meets the program’s minimum requirements. Once it has been determined that the student is eligible for admission, the student is notified and admitted to the program. 

Program Admissions:
Candidate Tracking: Application to Completion

Description of monitoring and support process (see Appendix A)

Once candidates enroll, how are they monitored and supported through the program? 
Candidates in the program are monitored by both the Single Subject Credential staff and the Agriculture Specialist program faculty advisors. In order to enroll in their credential coursework each semester, candidates must meet with a faculty advisor to plan their course schedule and receive class section numbers so that they can enroll in the appropriate courses. Class numbers are not available to students online for the Single Subject classes which ensures that they must consult with an advisor before enrolling. 

During their first full-time semester in the program, students typically enroll in EHD 154A, which is taught by Dr. Art Parham, one of our Agricultural Education faculty. Dr. Parham meets with candidates weekly throughout the semester for a one hour seminar. During this time, he is able to monitor each student's progress, provide support, and answer any questions they may have regarding their student teaching or about their progress in the credential program. The following semester, during final student teaching, our Agriculture Specialist students enroll in our AGRI 280 seminar with Dr. Rosco Vaughn. Being that our final student teachers are typically placed in locations that may be a few hours from our campus, Dr. Vaughn meets with them on campus once each month. Additional virtual meetings occur via Zoom. The AGRI 280 seminar also provides students with needed support and feedback, the opportunity to ask questions, employment/job  preparation information and assistance completing the requirements for the Agriculture Specialist and Single Subject in Agriculture credentials.

Key Benchmarks (See Appendix A):
Phase 1: Admission to the Single Subject Credential Program
Please see the Single Subject Credential Program admission requirements that were presented above in the “Description of Selection Process”.

Phase 2: Completion of Site Visitation Project (during EHD 155A)
For the Site Visitation Project candidates must plan, teach, and evaluate a 20- to 45-minute lesson that is observed by their University Coach and videotaped. The lesson plan and instruction should address goals and skills aligned with the state-adopted subject matter standards, English Language Development (ELD) and/or English Language Arts (ELA) standards and frameworks. Single Subject candidates teach a lesson in your content area that infuses English language development. They must submit their written lesson plan at least 3 days prior to implementation. The lesson is observed by their University Coach and/or a subject-matter expert and videotaped. After the candidate watches the video, they evaluate their planning and implementation by selecting a segment of the video to demonstrate subject-specific pedagogy and responding to questions about their lesson. The project is submitted on Tk20 and evaluated using the Site Visitation Project (SVP) Scoring Rubric, which has been provided below. The SVP consists of five parts: 1) Class Profile form, 2) Lesson Plan, 3) Activity/Strategy Table form, 4) 3-5 minute unedited video clip, and 5) Self-Evaluation of Lesson form. See the SVP Scoring Rubric on page 6.

Scores for each section will be based on the Scoring Rubric designed for that section. The rubrics focus on the qualities embedded in each of the TPEs aligned with that section. Levels of proficiency are described across each row. To pass this task candidates must receive an overall score of at least 2 on each section (PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION, REFLECTION). 

Phase 3: Completion of Occupational Experience Requirement 
CCTC Ag Specialist Program Standard #11 – Occupational Experience

The program requires each candidate to develop knowledge of and experience in employer/employee interactions and agricultural occupations by completing occupational experience in one or more of the following domains: animal science, plant/soil science, ornamental horticulture, agriculture business management, environmental science and natural resource management and/or agricultural systems technology. Each candidate must complete at least 2 years (3,000 hours) of agriculturally related occupational experience. Access the CCTC Ag. Specialist Program Standards at Agriculture Specialist Program Standards (ca.gov)

What actions are taken when a candidate does not meet a benchmark? 
Phase 1: Admission to the Single Subject Credential Program
Students who don’t meet the minimum requirements for admission to the Single Subject Program, such as a low GPA or not passing CBEST, have the opportunity to submit a Special Circumstance form. Applicants’ circumstances are considered and they may be admitted to the program with the approval of the Special Circumstances Committee. Students not accepted due to a low GPA would need to continue to take coursework to improve upon their GPA. Students needing the CBEST would continue to take the CBEST exam working toward a passing score so that they could be admitted. Ag. Education faculty continue to advise and assist students who are working to improve their GPA and pass the CBEST. A number of CBEST test resources are available online and in print that are recommended to students. Academic advisors also consult with students to determine how students can improve their GPA by retaking classes or taking new classes that will benefit them in their professional career.

Phase 2: Completion of Site Visitation Project (during EHD 155A)
To pass their SVP candidates must receive an overall score of at least 2 on each section of the rubric (Planning, Implementation, Reflection). Unsuccessful candidates will have an opportunity to remedy any portions rated as not meeting expectations, which if necessary, may include presenting another SVP lesson.

Phase 3: Completion of Occupational Experience Requirement 
Beginning with our new student orientation conducted each summer prior to students beginning classes at Fresno State, Ag Education students are informed of the 3,000 hour Occupational Experience requirement. During their undergraduate program students are advised and monitored so that they know the number of hours of experience they possess and how much progress they need to make prior to completing the Ag Specialist program. This includes each student completing a T-14 form early on in their undergraduate program in our AGED 50 Orientation course. The T-14 form is the document that is used to record candidates occupational experience hours. Students who don’t possess enough experience hours are advised and guided to seek out internships and employment opportunities on our University Ag Laboratory and in the local agricultural industry during the academic year and summer. If students do not achieve the 3,000 hour minimum prior to finishing all of their other Ag Single Subject and Ag Specialist Credential requirements, they would have to delay the completion of their program so that they could acquire the additional experience hours necessary to fulfill the 3,000 requirement. Fortunately, with effective advising and the resources available to our students such a delay has not occurred. 

Aspect E →