Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

Delivery and formatting techniques for technical materials have traditionally been determined by common sense, not cognitive theory. In fact, for hundreds of years, verbal messages in the form of lecture and print have been the primary method of disseminating information to the learner. To move beyond verbal messages and toward the assimilation of…

This document consists of a teacher's guide for a competency-based course on homestead and gardening skills designed for North Carolina's 11th- and 12th-grade students, and a list of competency test items applicable to the course. The teacher's guide contains course specifications, a list of competency statements, a sheet describing each unit of…

Eight supplementary units are included in these instructional materials for agricultural recordkeeping: (1) receipts; (2) expenditures; (3) cash flow; (4) inventory; (5) financial statement; (6) business agreements; (7) ownership business agreements; and (8) placement training agreements. Each unit contains an introduction, lesson objectives, and…

A Statewide interview survey of farmers and agribusinessmen conducted by Connecticut vocational agriculture teachers served as an excellent public relations opportunity to inform the public about vocational agriculture in the State. It also provided teachers with a greater understanding of the changing needs of farmers and agribusinessmen. (EA)

The article describes a postsecondary agribusiness program at Mankato, Minnesota, where job placement literally begins before the student is accepted into classes. (Author/AJ)

Ethanol and blends of ethanol and gasoline (such as gasohol) offer a near-term fuel alternative to oil. The focus of this handbook is upon the small-scale production of ethanol using farm crops as the source of raw materials. Provided are chapters on ethanol production procedures, feedstocks, plant design, and financial planning. Also presented…

Due to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's definition of a farm as an "economic unit which produces at least $1,000 worth of agricultural products a year", more than 570,000 farms were eliminated from the 1975 agricultural census. In addition, over 12,000 farms went out of business, continuing a trend begun in 1940. Although American food prices…

With a major emphasis on cooperative planning in rural development, three elements of development process were identified: (1) integration of units involved, occurring when several organizations contribute to a larger collective effort; (2) decentralized planning and local initiative, occurring when planning initiative is at the local level; (3)…

The Outstanding Young Member Award Program and the Agribusiness Career Exploration Award Program have been implemented by the National Vocational Agricultural Teachers' Association (NVATA) to recognize teachers who have made significant contributions to vocational agriculture, teaching, and the NVATA. The programs and award winners are discussed.…

A series of articles focuses upon the Supervised Occupational Experience Program (SOEP), a unique feature of programs of vocational agriculture. Articles deal with critical aspects of developing entrepreneurial skills, and include examples of successful entrepreneurship programs currently underway. (NRJ)

To establish a vocational education program that is relevant to the actual job requirements, the specific activities associated with the job must first be identified. The technique used to secure and present information related to job activities is known as job analysis. (SSH)

In a new curriculum, Delaware Hayes High School, Delaware, Ohio is offering 33 term vocational agriculture courses in agribusiness and production taxonomy. The flexible, relevant program is meeting the present needs of the community as well as providing student preparation for transition to the new area vocational school. (EA)

Author is an extension specialist in feed and grain marketing for Kansas State University. He describes a tour set up to educate members of the Kansas Grain and Feed Dealers' Association in the area of grain marketing and exporting. (GB)