Professional Rededication to SAE: Describing SAE Implementation in the United States

William Norris; Roger Hanagriff; Don Edgar; Kirk Swortzel

doi:10.5032/jae.v66i1.2895

Authors

William Norris New Mexico State University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0336-370X
Roger Hanagriff Texas A&M University- Kingsville
Don Edgar University of Idaho https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2377-445X
Kirk Swortzel Mississippi State University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3774-3591

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v66i1.2895

Keywords:

Work-Based Learning (WBL), Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), SAE Participation

Abstract

The ‘home project’ concept, now known as a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), has been a cornerstone of School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) for 100+ years. This experiential element of SBAE provides students with authentic and relevant experiences to enhance the learning process. While agricultural educators throughout the U.S. agree that SAE is an essential aspect of agricultural education, many educators claim they are not confident in implementing SAE into professional practice. This lack of confidence from educators has caused SAE to decline to the point of professional concern. This study aimed to describe SAE implementation nationally. Data utilized in this study was collected from the Agricultural Experience Tracker (AET) through student and teacher entries. Data represents entries from 619,077 students in 4,820 SBAE programs in 45 states. It was determined that the states utilizing the AET for record-keeping the most were Oklahoma (94%), Montana (94%), and Colorado (92%). Additionally, data suggested that 52.3% of SBAE students have an SAE, and the most common SAE types are within the Animal Science, Plant Science, and Power, Structural, and Technical Systems pathways. Furthermore, an estimated 865,245 SAEs nationally account for approximately $558 million in income and $857 million in investments. Overall, this suggests that the average SAE is unprofitable, which is not uncommon for new agricultural enterprises. The vast scope of SAE should be shared with agricultural education stakeholders, including educators, state staff, political leaders, educational administrators, etc., to communicate the impact of work-based learning and SAE in SBAE.

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