SAE

Origin of SAE in Ag Ed

Gary Moore

North Carolina State University

SAE

Origin of SAE in Ag Ed

• Rufus Stimson of Massachusetts– Born in 1868 in Palmer, Mass.– Received a classical education but was reared

on a farm– Received A.B. (1895) and A. M (1896) degrees

in philosophy from Harvard. – Earned a B.D. (1897) from Yale.

SAE

Origin of SAE in Ag Ed

• Rufus Stimson – 1897 to 1901 was a Professor of rhetoric and

philosophy at the University of Connecticut– President of U Conn from 1901 to 1908– Resigned in 1908 to become Director of

Smith’s Agricultural School

SAE

Smith’s Agricultural School

SAE

Smith’s Agricultural School

SAE

Smith’s Agricultural School

SAE

Smith’s Agricultural School

SAE

Origin of SAE in Ag Ed

• Rufus Stimson– 1908 - Published a brochure outline a new way

to teach agriculture - projects on the home farm– 1908-1911 Project method of teaching proves

to be highly desirable

SAE

Smith’s Agricultural School

SAE

Growth of SAE in Ag Ed

• Stimson – 1911 - Becomes state director of agricultural

education in Massachusetts .– 1911 - Delivers speech on the project method to

the National Society for the Study of Education

– 1913 - Makes keynote speech on projects at State Island Conference of Ag Ed Leaders

SAE

Growth of SAE in Ag Ed

– 1913 - Vocational Education Magazine features project method

– 1914 - Stimson writes a 104 page booklet on projects which is published by the federal government

– 1915 - The School Review features an article on the project method

– 1915 - The Dean of Education at Missouri visits Massachusetts

SAE

Growth of SAE in Ag Ed

– 1915 - Stimson’s Project Method of Teaching wins the Grand Prix medal at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco

– 1917 - Smith-Hughes Act is enacted with provisions requiring students to have a project

SAE

Rufus Stimson - 1st

• Fought to get girls in the FFA

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Rufus Stimson - 1st

• Established advisory committees (must have females on them)

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Rufus Stimson - 1st

• Used task analysis to identify what to teach in agriculture classes

SAE

Rufus Stimson - 1st

• Teacher Trainer

• He also visited the SAE of every student enrolled in Agriculture in Massachusetts

SAE

Growth of SAE

• The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 (a federal law) required all students to have "directed or supervised practice in agriculture, either on a farm provided for by the school or other farm, for at least six months per year."

SAE

After 1917

• There was strict enforcementof project requirements by federal and state officials

• Teachers had to turn in monthly and annual reports on their farm project visits

• Students without projects flunked Vo Ag even if all their other grades were passing.

SAE

After 1917

• Federal reports told how much students earned off their projects each year. It was shown that federal expenditures for Vo.Ag. was a wise investment because student project income exceeded program costs.

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After 1917

• The Federal Board for Vocational Education (an agency created by the Smith-Hughes Act) mandated that agriculture teachers work 12 months because the project work of students was to be supervised. A lot of the project work occurred during the summer months.

SAE

1917-1963

• There were three (3) categories of projects:– Productive (Crops or Livestock)– Improvement (an activity that improved

operation, appearance or living conditions on the farm)

– Supplementary (a single skill not related to the productive enterprise)

SAE

Evolving Terminology

• A variety of words have been used over the years to describe the project program.– 1908 - Home-School Cooperation Plan – 1919 - Farming Project – 1926 - Productive Farm Enterprises – 1938 - Supervised Farm Practice Program – 1943 - Supervised Farming

SAE

A Wake Up Call

• When the Russians launched the Sputnik in 1958, Americans were shocked.

• After Kennedy was elected president in 1960 a national panel was convened to study vocational education.

• The Vocational Education Act of 1963 was the end result of the panel’s work.

SAE

Vocational Education Act - 1963

• amended the Smith-Hughes Act: "any amounts allotted ... for agriculture may be used for vocational education in any occupation involving knowledge and skills in agricultural subjects, whether or not such occupation involves work of the farm or of the farm home, and such education may be provided without directed or supervised practice on a farm."

SAE

Impact of the 1963 Act

• Scope of agriculture was broadened to be more than farming (horticulture, forestry, ag mechanics, etc.)

• Placement as a type of project became more popular

• Section 16 abolished federal control over agricultural education– Federal leadership for voc. agriculture

starts to decline from 13 USOE employees

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Impact of the 1963 Act

• Many states interpreted the law to mean students no longer had to have a project. I believe the real intent of Congress was to allow other types of projects other than “farm” projects.

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After 1963

• Many states dropped the requirement that students have projects

• There was a major decline in project activity in many states (there were some exceptions)

• Federal and state leadership in agricultural education declined

• Teachers lost 12 month contracts

SAE

1970s and 80s

• Name of project program was changed in early 70s to Supervised Occupational Experience Program (SOEP).

• SOEPs are in a free fall in many states.

• Iowa State starts a major SOEP research and development program

SAE

1980s

• National SOE Conferences were held in 1982 and 1984 (sponsored by Dekalb). A gray handbook and movie were produced.

• Exploration as a type of SOE was added as a new category

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1988

• The National Research Council conducts a major study of secondary agricultural education. The results are published in Understanding Agriculture: New Directions for Education. One recommendation was:

• To revise SOE to match emerging areas of agriculture

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1990 to now

• The profession starts to rethink the concept.

• There was an on-going debate in The Agricultural Education Magazine during the early 90s on SOE vs. SAE

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1990s

• The term Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) gains acceptance around 1992.

• The National Council releases the Decisions and Dollars curriculum in 1994. This is needed to update the accounting practices used in ag ed.