Career development events as a predictor of fall-to-fall retention of first-year college students

Career development events (CDEs) play an essential role in agricultural education programs and the National FFA Organization. The competitive events are promoted as tools to develop career and college readiness of high school students. This study examined whether participation and performance in agricultural education CDEs in high school can predict retention of first-year, first-time, full-time college students enrolled in agricultural sciences at a regional, Midwest, public university. For the quantitative study, the predictive correlation design utilized chi-square tests and binomial logistic regression analyses. The study results indicate that a significant relationship exists between participation in CDEs and college retention. Also, results signal performance in CDEs has a minimal impact on student retention. Recommendations for further research include conducting the same study on a larger scale, including additional states and universities, examining the effect of CDEs on degree program selection, and the impact of nontraditional predictors for student retention.

137 Impact of Career Development Events on motivation to major in animal science

Previous research has shown that motivated youth typically select activities that incorporate existing interests and may influence their career choices. Involvement in the National FFA provides opportunities for youth to develop skills and knowledge through events known as Career Development Events (CDEs). These events are designed to motivate students and encourage leadership and career development. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of participation in CDEs on student motivation and preparation to major in animal science. The study was guided by a researcher-developed instrument, measuring motivation and preparation on a Likert-type scale of 1–5. The sample population was junior (13%) and senior (87%) animal science majors at a southern Hispanic serving institution, enrolled within an advanced animal nutrition course. The instrument had a Cronbach’s alpha posttest reliability of .883, with inter-reliability of .610 for preparation and .887 for motivation. The sample population consisted of 24 students, of which 50% identified as Hispanic and 31% as Caucasian. Out of the 24, 16 had participated in CDEs, resulting in a response rate of 67%.The overall mean scores for motivation were 3.85 (SD= 1.20) and 3.79 (SD = 0.72) for preparation (Scale of 1–5). The highest mean scores were found within the motivation statements, “Competing in CDEs influenced my decision to major in animal science” (M = 4.0) and “Competing in CDEs motivated me to attend college” (M = 3.94). The highest scores for preparation were found within the statement “Competing in CDEs prepared me to be successful in my chosen career” (M = 4.13). Females were found to have higher mean scores overall, with students identifying as Caucasian having a higher mean score over Hispanic students and Seniors scoring slightly higher. Overall the scores were moderate and showed a need for continued study in this area.

Relationship between High School Student Participation in State-level Future Farmers of America Career Development Events and Matriculation at the Host University: A Case Study in Horticulture at Kansas State University

In recent years, many horticulture departments around the United States have been concerned with recruiting and retaining an adequate number of students. One potential recruitment opportunity is the horticulture Future Farmers of America (FFA) Career Development Events (CDEs). For the time period of 1999 to 2012 (14 years), 1462 students participated in the annual state-level horticulture contests, comprising floriculture and nursery/landscape CDEs, held at Kansas State University (KSU). Using the rosters from these two CDEs, we referenced the university’s student information database to determine whether the high school students who participated as FFA horticulture CDE contestants ultimately matriculated to KSU. Fifty-two percent of former FFA horticulture CDE participants were accepted to KSU and 32% matriculated. Of these, 58% enrolled in the College of Agriculture and 19% majored in horticulture. Therefore, 3.5% of total horticulture CDE participants majored in horticulture at KSU. Students who participated in more than one horticulture CDE over time were more likely to major in horticulture at KSU compared with students who competed only once. Thirty-nine percent of students who participated in both horticulture CDEs pursued a baccalaureate program in horticulture. These two student characteristics could be used as indicator data points to target recruitment of future horticulture students. Data about the high school programs that generated contest participants were also summarized. Exceling in the CDE contests was not an indicator CDE participants would pursue a baccalaureate degree in horticulture. These analyses suggest FFA CDEs have some potential to optimize student recruitment efforts.

Master Gardener Judges in State and National Horticulture Career Development Events

Master Gardeners (MGs) have proven to be effective judges for vocational horticulture student demonstrations of industry skills in 1996 Virginia and National FFA competitions. In a survey, the MG judges indicated a wide variety of backgrounds, with many being first-year MGs having no prior experience in judging or youth programs. Overall, they rated the student performance as better than expected and their own judging standard as neither lenient nor rigorous. Training is a critical part of their effectiveness as judges, and it was found that multiple formats are needed. Overall, most rated judging the FFA events as a very appropriate match to the MG educational goals, and there was a 100% affirmative response to the questions would they accept an invitation to judge again and would they encourage other MGs to volunteer as judges for FFA horticulture events.