ABSTRACT. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Work-Based Learning (WBL) within secondary Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) programs in Texas. It examines the extent of WBL implementation, the training of FCS teachers, and the impact of these programs on student career readiness. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating surveys and focus groups to explore both educator and student experiences. Key findings indicate significant gaps in teacher preparation for WBL, which affect the quality and delivery of WBL initiatives. The study suggests that enhanced teacher training and better integration of WBL within FCS curricula could substantially improve student outcomes, emphasizing the need for strategic educational policies and partnerships to support effective WBL practices.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates the factors influencing job satisfaction and retention among postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) faculty. The research explores intrinsic and extrinsic motivators using Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation and Job Embeddedness Theory. Employing Q-methodology, postsecondary CTE educators in North Carolina sorted statements reflecting job satisfaction factors. The insights aim to inform administrators and policymakers about strategies to enhance faculty retention, ultimately improving student outcomes and workforce readiness.

ABSTRACT. Generative AI has garnered considerable attention due to its rapid development. While the potential for Generative AI is exciting, it is accompanied by concerns about ethical use, information security, and the ability to keep up with the potential for use. This study explored the current familiarity and use of Generative AI among current and future career and technical education (CTE) educators at a mid-western university. Data was collected through a Qualtrics survey in April 2024. The majority of respondents identify themselves as having some or a basic knowledge of Generative AI (57.45%). Approximately half of the respondents (48.78%) believe using Generative AI to complete their college work is sometimes ethical. There is wide variability in the level of knowledge and usage of Generative AI by CTE educators in their roles as students and educators.

ABSTRACT. Secondary agriculture programs in California are 52% Male, 47% Female, 30% White, and 53% Hispanic (AET, 2023). However, the present agricultural teacher population is 64% Female, 78% White, and only 18% Hispanic (Foster et al., 2023). The composition of program completers, is predominantly 75% Female and 81% White, filling 85% of new teaching positions. This study aims to descriptively compare the demographic ""pipeline"" across California's three major agricultural teacher preparation public universities. These institutions account for over 85% of the state's program completers. Each adheres to the same state credentialing standards and situates their agricultural education in a college of agriculture. Our primary focus is to present a clear picture of the demographic journey from student enrollment to program completion.

ABSTRACT. This poster is a historical research analysis exploring the development of the FFA Program of Activities during the organization's formative years. FFA conference proceedings were explored to describe the origin of the Program of Activities and the use of the Chapter Contest to rate the success of those activities.

ABSTRACT. This research explores the attrition of Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers through interpretive phenomenological analysis. Drawing from qualitative data gathered from former secondary CTE teachers, the study delves into personal and professional factors contributing to their transition out of the classroom. Theoretical frameworks including Fessler and Christensen's Teacher Career Cycle and the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Body of Knowledge guide data analysis, revealing eight themes such as pay, burnout, and lack of resources. By understanding these experiences, institutions can enhance support structures to improve teacher retention. Implications span educational preparation programs, district administrations, and professional organizations, advocating for interventions like mentorship and salary increases to address the pressing issue of teacher attrition in CTE.

ABSTRACT. As the agriculture industry faces increasing challenges to production and distribution, the need for critical thinkers in the industry grows. Despite extensive research on critical thinking education, instruction is lacking. There is an opportunity for agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) educators to improve the thinking skills of their students before they enter the workforce. With that in mind, this research aimed to identify how Michigan secondary AFNR instructors define critical thinking. The results contribute to a larger study on how AFNR instructors teach and assess critical thinking in their classroom and their potential experiences and backgrounds that influence those practices.

ABSTRACT. This study explores perceptions of teachers' preparedness to teach financial literacy with different endorsements in an eastern state in the United States. Grounded in Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory, this qualitative research uses a multiple case study methodology to examine the perceptions of Economics and Personal Finance teachers regarding their preparedness, experiences, challenges, and the support they need. The findings aim to inform policies and practices to enhance teacher preparation, improve student outcomes, and impact future economic conditions.

ABSTRACT. Employability skills change with the industry needs. The workforce provides the transparency needed for the success of business employment. Workplace readiness skills and human capital theory form the backbone for organizational success and sustainability. This study examined employers' perceptions of workplace readiness skills at the expected proficiency level of an entry-level employee, the average level of skill for an entry-level employee, and the level of importance of the skill to their industry.

ABSTRACT. This study explores key informants' opinions on community gardens in the U.S. South, addressing their role in building community capital—social, ecological, economic, and human—using Hancock’s (2001) four capitals model. Three key informants managing community gardens were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. Four themes emerged: the importance of education, community involvement, the need for paid staff, and adaptation to change. Findings emphasize community gardens’ role in addressing food deserts, education, and community engagement. Although volunteers are crucial, paid staff are necessary for sustainability. Further research is needed on the educational and health impacts of these gardens, and challenges remain in participant recruitment for broader studies. A Delphi study is recommended as a next step.

ABSTRACT. Soft skills are widely sought by employers and recognized as impactful on individual workplace success, but have not been the subject of sufficient research to date. In this study, students (n=647) and teachers (n=23) at a CTE secondary school were surveyed to explore soft skills learning. Analysis of the data revealed that students were less familiar with soft skills than their teachers, but confident they have them. Critical thinking and communication were seen as highly important to employers by both students and teachers, but their impressions on the importance of other skills varied widely. The findings suggest that students may not know what they are being taught nor have a good grasp on their own soft skills abilities.

ABSTRACT. Little is currently understood about what Gen Z youth know regarding the career landscape and what their expectations are for their jobs and careers. Knowledge about how to get a job, what a job entails, what skills are needed to advance in a career, and what options are available are all part of the social/cultural capital that opens career pathways up to young people as they enter the workforce. To understand what Gen Z youth understand about entry-level jobs, side hustles, and life skills and the (non)linearity of career trajectories, we ask them about it in 90-minute interviews. Results from this study will help inform programming for Gen Z youth entering the workforce.

ABSTRACT. Career and Technical Education (CTE) has historical roots in Cooperative Extension Service which was established as an extension of land grant institutions. Such institutions still have an obligation to extend education about agriculture and family and consumer sciences (FCS) to the general public. Post-secondary programs aimed at preparing Extension professionals should take the needs of those professionals into consideration.

The current study was undertaken by The Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA) FCS education program. A Borich Model designed needs assessment was distributed to Extension professionals across the country. Data revealed the need for graduate FCSE programs to address topics such as key legislation, systematic program evaluation, instructional technology standards, how to engage local stakeholders, and how to disseminate research.

ABSTRACT. A skills gap exists in the 21st century with a new push for STEM training, Black females remain underrepresented in STEM with 4.5 percent of STEM certifications earned and awarded to the group (Fry, Kennedy & Funk, 2021). Black female students comprise just 11.2 percent of STEM-centered CTE cohorts (Leu & Arbeit, 2020). This study aims to critically understand the demographic and social variables contributing to reduced participation among Black adolescent females in post-secondary STEM vocational, career, and technical education. Critical quantitative analyses can uncover misaligned educational outcomes for Black females are excessively more related to a function of their unequal access to social status to critical financial resources, skilled teachers, and quality curriculum than their race (Habig & Gupta, 2021).

ABSTRACT. This proposal examines strategies to reduce high school dropout rates in Texas, emphasizing the roles of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and family engagement. It explores definitions of "dropout" and "at-risk students" as per the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The conceptual framework highlights comprehensive support systems, including family and community collaboration. The methodology quantitatively analyses dropout rates and industry certifications among CTE concentrators. The investigation will focus on the critical role of CTE programs in improving graduation rates and the importance of family involvement and school-community partnerships.

ABSTRACT. In manufacturing, industry leaders value skills over traditional educational degree programs. Employers want to know what a candidate can do rather than what they know, which is the basis of competency-based education (Perea, 2022). The shift toward more automation in the workplace requires workers with advanced technology skills. There is an expectation that almost 40% of the workforce will need additional training and reskilling by 2025. Lower-skill jobs will be replaced through automation. Therefore, more advanced skills will be needed in the workplace (The Conference Board, 2021). Additionally, industry technicians are now doing industry work that was previously completed by engineers. As technological advancement continues, technician positions are expected to hold more complex skills that were previously held by college graduates (Cormier, et al., 2022). The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of an industry-led, competency-based manufacturing curriculum in Alabama, the Manufacturing MAP (Alabama Community College System, 2023). Comparing demographic variables, such as education attainment, age, gender, and ethnicity, with earning a credential (or not earning a credential) is important because it may provide insight into closing the skills gap in Alabama through competency-based education courses (AlabamaWorks!, 2023).

ABSTRACT. Tippens et al. (2013) found that School Based Agriculture Education (SBAE) programs are experiencing a loss of teachers during their first five years in the classroom. This is a particular topic of interest, as SBAE is facing a national teacher shortage (Foster et al., 2021; Smith et al., 2022). Professional development in areas of need is seen as the answer to keep teachers in the field (Touchstone, 2015). The purpose of this poster is to describe the work-in-progress of the following research questions: 1. What are the professional development needs and themes for new and beginning school-based agriculture education teachers? a. How do the needs and themes change based on their certification route and/or agricultural background?

ABSTRACT. Despite robust qualitative research to explore the efficacy and equity of secondary CTE building and construction pathways (Montoya et al., 2020; 2018), there is still a need to further interrogate these studies with novel methods. Quantitative Ethnography (QE) has been established as a reliable means to interpret qualitative data (Arastoopur et al., 2023; Shaffer, 2017). Furthermore, Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA) has been used to create QE models to help interpret qualitative data (Bauer et al., 2019). In this study, we use QE and ENA as novel methods to interrogate the silo structure and neoliberal rationality of Career Technical Education (CTE) secondary pathways, which have been shown to limit students’ critical consciousness (Lundell et al., 2023; Brown, 2017). Despite its history of racial tracking, CTE pathways still neglect critical thinking/dialogue around social/environmental justice issues, drastically hurting workers’ ability to confront these inequities (Darder, 2017; Oakes & Saunders, 2011; Shor & Freire, 1987). Using quantitative ethnography and epistemic network analysis to enhance a qualitative research design, researchers found that constructivism, critical pedagogy, and interdisciplinary collaboration can positively impact the experience, participation, and critical consciousness of students and educators in a CTE building and construction pathway.

ABSTRACT. Free and reduced-price lunch has long been the standard indicator of socioeconomic disadvantage for students in under-invested communities. However, education researchers, policymakers, and philanthropic organizations agree this metric is far from perfect and does little to convey the full spectrum of barriers facing students and the school communities in which they live (Domina et al., 2018). To address this limitation, NAF, an education nonprofit in collaboration with the NYU Marron Institute, created the Open Data Index for Schools (ODIS) to explore school-community barriers beyond free and reduced-price lunch. Specifically, ODIS is a new, freely available, tool that summarizes public data on 17 areas of community stress that are specific to the school attendance boundaries where our nation’s ~23,000 public high schools are located. ODIS data are aggregated into five “domains” i.e., economic, education, health, housing, and crime. With these data aggregated and standardized in one tool, ODIS offers a more holistic and actionable picture of the spectrum of barriers facing school communities and empowers educators, policymakers, and researchers to use richer data that can help address systemic inequities.

ABSTRACT. Occupational Employment and Wages for Automotive Service Mechanics and Technicians as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not differentiate the earnings between limited or minimally skilled/minimum wage workers, referred to as "mechanics" in this context (quick oil change, tire shops, etc.) from highly trained/highly paid workers, referred to as "technicians" for context (industry recognized certificated/factory trained master technicians). Since minimally skilled mechanics significantly outnumber highly skilled master technicians, median earnings represented by BLS are skewed toward the lower end of reported wages.

Because BLS does not currently separate wages between mechanics and technicians, the author hypothesizes that this is the root cause of the nationwide automotive technician shortage.