History of
Agricultural Education
What has brought us to
where we are today in
Agricultural Education?
The Worlds Oldest Professions
Education
Agriculture
Before Governmental Support
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Father/family teaches sons(daughters)
not much to teach in early times
not much opportunity to do much other than
gather food or farm.
Records do show that farming/agriculture was
being taught in Ancient times
Several references to farming and knowledge
of what to do in the Bible
Up until modern times
In the dark ages the monks studied and
learned about agriculture
 few experiments on what worked best
 Mostly related to technology of tools,
seed, and some simple chemistry
 Also some breeding or genetics
 Few thesis were commissioned in the
1700s

In 1700s to 1900s
Ben Franklin did some experiments
 Agricultural Societies began to grow
and flourish -- Phili Ag Society
 As schools became more common
some taught agriculture early 1800s
(1837)

The Land Grant Act or the Morrill
Act of 1862

Purpose- provide land in the amount of
30,0000 / representative from each state.
Land to be sold and interest off the money
was to support the development and
maintenance of Agricultural and Mechanical
Arts College. The colleges were know as
Land Grant College.
Background of the Act
– Justin Morrill from Vermont
– Previous attempts
The Homestead Act of 1862
Its affect on the sale of land
 The timing was bad

The Civil War
Its affect on the sale of land.
 Its affect on Money and other
resources.

Establishment of Ag College
Progress was slow due to the war and
to cheap land out west, progress was
much slower in the south.
 University of Arkansas started in 1872
 Mississippi State University 1868

Land Grant Act (Morrill Act)
1862 -- Established the Land Grant College System
1890 – Established Colleges for Blacks
1996 -- For Native Americans, western states
After the first Act they learned...
You can only teach what you know.
 Many new questions arose

– Like what seed works best in a given soil
– What happens when crossing two breeds
of hogs

How do you answer those questions?
CONDUCT RESEARCH
The Hatch Act of 1889
Provided funds to conduct research
 Much new information was being gained
 But two new problems arose

– Research was limited to the site of the
university/colleges
– people who could use it best were not in
college
Bit of history about the times.
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Most people did not go to college in 1880s.
 Who could afford to have sons going off to
college? Farm work was labor intensive.
 Roads were bad
 1887 Agriculture gained importance in the
federal government; went from being headed
by a commissioner in a department to being
headed by a secretary as a cabinet level
position.
History continued…..
Industrial movement needed more
workers
 new information and technology in
farming released people from the farm.
 Agricultural Yearbooks were started in
1862 and continued to be a source of
information for farmers and teachers.

Publications to distribute in the
1880s
Another possibility of getting the
information out to people was to send
out publications.
 These were short publications on a
specific topic
 these were cheaper to print than books.

Booker T Washington had a plan
He was head of the well known College
for blacks in the south call the Tuskegie
Institute
 Very few blacks could go to college
 He started a traveling school in the
1890s

Society was changing by 1900s
The Gay 1890s
 South was recovered from the war for
the most part
 Getting information to the people who
needed it was still a problem
 New legislation was proposed.

Smith-Lever Act 1914
It created the Cooperative Extension
Service as we know it today
 It placed an ag agent in every county in
every state.
 This approach had been tried in some
Texas counties before this legislation.
 Seaman Knapp --the father of the
Cooperative Extension Service

History of the Cooperative Extension
Service
Needs Beyond Agriculture
Well what is the result of all this
information?
 What does that mean?
 So who else needs to be educated?
 Home Economics was added
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The next step for the expansion of
the CES
All this information was available and
helping build the knowledge base.
 What could they do to bring about the
changes even faster? Who could they
teach?
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The YOUTH -- 4-H
Commodity Clubs

Clubs were already common
– Corn, Tomatoes, Garden, Pig, etc
Extension Service in Arkansas
Next Legislation that directly affect the
teaching of Agriculture

Smith Hughes Act of 1917 This created
Ag Ed in the Public schools
Vocational Education
in the
20th Century
NSPIE
National Society for the Promotion
of Industrial Education
 1906
Formed specifically to secure federal
aid to industrial education
 Eventually became the American
Vocational Association

Douglas Commission
1905-06
 Recommended formation of vocational
schools in
 Massachusetts (Douglas was
governor’s name)

Nelson Amendment
1907
 Increased federal support for l-g colleges
 One provision: “the colleges may use a
portion of this money for the preparation
of instuctors for teaching the elements of
agriculture and mechanic arts in the grade
and high schools.”
 By 1910, 46 l-g colleges had teacher
preparation programs in agriculture.

Dolliver-Davis

1908, 1910
 First bill to propose federal support federal
support of secondary vocational education
 AFL had endorsed federal support at its 1908
convention
 NSPIE does not favor the bill-- the need for
federal support had not been carefully studied
Dolliver-Davis 1910
1910 bill was identical to 1908 version
 Senator. Dolliver died and the bill lost
its champion in the Senate
 Became the Page Bill

Page Bill --1911
Senator Carroll S. Page, Vermont
 Essentially the same as the DolliverDavis Bill
 Purpose included federal support for
both extension and vocational education
 Referred to the Senate committee on
Agriculture and Forestry

Charles A. Prosser
Named secretary of NSPIE in 1912
 Famous for “Prosser’s 16 Theorems of
Vocational Education”
 Guided Page’s action in the Senate-Leading advocate of vocational
education

Commission on National Aid to
Vocational Education

Recommended federal support for vocational
education
 Sen. Hoke Smith(GA) - chair
 Sen. Carroll S. Page(VT)
 Rep. D. M. Hughes(GA)
 Rep. S. D. Fess(OH)
 Charles A. Prosser
 John A. Lapp
 Florence M. Marshall
 Agnes Nestor
 Charles H. Winslow
Dudley Hughes
Representative from Georgia
 Chair of the House Committee on
Education
 The Hughes in Smith-Hughes
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Smith-Hughes Act of 1917
1915 - Smith introduces in Senate
 1916 - Hughes introduces in House
(added provisions for home economics)
 Preparation for World War I
 Provided for federal funding for
agricultural education; trade, home
economics, and industrial education;
and the training of teachers of these
subjects.

Vocational Rehabilitation Act
of 1918

What had just happened to prompt this
legislation?
Subsequent
Vocational Education Acts

George-Reed Act --1929-1934
 George-Ellzey Act --1934 -1937
 George-Deen Act -- 1936 (1938)
–
–
–
–
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increased $ ($14.5 million total)
also funded distributive education ($1.2 million)
1st to U.S. Territories
Distributive Education funded
George-Barden Act (1946)
– increased $ ($28.8 mil)
– provided for veteran’s training
Vocational Education
Act of 1963

This was a MAJOR piece of federal
legislation. It replaced the Smith-Hughes Act.
 Categorical funding for specific vocational
disciplines such as agricultural education was
abolished.
– Funding went to states on the basis of their
population in certain age categories
– States decided how to spend the money
Vocational Education Act
of 1963
increased $ ($225 mil)
 repealed back to Smith-Hughes
 funding based on population and per
capita income
 removed supervised farming
requirement; placement in agribusiness
 eliminated categorical support (except
from Smith-Hughes)

Vocational Education
Act of 1963
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Expanded the scope of agricultural education
to include all areas of agriculture, not just
farming.
– No longer required “supervised practice on a
farm”. The idea was to expand the scope of SAE,
not do away with it, but that is what some states
did.

Expanded the scope of home economics
education to include all areas of home
economics, not just homemaking.
Vocational Education
Act of 1963

Established work study programs for
vocational students to provide financial
support
 States had to submit plans for what they
planned to do
 Eliminated federal supervision/control of
vocational programs
 Funding for vocational education was
substantially increased
Educational Amendments (1968)

Amended the 1963 Vocational Education Act
– Increased funding for vocational education
– Funds could be used for high school programs,
people who have left school, retraining, special
needs students, construction of area vocational
schools, vocational guidance, contracting
vocational education with private institutions,
ancillary services (research, teacher training) and
administering the state plan.
Educational Amendments (1968)
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Did not categorically fund specific vocational
programs, with one exception
– Specifically allocated money to Consumer and
Homemaking Education
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Of the general appropriations to each state
• 25% had to be spent on disadvantaged populations
• 25% had to be spent on out-of-school
individuals seeking employment
• 10% had to be spent on handicapped
individuals
Educational Amendments (1968)

Authorized money for:
– Curriculum development (this is the only place
agricultural education is mentioned in the act)
– Residential vocational schools (schools with
dorms)
– Research (National Center for Vocational
Education Research was established)
– Leadership development (selected vocational
leaders could get advanced degrees)
Vocational Education Acts
1976 amendments
Eliminate sex discrimination & bias
 Serve special populations
 Build area vocational schools
 Cooperative programs
 Vocational guidance and counseling
 Required 5-year state plans
 Homemaker retraining
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Educational Amendments (1976)

The Educational Amendments of 1976 have
five Titles, Title II is concerned with vocational
education
 Authorized more money for vocational
education
 Purpose of the act was to
– extend, improve and maintain programs
– overcome come sex discrimination/bias
– develop new programs
Educational Amendments (1976)

Monies could be spent on vocational
education programs, work study, energy
education, area school facilities, support sex
equity positions, placement services,
Industrial Arts (now Technology Education),
support services for females in non-traditional
programs, day care
services, displaced homemakers,
residential vocational centers.
Educational Amendments (1976)
There were special appropriations for
the disadvantaged
 Consumer and Homemaking received
special funding
 Every vocational program had to be
evaluated every five years

Career Education Incentive Act -1977

assisted states and local education
agencies and institutions of
postsecondary education
in making preparation for work a major
goal of all who teach and all who learn.
Subsequent
Vocational Education Acts
Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education
Act -- 1984
 Amendment to 1963 act individuals
who are inadequately served are
assured access to programs

– 57% of basic grant for handicapped
– 43% given based on age categories & per
capita income
Carl D. Perkins Vocational
Education Act -- 1984
provided “tech prep”
 transition from school to work
 integration of academic and vocational
subject matter

Carl Perkins Act (1984)
This was the most significant rewrite of
vocational education legislation since
1963.
 Two broad themes
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– Accessibility to all persons
– Improve the quality
Carl Perkins Act (1984)

Fifty-seven (57) percent of state funds were
allocated to special populations - vocational
education was to be accessible to everyone
–
–
–
–
–
–
handicapped (10%)
disadvantaged (10%)
adult retraining (12%)
single parents & homemakers (8 1/2%)
sex bias & stereotyping (3 1/2%)
incarcerated (1%)
Carl Perkins Act (1984)

Forty-three (43) percent of state funds were
allocated for program improvement
– funds were not to be used to maintain existing
programs
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Consumer and Homemaking received special
funding but 1/3 had to be spent in
economically depressed areas
 There will be a full time sex equity coordinator
and $60,000 is allocated to that
Perkins II (1990)
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The Carl Perkins Act is rewritten
Special populations is still a major focus,
Money can be used to support existing
programs
Academic and vocational
education was to be integrated
Articulation between secondary and postsecondary institutions
School-to-Work
Opportunities Act (1994)
A variety of programs were established
for students to get them more involved
with the world of work and postsecondary education
 Grants were given to some states to
develop programs
 This is for all students
 Funding is temporary
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Perkins III (1998)

This is the legislation vocational education is
currently operating under
 The purpose of this Act is to develop more
fully the academic, vocational, and technical
skills of secondary students and postsecondary students who elect to enroll in
vocational and technical education programs
(little emphasis on
special populations)
Perkins
Perkins III (1998)
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At the local levels funds can be spent on:
– strengthening the academic, and vocational and
technical skills of students
– providing students with strong experience in
and understanding of all aspects of an industry
– developing, improving, or expanding the use of
technology in vocational and technical
education
– providing professional development programs
to teachers, counselors, and administrators
Perkins III (1998)
– conducting evaluations of the vocational and
technical education programs ...including how
the needs of special populations are being met
– initiating, improving, expanding, and
modernizing quality vocational and technical
education programs
– linking secondary vocational and technical
education and post-secondary vocational and
technical education, including implementing
tech-prep programs.
Workforce Investment Act of
1998 (WIA– –P.L. 105–220)
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Reforms Federal employment, adult education, and
vocational rehabilitation programs to create an
integrated, "one–stop" system of workforce investment
and education activities for adults and youth. Entities
that carry out post-secondary vocational and technical
education activities assisted under the Perkins
Vocational and Technical Education Act are mandatory
partners in this one–stop delivery system.
Title I of WIA authorizes workforce investment
programs and activities that are administered by the
Employment and Training Administration of the U.S.
Department of Labor. Learn more about the
implementation of Title I of WIA.
Perkins IV 2006

http://www.ed.gov/policy/sectech/leg/perkins/i
ndex.html
 The President signed the Carl D. Perkins
Vocational and Technical Education Act of
2006 into law on August 12, 2006. The new
Act will provide:
– an increased focus on the academic achievement
of career and technical education students,
– strengthen the connections between secondary
and postsecondary education, and
– improve state and local accountability.
Key Legislation

Vocational Education Act of 1963
– Educational Amendments 1968 and 1976
Carl Perkins Act I (1984)
 Carl Perkins Act II (1990)
 School-to-Work, Opportunities Act (1994)
 Carl Perkins Act III (1998)
 Carl Perkins Act IV (August 12, 2006)

Conclusion
Legislation for Vocational Education
during the past 50 years has been
influenced greatly by changing societal
and environmental concerns.
 Federal legislation has often mandated
what we are to do.
 The focus has shifted to helping certain
groups of people.

Development of
Vocational Education

The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917
 In Fall 1915, 90,708 students were enrolled in
agriculture classes in 4,665 high schools. In
1885, there were very few.
 In the thirty years prior to Smith-Hughes, why
was there such growth in agricultural
education in elementary and secondary
schools?