The educational landscape in America is changing every day. The need for effective teachers, especially those in agricultural education, remains a high priority. This national study sought to identify the human capital (i.e., education, training, skills, and experiences) necessary for effective school-based agricultural education teachers. The modified Delphi approach consisting of award- winning agricultural education teachers, state staff, and National FFA Board of Directors in the 2017 calendar year was used to collect data. Three rounds of data collection resulted in 58 characteristics, across eight different categories, reaching consensus of agreement. Panelists agreed unanimously on 28 items. The top-rated item was, “understands student needs.” The eight categories emerging from the data included: Instruction, FFA, SAE, Program Planning, Balance, Diversity and Inclusion, Professionalism, and Personal Dispositions. Personal Dispositions (n = 14) and Instruction (n = 14) were the two themes generating the greatest numbers of items. SAE (n = 1) was the category with the least amount of items generated. The results of this study serve as a call to action for a balanced program and personal life, refrain from working extra hours, and limiting one’s involvement in the community as a leader.

Ongoing teacher shortages in SBAE have been a concern dating back to the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 (Hillison, 1987). This historical inquiry identified the longitudinal trends revealed by data derived from the supply and demand studies of SBAE teachers over a 51-year period, and how the studies and their reporting procedures evolved. On average, between 50% and 60% of graduates prepared to teach SBAE nationwide did so during their first year after graduation. The studies’ research teams changed eight times, including 12 lead investigators from eight institutions and, in the case of two reports, the National FFA Organization assisted. Reporting cycles also changed over time. Perhaps the long-term graduates-to-entrants trend should be accepted as canon and stakeholders redouble efforts to recruit a larger pool of future teachers and improve the likelihood of graduates who enter the profession also choosing to remain.

Understanding people’s perceptions of the environment, drinking water issues, and protecting and preserving water resources is of great importance. This study aims to assess and compare the perceptions of the general public (n= 414), post‐secondary students (n= 103), and water professionals (n= 104) in Oklahoma on water issues in the state. To address these goals, a 53‐item paper questionnaire was first administered to a randomly sampled mailing list of Oklahoma residents. As a follow up to the initial survey, post‐secondary students at Oklahoma State University were sampled in addition to Oklahoma water professionals at regional conferences. Respondents ranged from 18 to over 65 years old, with all three demographics agreeing the top water priority to be clean drinking water. The majority were satisfied with their home water supply and felt it was safe to drink, while they were not sure of the quality of ground and/or surface water. Age was a key factor in information delivery and learning preferences as the older participants favored print material versus the younger demographic interest in technology. Data collected via this study provide insight into the perceptions, priorities, and learning preferences of these three populations. Despite our finding that clean water is a priority in Oklahoma, regardless of demographic, results suggest more education and outreach is needed to provide additional information regarding water in Oklahoma.

Traditional delivery of Extension programming changed overnight in March 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak forced switching traditional methods to virtual delivery. Extension professionals across South Carolina quickly adapted to online delivery. Concerns over instructor preparedness to use online tools, including functions to assure accessibility, did arise. Findings from this non-experimental, descriptive research study suggested Extension professionals used online tools (primarily Zoom). The majority were not comfortable using many of the features that would enhance instruction, including polling, file transfer, and live-streaming media platforms. Additionally, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint skills to assure accessibility for clientele were lacking.

Although School based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers have a variety or responsibilities within a comprehensive program, supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs are considered an intracurricular component. Unfortunately, the ability for teachers to plan for and facilitate SAEs has been reported as lacking. The purpose of this study was to identify the current perceptions, barriers, and implementation of current middle school SAEs in the Southeast United States, which was carried out by a modified Delphi approach to reach consensus on the perceptions, barriers, and implementation of middle school SAEs from a panel of experts. After three rounds, 18 items achieved consensus related to perceptions of Middle School SAE integration, 19 items outlining barriers for Middle School SAE implementation, and 22 items indicating best practices for Middle School SAE integration. When we consider the uniqueness of middle school SBAE programs, the overall list of perceptions, barriers, and best practices is of great value for future implementation as additional programs are added. Recommendations for practice begin with purposeful professional development opportunities specific for middle school SBAE teachers.

Water resource management is a critical natural resource issue in Oklahoma and as such, has received priority in Extension program design and implementation. While the content of outreach programs has been modified over the years due to changes in technology and knowledge, the mode of delivery has largely remained the same despite changes in audience preferences. For effective outreach, Extension professionals need to understand the factors that affect audience preferences for learning opportunities pertaining to water resource issues. Using a statewide survey administered in 2018, this study developed a typology of residents based on their perceived importance of water issues and assessed the factors affecting learning opportunities about water issues in Oklahoma. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct groups, which varied in terms of socio-demographic characteristics and preferences for learning opportunities. Residents’ drinking water supply attributes and demographic characteristics affected their preference for learning opportunities about water issues. The results suggested the necessity of tailored outreach efforts, which may help in planning and implementing effective educational programs for water resource management.