Summer Environmental Engineering Research Program

Obj. 1 - One article about Center activities was published in a juried professional periodical, a second manuscript has been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed publication and two abstracts were published in a peer-reviewed publication.

Juried Professional Periodicals
Dormody, T., Skelton, P., Pint, A., & O’Byrne, K. 2011. A course to develop agriscience teachers. The Agricultural Education Magazine, 83(6), 25-27.

Peer- Reviewed Journal Publications
Skelton, P., B. Seevers, T. Dormody, and F. Hodnett. In Press A conceptual process model for improving youth science comprehension. Journal of Extension.

Peer- Reviewed Journal Abstracts
Dormody, T., P. Skelton, J. Madrid, and P. Dappen. 2011. A model for strengthening inquiry-based and experiential teaching approaches for agriscience educators. NACTA Journal, 55(Supplement 1), 54-55.

Skelton, P., T. Dormody, J. Madrid and P. Dappen. 2011. Evaluating an experiential learning agriscience field day. NACTA Journal, 55(Supplement 1), 54.

Obj. 2 – In light of the current economic situation, attempts to increase program connectivity have not been initiated.

Obj. 3 – No attempts to establish new centers undertaken due to lack of resources for program expansion.

Obj. 1 - My administrative philosophy is to develop and enhance the Center, maintain Center costs, improve the physical plant, collaborate with specialists and campus faculty and with other institutions, empower employees to have greater input in their job activities, and actively pursue extramural sources of funding. Accomplishing these goals will establish the Center as a model for participatory learning and experiential education in the state and nationally. As the director of the MMSAEEC, I am responsible for administering center budgets; supervising full and part-time employees; managing row-crop, orchard, fruit and garden demonstration areas; and, operating an 1800 square foot greenhouse. A dedicated effort to guest lecturing on campus, public presentations, conducting print interviews, and the development of an innovative teaching and learning model has led to local, state, and regional recognition for the Center. I am also responsible for monitoring the establishment, treatment, maintenance, and data collection of agricultural and horticultural operations at the Center. This includes identifying and acquiring materials necessary for student projects; developing plant material for Center educational/demonstration sites; greenhouse maintenance duties as needed; and oversight of greenhouse facility operation to ensure plant survival.

Roughly 2,000 linear feet of trails have been installed on approximately two and one-half acres of the campus that connect the greenhouse with the rest of the physical campus landscape for teaching purposes; 640 sq feet of raised beds have been installed and are in vegetable and fruit production; roughly one-third of an acre is in row-crop vegetable production and raspberry production; 55 fruit trees have been planted to establish a campus orchard. 100% of students have been involved in the producing fresh food from campus systems. Fresh produce was used in a farm-to-school program in the Health class to teach nutrition. About 50% of electrical energy needs for greenhouse supplied by solar and wind power. The Center captures, stores and reuses water annually through a catchment system but is in need of expansion to meet water needs for program in drought years and to improve water use efficiency. All of these systems are used for public demonstration.

Transforming the Memorial Middle School campus into a youth agricultural science Center is an on-going process. The following improvements to the Center have been accomplished this year:
- Maintained on-site agricultural plantings toduring severe drought.
- Continued use of hoophouses provide cut leaf lettuce for teaching purposes and student consumption.
- Maintained on-site composting.
I work closely with MMSAEEC staff to ensure programs are delivered and projects completed. I work closely with Jonathan providing leadership on program identification, design, development and implementation. I provided specific programming leadership to Jonathan on programs in geospatial technologies, robotics and renewable energy. Each of these program areas is transferable to 4H programs. In some cases, I have co-taught with Jonathan to model effective teaching strategies, curriculum development methods and program implementation/outcomes. To achieve maximum production from part-time staff, I have found it necessary to work closely with them. This demonstrates to them that I am willing to engage myself in manual labor necessary to produce agricultural products from the campus.

The Center continues to be a demonstration site for renewable energy and small scale agricultural production. Grafting workshops through the Center have increased community interest in fruit tree grafting and orchard restoration activities, while the wind turbine and solar panel attract interest in renewable energy. Due to the visibility of the renewable energy efforts and the greenhouse facility, parental and community interest in the program itself has increased. I feel that we are establishing ourselves as an integral part of the community, in both formal educational efforts and nonformal outreach, and are achieving a high level of community support. I continue to provide Center tours to community members and parents of students as requested.

Obj. 2 – The mean scores on the State Standards Based Assessment (SBA) for treatment school (MMS) was higher than the mean for control school for Science Total (p=0.0086; 34.9 vs. 29.3), Scientific Investigation (p=0.0296; 9.5 vs. 8.2), Physical Sciences (p=0.0008; 8.6 vs. 6.7), Science and People (p=0.0724; 3.5 vs. 3.0) the ecology subscale of the Agriculture and Natural Resource science achievement tool (ANR) (p=0.0812; 1.42 vs. 1.13) and the agriscience subscale of the ANR (p=0.0997; 6.27 vs. 5.58). Analysis using all available data (n=127) suggested a difference for Earth Science (p=0.0998; 4.5 vs. 3.8) but reanalysis with 2 data points corresponding to high magnitude residuals removed did not produce a significant school difference (p=0.1617; 4.39 vs. 3.8). School by gender interaction effects were observed for the ANR total (p=0.0786) and the emerging issues ANR subscale (p=0.0035). The ANR total for treatment school males was higher than for control school males (p=0.0482; 12.89 vs. 10.71) while differences between females was not significant (p=0.5621). A gender main effect was observed only for scientific investigation (p=0.0942; 9.39 for females and 8.38 for males).

Through our research project, we have found significant differences in the on the State Standards Based Assessment (SBA) science scores between treatment school (MMS) and the control school. The treatment school has higher scores on all five subscales on the test with significant differences on 4 of the five subscales.

Students from the treatment school show improved achievement in the sciences based on the integrated MMSAEEC model. When controlling for gender, the male students are achieving at a higher level than females in agriculture and natural resource science. However, this gap can be addressed through increased engagement and motivation of female students.

Finally, we have gathered baseline data on youth leadership life skills integral to 4-H programs. We will use year 2 data to inform us on which items are low ranking to improve the learning experience for all students.

Obj. 3 - Feasibility project has not been initiated.

Obj. 1 - The Memorial Middle School Agricultural Extension and Education Center, located in Las Vegas, served all 384 students at Memorial Middle School in the Spring of 2011 and all 388 students in the Fall of 2011. School district data for school year 2011/2012 indicate the following: 388 students, 90% Hispanic (N=351), 71% economically disadvantaged (N=276), 18% special needs or are on an individual education plan, and 14% English language learners (N=53). As a result, a great deal of instructional modification is necessary to meet the educational needs of a diverse group of learners. Instructional modifications include: multiple teaching methods; differentiated instruction, including varied instructional approaches, varied instructional materials, varied instructional presentations and behavioral support. All science teachers (N=4) collaborated with the program; 33% (N=2) math teachers collaborated with the program; 1 cross-curricular program was initiated with core discipline teachers. Ongoing efforts to refine curriculum and the delivery model are undertaken to improve overall content of curriculum materials, improve science literacy, and enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning.

Programmatic goals include, but are not limited to: 1) preparing youth for careers in the sciences, particularly for minority students who are underrepresented in these career fields, and 2) developing students with a variety of skill sets to prepare them for the many unique challenges their generation will certainly encounter in the future. In facilitating the role of the Center, Stakeholders identified three primary areas in which they felt the Center could make contributions to student achievement: understanding the scientific method, general knowledge of agriculture and natural resources, and investigative opportunities and thought. The MMSAEEC integrates inquiry-based learning and experiential education as an important educational component of the delivery model. Inquiry-base learning and experiential education are particularly important in STEM education because investigation is at the core of the learning foundation. Major programming efforts were delivered at each grade level (grades 6-8) in one of the following content areas: scientific method, agriscience, and emerging issues in agriculture and natural resource science.

Sixth grade programs focused on exploring the scientific method through a fertilizer experiment in the greenhouse. Exploration of the scientific method is achieved primarily through lecture, labs, and greenhouse experiments. Context to the scientific method is linked to content by having the students perform a basic fertilizer experiment to better understand plant/fertilizer relationships. The experiment follows the steps in the scientific method so that students understand the process through experience as well as traditional instruction. This program reached 131 students in the Spring and 151 students this Fall. The program served two regular education teachers and one special education through the science classes. The duration of the program was for 16 weeks in the Spring and 16 weeks in the Fall. Weekly handouts were developed for teachers and students, and modified for special needs students. Handout content included: learning objectives, materials and methods, key terms, data collection activities and tables, and a final report. Four power point presentations were made covering: steps in the scientific method, bean physiology, root structure, and a data summary presentation. Teachers reported that students exhibited increased knowledge about the scientific method, which is supported by research findings both from State Standards Based Assessment science investigation data (p=0.0296; 9.5 vs. 8.2) and the agriculture and natural resource science achievement tool data (p=0.0482; 12.89 vs. 10.71); improved enthusiasm about learning and a preference by students for the hands-on, applied nature of the program; and, enhanced motivation and attitude of students due to programming efforts. An evaluation of students (n=69) found that 70% of students have a preference for learning by doing, 81% of students rated the program as good or excellent, 74% of students learned a lot, and 78% of students indicated they have developed at least some new science skills as a result of participating in the program.

Seventh grade programs focus on agriscience. Exploration of agrisience is achieved primarily through lecture, labs, and greenhouse experiments. Modules for the agriscience program included: plant/light relationships, plant/water relationships, plant breeding, and plant physiology. These module-based experiments are intended to enhance in classroom Life Science curriculum covering photosynthesis, seed germination and growth, genetics, and plant characteristics. The MMSAEEC director organized with a campus faculty member for students in the AXED 485 Agriscience class (N=10) to conduct mini lessons for a day with 7th grade students. Topics included: soil analysis, sugar content in citrus fruit, water quality, and effects of salt on plant growth. This program reached 123 students in the Spring and 120 students this Fall. The program served one regular education teacher and one special education teacher through the science classes. The duration of the program was for 16 weeks in the Spring and 16 weeks in the Fall. Weekly handouts were developed for teachers and students, and modified for special needs students. Handout content included: learning objectives, materials and methods, key terms, data collection activities and tables, and a final report. Teachers reported that students exhibited increased knowledge about agriscience, which is supported by research findings both from State Standards Based Assessment data science scores (p=0.0086; 34.9 vs. 29.3) and the agriculture and natural resource science achievement tool data (p=0.0482; 12.89 vs. 10.71); improved enthusiasm about learning and a preference by students for the hands-on, applied nature of the program; and, enhanced motivation and attitude of students due to programming efforts. An evaluation of students (n=56) found that 61% of students have a preference for learning by doing, 75% of students rated the program as good or excellent, 59% of students learned a lot, and 71% of students indicated they have developed at least some new science skills as a result of participating in the program.

Eighth grade programs focus on emerging issue in natural resource science. Exploration of natural resource science is achieved primarily through lecture, labs, and greenhouse experiments. This program is a yearlong study of water. Topics and activities include: global and local water issues, the water cycle, measuring water footprint, water properties, water pollution, water quality monitoring, and building a water purification system. This program reached 130 students in the Spring and 117 students this Fall. The program served one regular education teacher and one special education teacher through the science classes. The duration of the program was for 24 weeks over the Spring and Fall. Weekly handouts were developed for teachers and students, and modified for special needs students. Handout content included: learning objectives, materials and methods, key terms, data collection activities and tables, and a final report. Teachers reported that students exhibited increased knowledge about agriscience, which is supported by research findings both from State Standards Based Assessment data physical science scores (p=0.0008; 8.6 vs. 6.7) and science and people scores (p=0.0724; 3.5 vs. 3.0), and the agriculture and natural resource science achievement tool data (p=0.0482; 12.89 vs. 10.71); improved enthusiasm about learning and a preference by students for the hands-on, applied nature of the program; and, enhanced motivation and attitude of students due to programming efforts.

One cross curricular program focused on nutrition. This program was delivered through the Health class to 91 students. This program was developed to complement nutrition education through the Health classes. Students harvested fresh produce from the campus agricultural system, designed healthy snacks using the fresh produce, consumed the fresh produce in class and discussed the importance of good nutrition.

Integrated into AXED 485 was an agriscience field day at the MMSAEEC for seventh grade life sciences students that was planned and delivered by the university students. Four learning modules were repeated for seven class periods and a total of 58 middle school students: Analyzing soil texture and pH, setting up a decomposition experiment, testing pond and acequia water for dissolved oxygen and nitrates, and setting up an experiment to test the effects of different media on plant growth. A learning evaluation for the field day determined that the middle school students achieved 62%, 73%, 60%, and 76% correct responses on paired questions for each of the four modules, respectively. Seventy-six percent of middle school students indicated a preference for experiential learning and 95% rated the experience as good or excellent. University students responded that field-based teaching opportunities were invaluable for applying what was learned through the course. Science teachers found great value in the experience as a whole for both groups of students. Results are being used to improve the field day and to replicate it in other parts of the state.
A summer program was sponsored by the Center. I supported two teachers, paid for transportation costs, and supplied equipment for a six-week summer field-based ecology educational enrichment program at MMS that reached fifteen students. The Center is instrumental in connecting the teachers with organizations and institutions willing to contribute to program educational efforts, and educational programming. We completed curriculum for the course this summer.
Obj. 2 - The Las Vegas City Schools and the West Las Vegas school district are cooperating on a four-year quasi-experimental study to compare science achievement, agriculture and natural resource science achievement, leadership life skills development, and career interests between students participating in MMSASC learning activities for three years of middle school and students at a control middle school who receive their instruction without the agricultural science Center enhancements. Approval for human-subject research into the impacts of the MMSAEEC was continued by the NMSU Institutional Review Board for year 2. Standards-based Assessment (SBA) science test scores have been obtained from study school districts and year one data collection is complete. Data has been collected from 395 students participating in the program (treatment group) and 248 students in the control group over 2 years. Data analysis for year one is complete and a manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal is in preparation. Data analysis for year two is underway.

Obj. 3 - MMSAEEC partnered with six non-profit organizations, foundations, government agencies, and other educational institutions. These collaborations further the missions of the partner groups, as well as enhance programmatic impacts achieved through these various partnerships. Partnerships include: 1. The Las Vegas City Schools – provides support to the operation of the MMSAEEC; 2. Memorial Middle School – shares in the MMSAEEC mission to provide researched-based knowledge and programs to students that improve the quality of their learning and better prepare them for high school and higher education; 3. United World College - provided greenhouse expertise for the UWC greenhouse operation; 4. Tierra Y Montes Soil and Water Conservation District – educational partner at the middle school for weed management program; 5. River Source – New Mexico Game and Fish educational outreach arm and educational partner for water quality monitoring along the Gallinas River; and, 6. Las Vegas FFA – provided horticultural expertise on plant for care for State contest.

Obj. 4 - Center recognition was increased through numerous venues. The MMSAEEC continues to update and improve its website and is now receiving exposure through external websites. Three tours of the center were provided to 14 interested community members, parents of students, and University partner groups. One fruit tree grafting workshops was delivered at the request of Valencia County Agent. Two poster presentations were made at a national conference and one presentation was delivered to New Mexico County Agents on 4-H Science opportunities. One peer-reviewed journal article about MMSAEEC activities with national reach has been accepted for publication, a juried article was published in a professional periodical, and two peer-reviewed poster abstracts were published in a national journal.

Obj. 5 - Two grants were applied for and I was awarded $5,000 from the Office of the Vice President for Research at NMSU. Total sponsored research was $19,000.

Obj. 6 – 4-H Science is a national initiative that seeks to address increased demand for science and technology professionals. I have effectively assumed additional duties as the 4-H Science specialist. During the course of the year, the following was accomplished: 1. A statewide plan of action was submitted to national 4-H; 2. I served on two national committees related to 4-H Science (Western Region 4-H Science Liaison and Western Region 4-H Science Academy); 3. 4-H National Youth Science Day is the premiere national rallying event for year-round 4-H Science programming, bringing together youth, volunteers and educators from the nation's 111 land-grant colleges and universities to simultaneously complete the National Science Experiment. Four counties requested kits and, to date, I have not been able to determine how many youth participated. 4. Increased county agent awareness about 4-H Science through presentations, the State 4-H office newsletter, and serving as a county agent resource for 4-H Science related programs.

Short term objectives
1. Design, develop, and deliver STEM-based agricultural and natural resource science education programming that complements in-class teaching and/or experiential learning opportunities that meet New Mexico public education content standards, benchmarks and performance standards.
2. Initiate program research project.
3. Build collaborative relationships with other agencies and organizations by identifying and meeting with key agency and organization representatives to multiply effectiveness of programmatic efforts, and enhance program reach and visibility.
4. Gain local, state and national recognition for MMSAEEC through programming efforts, educational innovativeness and model value.
5. Procure grants or other funding to support program activities.

Obj. 1 - The Memorial Middle School Agricultural Extension and Education Center, located in Las Vegas, served all 384 students at Memorial Middle School in the Spring of 2011 and all 388 students in the Fall of 2011. Programmatic goals include , but are not limited to: 1) preparing youth for careers in the sciences, particularly for minority students who are underrepresented in these career fields, and 2) developing students with a variety of skill sets to prepare them for the many unique challenges their generation will certainly encounter in the future. Major programming efforts were delivered at each grade level (grades 6-8) in one of the following content areas: scientific method, agriscience, and emerging issues in agriculture and natural resources. Sixth grade programs include: exploring the scientific method through inquiry-based greenhouse and field-based experiments. Seventh grade programs include: the science and practice of sustainable agriculture and natural resource systems. Eighth grade programs include: renewable energy and natural resource conservation. Ongoing efforts to refine curriculum and the delivery model are designed to improve overall content of curriculum materials, improve science literacy, and enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning. School district data for school year 2009/2010 indicate the following: 428 students, 89% Hispanic (N=382), 66% economically disadvantaged (N=281), 25% special needs (or are on an individual educational plan of which 29 out of 105 are considered gifted), and 16.4% are English Language Learners (N=70). As a result, a great deal of instructional modification is necessary to meet the educational needs of a diverse group of learners. Instructional modifications include: multiple teaching methods; differentiated instruction, including varied instructional approaches, varied instructional materials, varied instructional presentations and behavioral support. All students at Memorial Middle School were engaged by programmatic efforts (N=428); all science teachers (N=7) collaborated with the program; 33% (N=2) math teachers collaborated with the program; 9 cross-curricular programs were initiated with core discipline teachers. Two service learning projects were undertaken: acequia clean-up and local food donation from the school farm. Fresh produce from the school farm was used in the cafeteria for a farm-to-school program. A nutrition program was developed to complement nutrition education through the Health classes. Students (N=45) harvested fresh produce from the campus agricultural system, designed healthy snacks using the fresh produce and consumed the fresh produce in class. MMSAEEC organized with a campus faculty member for students in the AXED 485 Agriscience class (N=9) to conduct mini lessons with 7th grade students. Topics included: soil fertility monitoring, water quality monitoring and environmental effects on plant growth.
Obj. 2 - Approval for human-subject research into the impacts of the MMSAEEC was continued by the NMSU Institutional Review Board. Two school districts are cooperating on a four-year quasi-experimental study to compare science achievement, agriculture and natural resource science achievement, leadership life skills development, and career interests between students participating in MMSASC learning activities for three years of middle school and students at a control middle school who receive their instruction without the agricultural science Center enhancements. Standards-based Assessment (SBA) science test scores have been obtained from study school districts and year one data collection is complete. Data was collected from 218 students participating in the program (treatment group) and 131 students in the control group. Data analysis for year one is underway. Sixth grader ag and natural resource achievement data for year 2 was collected in September, as was SBA data.
Obj. 3 - MMSAEEC has developed collaborative relationships with fifteen non-profit organizations, foundations, government agencies, and other state institutions of higher learning. These collaborations further the missions of the partner groups, as well as enhance programmatic impacts achieved through these various partnerships
Obj. 4 - Center recognition was increased through numerous venues. The MMSAEEC continues to update and improve its website and is now receiving exposure through external websites. Eleven tours of the center were provided to interested community members, parents of students, and University partner groups. Three fruit tree grafting workshops were delivered. The local paper featured center activities twice. I was an invited to speak about program inititatives in inquiry-based learning and experiential education at four different meetings. NMSU governmental affairs, the Associate Dean of Extension, and the NMSU Office of the Vice President of Research have requested information on the center for educational outreach purposes. One peer-reviewed journal article about MMSAEEC activities with national reach was published, a second article has been accepted for publication and a poster abstract was included in the proceedings for a national conference.
Obj. 5 - Two grants were applied for and the Center was awarded two grants totaling $16,600.

Medium-term objectives
1. Develop and enhance the MMSAEEC youth science center facilities and landscape teaching facilities.
2. Measure program impacts through a 4 year experimental research project designed to assess improvements to average yearly progress on science test scores, learning and development in agricultural and natural resource science, and leadership and youth development life skills and increases interest in agriculture and natural resource careers.
3. Assess the feasibility for program expansion to other school districts in New Mexico.

Obj. 1 - Roughly 2,000 linear feet of trails have been installed on approximately two and one-half acres of the campus that connect the greenhouse with the rest of the physical campus landscape for teaching purposes; 640 sq feet of raised beds have been installed and are in vegetable and fruit production; roughly one-third of an acre is in row-crop vegetable production and raspberry production; 55 fruit trees have been planted to establish a campus orchard. 100% of students have been involved in the producing fresh food from campus systems. Fresh produce was used in the cafeteria for a farm-to-school program and in the Health class to teach nutrition. About 50% of electrical energy needs for greenhouse supplied by solar and wind power. The Center captures, stores and reuses about 10,000 gallons of water annually through a catchment system. All of these systems are used for public demonstration.
Obj. 2 – No research results available to date.
Obj. 3 - Feasibility project has not been initiated.