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Memorial Middle School Agricultural Extension and Education Center

Plan Goal

To develop a teaching and learning model of excellence for agriculture and natural resource science that complements in-class instruction by providing context to content through inquiry-based learning and experiential education opportunities.

Situation Statement

The Memorial Middle School Agricultural Extension and Education Center (MMSAEEC) is a youth science center emphasizing inquiry-based learning and experiential education. The mission of the MMSAEEC is deliver educational programs in agriculture and natural resources to youth attending Memorial Middle School in Las Vegas, NM. A basic premise of the mission is to develop a teaching and learning model of excellence for agriculture and natural resource science that complements in-class instruction by providing context to content through hands-on learning opportunities. Students in New Mexico public schools consistently rank among the bottom in math and science proficiency nationally. MMSAEEC is an innovative model that addresses the need for enhanced science learning opportunities in New Mexico public education and addresses an unmet need for Hispanic students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) who are underrepresented in these career fields. STEM-based education is delivered through teaching the principles of sustainable agriculture, natural resource conservation systems, applied science, and other STEM-based topics. Center facilities include: an 1800 sq. ft. teaching greenhouse, field plots, science lab, about 1 acre of food production systems, and the production of renewable energy, using a wind turbine and solar array, to power the greenhouse.

Target Audience and Actions

The target audience for this program is all students, grades 6-8, attending Memorial Middle School in Las Vegas, NM. Primary programming content areas include: scientific method, ecological restoration and monitoring, agriscience, and emerging issues in agriculture and natural resources. Context is provided to instructional content through classroom activities, greenhouse experiments, labs, data collection and analysis, interaction with the science center physical environment, technology, and field trips.

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.
6. Provide support to and collaborate with State 4-H office to initiate 4-H Science program at state level.

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.

Long-Term Objectives

1. Contribute to the advancement and body of knowledge on youth development educational efforts statewide and nationally.
2. Develop program connectivity to other schools in the district and the surrounding geographic area.
3. Establish 1 to 3 new science center in New Mexico.

Evaluation Plan

Evaluation of the program will focus on learning outcomes for students participating in the Center’s programs. Program evaluation will test a variety of hypotheses and answer three research objectives. Comparisons will be made between students attending Memorial Middle School and students attending West Las Vegas Middle School (WLVMS) based on the following five demographic subgroupings: ethnicity, students with limited English proficiency, students with disabilities, students living in poverty, and gender at the two schools. Testable hypotheses include: differences in 8th grade science achievement (posttest scores and percent at or above grade level) between students participating in the MMSAEEC and those at WLVMS; differences in 8th grade agriculture and natural resources achievement (posttest scores) between students participating in the MMSAEEC and those at WLVMS and between the five demographic subgroups at the two schools; and, differences in 8th grade youth leadership life skills development [Youth Leadership Life Skills Development Scale (YLLSDS) posttest scores] between students participating in the MMSAEEC and those at WLVMS and between the five demographic subgroups at the two schools.

Research objectives include: determining if relationships exist between youth leadership life skills development (YLLSDS posttest scores) and science achievement (posttest scores) for 8th grade MMS and WLVMS students; determining if relationships exist between youth leadership life skills development (YLLSDS posttest scores) and agriculture and natural resource achievement (posttest scores) for 8th grade MMS and WLVMS students; and, determining the career interests of entering (starting 6th grade) and exiting (completing 8th grade) MMS and WLVMS students and more specifically their interests and stability of interests in careers in science, agriculture, and natural resources within and between the two schools and within and between the five demographic subgroups at the two schools.

Traditional performance measures will be used to monitor student progress. These include: quizzes, exams, reports, indicators of individual improvement, and criteria reference testing scores.

A feasibility study for program expansion is in the planning phase and will be conducted with administrators from New Mexico Public School districts to assess interest in having a similar program to the MMSAEEC initiated in their school district.