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Middle School National Agricultural Literacy Outcome Assessments

Background and Purpose

We are Utah State University, National Center for Agricultural Literacy researchers looking for 8th grade teachers across the nation to assist us in an agricultural literacy assessment project. Agricultural literacy is defined as the individual’s ability to value and to communicate accurately about agriculture. An agricultural literacy assessment, developed specifically for middle school students, has not been previously developed. A valid assessment tool could be used formatively to assess educational needs and summatively to measure agricultural literacy gains. Your students' involvement is voluntary and their responses will be kept anonymous. This is an assessment development project that does not measure the agricultural literacy of your students, rather responses from your students will help to finalize a valid assessment for future use.

Your Role: The assessment will be completed with student populations via an online survey tool that should take less than 25 minutes. To be selected you need to:

  1. have access to 90 eighth grade students;
  2. complete a Human Subject Research training from the CITI program. The online training modules will take approximately 2.5 hours. This training is required by Utah State University for all who are working with populations under 18 and collecting data;
  3. collect letters of consent from students;
  4. have access to computers or tablets for every students to complete the online assessment;
  5. gain the approval of your principal or district if required.

If you agree to be part of the study your students will need to complete the online assessment anytime between May 1 and June 15, 2021. Your role in the research will be completed after your students have submitted the online assessment. You will then receive a $300 stipend and the $50 AgClassroomStore gift card. You will be required to fill out and submit a W-9 form to Utah State University for payment.

If you have any additional questions, please contact us:

Rose Judd-Murray
Debra Spielmaker

Please share this webpage with other teachers that may be interested in participating.

If you are interested in participating, and meet the eligibility requirements above, please complete the form below. We will begin our selection process March 22nd. We will contact the first 12 teachers who meet our regional demographic to participate by April 2nd.