Section 75.500  Definitions

"Approvable Agricultural Education Program at the Middle School Level" means an agricultural education program that includes at least one State approved introductory agricultural education course with an appropriately licensed teacher in an agricultural education career pathway that connects to a secondary program.  This introductory course shall include a career exploration component with SAE as a part of instruction. A middle school program shall also connect either to a stand-alone middle school or a secondary FFA chapter.

"Curricular/Intra-curricular Related Activities" means activities that are connected to the classroom instruction.  Grant funds shall only be used to support activities related to the classroom outside of the regularly scheduled teaching duties for the benefit of agricultural education.  Examples of these activities include, but are not limited to, professional development, professional organization conferences, curriculum development or improvement, and classroom and laboratory facilities maintenance.  The recommended maximum level of activity for this component is 16 days or 128 hours.

"FFA" means a State and federally recognized career and technical student organization for students in State approved agricultural education programs. (Formerly known as Future Farmers of America, now the National FFA Organization.)

"FFA Activities" means those activities that demonstrably relate to the intra-curricular nature of the career and technical student organizations and focus on premiere leadership, personal growth and/or career success.  Examples of these activities include leadership training or events, community service or education activities, career development event preparation or competitions, chapter program management, program/chapter recruitment and marketing activities, alumni meetings and professional events, program fundraising events, and public events related to agricultural education.  The recommended minimum level of activity for this component is 17 days or 136 hours.

"Full Time Teacher" means an agricultural education teacher with at least a nine-month (180 day) contract based on an eight hour day when the teacher is teaching at least one approved agricultural education class.

"New Agricultural Education Program" means an agricultural education program approved by the State Board of Education in a school district that has not had an agricultural education program for a period of 10 years or more prior to the date of application for a grant.

"Personal Services Cost" means the cost (salary and benefits) of a teacher providing 60 additional days, which shall mean 400 additional hours, outside the teacher's regularly scheduled teaching duties for the benefit of agricultural education.  The 400 additional hours shall be any activity that is to the benefit of agricultural education, as defined by the State Board in in this Subpart E, regardless of the time of year the activity occurs. [105 ILCS 5/2-3.80b(a)]

"School Code" means 105 ILCS 5.

"School District" means a public school district or area vocational center.

"Supervised Agricultural Experience" or "SAE" means activities that are work-based learning activities such as degree/award preparation, SAE visits, record book instruction, training or assistance. The recommended minimum level of activity for this component is 17 days or 136 hours.

"Three Circle Model" means a model used to identify the central components of an agricultural education program.  The central components are:

Classroom/laboratory instruction:  Including contextual, inquiry-based instruction and learning.

FFA:  Fostering the development of premiere leadership, personal growth, and career success through engagement in its programs and activities.

SAE:  Including experiential, service and work-based learning.

"Work-based Learning" means an activity or interaction among the teacher, student and/or employer or industry representative who provides experience related to an agricultural career interest. Work-based learning includes, but is not limited to, SAEs, job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships, school-based enterprises, industry-led projects and challenges or competitions. 

(Source:  Added at 41 Ill. Reg. 14099, effective November 3, 2017)