20-2-154.2. Agricultural education program; development of plan.

The agricultural education program provided in this state to students in grades six through 12 shall be based on the nationally recognized three-component model of school based agricultural education: daily instruction in an organized classroom and lab environment; hands-on, experiential learning opportunities through a supervised agriculture experience (SAE) program; and leadership and learning opportunities through participation in the Georgia FFAAssociation, the National FFA Organization, and agricultural education. The Department of Education, through its agricultural education program employees, shall develop the curriculum and standards for the agricultural education program, with input from agricultural education teachers, so as to include all three components of such model and local school systems shall include all three components of such model whenever offering any agricultural education course approved by the State Board of Education. The Department of Education shall maintain an adequate number of full-time employees, certified in agricultural education and distributed regionally throughout the state, to provide accountability for state and federal funds for program delivery of agricultural education, to continue to develop and maintain pertinent agricultural education curriculum and standards, to assist local school systems on matters related to agricultural education, and to coordinate regional and state-wide activities of the Georgia FFA Association, the National FFA Organization, and agricultural education.