08/04/08 Helping Get An Ag Education

Helping Get an Ag Education. I'm Greg Martin, Today's Idaho Ag News is next. The northwest is hurting for good quality ag educators and the University of Idaho is trying to help by increasing high school student's access to college credits. Dr. Lou Riesenberg, head of the Agricultural and Extension Education Department says students will attend high school classes taught by high school teachers until the end of the course. RIESENBERG: The high school instructors, they will give the grades for those students but then when they finish their course we will generate an independent assessment test that the teacher will not apply or monitor, the school, the principal or somebody will actually give those students that test and then we score it. High school students around the state can pay $65 per credit and could earn 12 credits or more, the equivalent of their first semester on campus. The program will offer high school students University of Idaho credit for survey courses in animal science, plant science, agricultural economics and agricultural education similar to an AP or Advanced Placement class. RIESENBERG: This is not an advanced placement kind of thing. They will be able to use it for elective credits and so in our degree program they can use 10 free electives in Ag and supporting. Students may also qualify for university credit through limited opportunities with high school FFA activities. The high school teachers estimated the program will award university credits to six to 12 students in their classes each year. That's Today's Idaho Ag News I'm Greg Martin for the Northwest Ag Information Network.