The Arlington Career Center Animal Science Program has a unique history and focus compared to other animal science programs in the state. In 1989 the enrollment in Animal Science classes was declining and an advisory committee was tasked with reviewing the curriculum to ensure relevance and suitability for Arlington students. After studying the student population and the traditional agricultural animal science curricula, the committee decided that the students would benefit more from non-traditional curricula. The two full year classes were completely redesigned. It was decided that the classes would no longer be sequential, allowing students more flexibility in choosing the content in which they were interested. The traditional Animal Science I class was renamed Technical Animal Science and was designed to teach animal and employment skills to students who had not had biology and may or may not attend a four year college. The traditional Animal Science II class was renamed Biological and Medical Animal Science, which was subsequently changed to Advanced Animal Science. This course is designed to give college-bound students, who have taken biology, a basic zoology, genetics and behavior class using the animals in the class to facilitate learning. Both classes also give the students exposure to a variety of animal related careers and experience caring for numerous types of animals. Since the curricula were created by local animal science professionals for a suburban/urban school district, the course is truly unique in the state. Once all revisions were completed, the curricula were outlined by the committee and sent to the Virginia Department of Education for approval. Ever since, both courses have maintained their state approval for a science credit as well as a fine/practical arts credit.

The new curricula were implemented in the 1990 – 1991 school year with a staff comprised of one instructor and one laboratory technician. Enrollment in the courses increased over the next few years which required hiring a second teacher in 1997. The enrollment continued to rise, as did the number of animals in the lab, until the lab technician could no longer manage the animal lab alone. A former student was hired as a laboratory aide. Since this time the enrollment has leveled off and currently the program offers 3 sections of Advanced Animal Science and 3 sections of Technical Animal Science taught by 2 instructors, one lab technician and one lab assistant.

The staff has actively sought animal science professionals to review our curricula in both formal and informal ways. The advisory committee has met to review the curricula especially when changes are proposed or state approval is needed. Professionals from various animal related careers are brought in to speak to the students every year. These professionals are given a tour of the lab, an overview of the program and then comments, suggestions and modifications are solicited by the staff. New trends, techniques or research suggested by the professionals are then incorporated into the curricula. Having professionals from the field perpetually review the curricula assists in keeping the staff and the program current in the wide variety of animal careers, as well as giving students access to current professional trends.