Analysis of Charts
As far as basic enrollment numbers go, we have increased our program enrollment at a faster rate than the school as a whole - 24% compared to 12%. The data shows a clear upward trend. Our class data shows a roughly 40% male and 60% female which is directly opposite the typical gender breakdown for the school. The field of animal science does not have a gender trend. Interestingly, one animal-profession, veterinarian, has gone through a huge transformation in this regard. Once vastly a male-dominated field, females now make up the majority (up to 80%) of students attending U.S. schools of Veterinary Medicine. Our ethnic makeup is very different from the school in general. Our program has around 40% white students which is 11 - 15% more whites than the school in general. However, this is still below the county average of 48% white. The minority numbers are less than the school average but are similar in composition. The leading minority group is Hispanic (41%) by a large margin, then blacks (12%) and then other (5%). Although almost one quarter of our students have disabilities, this is still a few points below the school average of 27%. This may be due to a few programs in the school which are exclusively special needs, but do not send their students to CTE classes. Although our student per class ratio is the second highest in the school, enrollment is a continuing challenge, especially since the county just raised the required student ratio.
The total number of completers has increased every year. However, the percent of completers attaining 80% of the competencies has fluctuated. The percent has, however, remained in the 90s (96, 91 & 99) and during the last year was at 99%. The ethnicity breakdown follows the breakdown of the program in general and there does not seem to be an ethnic variation in the pass rate.
American Red Cross Pet First Aid & CPR (ARC) certification has been offered for many years and there are three years of data available. However, the documentation for this certification does not show the students who started the certification but did not finish it. Therefore, passing percentages can not be precisely determined. Anecdotally, however, both teachers agree that the overall pass rate would be extremely high. Trends for those students who obtained certification seem to follow the student enrollment trends. Overall the number certified has increased. The ethnic and gender breakdown follows the enrollment breakdown as well. For NAPPS, the gender passing rate is within range and shows no gender bias. Ethnicity may show some issues although the numbers are small and may not be reliable. Of the 24 students taking the test, three did not pass, one in each ethnicity group. This looks equitable, but with the vastly different numbers in each group there could be some equity problems. Percentage pass rates by ethnicity are: White 94%, Black 75%, Hispanic 50%. The difference is considerable but may not be truly representative due to low numbers. If the NAPPS test continues to be given, this statistic will need to be carefully monitored. NAPPS is considered a candidate for our end of course credentialing exam. Making this happen is a big challenge.
One challenge for all of the data above is its reliability and usefulness in arriving at accurate analysis. The data come from a variety of sources and there is no guarantee that they were produced in a consistent manner. There are also too few data. In addition, many times, data necessary to provide a full and accurate analysis are missing or unavailable.
Our FFA club has been run as a voluntary after school club. It typically has around ten members. It is a valuable leadership skill building and enrichment tool. Increasing participation is a challenge worth taking on.
Arlington does not support Co-op so the data in this chart is for internships. The wage data shows that some are non-paid experiences and others get a wage. Teachers are required to obtain these internships for their students. This will continue to be a challenge for us especially if the number of interns increases.
Challenge 1 - Enrollment: We have been fairly successful in keeping our enrollment high the last few years. This is an indication that our programs are beneficial to the student population we serve. However, enrollment is always going to be a challenge for us. Students must choose to leave their home schools to come here for a class. Home schools do not necessarily benefit by encouraging students to come here. Since enrollment is what determines whether a program continues and the county raised the recommended student per class ratio, we work hard to keep enrollment up. Here are just some of the things we do on a regular basis to address the challenges surrounding enrollment:
We will continue these efforts and will look for other opportunities to promote the program. For example, we recently joined a small group of ACC teachers and are planning a series of events that invite APS senior staff to come to our programs, participate in a lesson taught to them by our students to showcase some of what our students are learning. The hope is, with a clearer understanding of the value of our programs, senior staff will be better able, and more willing, to send students.
Challenge 2 - Data: Completing a process such as this one highlights some of the challenges surrounding data collection and analysis. The data asked for and used within this document were often difficult to come by, inadequate for proper analysis and sometimes suspect as to their accuracy. Finding a process for collecting, keeping and accessing the important data is certainly a challenge worth taking on. Some of the issues with data collection are:
Ethnicity data: Ethnicity data are kept in the main student data base but are not transferred to other data collection areas. Categories of ethnicity have also changed since the 2010 census. These two factors together reduce the reliability of the ethnicity data for the multiple data sources causing into question the validity of the disaggregated data. Access to accurate data is crucial. Much of the data used for the program analysis was from different sources and it cannot be ascertained that it was compiled in any consistent way.
Inadequate data: Some of the analysis that we would like to have done, was impossible to complete because of missing data. For example, the “pass rate” of students on the CPR exams could not be determined. We have made efforts to record the number of students that achieved certifications in our program, but we have never been asked to track the percentage of students that attempted but failed to get certified. In this example total enrollment can not be used for comparison because: the enrollment is a snapshot taken at some point during the year and might not reflect enrollment during the certification; and students who have already earned the CPR certification (either on their own or through our program in previous years) are given an alternative certification (FEMA “Animals in Disaster”) to pursue.
Recording, maintaining and having access to the appropriate data are big challenges. We have been working on creating a data base and have voiced the belief that many of these data should already be available in APS computer files. Efforts are underway to make the different data bases more available and connected. In the meantime, teachers are often asked to estimate the data when they are needed. Another issue being discussed is what data to track. This requires input from many sources and is a work in progress.
Challenge 3 - Credentialing: One of the Animal Science program's main goals is to provide a valid and worthwhile educational experience that prepares students and moves them along their desired career path. Earning valuable credentials is just one of the methods for adding value to the program. We offer the Pet First Aid & CPR, the FEMA “Animals In Disaster” and the NAPPS certification. Virginia DOE has mandated that each CTE course have a end-of-year exam that provides a credential to their students, preferably one that is recognized by the industry. The NAPPS certification is the credential that best fits this description as the other approved tests are not industry recognized. The material covered in the NAPPS certification process aligns well with our course content and it is a nationally recognized industry certification. Unfortunately, the NAPPS exam is very expensive especially compared to the other options. We have begun efforts to tackle this challenge. We have initiated discussions with NAPPS surrounding cost and other opportunities for a mutually beneficial partnership. We have applied for grants to help fund future use of the NAPPS certification. We continue to look into the other currently approved options and are exploring the possibility of having other industry tests approved. For instance, we have contacted the American Red Cross to explore the possibility of creating a test for their certification process, which is currently practical based, that could allow this certification to be approved by the State. Initial discussions show some promise.
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