Agriculture
Cultivating Sustainability and Nourishing the World: The Agriculture Career Cluster concentrates on scientific advancement of agriscience, cultivation, processing, and distribution of agricultural products, employing advanced technologies and sustainable practices to optimize global food systems. This Cluster also supports other plant- and animal-based industries including regenerative agriculture, sustainable logging, and fisheries. This Cluster has meaningful connections with the Energy and Natural Resources Cluster, highlighting a symbiotic relationship that emphasizes stewardship and resilient communities.
Pathway Design Sheets
Pathway Design Sheets are Kansas CTE guides that act like blueprints, showing the required and optional courses, the skills students must learn, and the order in which classes should be taken to meet state pathway standards. They also include industry‑aligned competencies, CIP codes, and program requirements that help schools design and maintain approved pathways, ensure curriculum matches Kansas expectations, and support compliance with Perkins funding and improvement planning.
Teacher Resources
Kansas FFA: Future Farmers of America makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. For more information please visit the Kansas FFA website.
National Council for Agricultural Education: Mission of Agricultural Education, National AFNR Content Standards, National Quality Program Standards (Grades 9-12). To learn more please request the Council website link.
SAE for All: School-based Agricultural Education (SBAE) is an essential educational program delivered to over 14,000 students engaged in 261 Agricultural Education programs taught by over 300 instructors in school districts across the state of Kansas. For more information please request the SAE for All website link.
The Kansas Agricultural Education Program Standards emphasize a comprehensive, high‑quality model built on three core components: classroom and laboratory instruction, FFA leadership development, and Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). Programs must also follow rigorous requirements for curriculum, instruction, staffing, advisory committees, and alignment with KSDE’s AFNR pathways to ensure students gain strong, workforce‑ready and leadership‑focused agricultural education.
- Kansas Agricultural Education Program Standards (PDF) Document is available upon request.
Certificates and Assessments
The Kansas Agriculture Skills and Competencies Certificate is an industry‑recognized credential sponsored by the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) that documents a student’s agricultural knowledge, technical skills, and leadership development earned during high school. It is designed primarily for students in agriculture education and FFA programs. For more information, visit the Kansas Agriculture Skills and Competencies Certificate website.
cPass® is part of the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) administered by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE). It is an end‑of‑pathway assessment that measures whether students have mastered essential career and technical skills in specific pathways, including agriculture. For more information, visit the KAP cPass® website.
The State FFA Degree is the highest honor the Kansas FFA Association can award to an FFA member at the state level. It recognizes long‑term excellence in leadership, agricultural experience, academics, and service. For more information, visit the State FFA Degree website.
