The main focus of the 2024 Iowa Legislative Session was arguably on public education.

One bill that was passed and signed into law pertains to Agriculture Education Curriculum, allowing math and science aspects of some ag classes to be counted towards the required math and science credits for high school students to graduate. West Central Valley Ag Instructor and FFA Advisor Molly Dolch tells Raccoon Valley Radio how she believes that the new law will be beneficial to students.

“But I think this bill just highlights the truth behind that and really illustrates that what they’re learning here is connected to math and science, but is also in a real world setting. And I think a lot of students will take advantage of that, which will be fun to see.”

Dolch mentions that one way this could benefit students is that if they struggle in a conventional setting to learn math and science, what they learn in ag classes can come from a more hands on approach. She adds that many ag classes use projects, lessons and labs that would be able to show how the students are learning in ways besides written tests.