AFNR Standards
National AFNR Content Standards
The Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Cluster Content Standards provide a high-quality, rigorous framework to guide what students should know and be able to do upon completing a program of study within each AFNR career pathway. Developed and maintained by The National Council for Agricultural Education, these standards serve as a foundation for designing comprehensive agricultural education programs nationwide.
Purpose
State leaders and local educators are encouraged to use the AFNR standards as a guiding tool for developing curriculum and assessments in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs related to agriculture. These standards are intended to shape the core components of a complete agricultural education program, including:
Classroom and laboratory instruction
Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) experiences, such as those provided through the National FFA Organization and MANRRS.
Work-based learning, including Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs, internships, and other real-world learning opportunities
Development Process
The Council’s development and revision process ensures that the standards:
Reflect current, essential knowledge and skills needed for early-career success in a broad range of AFNR fields
Serve as a foundation for the design of AFNR-related CTE clusters and sub-clusters.
Support the development of end-of-course and end-of-program assessments to measure student achievement and readiness
Alignments and Crosswalks
To strengthen the standards’ relevance and utility, the AFNR Content Standards are aligned with national frameworks and academic benchmarks, including:
Common Core English Language Arts & Literacy
Common Core Mathematics
Next Generation Science Standards
National Standards for Personal Financial Education
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