19 Tex. Admin. Code § 127.54 - Horticultural Science (One Credit), Adopted 2024
(a) Implementation. The provisions of this
section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2025-2026
school year.
(b) General
requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 10-12.
Prerequisites: at least one credit in a course from the Agriculture, Food, and
Natural Resources Career Cluster. Recommended prerequisite: Principles of
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. Students shall be awarded one credit
for successful completion of this course.
(c) Introduction.
(1) Career and technical education
instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards and
relevant technical knowledge and skills for students to further their education
and succeed in current or emerging professions.
(2) The Agriculture, Food, and Natural
Resources Career Cluster focuses on the production, processing, marketing,
distribution, financing, and development of agricultural commodities and
resources, including food, fiber, wood products, natural resources,
horticulture, and other plant and animal products/resources.
(3) In Horticultural Science, students
develop an understanding of common horticultural management practices as they
relate to food and ornamental plant production. To prepare for careers in
horticultural industry systems, students must attain academic knowledge and
skills, acquire technical knowledge and skills related to horticulture and the
workplace, and develop knowledge and skills regarding career opportunities,
entry requirements, and industry expectations. To prepare for success, students
need opportunities to learn, reinforce, apply, and transfer knowledge and
skills in a variety of settings.
(4) Students are encouraged to participate in
extended learning experiences such as career and technical student
organizations and other leadership or extracurricular organizations.
(5) Statements that contain the word
"including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the
phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative
examples.
(d) Knowledge
and skills.
(1) The student demonstrates
professional standards/employability skills as required by business and
industry. The student is expected to:
(A)
identify career and entrepreneurship opportunities in the field of plant
science and develop a plan for obtaining the education, training, and
certifications required;
(B) model
professionalism by continuously exhibiting appropriate work habits, solving
problems, taking initiative, communicating effectively, listening actively, and
thinking critically;
(C) model
appropriate personal and occupational safety and health practices and explain
the importance of established safety and health protocols for the
workplace;
(D) analyze and
interpret the rights and responsibilities, including ethical conduct and legal
responsibilities, of employers and employees; and
(E) describe and demonstrate characteristics
of good citizenship in the agricultural workplace, including promoting
stewardship, community leadership, civic engagement, and agricultural awareness
and literacy.
(2) The
student develops a supervised agricultural experience program. The student is
expected to:
(A) plan, propose, conduct,
document, and evaluate a supervised agricultural experience program as an
experiential learning activity; and
(B) use appropriate record-keeping skills in
a supervised agricultural experience program.
(3) The student develops leadership skills
through participation in an agricultural youth organization. The student is
expected to:
(A) participate in youth
agricultural leadership opportunities;
(B) review and participate in a local program
of activities; and
(C) create or
update documentation of relevant agricultural experience such as community
service, professional, or classroom experiences.
(4) The student understands the history and
progression of the horticulture industry. The student is expected to:
(A) trace how relevant historical
advancements in the horticulture industry relate to current industry
practices;
(B) identify and
describe different disciplines of horticulture such as arboriculture,
floriculture, olericulture, pomology, viticulture, turf management, and
ornamental horticulture;
(C)
identify and research emerging technology in the horticulture
industry;
(D) identify current
trends in the horticulture industry; and
(E) compare types of horticulture industries
in the different regions of Texas.
(5) The student identifies plant structures
and their functions and needs. The student is expected to:
(A) classify horticultural plants by their
common and scientific names;
(B)
describe functional differences in plant structures, including roots, stems,
flowers, leaves, and fruit;
(C)
identify pollination factors affecting plants and trees such as access to
pollinators, wind, and hand pollination;
(D) compare monocots and dicots;
(E) analyze environmental needs of plants,
including light, water, and nutrients; and
(F) identify the components of a fertilizer
label.
(6) The student
develops technical knowledge and skills associated with the production of
horticultural plants. The student is expected to:
(A) classify horticultural plants based on
taxonomy;
(B) identify
classifications of plants, including annuals, perennials, biennials, and
evergreens, based on growing cycles;
(C) identify horticultural plants based on
their physical characteristics;
(D)
compare the reproduction of flowering and non-flowering horticultural
plants;
(E) select appropriate
tools and equipment for production of horticultural plants;
(F) demonstrate safe and appropriate use of
tools and equipment; and
(G)
identify maintenance practices for hand tools, power tools, and
equipment.
(7) The
student understands plant propagation techniques and growing methods. The
student is expected to:
(A) identify asexual
propagation methods for horticultural plants, including cuttings, grafting,
budding, layering, and tissue culture;
(B) propagate horticultural plants using
asexual methods such as cuttings, grafting, budding, layering, and tissue
culture;
(C) manipulate the
germination of seeds using various methods such as mechanical scarification,
chemical scarification, and heat and cold treatments;
(D) compare various soil-based growing media;
and
(E) identify soilless growing
methods used in the horticulture industry.
(8) The student manages and controls common
pests, diseases, and deficiencies of horticultural plants. The student is
expected to:
(A) identify and manage common
horticultural pests, diseases, and deficiencies;
(B) identify and manage common weeds that
impact horticultural production;
(C) develop a plan for disease control using
integrated pest management;
(D)
apply proper sanitation methods to prevent the spread of pests;
(E) demonstrate safe and proper practices in
selecting, applying, storing, and disposing of chemicals; and
(F) review and explain the parts of a
pesticide label.
(9) The
student understands the concepts of ornamental plants and landscape design. The
student is expected to:
(A) compare
landscaping methods that account for environmental variables such as water
availability, soil type, light availability, and climate;
(B) identify and select plants, including
bedding plants, shrubs, trees, and turf grasses, for landscapes based on United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zones;
(C) design a landscape using design elements
and principles; and
(D) compare
sustainability practices such as planting native plants, water conservation,
and irrigation technology used in a landscape.
(10) The student demonstrates business skills
used in the horticulture industry. The student is expected to:
(A) identify opportunities for
entrepreneurship in the horticulture industry;
(B) identify practices to maintain business
relationships;
(C) describe and
demonstrate correct procedures for handling customer sales
transactions;
(D) calculate pricing
to maximize profit for wholesale and retail settings;
(E) develop a plan to market horticultural
products and services; and
(F)
formulate a budget for a horticultural
enterprise.
Notes
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