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In agricultural education, both 4-H and FFA have identified leadership development as central to their mission. Many Cooperative Extension Service and agricultural educators, members, and alumni think these organizations provide effective leadership programming. However, there is little research to support that viewpoint. The purpose of this study was to develop a valid, reliable scale to measure youth leadership life skills development. The first phase involved the conceptualization and operationalization of youth leadership life skills development (YLLSD). YLLSD was conceptualized as having seven sub-domains (Miller, 1976) and operationalized with 68 indicators. Each indicator used a four point Likert-type subscale. Face and content validity were assessed by a panel of experts. In the second phase, construct validity, reliability, and dimensionality were assessed. Data were collected during September and October, 1992, following the Dillman procedure. The target population was 6,388 senior 4-H and FFA members from New Mexico. A random sample of 400, stratified proportionally to ensure organizational representation was generated. A usable return rate of 66% was obtained. No differences were found between respondents and nonrespondents. During construct validity assessment, indicators of youth leadership life skills development were eliminated through item analysis, internal structure relationships, and cross-structure relationships. The final summated scale of 30 indicators had a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of .98. Factor analysis was used to assess dimensionality. Although the final scale contains indicators from the seven original conceptual domains, youth in the study perceived the construct to be unidimensional.

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The development of "competent and assertive agricultural leadership" is a purpose of the National FFA Organization (1993, p. i). Research has provided limited, and often perceptual and correlational, evidence that participation in the FFA develops leadership skills. Brannon, Holley, and Key (1989) found Oklahoma community leaders who had participated in vocational agriculture and FFA in high school felt such participation contributed to their leadership development. They also felt vocational agriculture/FFA participation made the largest contribution to their success as community leaders. Community leaders who participated in vocational agriculture/FFA were more likely than nonparticipants to be involved in community affairs organizations, school organizations, church groups, agricultural groups, and educational groups as adults. Townsend and Carter (1983) found a positive relationship between FFA participation and leadership development for twelfth-grade vocational agriculture students in Iowa, concluding "the leadership trait is enhanced with FFA activity" (p. 21). In Tennessee, a positive relationship between FFA activeness and leadership and personal development scores was observed by Riketts and Newcomb (1984). They recommended "students should be encouraged to participate in as many (FFA) activities as possible" (p. 58). Dormody and Seevers (in press) reported a weak positive relationship between participation in FFA leadership activities and leadership life skills development in three southwestern states. While a relationship between participation in FFA leadership activities and leadership development has been established by these studies, evidence about the nature and effectiveness of member participation in specific FFA leadership development activities is more limited. In Oklahoma, over 50 percent of the community leaders who had participated in vocational agriculture and FFA (Brannon et al., 1989) had participated in judging contests, fairs and shows, chapter banquets, chapter committees, parliamentary procedure, state convention, and community service. In Iowa, participants in FFA chapter banquets, chapter awards, Chapter Farmer degree programs, chapter office, chapter speech activities, chapter committees, county fair, chapter fund raising, chapter improvement projects, junior office, leadership camps, national convention, proficiency awards, or state convention had higher perceptions of their leadership skills than nonparticipants (Townsend & Carter, 1983). Participation in local or chapter-level FFA activities has been shown to be related to leadership development (Riketts and Newcomb, 1984; Townsend & Carter, 1983).

Approximately 19% of the students enrolled in agricultural education in New Mexico are classified as special education students. The purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to describe the challenges experienced by agricultural education teachers in New Mexico when including special needs students in their programs. A census of New Mexico secondary school agricultural education teachers received a mail questionnaire during spring and summer 2003. Most programs in the state offered instruction in a combination classroom and shop/laboratory format (85%) and a classroom-only (59%) format. Among disabilities/special needs, students with mental retardation and limited English proficiency were the most challenging to include in courses with the classroom-only format. In the laboratory/shop-only format, students with mental retardation, physical disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders were most challenging. Mentally retarded students were the most challenging in the combination format. Older teachers and teachers on a regular schedule had lower perceptions of the degree of challenge in including students with special needs than younger teachers and teachers on a block schedule.