Agricultural education has expanded beyond its traditional rural roots as urban and suburban school districts increasingly implement school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs. Urban SBAE programs are commonly associated with career skill development, food systems awareness, and opportunities for civic engagement. Within these settings, enrollment patterns serve as an important indicator of program sustainability, accessibility, and student participation. The purpose of this study was to describe enrollment and course-level participation across Agricultural, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) pathways within urban SBAE programs in [State]. Publicly available enrollment data were obtained from the [State] Education Agency and analyzed using descriptive statistics to examine mean enrollment and variability across AFNR pathways. Counties included in the study represent urban and suburban school districts within a major metropolitan region served by the researchers’ institution. Diffusion of Innovation Theory provided the theoretical framework for interpreting enrollment patterns as indicators of program adoption and development at the program level. Results revealed that enrollment was concentrated in foundational AFNR pathways. Plant Science (largely floriculture), reported the highest mean enrollment <em>(M</em> = 1454.68, SD = 1369.47), followed by Animal Science (<em>M</em> = 1059.86, SD = 834.40). In contrast, Environmental and Natural Resources (<em>M</em> = 70.71, SD = 61.75) and Practicum (<em>M</em> = 205.14, SD = 159.38) demonstrated substantially lower mean enrollments. These findings suggest that urban SBAE programs tend to emphasize accessible, foundational coursework during early stages of development. When interpreted through the Diffusion of Innovation framework, higher enrollment in foundational pathways reflects early adoption focused on broad access, whereas lower participation in advanced or experiential pathways indicates later-stage development requiring additional institutional capacity and sustained support. Together, these results highlight the importance of intentional pathway planning and strategic use of enrollment data to promote sustainable and equitable growth of urban SBAE programs.
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Kenna Lane, East Texas A&M University