08/08/2026
Congratulations Abby! Way to represent Billingsley School and Autauga County! We are so proud of you.
We are excited to announce that our Chapter President, Abigail Longcrier, has been named a National Finalist in the National FFA Agriscience Fair, earning a top-10 finish in Division 3 of the Social Science category!
Abigail's project, titled "From Policy to Practice: District Leaders' Understanding of Agricultural Education and Literacy", explored how school and district administrators understand school-based agricultural education and agricultural literacy, and how those understandings influence their perceptions of and support for agricultural education and FFA.
Her theoretical framework employed Weick's Sensemaking Theory and Freeman's Stakeholder Theory to explore how administrators' prior experiences and stakeholder expectations shaped their interpretations and decision-making relating to Agricultural Education. Using a phenomenological case study design, Abigail collected data through semi-structured interviews guided by a common set of interview questions while allowing for probing questions to explore participants' experiences and perspectives in greater depth. Abigail analyzed the data using thematic analysis. Interview transcripts, field notes, and a reflexive journal were maintained throughout the study to support triangulation and establish the trustworthiness of the findings.
Abigail will interview with a panel of judges later this fall to defend her research and determine the final rankings. She will learn her official placing on stage at the 99th National FFA Convention & Exposition this October.
Congratulations, Abigail, on this incredible accomplishment! We are proud to see your research recognized on the national stage and cannot wait to cheer you on in Indianapolis!
