Sportsfield Management September 2024 | Page 29

INDUSTRY EDUCATION
The Turfgrass Environment section tests if learners have a foundational understanding of the basics of preparing and maintaining turfgrass surfaces . Successful candidates will have proven that they know these principles so they can work in the industry right after earning their certification .
TURFGRASS CULTURAL PRACTICES The largest section of the certification is the Turfgrass Cultural Practices portion , which accounts for 30 percent of the entire certification . It covers many of the day-to-day aspects of cultivating turfgrass , along with the specialized techniques and technologies involved in this work . Cultural Practices questions ask candidates about : Mowing Nutrient Management Irrigation Aeration Topdressing Seeding / Sodding / Sprigging Integrated Pest Management Weeds , Insects and Diseases Equipment / Tools Establishment The Cultural Practices questions explore a candidate ’ s understanding of a wide range of turfgrass topics , ensuring they ’ re prepared to work with various equipment and understand industry-standard techniques .
PLAYING SURFACE PREPARATION Finally , the SFMA Turfgrass Science Certification addresses one of the essential aspects of working in the industry : preparing sports fields for play . This section represents 20 percent of the certification and addresses the steps involved in prepping and supporting sports fields : Field Dimensions Surface Playability Sports Specific Preparation Field Marking & Logo Painting Quality , Evaluation and Safety of Surfaces and Facilities Seasonal / Annual Maintenance Many earners of this certification will seek employment maintaining sports facilities . These questions ensure individuals know how to do so safely and professionally for the benefit of everyone .
HOW CAN I PREPARE STUDENTS FOR CERTIFICATION SUCCESS ? Now that you know more about the five industry standards of the SFMA Turfgrass Science Certification , there is another important question to consider : how can you prepare students to succeed on exam day ?
While CTE teachers take a variety of approaches when preparing their students for certifications , it ’ s important to ensure that your agricultural science curriculum is aligned with the content of the certification . In this case , you should evaluate your existing course materials to ensure that you ’ re covering the content of each of the five certification domains in your daily instruction . This way , your students will learn the essential knowledge they need for success as you go along — and you ’ ll be able to correct and reteach material they might not have mastered long before they sit down to take the certification exam .
When you have a turfgrass curriculum designed to prepare students for the SFMA Turfgrass Science certification , you ’ ll be rewarded with higher pass rates and better opportunities for graduates of your CTE program .
However , you ’ re still probably wondering how you can cover these standards completely so that students have the best chance of success . The good news is that iCEV offers certification prep materials explicitly aligned with the SFMA Turfgrass Science Certification . These resources include various ways to reach students with critical exam content so they ’ re confidently prepared to earn their certifications . ICEV ’ s industry certification preparation materials include : Certification pre-tests Interactive coursework Presentations Practice exams You can learn more about these resources on the iCEV Testing Platform certification prep materials page ( https :// www . icevonline . com / certifications / prep-materials ).
IS THE SFMA TURFGRASS SCIENCE CERTIFICATION RIGHT FOR MY STUDENTS ? After reading this , you should understand everything you need to know about the SFMA Turfgrass Science Certification . You also know more about steps you can take to prepare your students for certification success , including using test prep materials from iCEV . However , you still might be wondering if this is the right assessment for your agricultural science students .
The SFMA Turfgrass Science Certification is an ideal entry-level test for learners who wish to pursue careers in turfgrass and sports field management . But the best way to know for sure is to explore the certification page ( https :// www . icevonline . com / turfgrass ). SFM sportsfieldmanagementonline . com September 2024 | SportsField Management
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